End of October (Sorry this one got slipped into the wrong month...)
Hold My Girl
Charlene Carr
See my FOLD challenge post here: https://teachreadinspire.wixsite.com/website/post/2023-fold-challenge
November 1st
But You Don't Look Arab
Hala Gorani
As a journalist, Gorani has traveled to some of the most dangerous places in the world, covering the Arab Spring in Cairo and the Syrian civil war, reporting on suicide bombers in Beirut and the chemical attacks in Damascus, watching the growth of ISIS and the war in Iraq—sometimes escaping with her life by a hair. But through it all, she came to understand that finding herself meant not only looking inward, but tracing a long family history of uprooted ancestors. From the courts of Ottoman Empire sultans through the stories of the citizens from her home country and other places torn apart by unrest, But You Don’t Look Arab combines Gorani’s family history with rigorous reporting, explaining—and most importantly, humanizing—the constant upheavals in the Middle East over the last century.
My thoughts:
I was really looking forward to this book but it wasn't quite what I expected. There were parts that I really liked, for example, the information about the earthquake in Haiti and some of the background information about her family and their history, but overall I found it a little too information heavy about things that I wasn't overly interested in. For example, at some point I felt like the amount of detail about her great great grandmother's life was a bit too much. There is nothing really wrong with the book, it just struggled at times to hold my interest.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher, @hachettebooks for giving me the chance to read and review this one.
November 4, 2023
Playa Crush
I DNF'd this one, but it was a book tour post so here is my feature:
Here’s the blurb:
After struggling to find a job since his university graduation, a young bisexual man, Max Velasco, reconnects with his former gay lover, Milo Dumont, a famous DJ and social media content creator. Impressed by his writing ability, Milo hires him to be a copywriter at his organization, Joie Media, a company that functions as a platform highlighting Milo's brand for his online audience.
Max’s work soon takes him all over Mexico, where Milo pushes aside the harsh realities of the global pandemic and hopes to reignite the spark that he and Max had in high school.
But when Max falls in love with Diana Romero, a social media manager for Joie Media, Milo’s true nature is revealed. Max begins resenting his lack of a work-life balance and the pressures Milo places on him. It makes him desperate to move on from Joie Media before he’s stuck there for good.
My thoughts:
I am not going to lie, with the awful weather in Winnipeg these last few weeks, I was happy to be transported to Mexico with this book! I enjoy reading books with LGBTQ+ characters so that was also a plus for me. The rekindling of old flames and the impact of the pandemic were also interesting threads to follow.
November 8, 2023
There were things I loved about this book and things that drove me a tiny bit mad, but through it all, it is one I would highly recommend and I'll tell you why!
When loving your kid is a crime is a collection of stories which the author weaves together about parents of Transgender youth in various stages of transition. Each story starts with an introduction of the parent(s) and child(ren)'s gender and sexual orientation, as well as their ages. The story is then told from the parent's perspective and in most cases seemed to be verbatim what was shared in an interview or written submission format. There were grammatical errors and inconsistencies that made it at times difficult to follow or slightly annoying to readers who expect a more consistent tone and professional voice. That being said, this also allowed each parent to share their story in their own words, the feelings, fears and beliefs were raw and unaltered and that was clear from page one. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly when you think about the current state of affairs we find ourselves in, there were more similarities between the stories than there were differences, regardless of what state, age and family make up (religion, culture, single parent vs couple etc.) were sharing their story. This proves that the title holds true, no matter where you are, if you are in the United States (or other countries) loving a transgender child can be a crime. This awful fear can also become a reality at sometimes a moments notice when suddenly a new law is passed or someone new comes into power. This is a story that I feel should be required reading for many groups of people. The parents of LGBTQ youth obviously being the first, but also politicians, law makers, conservatives, right wing groups, anti-LGBTQ protestors, teachers, community members, medical professionals, social workers... the list goes on and on. Where else can you find real case studies this easily accessible and easy to compare?
So is it the most well-written book I've read, no? But it's also not the worst, and it deserves to be read because the messages are important and the voices speaking are ones that need to be heard. So read this book! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!
November 9, 2023
Audiobook Review
I listened to The Year of Less audiobook by Cait Flanders over the last few weeks, and while there were definitely some interesting take aways, it wasn't my favourite self-help book. I found that from the very beginning, Flanders spent most of her time talking about all of the things she accomplished, such as losing weight, saving money etc. in all of her personal challenges, her year of less was just another one of these undertakings. Even the way she describes to her friends what she is planning comes off as something like "oh here's Cait doing another one of her challenges". The premise of the book and the anecdotal tips were great, but I also found it a little boastful, which could be in part due to the author narrating and the fact it was in audiobook version rather than a physical or digital copy I was reading. Either way, it wasn't a bad book, but I didn't love it and thus ended up abandoning it midway.
If you're hoping for some great tips on how to live with less, you may find them in this book, but you may also need to sift through how she figured it out before you get there. Not quite a Marie Kondo story, but also not purporting to be one so not really the author's fault if you don't leave with 100 new tips for a life with less clutter, though you may get that too!
November 11, 2023
I'm not 100% sure how this one ended up on my library hold list, but someone must have given me the rec and man do I owe them a huge thank you! I Rise by Marie Arnold was SOOOO good!!
This YA novel tells the story of an almost 15 year old girl, Ayo, who has grown up in the shadows of her very vocal advocate mother, Rosalie, who is the leader of a black-lives-esque movement targeted in Harlem. Ayo has helped her mom since practically birth and is ready for some real teenage angst to finally be hers to be angsty about. Ayo wants to date boys, get in trouble, have a social life, but her mom expects her to lead marches, run a youth group and most importantly, face all acts of racism, even the most trivial seeming microaggressions, head on. Even if they come from adults like her teachers, which unfortunately they often do. Ayo understands where her mom is coming from, and knows that each day as a Black person is scary and could prove lethal, even if you don't leave the house. Police brutality is a constant thread throughout the story, and even as Ayo tries to break away from the campaigns and protests, this fear of life or death at the hands of police never leaves the back of her mind - which should be a sobering fact for white readers, it certainly was for me.
I Rise tells an incredible story, with real and contemporary problems, with a YA point of view. Spoiler alert, Ayo does get some time to be a kid (though it comes with a cost, so she really doesn't) and so this one definitely brings in the YA passion and young love and friendship that YA readers long for and love. But the mature and important themes throughout are also a valuable addition to this book, making it a learning opportunity while entertaining at the same time.
November 12, 2023
Talk of Tokyo by @heatherhallman_author might just be the next talk of instagram!
If you're a Bridgerton fan, look no further, this is the book for you. I am only a semi fan, if you can call yourself that, but I loved this book and it gave me some major regency vibes! Talk of Tokyo tells the story of an undercover gossip columnist (hence the bridgerton feels), Suki, who begins to fall for one of the foreign men who her column often calls out for being flippant in their love affairs with Japanese women, only to inevitably abandon them to return home at some point. Suki begins to see though that Griff is not quite the person her column has depicted him to be, and that maybe he is someone she might want to pursue, as long as he doesn't get in the way of her dreams of being a full-fledged journalist (and for a female in the late 1800s, that's not an easy feat).
This one is definitely a slow burn romance but there are lots of steamy scenes in the latter half of the book. The historical fiction romance brings in lots of interesting details about Japan during the 1890s and what life for the foreign and domestic members of the elite classes was like. I really liked both the female lead and her romantic interest, Griff, who was also the main character in some chapters, though it wasn't a classic alternate narration after each chapter situation (which I'm happy about!)
I would 100% recommend this one and I will definitely have to go back and read the prequel. I also heard a little rumour about another #TokyoWhispers book coming out soon! Thanks to @netgalley the publisher @boroughspubgrp for giving me the chance to read and review this fantastic book!
November 16, 2023
Check out my blog tour post for The Tuscan Orphan here!
November 18, 2023
I bought this book for my kindle a few years back and have been meaning to read it forever. It turned out to be a great book and I would definitely recommend it.
Answering 911: Life in the Hot Seat is a memoir written by a 911 call centre operator. Author, Caroline Burau, describes her first few months on the job in detail including the unusual calls she received, the high number of mistakes she inevitably made in such a fast paced and high-importance career, as well as the lessons she learned about more than just answering phones, but life in general. Her advice about when to and when not to call 911 is funny at times but also interesting and informative. She shares how people sometimes think their emergency is not an emergency and they think they shouldn't call for help, but yet people will call for the most random and completely unnecessary reasons. I also hadn't thought about how 911 operators don't get to hear what happens next in a person's emergency, as soon as the crews arrive, their part in the story ends. On the other hand, I also learned that 911 operators often know more than you would think about you, your house and your neighbours because of sending emergency crews out to an address more than once.
Burau did a fantastic job keeping things light and comical, while also interesting, informative and dramatic. The chapters were usually short and while often based on theme, were in relatively chronological order, mixing the two main structures of memoir narrative in a way that actually works really well. While I tend to not buy books very often any more (this is a really good thing lol) I am glad I bought this one and can check it off my TBR 5 years after adding it!
November 19, 2023
1666
Wow. Just Wow. I loved this book. I devoured it in just a few days and was so interested in the story and the history behind it.
1666 by lorajchilton tells the story of primarily 2 Patawomeck women from present day Virginia who experienced a massacre that killed all of the men and several other women, infants and children from the tribe and left the survivors to be sold into slavery. Written by a descendant of this Indigenous group, the author Lora Chilton brings together a very thorough amount of research as well as the cultural and linguistic understanding that is needed to properly set this incredible book in both time and place in history. From the treacherous treatment of the slaves during the transport and sale from their land to Barbados, to the horrendous conditions on sugar cane plantations to a hope for a seemingly impossible return to their land one day, this book takes readers on a tumultuous journey filled with immense pain and suffering and incredible strength and resilience. From being members of an equal community to being treated worse than their owners' horses and having zero say in their lives and the lives of their loved ones, there are some pretty stark contrasts throughout this book and the author does a fantastic job juxtaposing these images and plotlines. Additionally, the cultural, linguistic and historic details such as the companion crop planting method used by Indigenous groups in North America, or the make up of the names of the characters and descriptions of the land, this book has an incredible amount of detail that I doubt readers would find in another historical fiction set in this time period. The Anthropology major in me definitely was enthralled by this one, but I think most histfic lovers would be interested in this unique story. I am really looking forward to it's pubdate in April 2024 to find out what others think of this book! Thanks so much to @Netgalley and the publisher @sibyllinepress for the advance review copy!
November 20, 2023
Finding Our Family
This LGBTQ+ fiction novel tells the story of a gay couple who have met and married later in life and are moving their lives (and those of their young adult children) to a rural town which may be slightly less open to their "modern" relationship views (if you can't read between the lines: this conservative small town isn't quite sure what to make of it's newest gay residents). Like any blended family with adult children who did not grow up together - I came from one, I should know, forming a familial relationship with step siblings is not always as easy as it may seem. 18 year old Vanessa can't stand her 23 year old step brother Alfie, who is suddenly homeless and must move in with their parents unexpectedly. Between him and the lack of excitement (and quality internet) in this small town, Vanessa has limited patience for shop keepers who are judgy and don't accept credit cards! This book is filled with little quips and well-developed characters, but also comments on daily life in an adult family. It's a solid 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book for me, as I was hoping for just a little more to hook my interest, but overall it's a great book for fiction lovers, especially those looking for a more diverse cast of characters.
November 21, 2023
The List of Last Chances
Hey, 📣 Calling those people who pick books for hallmark movies! 📣 You should pick this one ⬆️
An acquaintance on Facebook shared this book as a #mustread and while hers and my reading styles don't always match up, in this case I am very glad I checked it out.
The List of Last Chances by Canadian author @chrismyerswrites is a quick and easy read with short chapters and falling just over 200 pages. It tells the story of Ruthie, a 38 year old who feels a little lost. When an unusual job opportunity for her to travel across Canada with an elderly woman, all expenses paid and rent free, it seems the perfect opportunity to find herself, whether she realizes that is what will happen or not. There is an actual list in the story of things that Kay, the older woman wants to try to check off during this sort of "last adventure" and adventure it truly becomes. Both women find themselves and the things they've lost in their lives, and also find a whole lot more.
With beautiful scenes from across Canada, two unexpected but low key love stories, and some funny moments along the way, this book is light enough to be a relaxing read but with enough depth to make you really think about your life. It is a sweet story and one I would also recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #5starread forsure!
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Ok, so... my only qualm was that Myers did not spend very much time describing the part of the trip when they were in Manitoba. I half expected it because no one mentions much about Manitoba in trips across Canada but a good chunk of time was spent in Saskatchewan and so that's not ok!! 💙 🤣 💚 But really, I get it, there are lots of great places in this beautiful country, and Hallmark movies are usually filmed in Winnipeg anyway so I'll hold out for that... 😜
November 22 & 23
Class and The Class
How often do you find two books with almost the same title and such similar covers? Rare right? Know what's even more rare? Happening to read them AT THE SAME TIME! My #currentlyreading includes both Class by the fabulous and extremely talented author @stepville Stephanie Land, #newyorktimesbestselling author of Maid, and The Class by the incredible #ChrisHedges who is also an #AmericanPulitzerPrize -winning journalist! Two great authors, two totally different books (though there are surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly... several similarities when writing about the American prison system and the level poverty experienced by young, single parents in University...), uncanny similarities in title and cover, and published only 2 years apart! Even the yellow in the centre of each book that draws your eye in... so interesting!
Part 1: Class By Stephanie Land
I absolutely loved Maid and so when I saw Class on NetGalley I began crossing fingers and hoping I would be approved to read it as an arc. While Class was different from Maid in a lot of ways, there were still things that made me feel so connected to Land and the challenges she faced as a result of poverty.
I wrote a fair amount in this blog post about Maid comparing it to another book, Abundance that I read back in spring 2022, so if you want a bit of info about that one check it out. In Class we find Stephanie and her daughter Emilia living in a college town with Stephanie finishing up her Bachelor of Arts and Emilia starting Kindergarten. Despite being a full time student and having student loans, Stephanie still needs to do odd jobs such as babysitting and house keeping in order to have enough food for her and Emilia. Her Ex is as controlling and abusive as ever, even though he is further away now and her lack of familial support is the same, as is the limited social services that are just as challenging to navigate. Poverty is of course a thread throughout and the way that Stephanie and Emilia are treated because they are experiencing poverty continues to be a heartbreaking and incredibly frustrating series of events as well.
Land does a really great job of explaining why poverty is a continuous circle through her life examples and the messages that she is receiving from those around her in those difficult moments. For example, Stephanie is trying to finish university so that she can have a better chance at getting a profitable career in writing. To do that, she needs government funding and what she tries to explain to endless numbers of workers in various social services sectors is that a short-term investment to help her and Emilia survive these next months and years will allow her to be a self-sufficient hard working professional a few years down the road. But the system is not set up for that, and thus the cycle of poverty continues because people who want an education to better their lives often can't afford to get it.
As in Maid I connected with both Stephanie and Emilia both in their experiences and their feelings. Stephanie is able to describe childhood trauma as an adult who experienced her own trauma, and as an adult witnessing it in the child she cares for. Often memoirs about trauma show a person who experiences childhood trauma and then struggles with that trauma throughout their life, but rarely has the person worked through the trauma so significantly that they are able to witness the signs and reflect on them when raising their children. This is intergenerational trauma in its essence. Trauma survivors often create trauma victims in their children, usually without even meaning to, but because of their own trauma they cannot recognize it and make a change. This is not the case for Stephanie, she witnesses the trauma in her child, acknowledges it and does every thing she can to prevent and deal with that trauma both in herself and in her daughter. She also has the anger to fight for Emilia, something that childhood trauma victims often cannot summon themselves. As a child, there is little purpose in becoming angry, they learn from a young age that anger doesn't get results because small children aren't supposed to be responsible for results in the first place. For adults, anger serves a purpose, it causes the adult to want to make a change (whether that be productive or not is another conversation ie. punching a wall vs. speaking tersely to the manager). So when an adult who is witnessing child trauma can get angry and make a change for the child, that is what can make the difference.
Whether you are a childhood trauma survivor, someone who has experienced poverty, someone who works with either of the above or a person who has limited understanding of trauma or poverty, you need to read these books. I know, that description covers almost all people, and it is meant to. This series is informative, interesting and important for everyone to read, if for nothing else because, to quote Land: "Empathy takes work" Stephanie Land. Class (Kindle Location 2133). Kindle Edition. And by reading this book you are putting in the minimum amount of work required to become empathetic.
Part 2: The Class
By: Chris Hedges
Despite the similar covers, The Class is quite a different book from Class. The Class tells the story of the author and his class of college students in a local prison who are studying literature and writing. Hedges makes the class relevant to the students by bringing in as many authors who identify as IBPOC and have a history with the justice system or racial discrimination. He also encourages the students to write about their lives, both before and during life in prison. As a result, his book has some really interesting discussions on poverty, discrimination, the history of the prison/justice system and the crimes that take place both out in the world and behind bars. The students work together to create a play which they are able to perform while still in the prison and which Hedges eventually helps them perform on the outside as well.
I started this book as an audiobook but was too interested in it and decided that I needed to have a physical copy, a common problem I encounter when I listen to really interesting audiobooks. I do have to say that on paper it wasn't quite as interesting as when I was trying to fall asleep listening to it as an audiobook, but it was still a very detailed and unique book.I learned a lot about what systemic issues lead to life in prison, and also added to my understanding from reading Solitary by Albert Woodfox, my August pick for the FOLD Challenge which was about the prison system in America and the impact solitary confinement has on prisoners.
One concept that stuck out to me in this one was a quote from George Bernard Shaw about poverty being a crime. This makes sense, in the way people are treated, in the last ditch efforts (which are sometimes criminal) in order to make it until the next welfare cheque, in the way that once you are living in poverty, like crime, it can be hard to get out of. It makes sense that there are disproportionate numbers of people in prisons who grew up in or experienced poverty. Poverty isn't necessarily the crime itself but it could be the symptom or the precursor.
And so you may have noticed, while these two books with the almost identical names and covers may be very different, but also both boil down to one thing: Poverty.
I would definitely recommend The Class for anyone who is interested in this prison system meets poverty content!
November 24, 2023
I read The Stone Carvers in an attempt to join in another Canucks Reads read along, but unfortunately it didn't keep my interest. Between needing to put it down quite often as I struggled through a busy first term at work, and then the storyline just not drawing me in enough, it wasn't meant to be. Try as I might, skimming turned to flipping pages turned to #DNF. I think that part of it was that I wasn't super sold on the story from the summary, but also I found it quite dull. I was unable to make the group discussion because I was writing report cards and had Covid, but I did check @trishtalksbooks' post afterwards to see what the group seemed to think. It seemed that other members may have also wanted more character development and a bit of a more clear connection between the storylines, two things I found also. Overall, I love being in the Canuck Reads group and being introduced to Canadian Literature and other canadianbookstagrammers, and I'm glad I checked this one out because you never know where your next literary gem is hiding, but this one wasn't the right book for me this time around!
November 26, 2023
Dear Future Mama
My husband, David, loves Meghan Trainor, and Dear Future Husband was one of the songs we played as the guests exited the reception. Her songs are often playing in the background while we cook dinner or clean the house. He was pretty excited when he showed me she had a book coming out, little did he know I had already requested and been approved for it on Netgalley. As the title suggests, this book is written as if you are having a conversation with (or reading a letter from) Meghan as she is going through her pregnancy, giving you tips and advice for your future life as a mom. Now that we are married... I know that the "when are you getting pregnant?" question will be thrown around lots, especially witch Christmas coming up. Not that it is anyone's business, but unlike Meghan Trainor, I am not in a hurry to get pregnant. I do want kids, but I'm just riding the "not in a rush" train until the "you're really running out of time" station. I enjoyed the tidbits of information about her life, like I didn't know she married a spy kid, and the background info about her life as a singer and songwriter. I'll be honest that I didn't finish it yet, as I feel like it would be a good one to read once I actually am trying or contemplating getting pregnant instead of the classic what to expect books. But I did read a fair amount and can share that it is a great book and I think it really would be a good one for near-future mamas. Entertaining, interesting and informative, coming from someone who had some of the best support network and professionals on her side as a celebrity, this one is a great option for anyone who loves Meghan Trainor and/or needs a good pregnancy guide. I think I'll pass my kindle on to David for a bit before we start trying so that he can find out what to expect... he might actually read this one!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher, Harper Collins Focus, for giving me the chance to read this one. I definitely recommend it!
November 27
I bought this book for my kindle a few years back and have been meaning to read it forever. It turned out to be a great book and I would definitely recommend it.
Answering 911: Life in the Hot Seat is a memoir written by a 911 call centre operator. Author, Caroline Burau, describes her first few months on the job in detail including the unusual calls she received, the high number of mistakes she inevitably made in such a fast paced and high-importance career, as well as the lessons she learned about more than just answering phones, but life in general. Her advice about when to and when not to call 911 is funny at times but also interesting and informative. She shares how people sometimes think their emergency is not an emergency and they think they shouldn't call for help, but yet people will call for the most random and completely unnecessary reasons. I also hadn't thought about how 911 operators don't get to hear what happens next in a person's emergency, as soon as the crews arrive, their part in the story ends. On the other hand, I also learned that 911 operators often know more than you would think about you, your house and your neighbours because of sending emergency crews out to an address more than once.
Burau did a fantastic job keeping things light and comical, while also interesting, informative and dramatic. The chapters were usually short and while often based on theme, were in relatively chronological order, mixing the two main structures of memoir narrative in a way that actually works really well. While I tend to not buy books very often any more (this is a really good thing lol) I am glad I bought this one and can check it off my TBR 5 years after adding it!