Hijab Butch Blues

Read Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

A queer hijabi Muslim immigrant survives her coming-of-age by drawing strength and hope from stories in the Quran in this daring, provocative, and radically hopeful memoir.

The original title of this book was Maryam Was a Dyke, as Lamya H said in their interview on the podcast Gender Reveal (if you speak English, grab the episode or transcript, if you prefer French, the translated transcript will be on this blog soon). They then changed it because some friends said that would…

Bryony and Roses

Read Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city.

But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard?

This recommendation from Tracy was a really fun and sweet Beauty and the Beast retelling. It took me a while to get into the story, for two reasons: I have no idea why I even started reading it since I’m very tired of fantasy and of romance I didn’t know it was a Beauty and…

Free: Coming of Age at the End of History

Read Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi

Lea Ypi grew up in one of the most isolated countries on earth, a place where communist ideals had officially replaced religion. Albania, the last Stalinist outpost in Europe, was almost impossible to visit, almost impossible to leave. It was a place of queuing and scarcity, of political executions and secret police. To Lea, it was home. People were equal, neighbours helped each other, and children were expected to build a better world. There was community and hope.

Then, in December 1990, everything changed. The statues of Stalin and Hoxha were toppled. Almost overnight, people could vote freely, wear what they liked and worship as they wished. There was no longer anything to fear from prying ears. But factories shut, jobs disappeared and thousands fled to Italy on crowded ships, only to be sent back. Predatory pyramid schemes eventually bankrupted the country, leading to violent conflict. As one generation’s aspirations became another’s disillusionment, and as her own family’s secrets were revealed, Lea found herself questioning what freedom really meant.

Around the World challenge: Albania This is the best book about Albania I’ve ever read, which doesn’t tell you much because it’s also the only book about Albania I’ve ever read (for now). It did make me want to read more, though. In this book, we follow young Lea as she goes to school in…

The Bread the Devil Knead

Read The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

Alethea Lopez is about to turn 40. Fashionable, feisty and fiercely independent, she manages a boutique in Port of Spain, but behind closed doors she’s covering up bruises from her abusive partner and seeking solace in an affair with her boss. When she witnesses a woman murdered by a jealous lover, the reality of her own future comes a little too close to home.

Around the World challenge: Trinidad and Tobago A book full of violence of nearly all kinds I could even imagine. And yet, I couldn’t put it down, stammering through the Creole and the pain, because Alathea is wonderful, everyone is wonderful, and I needed to know more about all these characters and what they’re going…

5-star reviews

Liked How was your experience? by Chris Coyier (chriscoyier.net)

I just want to echo Josh’s sentiment: In a way, it’s hard to blame companies because they honestly want to know and, in the best-case scenario, actually use what they get to make things better. But it’s oh-so-overwhelming. Just constantly about every single little thing. One of my favorites is when you log into hotel […]

I hate, hate, hate satisfaction surveys. I like Kévin’s suggestion in the comments: My only takeaway here is that, if you got one after speaking / chatting / writing to an actual human you should fill it in, five stars all the way (unless there is a real thing that person did that was in…