Team !!TOO LIT TO QUIT!!: Book Talk Reading Challenge April 2025 - Page 16

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Another one finished - Say you’ll remember me. 5 stars. Made me cry a few times and I hurt so bad for Xavier and Samantha. Xavier especially. Cos this guy. Was. U.N.R.E.A.L.

Was thinking of 3.5, then 4, then 4.5 but in the end i upped it all the way to 5. Abby doing what she does best. The book will resonate with anyone who’s had to care for a sick person, anyone who’s faced having to do long-distance for any amount of time for whatever reason. And with anyone who loves pets (especially dogs). Any book where the MMC is a Vet (& gets to be VILF) gets my vote!

Some highlights from the book:

I never get why white men are grumpy. Like, we’re living in a patriarchy. You’re the most privileged class on the face of the earth. You’re not walking to your car with your keys through your fingers like wolverine and you’ve got bodily autonomy, why the bad mood?

We lose the words to say it. We lose the ability to show it. But we never lose the ability to feel it or recognize it when we see it.

Love is the brightest color in a gray world.

You think that it’s the big memories you should be chasing—and it is in a way. Birthdays and vacations and special occasions. But the small memories are the fabric of your life, the ones so inconsequential that you don’t even remember them. You just remember how you felt when you were making them.

I think there are two types of people you fall in love with.

The ones who are a good fit. Their lifestyle matches yours, you share the same values and beliefs, you find them attractive and you like spending time with them. It’s good. Great even. You can live your whole life with this person and be madly in love and never want anything different…unless you’ve already met the other type of person you fall in love with.

The One.

@Red I hope it was said in jest and didn't actually represent the views of any of the protagonists because that would be instant turn-off for me . Racism against white people is still racism just like sexism against men is still sexism *smh*

Originally posted by: ssttuuttii

@Red I hope it was said in jest and didn't actually represent the views of any of the protagonists because that would be instant turn-off for me . Racism against white people is still racism just like sexism against men is still sexism *smh*

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Well it was kinda in jest - and it didn’t really matter - but I disagree. Privilege is privilege. And don’t think that particular statement in context was racism or sexism of any kind - it’s just calling out privilege and power the way things stand in the world and have stood historically.

I don't know the context in that particular scenario... but I disagree with your statement - Privilege is privilege.

Privilege (or being a white man in particular) does not preclude one from having a random bad day, or even more serious issues like poverty, mental / physical illness, etc. Like I said earlier, the sentence by itself seems to suggest that a white man is not allowed to show emotions like being grumpy or having a bad mood... which is not okay. If it was merely teasing between friends or something, sure... otherwise it comes across as racist + sexist to me. Of course, the context of the story and this particular conversation might be entirely different... but the amount of casual racism that goes unnoticed when white people are the target really annoys me (especially when it comes from those yelling around about facing racism... like Don't do unto others what you don't want done unto you... why is that so hard to understand?! ). Same thing for the sexism men face too...

If the skin color / gender is not relevant to the conversation being held... it shouldn't be brought up. Simple enough.

P.S. Sorry for turning a book talk thread into a soapbox... but this topic just really grates on my nerves, so couldn't resist 😅

Originally posted by: ssttuuttii

I don't know the context in that particular scenario... but I disagree with your statement - Privilege is privilege.

Privilege (or being a white man in particular) does not preclude one from having a random bad day, or even more serious issues like poverty, mental / physical illness, etc. Like I said earlier, the sentence by itself seems to suggest that a white man is not allowed to show emotions like being grumpy or having a bad mood... which is not okay. If it was merely teasing between friends or something, sure... otherwise it comes across as racist + sexist to me. Of course, the context of the story and this particular conversation might be entirely different... but the amount of casual racism that goes unnoticed when white people are the target really annoys me (especially when it comes from those yelling around about facing racism... like Don't do unto others what you don't want done unto you... why is that so hard to understand?! ). Same thing for the sexism men face too...

If the skin color / gender is not relevant to the conversation being held... it shouldn't be brought up. Simple enough.

P.S. Sorry for turning a book talk thread into a soapbox... but this topic just really grates on my nerves, so couldn't resist 😅

I do get being annoyed with such statements, I DNFed a book recently for racial stereotyping but honestly this isn’t it and now I’m regretting putting quotes in

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Sure, I get that all apparent privilege isn’t actual privilege but this ain’t casual racism. And in a generic sense white people (barring intersectionality) are systemically privileged - since you don’t know the context, it’s best we end it here

I do get being annoyed with such statements, I DNFed a book recently for racial stereotyping but honestly this isn’t it and now I’m regretting putting quotes in

Oh no no... don't regret it. I liked the last quote... the one about two kinds of people you fall in love with .

Once you said the context in the book wasn't that, I should have dropped it.... sorry for dragging it further.

P.S. If you want, you can delete my comments from the thread to keep it clean and pertaining to the topic on hand.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Abby's books are more slice of life. Her MMCs are very real, down to earth and mostly cinnamon rolls. Also she doesn't write very spicy stuff. So I'm not sure her books are for you, but I love them!

I hope things get easier for you soon!

I am willing to give new authors a try if they write good plots, so ill check her books out. Which one should I start with?

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

I am willing to give new authors a try if they write good plots, so ill check her books out. Which one should I start with?

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

My personal favorites are Part of your world and Yours Truly from her Part of your World Series but if you’re a stickler for reading in order, I’d say start with The Friend Zone.

Is there no standalone which is not connected to any series? Otherwise I will start with friend zone

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

Is there no standalone which is not connected to any series? Otherwise I will start with friend zone

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Tbh her books are all standalones. I did not read in order and though the characters make guest appearances in other books, you don’t really miss anything if you read out of order. Except maybe the Happily ever after playlist that comes after The friend zone cos the events in TFZ kind of set up what happens in that one. The rest - meh. I’d say read in any order - it doesn’t matter.

Ugh I hate it when characters from one book appear in another I am having the same problem with the current book I'm reading.