Håfa adai! Welcome to Bookmarks & Armchairs!
My name is Mariana. I am a Guamanian Chamorro mestiza living in a North American desert. I love storytelling, history, anthropology, psychology, other sciences, and more. I also have ADHD. This blog is my way of tracking the books I read and listen to.
I post book reviews every Monday. Each week will feature reviews from specific genres, sorted into “bookshelves.” Some months—like heritage months and “spooky season”—will have a unifying theme and not follow the regular weekly post order. Months with a 5th Monday will be a flex day where I either post extra book reviews or take a break. Weeks featuring a book I am revisiting for a review will might have a second book review posted.
Week 1: Fiction or Non-Fiction
Week 2: Fantasy or Mystery
Week 3: Sci-Fi or Horror
Week 4: Challenged Books or Non-Fiction
Week 5: Flex Day!
If a book review must be postponed for a later day in the week or if a week must be skipped, it will be announced in the Upcoming Posts section below.
What You Will Find Here
A Love of Stories & Storytelling
“It is through stories that we define our world and discover our place in it.” — LeVar Burton (Actor, Director, TV Host)
I love to read! But I am not the best at remembering the details and takeaways of every book I put down. By sharing my thoughts on most of the books I read, I hope to curate a collection of reviews that will help me retain information of the books I finish and possibly help others pick their next book to read. Under Fiction Reviews, I share spoiler-free summaries of books from many different genres and subgenres. Reviews for works in the Romance bookshelf will be saved for flex weeks.
A Fascination with History, the Sciences, and More
“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” — Julia Child (Chef, Author, TV Host)
My education and training are in the social sciences and history, but I am interested in almost all the sciences and many other topics. Under Non-Fiction Reviews, I summarize works from the social sciences and history, behavioral sciences, biological sciences, and topics under writing or other forms of self-improvement. Reviews for works non-fiction will go into detail of the source material but will leave out the greater nuance. I want to share my opinions and takeaways of a book and maybe encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.
Upcoming Posts
On 19 May, I post my review of Banyan Moon by Thao Thai, my third selection for Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in the Fiction bookshelf.
On 26 May, I publish my review of Real Americans by Rachel Khong, my fourth pick for Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in the Fiction bookshelf.
On 2 June, I share my review of Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, my first selection for Jewish American Heritage Month, in the Fiction bookshelf.
On 9 June, I post my review of Disobedience by Naomi Alderman, my second pick for Jewish American Heritage Month and first pick for Pride Month, in the Fiction bookshelf.
Stay tuned!
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Reach out for more!
Do you want to see a spoiler-free review of a specific book before reading it? Contact me using the email submission form here.
If I got something wrong or misrepresented a topic, please let me know! Send an email with the subject “You Missed Something” along with the link to the post you are referring to.
If you have any other questions, comments, or concerns, please use the email form with the subject “Something Else.”
Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog!
