For me to pick up an anthology, I have to really love the concept or the authors. In For the Rest of Us, it’s a mixture of both! I love the idea of celebrating the whole spectrum of holidays throughout the year and not just the few that are always spoken about in the media. Keep reading this book review of For the Rest of Us for my full thoughts.
Summary
From Lunar New Year to Solstice, Día de Los Muertos to Juneteenth, and all the incredible days in between, it’s clear that Americans don’t just have one holiday. Edited by the esteemed Dahlia Adler and authored by creators who have lived these festive experiences firsthand, this joyful collection of stories shows that there isn’t one way to experience a holiday.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The author list of For the Rest of Us is full of stars. I love when an anthology list of contributors just nails it! This is the perfect mixture of my favorites and my TBR list all in one. Combined with that, I love the concept of For the Rest of Us. There’s so much emphasis on certain holidays whether it be in media, in stores, in holidays, I love that this anthology celebrates the year round. Full of new and familiar holidays, For the Rest of Us explores the pressures of these celebrations for family, loss, announcements and drama. But they also feature the happiness, joy, community, and togetherness.
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Like with most anthologies, there were individual stories that I loved more than others. With a few, I wish they had a bit more space to shine as the ones I loved the most I wanted to sink into and then there were a few which felt like they could have used more space. Some just hit their stride a bit too late. For the Rest of Us features such a variety of voices and speculative touches which celebrate how we find meaning in these traditions. Overall though, I love the concept and the execution of some of these are so superb! Adler is an anthology Queen! Find For the Rest of Us on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.