I feel that I need to address the controversy surrounding Homegrown Magic and Rebecca Podos ( review here ). There are many claims that the book is antisemitic and that Podos experiences internalized antisemitism. I discovered this after finishing the novel. I wasn't even planning on talking about this book from a Jewish perspective. Although, as you can see, I did make this discussion separate from my review. The only Jewish things I noticed in it were the names "Yael" and "

2025 was a tough year for me personally and for the year at large. I slowed down a smidge with reading and a lot with posting here on my blog. I have a backlog of posts that I hope to get to soon. Know if you're feeling sluggish, you aren't alone. Still, books continue to mean a lot to me. They bring me closer to others, they give me an escape from this world, and they challenge my perception of all kinds of things. Below you will find my 2025 reading stats from The StoryGrap

From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos #Jewish #Queer #ContemporaryYA #Fantasy CW: Click Here 5/5 I noticed Rebecca Podos on Instagram when I saw a picture of the Home Grown Magic  cover, although I did read this first. Podos writes about queer Jews, my niche! Now, I don't read a lot of Y.A. romantasy, which this review's book, From Dust, a Flame  looked like from the cover. Still, I read the description and wanted to give it a chance. I shared a name with the main character and

Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield #Queer #YA #RomCom #TimeTravel CW: Click Here 5/5 One day, not too long ago, one of my best...

No Vacancy by Tziporah Cohen #MiddleGrade #Contemporary #Jewish CW: Money Problems, Drowning, Antisemitism, Hate Crimes,...

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler #Contemporary #YA #Bisexual #RomCom CW: Pre-book Divorce, Absentee Parent, Money Problems, Classism,...

How To Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow #Jewish   #HolidayRomance   #Contemporary #YA CW: Click Here 4/5 Jake Maia Arlow's How to...

Love You A Latke by Amanda Elliot #Jewish  #HolidayRomance  #NewAdult   #Contemporary CW: Gaslighting, Drinking, Hangover, Swearing,...

Hope you're all settling in okay to the new year! I know we've got a tough one ahead of us, but books will always be there for us. Let's...

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman #Jewish #RomCom #NewAdult #Contemporary CW: Breach of Journalist Integrity, Off-Page Deaths,...

Make My Wish Come True by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick #Contemporary #YA #RomCom #WLW #Holiday CW: Dark Side of Hollywood...

Margo Zimmerman Gets The Girl by Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum #YA #RomCom #WLW #Contemporary CW: Biphobia, Queerphobia,...

We're here, we're queer, and a book is always near! This is a "Mostly [Letter]" Quiz, so track your score as you go! 1) Which of these...

Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert #Contemporary #NewAdult #RomCom #Gay CW: Abusive Parent, Neglectful Parent in an Abusive...

The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow #MiddleGrade #Contemporary #SickKidRomance CW: Poop, Divorce, Parental Fighting,...

Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer #NewAdult #Contemporary #Jewish #RomCom CW: Loss of Parents During Childhood, Deadly Accident Described,...

I'm making this idea digital! For Valentine's Day, all of these books are contemporary romance. How It Works: Instead of some brown paper...

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you've had a 2023 full of engaging in your love for reading! May your 2024 bring you more books to love!...

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer #Jewish #RomCom #Contemporary #Holiday CW: Child/Family Abandonment, Death of a Parent, Cancer, Grief,...

Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald #WLW #RomCom #NewAdult #Contemporary CW: Drinking, Heavy Drinking, Swearing, Described Sexual Content,...