pizza

I went to bed at a reasonable time yesterday evening and started a new book with delighted anticipation. "Reading time! I'll get to fall asleep peacefully with my brain tummy full of stories <3" I thought. The way my tbr pile works is that I add recs to my library queue and most of the time by the time the book gets to me 1) I've completely forgotten what it was about and 2) there's a good chance I'll enjoy it because I did add it based on a rec that intrigued me to start with.

To set the scene further: in winter, the cat often climbs onto my stomach while I read because the blankets are thicker and fluffier.

ALAS! The book I started was Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie!!! I'm only about 70 pages in AND I LAUGHED SO HARD!! SO HARD!!!! Poor cat quickly abandoned me since it must have felt like a rodeo machine thing up there, but I was nearly crying and my non-existent abs were aching by the time I stopped reading.

Not the most restful way to fall asleep, I'll be honest. But oh my god. As much as I sometimes wince with some of her specific choices, Skye's internal voice is just. Just. Incredible. I'm not finished yet so no spoilers please :D But I'm fairly sure I picked up the rec from someone here so thank you to whoever mentioned it on their journal :D Wow. Like I laugh and cry and gasp often when reading, but I can't remember the last time I was non-stop guffawing like this from a book.

Edit: Finished the book and I stand by my rec! (The cat had to endure another round of stomach rodeo but I'm sure given time she will find it in her generous (?) heart to forgive me.) The book jacket says the story is about the complexities of family, queerness, race, and community. Definitely! It felt like a love letter to Philadelphia as well (I've never been). Impeccable narrator voice. Black queer woman protag. Many excellent relationships between women. And did I mention how much I laughed? I did. Though it doesn't mean the story isn't poignant or painful, sometimes even while laughing.