Yay December! I am kicking off Christmas celebrations early this year with my first Christmas on Saturday December 2nd in Neepawa (a small town about 2 hours drive from my city) with my mom's side of the family. I have a feeling the whole month will be busy with fun and family, but I also am looking forward to getting some great reading in!
Last year I participated in Boldwood's Advent Challenge, and I am going to try to participate again this year! Here's what I have to try to do:
Beyond that, I am also hoping to do a read along with boldwood starting December 4th so you can follow my reading fun on that one too.
Beyond that, I had a lofty goal of 23 must reads in 2023, I'm not gonna get to all of them, but I'm definitely working on sneaking a few more in. My Goodreads challenge is in rough shape too.... I set a few too many goals in 2023 haha. Finally, I'm excited to wrap up the #FOLDchallenge this month. Lots to do so let's get started!
December 1 December TBR
Picture Book of the Week: Clemmy Gets a Job
December 2 Book with Snow on the Cover
December 3 Book with a Red Cover
Book Feature: One Christmas Eve - Shari Low
December 4 Book Set in the City
Kick off for Fairytale of New York
December 5 CR with Fairy Lights
Today's #boldbookclub #adventchallenge is a #currentread with fairy lights. Of course their #fairytalereadalong challenge for today is also the book with fairylights, Here's where I have some coming clean to do... I binge read the whole book on Sunday.... So it's technically not my #cr... But it's all good, I will just post 2 pictures of books with fairylights!
First of course is #thefairytaleofnewyork by @zoefolbigg which is a fabulous book, but not my current read because I devoured it... There is also a book prompt for today which is: who is your favourite character and who is your favourite side character. I think most people would agree with me in that Charlie is their favourite main character, she is a really great FMC and Folbigg has done a great job developing her character. For side characters, I love Mabel the cat lol, I also really like all of Charlie's friends and family, they are so supportive and caring!
December 6 Book Featuring a Journey
I would say the biggest theme is that you need to follow your heart and your gut. If you don't feel like something is right for you, whether it is a job, a relationship, or even a momentary situation, you need to do what feels right. When Charlie took a job that was not right for her, she was miserable, when she felt uncomfortable with the speed things were moving with Pete she slammed on the breaks, when she realized her friends and family were right, her ex was a total loser, she began to let him go. It was a lesson Charlie had to learn throughout the book, and it is a good opportunity for readers to reflect on their lives as well!
For the #boldbookclub #adventchallenge I had to choose a book with a journey. This memoir, by @marysanders85 definitely fits that description as it follows a young woman to the Olympics and back, as well as training and performing in many states and countries.
9 lives by 39 is a memoir about how someone can go through many different phases or “lives” in their life. Sanders is an Olympic rhythmic gymnast who grew up in Canada and went on to compete in the United States because of her dual citizenship. She lost her father, also a gymnast, passed away when she was quite young which left her mother a single mom with multiple kids who were all athletes, but she always did whatever she could to make sure her kids could continue to follow their dreams. When regular gymnastics was not the right fit for her anymore, she switched to rhythmic and was really successful. Unfortunately, there is less funding available for Canadian gymnasts, so when she was offered the opportunity to compete (with funding) for the US, this led to another stage in her life. After the Olympics, she went on to perform as an acrobat with Cirque du Soleil, another unique stage. Throughout her life she persevered through difficult situations, pushed her body past all limits and fought to maintain relationships even while constantly being on the road. This story reminds readers that you can follow your dreams no matter what your situation is, but it also is cautionary in that sometimes you need to consider what is worth the risk when it comes to your health, your family and your life. Overall, it was a super good book and I loved that I could read about gymnastics, and rhythmic gymnastics and from both a Canadian and American perspective. There was even a little commentary on the Larry Nassar case in USA gymnastics which I thought was pretty interesting. It is awful how many people he abused in his career!
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher, @dundurnpress for giving me the chance to read and review this great book!
December 7: Curl Up with a Book and a Hot Drink
Good Elf Gone Wrong - Book Feature
I promised to do a book feature for this other fun holiday romcom, so I'm forgoing today's #fairytalereadalong photo challenge but sticking to the #adventchallenge.
Gosh I'm awful at these hypothetical casting questions! I feel like John Krasinski would do a good job of Pete. Who would be a good Charlie... Emma Watson would have the accent, and she is a decent amount of confident without being too overbearing. As I said, I'm awful at this...
December 8, 2023
I've never been to New York, but I would love to go to Broadway!
The Fairytale of New York by zoe folbigg is a holiday romance, that much more than a holiday story or a romance. When Charlie is left stranded with no explanation from her long term boyfriend, in JFK the day before Christmas Eve, she is too embarrassed to admit what happened to her family back home. But she's in New York during the holidays and is determined to figure out what happened to her MIA boyfriend and to experience NYC.
The holiday portion of this book passes quickly, with a lot of emotions for Charlie, and the kindling of the romance with Pete takes the majority of the book as Charlie needs a lot of time to recover from her breakup (fair enough!). As a result, this book is just a really great fiction story about what to do when life throws you curveballs and the importance of listening to your heart. I binge read this book over a weekend day, and really enjoyed it. I think it is a great book for fiction readers who don't mind a small amount of romance that doesn't get in the way of a good story. I also think it is perfect for readers who don't want a traditional holiday "hallmark Christmas" style book, but want to enjoy a few reminders of the season. This is the kind of holiday book you could read any time of year!
Thanks so much to the Netgalley and the publisher, Boldwood, for giving me the chance to read this book. I'm really looking forward to seeing what other stories Folbigg has to tell!
December 11-13 Katherena Vermette's Stranger Series
These three books by Katherena Vermette are set in Manitoba, mainly in Winnipeg and tell the story of a large number of characters, many of whom are Indigenous, primarily First Nations or Metis. Each of the three books have some of the same characters, though some of the books focus more on some of the characters than others.
The Break tells the story of a traumatic assault which takes place in a section of land in part of the North End of Winnipeg where there is an open field for hydro poles, fondly known by one of the characters as “the break”. 13 year olds Emily and Ziggy are invited to a party as a drug/gang house by an older boy from school. Ziggy isn’t sure about the plan but goes with Emily anyway. When Phoenix, a young adult who has escaped from her group home type institution, sees Emily flirting with her boyfriend (the boy who invited them to the party), she becomes enraged and viciously assaults Emily, an attack which is witnessed by her estranged aunt and reported to the police. The rest of the story covers the lives of Emily’s family members as they come to terms with this awful attack and the challenges and trauma they have faced in their lives prior to it.
The Strangers tells the story of Phoenix and her family. Phoenix was taken into care at age 10 and separated from her two younger sisters, Cedar and Sparrow. Her mother Elsie is a drug addict, and has many regrets and shame, but is constantly living in a cycle of drug use, withdrawal, sobriety, and relapse over and over again. Phoenix ends up in prison for the events from the first book, and attempts to recover from her own trauma and reconnect with her culture and roots. Cedar grows up in care but moves in with her previously estranged father and his new family in the south end of the city. Life is not easy there either, but she does manage to stay out of trouble, connect with her father, and graduate high school successfully. We also learn about Alex, Phoenix’s uncle, the one whose house the party in the first book was at.
The Circle brings the two sets of lives together again when Phoenix gets out of prison. Cedar has become friends and roomates with Ziggy, and is afraid to tell her that her sister is the one who attacked Ziggy and her friend. Emily (now going by M) continues to struggle with the trauma of the attack, which brings out new emotions once Phoenix is released. When the great grandmother of Phoenix’s young son sees Phoenix watching him through the school gate, she reports it to the police. When Phoenix doesn’t report back to her halfway house, people start to wonder where she went, a prime suspect is Jake, Emily’s cousin, who many think would want revenge for the attack on his younger cousin. The fall out from this new set of traumatic events will affect both families’ lives again.
Despite being so similar and involving the same set of characters, each book is unique and I liked different aspects. Overall, the three books tell a realistic by painful truth about the intergenerational trauma both directly and indirectly related to residential schools and the other horrendous acts the Canadian government committed towards the Indigenous people of Canada. The fact that these stories are set in my home city make it even more real for me, as the characters remind me of people I’ve met in my life and the places and stories are familiar. That being said, being told by an Indigenous author helps me a see a perspective I never would be able to see because I am a white person. The character development in all three books is incredible, despite having several characters, I felt that I knew who they all were and wanted to read the other books immediately so that I could continue the story. I also found it really interesting how different characters had different narrative styles. In some chapters characters went by I while others it was written in third person. Having this variation made for different language styles and helped set the characters apart from one another. The length of all three books is great, and the writing is thoughtful and well done. Vermette is a phenomenal writer and I hope she writes more books because I would devour them.
The Break is probably my favourite in the series. The events took place over just a few days and had such a high paced feel because the story was unraveling in a crime scene fashion, while also weaving in the stories and developing the characters of each person involved in the story. The focus in this part of the series is the Traverse family, as they are the ones directly impacted by the attack. I enjoyed reading the stories of this multi-generational family of strong women who experienced more than their share of trauma and challenges in life, but come together to support one another. I liked the cultural references and the strong female characters. I also liked the slow reveal of the connection between Stella and the family, and the view of racism in the police force both from outside and from within. I think that the first book really sets the series off well and got me hooked pretty instantly.
The Strangers is my least favourite of the three, but it was still really good. The Stranger family definitely has it’s challenges. At different points in their lives many members lived with the very strong and opinionated Metis Matriarch, Phoenix’s great grandmother. Unlike the Traverse family, addictions and abuse led to children being taken into care. In this story we then get a better glimpse at the foster care system, including the fact that young children are often places in hotels where there is a severe lack of supervision and the fact that foster carers vary in their abilities or desires to take care of the children they are responsible for. We also get a really interesting look at the prison system and particularly medical and mental health treatment within prison. I think that this one was my least favourite because it spanned over several years where the other two books took place over relatively short periods of time, less than a week. It made sense and the span of time was helpful for getting detailed story and timelines, but it just wasn’t as fast paced as the other two.
I initially started with The Circle, got to about 60% and decided I needed to read the first two books. It isn’t technically necessary to read them in order or really all three, but I am SO glad I did. I really enjoyed seeing the whole story unfold through all three books. I thought about skimming the first 60% again but ended up rereading it fully because now that I had a more intimate connection with each of the characters I needed to re-read so that I could get the full story again. I loved how in some ways you felt for the Traverse family, but you also felt for the Stranger family at times too. This one was also more like the first in that there were crimes and stories which unfolded slowly through each character’s perspective. I also liked that the true feelings of Winnipeggers who feel that everyone is connected in some way or another was honoured in this story. The fact that a cop was dating a woman directly connected to the case and Phoenix’s therapist is connecting in a coffee shop with Emily’s grandmother without realizing at first. Even that Ziggy and Cedar become close friends despite growing up in different circles and even different parts of the city. I did feel the ending came too quickly and I didn’t get all of the closure I wanted, but I also feel like that was intentional. I could read way more books if the author continued the series, but the three feels right. Knowing that I reread the first half of this book, I do think there is a good chance I would re-read the entire series one day, and that is saying a lot. There are very few books I would re-read, and I usually keep books on my shelf incase I want to recommend them to someone down the road, but these ones are going to stay there because I think I’ll pick them up again. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the incredible gift of reading The Circle. I am eternally grateful to have been introduced to this series.
December 17, 2023
An Historical Holiday Duet
I read The Talk of Tokyo by Heather Hallman last month and really enjoyed it so I was excited to check out An Historical Holiday Duet that features one of her novellas.
The first part of the duet is A Holiday Season at Clifton Hall by Clyve Rose. I found this one had quite an interesting premise, as it focused on Romany people. I liked learning about this group of people, their culture and the challenges they faced during this time period (and I know still face in different ways today). I do think it may have been beneficial to read the other books in the series (this one is technically #2.5) though I'm not sure if that is necessary. I could follow the story, but at the same time there were things I felt might have been explained in previous books that could have used more detail. On the romance side, it was very much a slow burn, the actual romance piece was very late in the story. Overall, it was an interesting story, but would recommend for those who have read the series or have a big interest/background knowledge about the Romany people.
The second part of the duet was Seduction of Tokyo by Heather Hallman, and the reason I picked up this duet. Similar to the first part, this novella is number 2.5 in the series, was also a bit of a slow burn and was interesting because of its context (Edwardian Tokyo). This time, having read another book in the series, I was looking forward to recognizing characters, but unfortunately the character overlap was minimal from the book I read. I do like that this one features another strong, independent working female in a time and place where this was highly unusual. The romance in this one was not as steamy as the one I'd read previously, but was a good amount considering it was a shorter book. Overall, I liked this one more than the first story in the book, but probably would have preferred read one of the other regular installments in the series.
December 18, 2023
One Christmas Eve - Shari Low
I love Shari Low and have read a few of her "one day" books, so I was excited when I saw she had a Christmas one! It was extra exciting because it was available for free on Amazon through Prime Reading. Low's books tend to follow the same pattern where over the course of one day, through chapters with alternating narrators, a beautiful story unfolds. This book does follow that pattern, but with a twist, instead of taking place over one day, it takes place over three days, decades apart.
The story starts with Christmas Eve 2023, when granddaughter, Eve, helps her grandmother, Cathy move into a new apartment. Meanwhile, she also debates her relationship with her friend with benefits and grapples with the shocking information that her father is not actually her biological father!
On Christmas Eve 1993, Helena learns that her boyfriend is going to propose, that he has been cheating on her for their entire relationship, and that he is really only using her to get a job in her father's law practice. She makes a choice to get back at him that ends up changing her life forever.
On Christmas Eve 1968, Cathy's high school sweetheart walks back into her life on the day she gives birth to her daughter, Helena, a child she has conceived with her husband who is out of town.
All three stories merge into one when all three women put together pieces of a puzzle they didn't know existed on Christmas Eve 2023. One Christmas Eve is a story about true love, the decisions we make when we are in love, and following your heart. It is also a Christmas tale of course, with plenty of Christmas magic and joyful celebrations, as well as interesting mishaps and rom-com silliness. If you asked me what Rom-Com needed to be turned into a Christmas Movie, it is definitely this one!
December 19, 2023
For The Fold's December 2023 Challenge: a book by an author who identifies as MAD or who writes about mental health I read Unsilenced by Amy Gamble.
Apparently I'm on a bit of an Olympic memoirs kick lately, as I recently read 9 lives by 39 and I am listening to Rachel Denhollander's memoir, but this one is not about a gymnast for once! Amy Gamble is completely vulnerable as she reveals her most difficult moments and deepest secrets related to her struggle with mental health. Amy's mother is bipolar, so when she receives the diagnosis that she is too, she understands what it means, but is reluctant to agree. After receiving "help" from a series of absolutely horrendous mental health practitioners she sets off on a viscious spiral of events which puts her in harms way many times. Gamble experienced multuple instances of sexual abuse in childhood and once she decides to try to work through that trauma, the counsellors and psychiatrists she trusts lead her down a very dangerous path. It is heartwrenching and dispicable to read about the care she received but it shows how difficult it is for someone with preexisting mental illnesses to be heard in a broken system. The entire story is gripping and chaotic, giving the reader a glimpse into the author's perspective and fluctuating state of mind. Like many trauma-based memoirs, it does jump around a bit chronologically, and is at times a bit hard to follow but I loved it and was easily able to just go along for the ride.
I would highly recommend this memoir and am so glad I got a chance to read it, thanks to Netgalley and the author/publisher, SpeakUp4Mental Health LLC!
December 20, 2023
Lady Tan's Circle of Women
This book was super cool and not like any I had read before. A quick interlude here, a few years back I had a really neat student (we teachers say we don't have favourites, but we do...) who was interested in such unusual things for a little girl her age. I love the way her mind works. Anyway, she was about 9 and asked me "in what grade do we learn about Chinese Foot Binding?" I was slightly surprised, but nothing about her truly did shock me, she always had good questions haha. I couldn't help but think about her while reading this book!
Lady Tan's Circle of Women tells the story of a young woman from 15th century China who is raised by her paternal grandparents, both of whom are doctors, and learns their trade while also learning how to be a refined woman. She becomes friends with an unusual playmate, one who she would usually not be permitted to spend time with, a young midwife in training, someone who is seen as dirty because she touches blood. But the midwife's mother and Lady Tan's grandmother come to an agreement. The two girls grow up and grow apart due to circumstance, but their stories continue to entwine and intersect. The story covers culture and traditions from this time period, including footbinding, as well as a deeply interesting story about a woman who is intelligent, caring, poised and independent. The time period allowed for lots of interesting storylines and themes, including mortality rates, small pox, betrothals, male lineage (and male preference) and concubines. The characters are incredibly well developed and the setting is very descriptive. The story was linear and it was easy to follow even though it spanned decades. I loved this book and would highly recommend it!
December 21, 2023
Today's Boldwood challenge is A book with an animal on the cover and this one is the perfect choice! I posted this as my current read last week, but I finished it up over the weekend and wanted to share my review. This book is by far the quirkiest book I've ever read and I loved every minute of it! Ollie is a single man in his early thirties (a fact that is seen as absolutely astounding to every secondary character in the story lol), who attempts to adopt a very large dog but ends up with a very tiny one. Everything about this book is quirky, the number of coincidences is too high to keep track of, but one example that comes up numerous times is Ollie's great great uncle studied an extinct polynesian language of clicks and chirps that half the secondary characters happen to have heard of and/or speak. In his attempt to find love, Ollie finds himself engaged to a rapper named QTpi (pi symbol) who is using him for the money he receives from an orphanage in Nigeria (see what I mean about quirky?), locates his long lost twin brother Hernando who dresses in army fatigues and teaches a literary course at a near by university, and somehow finds himself in a series of shortlived romantic moments. The quirkiness is what sets this book apart and keeps you interested. It is all kinds of weird and wonderful and I would highly recommend it, but I also understand it might not be everyone's cup of tea. I personally loved it and would love to read anything else the author puts out there.
December 22, 2023
In the midst of another war across the war, this was a tough but important book to read and I definitely recommend it. Author, Dr. Amani Ballour tells the powerful and tragic, yet compelling and inspiring story of her time running an underground hospital during the Syrian revolution of the mid 2010s. The horrid conditions Ballour and her colleagues faced while treating their community members on little sleep, a malnourished diet and in a constant state of crisis are absolutely unimaginable, but this memoir gives you a pretty clear idea of what they were dealing with. The idea of an underground hospital is so intriguing but at the same time, I can't believe how bad things were.
I remember in 2015 I was teaching junior high and my students were tasked with writing an essay on whether or not Canada should allow Syrian refugees, I remember how discriminatory some Canadians were at that time, but I don't remember much about what was actually going on in Syria. I don't think it was in the news enough, maybe it would have impacted perceptions? Doubtful, but still. Ballour mentions several times that she doesn't understand why more help wasn't coming, why there wasn't more outrage, and as we are facing a similar situation in Gaza right now, I wonder if the same issue is occuring again, where we should know what is going on, and we should be doing more, but we aren't.
This is a book I could not put down. It was all encompassing and I needed to know what chaotic crisis was next. I am so glad that Ballour shared her story, despite the great risks she faced in doing so. It is an incredible story that I think everyone should read, if for no other reason, simply to have a bit better understanding of what was happening in Syria. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this one!
December 23, 2023
Crying in H Mart
I have had this one on my TBR for a while and am glad I finally got to reading it. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is a memoir about a young woman coping with her mother's fatal illness and the reflection that comes with dealing with the grief of this kind of loss. There were a lot of moments in this book that showed me how far I have personally come in my own journey of grief. I feel like a few years ago I would have abandonned this book but I considering how much this story and my own are similar, I am really proud of myself for sticking through it. Michelle's mother died of cancer when she was in her mid-twenties. She left work and cared for her mom until she passed away. My mom passed when I was 21 after spending most of my childhood and young adult life as her primary caregiver. Michelle talks about the loss in a way that really spoke to me. I felt like I lost more than just the person, but the role and piece of my identity as well. Michelle searches for ways to keep her mother close to her, mainly through cooking meals from their Korean culture, but also experiences a range of emotions about getting it wrong, or not knowing who and how to ask questions. Each time I lose an older family member I grieve the loss of the ability to ask them questions. I wish there were ways to keep their story alive, and I think that Michelle felt similarly and did this in her memoir. Aside from being part of her reflection, I thought the writing about food and culture was a really great element of this book and one that drew me in from the beginning (I mean, look at the title and cover). This book is emotional and raw, but so well written and incredibly powerful. Definitely one I would recommend and I am glad it is finally checked off my #TBR!
December 25th, 2023
Merry Christmas!
Today is the last day of Boldwood's Advent Challenge: a book everyone should read.
I posted this as my current read a few weeks ago but didn't get a chance to pop back over for a review. This one was exactly the right book for me. If you don't know, I am obsessed with reality tv and this one was exactly what it was described to be: a mix of survivor and the bachelor (surprisingly two reality shows I rarely watch but have seen). The story follows Orie, a young woman in her early 20s who is a survivor superfan and is cast on a spinoff where players live on an island in Fiji and try to survive and find love or friendship at the same time. It had lots of The Challenge, Big Brother and Love Island vibes as well, three reality shows I am obsessed with. I even felt a tiny bit of Hunger Games vibes (without the death) lol. I loved the character development, the strong female lead and of course the reality tv aspects. This is a MUST read for Reality TV fans, but I think anyone could enjoy this fun story! Attached at the Hip is being published in the new year, but Christine Riccio has other books so I will definitely be checking these out!
The Manicurist's Daughter
I recently read The Manicurist's Daughter by @susanlieu and loved it!
Lieu's memoir tells her family's story of arriving in America as Vietnamese Refugees shortly before Susan was born. Lieu's parents both worked in and owned nail salons and brought over several members of her mother's family to work in the salons. While the family had very little disposable income, there was a focus on appearances, which led Susan's mother to opt for plastic surgery, a choice that cost her life. Lieu was only about 11 years old when her mother passed, and had to grow up very quickly. While she maintained relationships with her father and siblings, they were strained at times, as everyone wanted Susan to just move on after her mother's death, something that a grieving tween cannot easily do on her own. Additionally, a rift formed between her father and her mother's side of the family, and so Susan was no longer able to communicate with the people who knew her mother best. She spends her life asking questions about her mother's life and death, and not receiving many answers.
Weaving together a coming-of-age story and an inquiry into the life of her mother, Lieu's memoir is interesting, emotional, and heartfelt. Lieu pieces together her mother's story slowly, as if we are also part of the inquiry, receiving only small tidbits of information and hitting a lot of deadends. I also really appreciated the information about the family's difficulty fleeing Vietnam as this is something I haven't read much about. Overall it is a really well written memoir and one that I would definitely recommend.
I read this book shortly after reading Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, and while different cultures and circumstances, the two memoirs have a lot in common. So if you loved that one, definitely consider picking this one up when it is published this March! Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @celadonbooks for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Winners Fredrik Backman
What can I saw about The Winners.... This is one of those books where I don't feel like I can adequately describe how phenomenal it is. So instead of a normal review, I'm going to tell you all the reasons you may almost not read this book, so that you can avoid those concerns and just go out at buy it.
1. You must read this series in order (this is book 3 so don't start with this one). This is not a series where you can join in at the end and read it in any particular order. But that's ok because Beartown (the first book) is also fantastic and is a significantly shorter book thus less of a commitment if you don't yet trust me that this book will be incredible. There are an astronomical number of characters, I mean, it's not called "Bear Person" or "That Guy who Won" we are featuring a whole town of people, and in this third instalment, we actually get to know a lot more characters from a second town, so just be ready to pay attention and it's better if you know the backstory. Hence my advice to go back to book one so that you'll already know all the characters. (Also, if you're worried about this large number of characters, I am awful at keeping track of a lot of characters and I did just fine so you will too.)
2. You may feel you need to keep pushing this book to the bottom of your TBR. I kept putting this book off for a number of reasons. First, I think it was because it was so long. I don't read books over 600 pages. I rarely read books over 500 pages, I may even consider a book lengthy when it is getting to the 450 mark. 350 is perfect. There were moments, especially early on, when I thought "I wonder if he could have made this book a bit shorter..." but as the story unfolds, you realize no, ever word was necessary and perfectly well thought-out. If he decided to make it shorter it would have been a detriment to the story. The other reason I think I put it off, is I didn't want to finish the series (this is one of my worst qualities as a reader). I also probably put it off because the TBR never ends. The length is perfect, things ending is a hard but necessary part of life and the fact that other books get in your way is inevitable so just go buy it so at least it exists and when you look at it enough you'll probably read it eventually....
3. You may have heard this is about hockey, and it is, but it also isn't. I have a basic understanding of hockey, it is way less confusing than football or baseball, and more action-packed so it can sustain my attention for at least a bit. So having this mildly positive opinion of the sport did work in my favour, but honestly, even if you mostly disliked hockey, you probably would still like this book because the hockey is just the common ground and currency between characters and, more importantly, the source of conflict. It's been a while since I read the other two books so I can't be entirely sure on what portion of the book is actual characters playing hockey, but in this book I'd say it's maybe 3%. They talk about playing hockey, and who is on the team, but the actual description of people playing or watching hockey barely comes up in this one. Two games end in chaos before they are even really started, and that's about it. So hockey fan or not, you will be fine.
4. If you're like me and enjoy reading diverse stories or really just anything with more depth than a simple trope-filled romance novel (though I do read some of those sometimes...), this actually is the book for you. While it is true that the majority of the characters are likely white males, there is a family who immigrated to Sweden (the setting and author's country), as well as people who are gay, have suffered immense trauma, come from abusive families, take care of children whose parents can't support them, are victims of sexual assault and murder and those who suffer from mental illness and addictions. Could it be more diverse? Yes. But overall it does have a lot of substance to it and my attention was not just held, but stimulated intellectually and thoughtfully so it is a worthy reading endeavour.
5. You may live in a very cold and miserable place where winter is most of the year and it hurts to breathe when you venture outside to spend 30 minutes scraping ice off your car. This may steer you away from books set in cold places or during winter months. I live in Winnipeg. I hate winter. I loved this book and read it in December. Get a cozy blanket and you'll be fine.
6. I am not someone who often reads the books that are top sellers or found all over instagram. I am not a herd animal and I prefer to choose things that interest me so sometimes when a book is wildly popular, I resist it because I think I may not enjoy it as much as all these people talking about it. The Winners (and other Backman books like A Man Called Ove and Anxious People) are extremely popular, and for good reason. He is an extremely talented author and I loved his books as much as every influencer on instagram and positive reviewer on goodreads. You'll enjoy it and then you get to talk about it with whoever you want because they probably read it too!
Speaking of reading it too. Once you've read it, come back to this post and answer me two things:
Why did the editor and the daughter not have names? I read a theory that it was because Backman didn't want you to have to learn two more names but that seems silly. Do you have any other ideas? I was sure it would be revealed at the end but it was not.
What did you think of the mongoose reference?! I thought it was hilarious and actually googled what a mongoose was lol.
Hope Ablaze
Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana tells the story of Nida, a teen who enjoys writing poetry and participating in a Muslim-only poetry group. When one day she is illegally frisked while walking near a rally, including having her hijab removed in front of a political candidate who claims to support Muslims. The experience is understandably traumatic for her and she works through the trauma by writing her poetry, including naming the politician. When someone close to her submits her poem to a competition without her permission, the candidate fights her for defamation and soon Nida's family is in the media spotlight leading to a number of uncomfortable, and potentially unsafe situations. Told through a blend of narrative and poetry, Hope Ablaze is a beautifully crafted and thought-provoking story that reminds readers of the importance of speaking up for yourself and your community, holding people in power accountable for their actions and the therapeutic value of writing down your thoughts and feelings, even if you're the only one who reads them. For me the only downside was that I am not a huge fan of poetry, but I could appreciate the use of poetry in this context.
While aimed at a YA audience, I think adults would enjoy this book and all readers can benefit from the messages sent. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher stmartins press wednesday books for giving me the chance to read and review this book ahead of its pubdate: March 2024.
December Reading Wrap Up
2023 Reading Wrap Up
