We Are Still Here
edited by: @nshahalimi
I couldn't get over what a coincidence it was that I randomly started reading this book on my kindle the exact same day I started reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The foreword for We Are Still Here was written by Atwood and she explains that she has a deep connection with the women of Afghanistan and actually based some of the ideas in the Handmaid's Tale off of experiences with the Taliban in Afghanistan in the past. It was almost eery that I would start booth books on the same day.
I went into this one hoping that I would get a better picture of what was going on in Afghanistan and the impact that the Taliban had both in the past and more recently in the most recent take over. This book definitely did that and more. I learned about many different women who grew up both in Afghanistan and abroad due to the danger of living in their home country under the Taliban's rule. I also saw the impact that a period of revitalization can have, and then the dramatic pendulum swing which tried to erase that progress again in 2021. As with many anthologies, this one was carefully woven together, but each story was unique. I appreciated that these women were willing to share their stories considering how dangerous life might be for them as a result of their honesty and going against a terrifying regime.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher, @penguinrandomca for giving me the chance to read and review this one!
I'm exciting to be joining in on this fun March ARC challenge with @booked.with.allie @kayimreading and @the.sah.bookstamom! I have hundreds (I'm not exaggerating, see my story for the realm number 😬) of ARCs on my @netgalley shelf, and thankfully, as has become clear by joining this challenge, I am not alone in this predicament. That being said, the point of NetGalley is to get reading these ARCs so the authors and publishers have some reviews ahead of the pubdate, and reading an ARC 2 years after the pubdate (also not exaggerating... I literally just finished a book I was approved for Feb 2022 and was published April 2022... I know, I'm terrible...) is not exactly fair to these generous authors and publishers!
So I have two March goals:
1) Chip away at some of the books that I read or dnf'd that are missing reviews
2) Prioritize reading ARCS that have upcoming pubdates or were published in February (2024 not 2022 😂)
March Hopefuls:
Switched ~ Ex in the City @portiamacintoshauthor ~Double Trouble ~The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist @sgonzalesauthor ~ Love, Lies and Cherry Pies @jackielaubooks ~ Cancelled ~ Skin and Bones @harlemportland ~ Tiananmen Square ~ Love & Chickens ~ It's Complicated @camillaisley ~ The Girl She Left Behind ~ The Getaway List ~ The Funeral Cryer
Will I read all 13 of these books on my March Hopeful List? Likely not. But it's possible, and who knows, maybe I'll even read more. Of course there are also library books, physical books and some non-netgalley ARCs I also need to get to this month, and you know, living life outside of reading...
In honour of March Madness, as my students head into basketball playoffs (not my grade 1s... they can't make baskets yet... but the older ones I coach) I'll head into my own reading playoffs!
The Queen of the Tiles
Hanna Alkaf
Check out my fold post to see my review: https://teachreadinspire.wixsite.com/website/post/2024-fold-challenge
Skin and Bones
Renee Watson
I am a huge Renee Watson (@harlemportland) fan, especially her Middle Grade Ryan Hart Series, with the first book being a favourite read aloud for my class, Ways to Make Sunshine. When I saw that she had an adult book available to read on Netgalley, I immediately requested it, adding to my never ending to read ARCs shelf. This March I'm participating in #arcmarch to help clear out my ARCs, and decided to kick things off with Skin & Bones.
I LOVED this book. I'll admit I wasn't sure if I would in the first few chapters. Watson starts things off with a doctors appointment scene where main character, Lena, is being made to feel less than because of her weight. I know there are some women out there with a positive body image at any size, but I am definitely not there yet and so this doctors office scene hit hard for me and I wondered whether this book might trigger some anxiety and trauma for me. I'm so glad I stuck with it though because it is such an incredible book and it actually ended up doing the opposite of what I was afraid of. Don't get me wrong, it did not cure any of my body positivity and white coat syndrome issues, but it reminded me that there are so many different shapes and sizes and the only one who knows my body completely is me.
Beyond that, I loved the unique perspectives, historical information, black rights and empowerment, and mental health and relationship challenges this book covered. With tiny chapters on such a range of subjects, this book is easy to get absorbed in and while entertaining, also has a lot of things to reflect on and learn about. I would highly recommend this book and can't wait to see what Watson comes out with next (Middle Grade, Adult or anything in between!) Keep your eye out for this one, it hits shelves May 7th!
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @littlebrown for giving me the chance to read this book!
#ARCMarchchallenge count: 1
Love & Chickens
by kasey morris
Mads is a vet assistant by day and a competitive chicken shower on the weekends. She had a large flock of award winning chickens and was at the top of her game until a car accident left her with just one prize chicken, Elsie, and a lot of trauma. She found her way through it and is back on the chicken show scene, but can't get over the way one of the judges treated her at her last show with Benny, a chicken who perished in the accident. Mads eventually gets to know this judge though, and begins to see that maybe he isn't so bad after all, he just happens to say things without thinking. As Mads becomes introduced with the judging side of show chickens, she begins to wonder what it would be like to become a judge herself, but unfortunately gets wrapped up in a bit of the drama that comes with this new role, all while still trying to figure out her feelings for a fellow judge (or two!).
This was such a cute story and the characters were really well done. I had no idea there were chicken shows like the dog shows you sometimes hear about, but I guess that makes sense! I also had no idea how many types of chickens there are out there! There were lots of cute and funny moments, and while it was a tiny bit predictable at times, it was a very quick and light read that had me smiling all the way through. I will definitely check out what Kasey Morris puts out next, and recommend this one to anyone who enjoys stories with animals (and animal lovers) and a light-hearted rom com. Thanks to @netgalley and the author for giving me the chance to read this fun book! It is out now, so go grab your copy!
Switched
Sarah Ready
I haven't read a Sarah Ready book before, but had seen them all over instagram, and also know that some of the other bookstagrammers who are participating in #arcmarch would be reading this one so I decided to give it a shot. The story is about two physicists who fall madly in love but are unable to act on it, and then one day they switch bodies in a freaky friday-esque event. Unfortunately.... I didn't get that far. I DNF'd at 20%. I did keep reading along hoping that the big event would happen and I might get sucked in, but I found myself skimming lots and just couldn't get into it. There were a few problems for me, the first was that there was too much physics stuff. I took an astronomy class in first year of university and gosh, it was hard. I have no idea what she was talking about with half of the stuff and while the graphs and charts and science nerd moments were cute, it wasn't enough to make the more dense science stuff work for me. I also wasn't a huge fan of Serena's character. I need a good connection to the character or a very interesting storyline in order to enjoy a romance novel and with both of those not happening this time, it just wasn't really meant to be. I will take a peek at her other books though because maybe this one just wasn't the right one for me.
It's Complicated
Camilla Isley
This one was sooo good. I attempted two weekend naps and both ended up being a wash because I couldn't put this book down!
It's Complicated by @camillaisley is a dual POV romcom about three best friends, Lori, Aiden and Jace who share a medical practice and have been friends since they started university. Lori has been secretly in love with Aiden since the beginning, and Jace has been secretly in love with Lori from the same night in first year. When Aiden's wedding invitation arrives in the mail Lori must come to terms with the fact that her crush needs to come to an end (or maybe she needs to figure out a way to break off the wedding) and Jace begins to realize that he was never the one for Lori so maybe his crush also needs to come to an end. In a last ditch effort to make Aiden jealous enough to call off the wedding, Lori leads him to believe she and Jace are sleeping together. Quickly the fake relationship gets out of hand, and real feelings start to creep in for Lori, while Jace worries about getting hurt yet again by the love of his life and best friend.
Jace and Lori are the cutest characters, and I think this was the perfect storyline for a dual pov. I often find the male portion of Romcoms is less eventful or interesting than the female version, but this one had the perfect balance and I loved seeing things from his perspective too. I wasn't 100% sold on the ending, but I get why Isley wrote it the way she did and am satisfied with how things turned out, so a solid 5 stars from me!
Thanks to @netgalley and @theboldbookclub for giving me the chance to read and review another great #camillaisley story!
Double Trouble
I decided to step outside my normal reading choices with this one, and I am glad I did.
Double Trouble is a mystery/thriller about identical twins Lily and Daisy who recently scored a gig at live music club, but have also found themselves in the middle of a drug ring that is currently experiencing some hard times. They don't realize just how much danger they are in until Lily mysteriously disappears.
This book is written with multiple alternating perspectives, most prominently: Daisy, their father Des and the club manager MacKenzie. It does jump around a little bit, but is mostly chronological and fairly easy to follow. I liked the slow reveal of information, but am not a huge fan of drug related crimes - really any crimes, I'm a bit of an easy scare haha, but I survived this one just fine. I did like the relationship between Mac and Daisy and the strained family dynamics of the Kennedy family. Overall it was a really interesting, multi-perspective story that came together in the end and left me thinking about this strange club and this interesting cast of characters long after I put the book down.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @theboldbookclub for giving me the chance to read and review this one! It comes out next month!
Arc March Madness Bracket #1 complete!
The Funeral Cryer
by Wenyan Lu
I'm not going to lie, this one was a disappointment. I get where the author was going, but it just was not able to hold my attention whatsoever... The Funeral Cryer tells a story of a woman from contemporary rural China, whose job it is to attend funerals and sing and cry. As a result of many superstitions and beliefs surrounding death, her neighbours and former friends give her a wide berth, hoping not to risk bringing death to themselves or loved ones by associating with her. Her relationship with "the husband" is fractured and really doesn't sound like it was all that great to begin with, and "the daughter" has moved away to Shanghai and doesn't visit. The woman doesn't seem overly concerned by this solitary life she lives, but as she begins to believe "the husband" may be having an affair (and potentially is the reason for a young widow's recent pregnancy), she begins some self reflection and exploration.
This is where I gave up, a little more than half way through the book. There were a few (fleeting) interesting moments, but almost nothing happened in the first half of the book. I was drawn in by curiosity about this unfamiliar notion of a funeral cryer and by the description but at about 25% when nothing had happened, I started to wonder if a clear plot was coming. I started reading some reviews and even though they confirmed not much was going to happen, the beauty and the revelations sounded promising. As I approached the halfway mark I realized that it was unlikely there would be enough redeeming qualities to keep me reading.
This one is a debut, so I have hope that the author writes more and continues to share her perspectives and stories, I just hope that her next work has a little more going on so that readers can appreciate the beauty in her writing without losing interest as I did.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this one.
Wandering Stars
by Tommy Orange
A story about the the Sand Creek Massacre and the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians as well as the intergenerational trauma that comes with those and all other attempts to eradicate Indigenous people in North America. The story is told in parts and examines a long line of people dating back to the mid-to late-1800s and coming to a close somewhere closer to present day when two young men, Sean and Orvil, connect in High School over a shared Indigenous ancestry and addiction to narcotics. Throughout the story there are a variety of themes related to a search for identity, especially as the characters work through the trauma that follows them and try to figure out who they are both in this present moment and where they have come from genetically and historically.
I'm not as familiar with the American equivalent to the Residential School System, but do know that there were similar practices and beliefs in the US, and that was part of why I was so interested in reading this book. I was hoping for a bit more about life in the Carlisle School but I did appreciate the way the author wove in the characters and their stories as part of a connection to what happened historically, rather than in a straightforward retelling of life in the schools. It is more about the lasting impact than the day-to-day life. I also did find it a bit hard to follow the characters and lineage (a family tree or timeline might have been helpful), but there were enough references and specific names that it was fairly easy to remind myself. Just as I was looking up the details for this post I realized that Orvil is actually a character in Orange's previous book, There,There and I would be interested in reading that book as well, as it may also help with keeping the characters straight!
Thanks SOO much to Supipi at @mcclellandstewart and @penguinrandomca for giving me the chance to read both an ARC and a finished copy! I am looking forward to hearing what others think of this book. It is out now so go grab your copy!
The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre
This one was not my favourite, and ended up DNFing, but check out my full review on my TBR2024 blog post
I read Fiona's Fury by Roxy Blue as part of a fun book tour. Check out the blog post here
Something More
Jackie Khalilieh
I originally put this one on hold at my library as part of January's @the_fold challenge, a book by a Palestinian author, however it took a bit for it to come in, so I just finished reading it now. Something More by @jackiekhalilieh is a fantastic YA that I would highly recommend!
Jessie is still reeling from her recent diagnosis of Autism when she is catapulted into a series of major life changes as she starts high school, makes new friends and finds herself crushing on the cute guy in her science class. Life with overprotective parents, two older siblings, and a neurodiverse brain leads to many additional challenges for Jessie as she conquers one of life's greatest series of hurdles; being a teenager.
I love Jessie's character and how she shows that autism is a spectrum and does not have to define you, but is also adds difficulty to some of the things neurotypical teens take for granted. In a lot of ways her autism makes her more thoughtful, considerate and careful in her decision making and actually helps her navigate high school in a way some of her friends might struggle with. Jessie is a great role model for young girls, especially those who are looking for diverse characters. This book has everything a good YA requires: drama, secrets, romance, parties, and sneaking around, without anything too risque. There is light mention of pot and alluding to "fooling around" but nothing more than kissing is described. So teens will love it, and it is also very appropriate for this demographic. Plus it's set in Canada!
I'm so glad I got the chance to read this one, even if it was over a month wait, and look forward to seeing what else this author puts out in the future!
The Girl She Left Behind
Jo Bartlett
The Girl She Left Behind tells the story of Phoebe, a busy professional in London who gets a call that her younger sister, Lucy, has disappeared and left her young niece, Darcy, with a neighbour in her former hometown. Phoebe knows that like herself, Lucy had some mental health challenges, which were inevitable with their complex childhood growing up with a mentally ill parent, and so worries about the meaning of this disappearance start immediately. Yet, Phoebe can't let herself believe that Lucy would actually leave behind her sweet young daughter and fights to ensure the police complete a full investigation into Lucy's disappearance, despite their initial findings which pointed to suicide. Phoebe continues to search for answers, while taking care of a small child she barely knows, avoiding her parents who are quite delusional and trying to figure out her next steps in a life she hadn't expected to find herself living.
This story tackles an obviously difficult topic to read about, but Bartlett was able to weave in some really beautiful descriptions, some interesting supporting characters and provide multiple points of view through third person narration, keeping things lighter than other books I've read on this topic. That being said, there were times where a little more depth of emotion and a little less descriptive writing may have been helpful. I also had a few moments where I felt uncomfortable with how the characters handled situations, like breaking the news to the child or handling topics related to the police investigations, but at the same time, I think Bartlett showed that no matter how we handle a difficult situation, there are always things we could do differently.
Overall, I thought The Girl She Left Behind was a good book and different from others I've read by this author. Thanks to @Netgalley and the publisher @theboldbookclub for giving me the chance to read and review this one! It is out now, so grab your copy!
Cancelled
Farrah Penn
I REALLY enjoyed this YA and would definitely recommend it! Cancelled by @farrahpenn follows Brynn as she navigates her senior year, which has turned out to be a lot more challenging than she would have previously thought. Seen by her peers as the flirt expert, she even runs a small business helping classmates flirt with their crushes or problem solve disastrous text convos, in an effort to get would-be couples back on track. When a sexual act at a party is caught on video featuring someone wearing the same Halloween costume Brynn wore, and then goes viral, Brynn's reputation suddenly takes a turn.
Cancelled takes on Cancel Culture in a really relatable way. It also handled a lot of mature themes in a serious but also fairly light way, which I think might help teens reading it to remember that there are serious consequences for things like sexting and teen pregnancy but the ostracization that can occur, especially in high school, is something that you can have some control over handling. I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ themes within the book and the discussions of feminism and gender equality both in heteronormative culture (ie. men getting approval for sex acts while women get shamed) and also in the LGBTQ+ community. I also appreciated discussions around sex ed and healthy sexuality.
This is the kind of book the YA genre needs, and one that I know YA readers will love. I'm looking forward to reading what Penn comes out with next! Cancelled is available now. Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @penguinteen for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book!
Cancelled was a clear winner in Arc March Madness Bracket #2
Love, Lies and Cherry Pie
Jackie Lau
This fun romcom is set in Toronto and follows a struggling writer, Emily, who watches as the last of her 4 sisters gets married and is trying desperately to ward off her overly involved asian mother who is desperate to set her up with the illustrious Mark Chan. The only problem? Mark Chan seems pretty uninterested and very uninteresting. But, when Emily's mother goes as far as tricking Emily into a date with Mark, Emily realizes that maybe making her family think she is actually dating Mark will get them off her back and let her focus on her writing. But is a fake relationship doomed to implode? Or will Mark and Emily catch feelings? And is Mark actually more interesting (and interested) than he appears? Well you'll just have to read it to find out!
I loved a lot about this book, the characters were super well done, the Asian family dynamics (especially in a first- and second-generation Canadian family) were interesting and funny. I liked that the life of a struggling author was prominent throughout (it reminded me at times of Yellowface, though a completely different storyline), and also I felt the early thirties familial and societal expectations of marriage and children very relatable! The only thing that kind of bugged me was that it changed from FMC single POV to dual POV with the MMC midway through... I kind of got why the author did it, but it was a little strange and I think it could have been single POV. Otherwise I was fully on board with the writing style and plot all the way through!
This one is definitely a slow burn but it gets fairly spicy once the action does start to happen. It is also pretty funny and so fits the rom and com criteria. It was fun and I would definitely recommend it. I know Lau has a a few other books so I will definitely be checking them out!
#PubDate: May 2024
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @atriabooks for giving me the chance to read and review this one!
The Baby I Stole
McGarvey Black
This one wasn't on my #marchhopefuls but I was feeling a thriller and am so glad I threw this one in! Amazon describes The Baby I Stole by @mcgarveyblack1 as "an unputdownable psychological thriller with an astonishing twist" and I couldn't agree more!
Tori wants nothing more than to have a baby, but with her heart condition and other medical issues, her last hope is adoption. When she hears from the adoption agency that it will take longer than expected, and then suddenly she is presented with a baby whose mother suddenly drowned, the obvious answer is for Tori to take this baby and make him her own.
The twist though... it made this book. I enjoyed it all the way through, but the twist got me. I had a few wonderings about where things were headed, but it was not at all what I predicted. This book is super well written, very interesting and the perfect psychological thriller for when you need a quick reading palate cleanse like I did! It's out now so go grab a copy!
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @joffebooks for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book! I will definitely be checking out others from this author and publisher!
Ex in the City
Portia Macintosh
Well I blew through this one, in less than a day! Ex in the City by @portiamacintoshauthor tells the story of Nicole, a woman in her mid-thirties living in the suburbs with her influencer partner Rowan, who she has recently semi-broken up with, and his two kids from a previous marriage. Nicole is unhappy with her current life, but is sticking in it for the short term to make things easier for the kids. She misses her old lifestyle where she was a journalist and often went on tour with bands. When he former friend Dylan, a rock star, walks back into her life she begins to see that maybe she doesn't have to completely leave her old life behind and that she deserves happiness.
While there is a little bit of romance nearer to the end of the book, the majority of the story is really about self-discovery and breaking out of the mundane if you're unhappy with it. I also loved some of the drama between the pretentious parents Nicole runs into when doing the school drop offs and how the friendship with Dylan just rekindles so nicely even after much time has passed. As with all of the books I've read by this author, this one looks into the relationships and connections between people in a deeper way than the average romance/romcom, making you think a bit more about the world around you and where you are headed. Definitely one I would recommend, and it's out now!
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher, @theboldbookclub for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book!
Tianamen Square
Lai Wen
I was unfortunately quite disappointed by this one! I was looking forward to reading about Tiananmen Square as it is something I've heard of but do not know much about. I found that while it reads somewhat like a memoir, this novel dragged on. In a memoir you can sometimes forgive that as the author needs to share the important parts of their backstory with the reader, but a novelist has the ability to create an interesting story and start wherever they feel makes the most sense. As I slugged through I eventually decided to DNF and as a result, do not know much more about Tiananmen Square than when I picked this book up. Perhaps it would be a good fit for other readers but it just could not hold my interest. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to at least give it a try!
The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist
Sophie Gonzales
I finished this one just in time to wish it a #happypubday!
The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist is a fun YA with LGBTQ+ characters and an unusual twist. Teen, Ivy Winslow, has the house to herself for a week while her parents are away, and even though she was only mostly kidding when she asked about what to do if natural disasters strike while she's home alone, she never could have prepared for the result of this freak thunderstorm: she wakes up to fictional heart-throb character Weston from her favourite tv show in her bed. Not the actor, but the character, and he doesn't seem to know how he got there either...
This fun YA is sure to be a favourite with other @sgonzalesauthor fans! The dual timelines help speed up character development, which is sure to make readers love Ivy right away. There's also a fanfiction aspect that I think will also appeal to some teens who are interested. Even though I'm not a huge magic-realism/fantasy etc reader, I could still follow this one and appreciated the writing style and storyline.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @stmartinspress and @wednesdaybooks for giving me the chance to read and review this fun book! Also, it's out now!
The New Girl
Alison Stockham
This psychological thriller follows Anna as she watches her relationship with her husband Jon begin to change with the addition of a new office assistant, Grace, to their co-owned small business. When Anna receives an ultrasound scan in the mail, she has two theories about why it was sent, either someone (potentially Grace) is pregnant and wants her to know about it, or someone knows that Anna is deceiving Jon by taking birth control pills behind his back in an effort to prevent pregnancy without him knowing.
The premise of the story is interesting, but I didn't love the narration of Anna's thought process. She was really quite annoying and constantly jumping to conclusions, yet she needed to come back to those thoughts again and again and again. She was abrupt and rude to her only friend on multiple occasions and while I understood the tensions with other characters, like her husband she's suspecting of having an affair, she was pretty harsh with every other character she interacted with. The resolution was definitely not something I predicted, but once it was revealed at about 80% I didn't see a need to keep reading. I wouldn't call it a thriller, but a somewhat surprising conclusion to a series of events? Overall it was not my favourite book, but an ok storyline. If you're looking for a very low key thriller, and particularly enjoy christian characters, then this is definitely the book for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
The Getaway List
Emma Lord
Review To Come
This cute YA tells the story of two recent high school graduates, life long friends who have been separated for several years, coming back together in NYC to check things off their bucket list. This is my first Emma Lord book and I wasn't sure what to expect other than I had seen her name on other YAs as being "if you like Emma Lord, you'll like..." The premise of this one was fun and the characters were interesting and likeable. I did find it a little slow going and found the first things on their bucketlist kind of dull, but it picked up and I enjoyed the story. It's a nice YA and one that I think others who enjoy this genre will like. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!
The Husbands
Holly Gramazio
I am not going to lie, this one was one of those unexpected favourites. I started reading it on Wednesday while waiting for a tire change, and remember sitting there thinking... wait did I actually request this book? What genre is this? Sci-Fi? Are you kidding? There's no chance I'm going to finish this one. But I kept reading when I got home from the tire change, and later in the evening and the next day (it is spring break after all, so what else would I be doing?!) and realized what an amazing book I had stumbled upon. There was one moment, about 30% where I thought... ok I'll keep going, but I don't see how there could be 70% left, this story seems to be wrapping up, boy was I wrong...
So The Husbands by @holly_gramazio tells the story of Lauren, a woman from London in her early 30s who comes home from a bachelorette party to find she is somehow married to the stranger who appears to be living in her house. Weirder yet, just as she starts to get to know him, Michael goes into the attic and returns as a different husband. Each time a husband goes into the attic, a new one comes out, and Lauren's home decor, job, and relationships all change each time. Over the course of the story Lauren learns a lot about herself and her priorities in life. Filled with hilarious situations, strange and constantly changing characters, and reflections on life and love, this book is definitely one to pick up! It is well written and relatively easy to follow despite the constant changes, and the twists and turns will definitely keep you guessing as there is no way to predict what will happen the next time the ladder to the attic is used. Beware though, you aren't going to want to put it down and you wont be able to stop thinking about it either!So a surprisingly great fit considering it is outside my usual reading comfort zone, and a great way to end #ArcMarch! As you will see in my upcoming posts, The Husbands actually ends up making it pretty far in the #Arcmarchmadness tournament, but more on that later...Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @doubledayca @penguinrandomca for giving me the chance to read and review this very neat book.
Gosh! What a crazy reading month! Thanks so so much to @booked.with.allie, @kayimreading and @the.sah.bookstamom for hosting this challenge and everything you did that went along with it! It was so fun, I connected with lots of new #bookstafriends and look forward to participating in more fun events like this in the future!
Here's my reflection on my #marchreadingwrapup:
I want to start by addressing my #dnf list. It was hard for me to write that at the bottom of the post, because I feel like there is still some stigma attached to not finishing books, but at the same time, part of reading and reviewing books is finding that there are some books that just aren't a good fit. Even when I dnf, I do read at least 20% of any book I want to review, usually I dnf somewhere between 25-50% but sometimes I make it even farther. When I dnf it is usually because it does not fully hold my attention and I know there is another book out there that will.
So quick thoughts on these DNFs - Fiona's fury was a blog tour, and was pretty good but didn't hold my interest. The Perfect Guy and The Getaway List were decent YAs that I think teens will love but I was ok not finding out how they ended. Funeral Cryer and Tiananmen Square were disappointingly boring, and Switched was cool but not a good fit for me, though I do want to check out more Sarah Ready books in the future. Technically I also DNFd The New Girl but I did make it to the climax, just didn't care about the conclusion.
If you checked out my #marchmadnesschallenge post yesterday you'll know about my top 4, but here are some honorable mentions: It's Complicated, Love and Chickens, Love, Lies and Cherry Pie, and The Girl She Left Behind are all books I enjoyed and would definitely recommend. I can't wait to see what else these authors put out.
Wandering Stars was my only physical arc this month and was a neat one!
I'm almost done Kissing Girls on Shabbat and loving it, so I think it is safe to say it will be done by the first of April or so and definitely deserves to sneak in as the last Arc of March!
Kissing Girls on Shabbat
Dr. Sara Glass
Kissing Girls on Shabbat was my last book of #arcmarch and it was one I really had a hard time putting down!
Author @drsaraglass bravely shares a deep and difficult look into the world of Hasidic and Ultra-Orthodox Jews and the traumas that can go along with this very strict and at times quite isolating lifestyle. Sara participates in an arranged marriage in her late teen years despite questioning her sexuality and experimenting secretly with a female lover. Determined to follow the Orthodox Jewish laws and stay true to her religion, Sara quickly learns to ignore her own desires and listen to her new husband and their Rabbis. When Sara becomes pregnant her already fractured relationship with her husband becomes even more difficult to navigate. Overtime she realizes that she needs to get a divorce, something that is very difficult to do in her religious community. With the constant threat of losing custody of her children and being excommunicated from her family and community, Sara struggles to hide her true identity, while also coping with mental health challenges and life as a very young, single mother, and full-time student in an extremely restrictive and isolating community.
Incredibly well written, and filled with descriptive language and background information for those not from this community, Kissing Girls on Shabbat sheds light on a variety of very difficult situations Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women can and do face on a daily basis. By opening up and sharing her story, readers can better understand this way of life, and service providers may better understand how to support women in situations similar to her own. It was also a really risky decision to write this tell-all kind of book and expose the secrets of a very reclusive community, and I think that in itself makes this such a powerful story. I would highly recommend this book!
Thanks so much to @netgalley and the publisher @simonschusterca for giving me the chance to read and review this incredible book!
Family Family
(Original Audiobook Review:)
This audiobook is so great that as soon as I finished I got a copy of the book to enjoy it again! This book by Laurie Frankel has multiple timelines and follows a variety of families and characters that come together in a unique and special way. In present day, India is mother two twins, Fig and Jack, who are 10 and the family lives in LA. When India's most recent movie gets some pretty rough media coverage she finds that her stance on adoption and abortion and many other topics is suddenly up for debate. As Frankel takes readers down a variety of winding paths we get to see how India got to where she is today and why her opinions on adoption are valid and should be heard, but only on her terms, if she wants to share them. Filled with a variety of interesting and diverse characters each with their own unique and well-developed storylines, this book is one that I think many could connect with. As someone who loves reading books about adoption and diverse families, this was of course the perfect book (and audiobook) for me, but it also was one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a well-written fiction story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to this audiobook.
Physical Book Review:
I'm going to start in a very unusual way - in fact, for someone who rarely reads the author's note, this may be extra unusual - I'm going to start with my thoughts on the author's note. In Frankel's note she hits on a few really important points that I think summarize the book in a really succinct way.
Adoption is usually a choice and can be a positive one - in some situations adoption is the only way forward or is chosen for the wrong reason (forced, secret, taken away), but in most situations it is a choice and not a last resort option, therefore it should not be seen only as a last resort or negative choice.
A "real" family includes whoever you want to include - it may include people you are not biologically related to, in fact most families have some of those people (son-in-laws, godfamily, your mother's best friend you call auntie...)
Representation is so important - Frankel is incredible when it comes to a white writer telling the stories of diverse characters, I mean, multiple main characters in this book were: Black, Korean and/or gay. In her authors note, Frankel references representation in adoption, and that is also essential. We've all seen some version of the negative sides of adoption, but as someone who has read A LOT of adoption literature, there are actually lots of really great stories out there, but they don't always get the same kind of coverage. Seeing all sides of a story is important and so having a variety of representations (as was perfectly executed in this book alone), is a first step towards seeing the other perspectives than we may have been previously exposed to.
So what is this book about, well it is about showing that adoption can be an extremely positive experience for all of the people involved and in most cases it is a choice not a "last resort". It is still messy and still very hard, but it can still be the best case scenario for the people involved. Messy is ok, life is hard, family is what you make it. Which leads to point number two, real family is whoever you want it to be, and biology has very little to do with that. And finally, this book is about representation. It is about showing that there are so many reasons why adoption is chosen and no one is entitled to know all of the reasons behind it, but if we open up a space and we listen we may hear some really great stories of adoption. Those stories may include some really sad and awful moments, but so do a lot of stories, that's what makes a story interesting, even when it is real life.
And what do I think of it? Well I love it. Of course I knew I would, but I hope you read it and love it too because every family is special, representation is important and adoption can be a really positive choice.
March Madness Finalists
K, first off, let me say, I had so much fun participating in #arcmarchmadness with @booked.with.allie @kayimreading and @the.sah.bookstamom 💚💚💚 This was such a fun #bookishchallenge and I am so glad I got to be a part of it!
I have never done a bracket challenge like this before. I have made teams for the Grade 5 basketball tournaments I sometimes coach (actually more like "manage", or maybe "supervise" aka have no clue what is happening but am there to make sure everyone gets home safely afterwards), so I went into this with a vague idea how they work, but was surprisingly so engaged in the process! Books I never would have thought would lose, lost out and books I never thought would win beat out other books, it was the craziest reading reflection I've ever done and I am actually so surprised by the results lol! Swipe to see the brackets in more depth and to see my winner!
A quick note about my final 4:
Skin and Bones by @harlemportland will stay with me forever.
The Baby I Stole by @mcgarveyblack1 was the perfect thriller for me, nothing too scary but I was so invested!
The Husbands by @holly_gramazio was a total surprise and I'm so so glad I stuck with it!! (see yesterday's post for my review).
Cancelled by @farrahpenn is the YA everyone should read. I can't stop thinking about it.
Stay tuned tomorrow for my #marchreadingwrapup and to see how much of a dent I made in my #netgalley shelf!
Wrap Up 2.0
