Ouch

There is a lot I want to say about Yoga Pant Nation by Laurie Gelman, but going into depth would involved spoilers and I'd rather not spoil anything for those who actually might enjoy this book. Nevertheless, I will try my best to explain why this book only received 1 star from me.

Checklists

Yoga Pant Nation is about a mom/grandma who navigates the world of kids, PTA meetings, spin classes, and, well, that's it really. Other than that basic description, I have no idea what this book is about. Four chapters in, and I could not tell what the plot was. Every chapter was just the protagonist checking things off her to-do list, and while it is impressive that a checklist was published as a novel, I fail to see the hook.

The only juicy part of this book occurred when the protagonist's granddaughter's father, Raj, sues for custody of his daughter, presumably because his mother wants more time with her granddaughter. From there, a battle of the grandmas ensues. However, this whole issues is dependent on Raj's mom being painted as the stereotypical overbearing South Asian mom, so not only is this book mostly about every day middle-class problems, but it also became incredibly racist.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me access to this audiobook, but it was not for me.

Oh well, on to the next book! To share your thoughts, questions, or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

Comments

Kamila Knows Best

One of the biggest regrets I had during 2021 was that I let my blog slip through the cracks...which is a pity, because I like to blog. Therefore, I have decided to write once more (hopefully more than once), because I want to talk about Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron. You may recognize Heron's name from her previous works: The Chai Factor and Accidentally Engaged. Both of these novels were well written, humorous, and heartwarming, but I loved them all the more because they are set in Canada and written by a Canadian. Kamila Knows Best stays true to all of these points. Set in Toronto, this adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma was faithful to the original while adding twists and turns that are accurate for a modern retelling. Kamila is an accountant who loves her father, friends, dog and career deeply, but all of these things means she is too busy for a serious relationship -- or so she claims. Kamila also fancies herself a matchmaker, and takes pride in the fact th...

Arc of a Scythe

The end of a trilogy can either be a very frustrating event, or a very melancholy feeling. If the ending is not what you hoped, it can feel disappointing to have invested so much time. However, if the ending is satisfying, as was the case for The Toll by Neal Shusterman, then leaving a series behind can be a concoction of emotions. The Toll The Arc of a Scythe trilogy came to a dramatic, thrilling, wonderful close in the final installment, and while I can say that I enjoyed it, I find it interesting how my interests seemed to change from the story of Citra and Rowan, to Greyson's story. I loved how complex the world got, and the ending was perfectly written, even though I still wanted more. 4 stars from this Bookworm! The only reason it was not a five is because I loved the second one. Second books are great because there is still a build up of tension, fantastic characters, and an ending that does not conclude the whole series and make me wish I could start all over again... Oh w...

The End of the Reading Rut

This reading rut I was in was a painful experience that unexpectedly came to an end when I picked up Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. I was taken on an unexpected journey, torn open while reading about the love story of Eva and Shane. Now that the story is over, I wish it had never ended. 7 days to fall in love, 15 to forget Fifteen years after Eva and Shane first fell in love, they meet again during a writers panel hosted by a mutual friend. Although they had not spoken to each other since their love ended, they were forever in each other's thoughts when writing their respective novels, a fact that only they were aware of. Even after so many years, their feelings are still electrifying, but one question remains, can they overcome the events of the past? Sometimes, reading a romance novel can seem formulaic, but this story broke every formula I have ever experienced in my literary adventures. Each chapter told me something about Eva and Shane that I genuinely did not expect. On...

The Literary Adventures of an Opinionated Bookworm

Search This Blog