Review: Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief Takes a Deep Dive Into the Dramatic World of Orchids

Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief shines a light on orchid enthusiasts and hustle culture.  Hey, y’all! I’m back, this time with a quick review of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief. Yes, it’s an adult book, but it’s one about plants! I’ve been a fan of Orlean since I picked up The Library Book, a true-crime nonfiction deep … Read more

Review: The World of Junji Ito Offers Both Psychological and Physical Terror

Smashed by Junji Ito

Hello, hello! This isn’t your typical plant or kid lit post, it’s true. But since this is my personal blog, I might as well fill it with stuff that I like, right?! I’m hoping to do more one-off author universe posts as well as style ones. Here’s a little write-up about a newfound obsession of … Read more

Review: Days With Frog and Toad Is a Universal Classic About Love

Days With Frog and Toad is an understated and humorous collection of stories about love that’s perfect for all ages. My kid lit read today is a deep cut — the deceivingly simple Days With Frog and Toad. The book is notorious for its subtext of Frog and Toad being a same-sex couple. Arnold Lobel, the … Read more

Weekend Update: 8/15

This weekend passed away like a cloud of smoke. Literally, because I smell smoky air whenever I crack open a window! There are fires just half an hour away from me towards the South Bay. The crunchy air quality (yes, it is crunchy to my lungs), combined with the heat wave and the pandemic and … Read more

Review: Linda Sue Park Crafts an Emotional Narrative Glazed With Elegant Writing in A Single Shard

A Single Shard

I’ve been picking up more adult-oriented books lately (lots of romances by Jasmine Guillory and a few thrillers by Megan Miranda), but I’m still reading kid lit! I went on a lovely afternoon excursion yesterday, checking out local mom and pop shops and picking up some books from the library. (I also had the best … Read more

Review: Kelly Yang’s Front Desk Paints Dazzles With Depth and Nuance

Kelly Yang’s Front Desk illuminates issues of poverty and immigration with a heartwarming story and fiercely self-aware protagonist at its core.  Hello, kid lit book hive! I’m back with a review of Kelly Yang’s Front Desk. Yang’s middle-grade novel is extremely my speed — that is, a slice-of-life story that so lovingly invests in its details and characters.  The … Read more

Review: Merci Suárez Changes Gears Is a Winsome Story About Intergenerational Immigrant Family Love

Meg Medina’s Merci Suárez Changes Gears explores family and school drama with warmth and nuance.  I recently picked up Meg Medina’s lovely Merci Suárez Changes Gears on sale for $7. This whim of a purchase turned out to be a great decision because I thoroughly enjoyed the book and devoured all 355 pages of it … Read more

Review: One Crazy Summer Layers Revolution With Emotional Nuance

One Crazy Summer is a salient read that illuminates revolutionary ideas and emotional nuance through a child’s perspective.  Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer initially drew me in because its setting is Oakland, a city that’s near and dear to my heart. For a whirlwind of a year in college, I covered art and worked at a … Read more

Review: Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me Is a Radical Exercise in Empathy

Harbor Me

Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me explores systemic American violence with a gentle force. Of all of the kid lit I’ve been reading lately, Harbor Me has been one of the most intense reads. I considered myself a Woodson fan since picking up Red at the Bone, a story geared towards adults, but one that shares salient themes … Read more