MAY TBR

Well, it’s a few days behind but better late than never! Here is my list for this month and I’m excited to share my picks with you.

A Magic Stepped in Poison by Judy L. Lin
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

Angelfall by Susan He
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Genre: Autobiography, Memoir, Not-Fiction,

Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, YA

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT

Kamila Knows Best by Faith Heron
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The Map Of Salt And Stars by Zeyn Jorkhadar
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical-Fiction

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, YA

Set On You by Amy Lee
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

She Who Became The Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, LGBT

Squad by Maggie Tokud-Hall
Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, LGBT

Thief Of Souls by Brian Klingborg
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
Genre: Memoir, Mental Health, Non Fiction

Tomorrow Will Be Better by Sarah McBride


Rating: 5/5

“Hope can be limitless. Inspiration can always be found. Ideas are endless. But time, t“Each of us has a deep and profound desire to be seen, to be acknowledged, and to be respected in our totality. There is a unique kind of pain in being unseen. It’s a pain that cuts deep by diminishing and disempowering, and whether done intentionally or unintentionally, it’s an experience that leaves real scars.” 

Tomorrow Will Be Different tells the story of Sarah McBride and their journey of loss, heartbreak, love, acceptance with their identity and their fight for the trans community. In 2016, McBride made history with being the first transgender to speak at the Democratic National Convention. McBride’s mission of being an advocate for the community has launched them into the spotlight as a relentless fighter who just wants equality for the transgender community.

“Hope can be limitless. Inspiration can always be found. Ideas are endless. But time, that is the one resource that none of us can afford to waste.” 

But, before all this, McBride was a teenager struggling with her identity. McBride’s raw honesty and emotional depth share her personal struggles of how they came to fully accept herself and found her way as a woman. Her story has inspired millions and she not only found her calling but created a platform for herself and others to speak their truth.

“None of us know how long we have, but we do have a choice in whether we love or hate. And every day that we rob people of the ability to live their lives to the fullest, we are undermining the most precious gift we are given as humans. 

Memoirs aren’t usually my thing but I wanted to find a book for the Goodreads Bingo that happens every month and I stumbled upon McBride’s memoir. Safe to say that I was absolutely blown away by her story and the ups and downs that had occurred in her life. The way she writes is simple but has a rawness to it that keeps you hooked to the page. Not only was this a painful yet beautiful memoir but it really shows how much work there is still to do regarding the transgender community ensuring that they have the same rights as others. There were a lot of emotions felt throughout the book and I couldn’t put it down.

“Having certain privileges does not mean that your life is easy or that you do not face challenges. It just means that you don’t experience specific kinds of obstacles or barriers faced by someone with a different identity or background. And our empathy should require us to acknowledge the plight of others in both its similarities to ours and in its differences.” 

One of the things that I loved about the book and how McBride emphasizes her own privileges while discussing intersectionality. She is able to be honest and open with readers with those issues and I found that incredibly well done and powerful. This book moved me and I would definitely recommend it others especially if they are wanting to understand the struggles and issues that the transgender community faces with their fight to equality.