“Take what helps and leave the rest.”

I picked this up as personal research, and I honestly really appreciate it! I think I would want to reread it and take some thorough notes, which I may do.

One of the main things I appreciated about this book was the idea that just because something is uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s wrong. More so, I’ve stayed unpacking and unlearning so many preconceived beliefs about how we should live as people, so this beginner look at that regarding relationships was nice.

As the title says, this primarily focuses on the anxiety aspect, which I think is really important because so much lack of communication often stems from anxiety or anxious thoughts that get pushed down instead of worked through. I do wish that the book had more of a scientific/physiological foundation than it did, as well as more perspectives from those with different relationship styles/experiences.

Still, this book tells you to anchor yourself (and what that means), things you may encounter, and how that might make you or your partner feel, reminds you to be compassionate to both yourself and your partners, and points out some truths you may know but (ironically) don’t want to consider. There were moments I definitely felt called out directly, and I was kinda shook.

Again, I’d love to re-explore this soon because there is so much to take in. It doesn’t really claim to be the end-all, be-all of the topic, and it does feel pretty introductory- more of a starting place with tools and concepts to keep in mind- and that worked for me.

“I couldn’t survive another love like yours.”

Vampires, lesbians, and late 1920’s Singapore? Yes, I will read that, and I did. It was a pretty dark and intense story of control, “love,” and power. I was a little hesitant because some of the trigger warnings I saw (there were a lot, so be aware), but I was fine! I really liked it, but I wish there were more, honestly.

I will clarify that the vampire throughout this book is primarily a white woman, which was a little disappointing (lol), but I understood what was being said colonially/thematically. The book does show a couple of other creatures from different cultures briefly, but I went in hoping to see more Asian vampires or similar cultural creatures. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Our main character starts working as a servant to the rich white (vampire) lady, starts a toxic and violent relationship with her, and also begins navigating a side romance with another servant woman. The writing really was engaging, and I didn’t get too distracted by some of the more cliché tropes, but I almost wished we could have explored the world/vampire lore a bit more than we did!

There was also an unexpected “choose your own ending” portion at the end, and while I think it’s really fun and exciting as a concept, it did feel like a copout from a storytelling standpoint. I’d almost rather it had just ended on a complete cliffhanger, letting the mind wonder what would become of the characters.

Overall, though, pretty interesting and entertaining vampire read!

“I’ve learned most men are cruel. Some are just better at hiding it.”

This is a retelling of Medusa’s story as a young Black woman, detailing, primarily, a version that questions who exactly is the monster in this myth. I was looking forward to this because I love Medusa and I was really intrigued by this book's point of view. Overall, it was good, but I didn’t love it as I thought I would.

I loved the look at Medusa’s interpersonal connections with the other Greek figures, such as her immediate family. This story really did remind me of Miller’s Circe in that way, as well as the way both protagonists are ostracized women, but I think Circe was just a more contemplative and moving story. I’m again reminded, though, of how randomly connected some Greek mythology figures are, because why am I just realizing that Medusa is the aunt of Cerberus lol.

I think the thing that was almost hard to move past for me was just how naive Medusa is depicted here. I understand to a degree, but compared to her sisters even, it really did seem excessive and largely the root of much conflict in this story. Her mortality plays a role in this, I’m sure, but you would think she would have to have been even less naive because of her differences. Especially if she really was so well read and surrounded by the sea court, etc.

I loved any scenes with Medusa’s sisters (and maybe would have loved it more if we got more with them), I loved getting to see Athens, and I was pleasantly surprised by the queerness. I was not even mad at the ending, especially as I knew what was coming and was filled with dread nearly the entire time I was reading this. I think this is worth checking out, but I’m still craving another Medusa retelling, so we’ll see!