Not So Quick End-of-2021 Update...

I don't have much of an excuse other than life really got away from me starting in October with the death of my father-in-law...whew. I kept my head above water just by doing what needed doing and unfortunately writing on my blog fell by the wayside. I am slowly crawling my way back into it! Yay me. 

But I have to pare down. I enjoy my Cat Thursday posts so I'll try to keep those going each week and then an end of week post...which may be every other week depending on the week. Something doable for a little while and then hopefully I'll get my groove back! lol.

We are looking forward to G's 13th birthday! What? I can't believe how time flies. He wants money to get a new game for his VR, something to physically open, and sushi for dinner. Can't complain about that. I even asked him if he wanted me to bake him a cake and he told me he'd rather have an ice cream cake...so I don't even have to do that! He is going to have a friend over for a sleepover and pizza. So I will bake him some birthday cupcakes!

Now onto my end of 2021 update...

I read 119 books in 2021. 

39 were children's/middle/young adult books. 

35 non-fiction books.

11 were classics (as well as modern).

39 were by non-white authors.

Over half were by women. 

I had a great reading year. I don't know if I'll read as much as I did last year. Only time will tell. 

Favorite reads: These are the ones that just stood out as I looked back over my list.

• The End of Everything: Astrophysically Speaking by Katie Mack. Her down-to-earth style of how the universe could literally end was fun and so fascinating. I love to get a few astronomy books in a year and this one was top.
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Just what I needed for one of my first reads of the year. A haunting yet beautiful tale in the Alaskan frontier.
• The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. The way she blended two time lines and how they finally meet was really quite something. Her bits of magic throughout are also haunting. 
• Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. A beautiful and lyrical memoir and combining all of this knowledge together to connect ourselves to each other, the earth, and everything else.
• Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell. I loved everything about this book from the big cults to the little ones...I'm looking at you CrossFit and Peleton...it combined my love of language and cults all in one.
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I loved this book so much. So much heart and humanity and sciencing the shit out of everything.
• The Memory Thief and the Secrets Behind How We Remember: A Medical Mystery by Lauren Aguirre. This one opened my mind up on how certain type of drugs can affect our memories and also philosophically memories literally make us who we are and without them who are we? Loved how she combined science and a real medical mystery to discuss it all.
• My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Grahame Jones. This was brutal, poignant, and so lovely. His sequel comes out this fall! Eeek!
• The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis. An open wound on how we didn't respond to the pandemic and he exposes the system and how it really is setup for failure. Brutal but needed.
• The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. I've been telling everyone to listen to this mind-blowing novel! Do it. The less you know the better.

Favorite Movies and TV shows: This one is really hard but I'll do my best...

• Free Guy: I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was...lots of philosophical stuff on free will and destiny and love.
• Black Widow: Loved everything. Funny and full of action.
• The Night House: Can Rebecca Hall do wrong? Well, maybe but this one was a knockout. Layers of grief, horror, all the stuff of nightmares.
• Midnight Mass on Netflix. So so creepy and quite the philosophical reversal. Loved it. It's one I'll rewatch yearly or close to it.
• Loki on Disney+. Disney is killing it with their TV shows from the marvel world.
• Luca. Hands down one of the best movies all year.
• Mare of Easttown on HBO was sooooo good.
• A Quiet Place II. Fantastic sequel. Can't wait for the final instalment!
• The Investigation: HBO docudrama on the investigation of Kim Wall's murder. Brilliant.
• Promising Young Woman: Brutal but I couldn't look away.
• Nomadland: Raw and just so human and beautiful. It's a must-see.
• Wolfwalkers: I lied this one is at the top or just under Luca.
• Sound of Metal. Brilliant performance by Riz Ahmed.
• Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised): Best documentary. It's on Hulu. Go watch it now.
• Mayday. Such a great film. Beautiful and haunting Indie.
• Ted Lasso on Apple. That is the feel-good TV series of a life-time.

That was a mouthful!

We all had a great Solstice, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. We met up with our friends in an Air Bnb for a few days to celebrate and see each other! It's been two years! They moved up to Washington a few years ago and so we've made an effort to get together at least once a year but then the pandemic... So it was great to see them again. The weather was terrible and the drive even worse but it was worth it. I think we'll try Spring or Fall instead next time!

Our snowed in status all week!
Playing games and getting crazy
Teenagers, anyone? lol

Books read in January:

Where the Dead Go to Die by Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells/ 2016/ 197 pages/ Kindle
Goodreads Summary:
There are monsters in this world. And they used to be us. Now it's time to euthanize to survive in a hospice where Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible.

Post-infection Chicago. Christmas.

Inside The Hospice, Emily and her fellow nurses do their rounds. Here, men and women live out their final days in comfort, segregated from society, and are then humanely terminated before fate turns them into marrow-craving monsters known as ‘Smilers.’ Outside these imposing walls, rabid protesters swarm with signs, caught up in the heat of their hatred.

Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. But in a world where mortality means nothing, where guns are drawn in fear and nobody seems safe anymore – at what cost will this pursuit come? And through it all, the soon to be dead remain silent, ever smiling. Such is their curse.

This emotional, political novel comes from two of horror’s freshest voices, and puts a new spin on an eternal topic: the undead. In the spirit of George A Romero meets Jack Ketchum, Where the Dead Go to Die it is an unforgettable epilogue to the zombie genre, one that will leave you shaken and questioning right from wrong…even when it’s the only right left.

It won't be long before that snow-speckled ground will be salted by blood.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this take on the zombie genre...what if the incubation time took a really long time to "turn" people into actual brain-eating/wanna-eat-your-flesh creatures? This world it took them a little bit of time to realize this so a lot of almost-zombies died in the process, which upset their families, which in turn upset the politicians, etc. 
We join this world through Emily and her daughter and a special hospice facility where the turned go to live out their last days before they are "humanely killed" before they turn into the zombies we all know and "love." Lots of questions get brought up about what happens if we get too complacent about the monsters under our beds...? 
My only complaints are it was just too short. It really was a small slice into this world and I wanted more, more, and more. Also, the story takes place in the U.S. but the terms were British soooo...that also threw me out of the story. So I was left a bit disappointed overall. But I would still recommend it to anyone who loves a good zombie story. 

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey /2011/ 561 pages/ Paperback
Goodreads Summary:
Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.
My Thoughts:
This is my third reading. And it is still as good as the other two times. Great start to space opera that is the world of The Expanse. The TV show on Prime is really great as well and the series and the books are both great and different in their own ways. So if you love sci-fi that is more on the dramatic side this one is for you.

Serafina and the Splintered Heart by Robert Beatty/ 2017/ 357 pages/ library
Goodreads Summary:
The storms are coming....

Something has happened to Serafina. She has awoken into a darkness she does not understand, scarred from a terrible battle, only to find that life at Biltmore Estate has changed in unimaginable ways. Old friends do unthinkable things and enemies seem all around.

A mysterious threat moves towards Biltmore, a force without a name, bringing with it violent storms and flooding that stands to uproot everything in its path. Serafina must uncover the truth about what has happened to her and find a way to harness her strange new powers before it's too late.

With only days to achieve the impossible, Serafina fights to reclaim herself as the Guardian of Biltmore, friend of Braeden, daughter of her Pa, and heroine of the Blue Ridge Mountains and all the folk and creatures that call it home.
My Thoughts:
This is the third book in the Serafina series. G and I have been reading them together and we both love them! Serafina and friend Braeden get into all sorts of troubles and this book is no different. Serafina's soul and body have been ripped into pieces by black magic and it's up to her, Braeden, and new friends and old foes to get her back together again and defeat the evil sorcerer. Beatty provides a haunting and beautiful background in the Blue Mountains at the turn of the 20th century. Great characters and mysteries abound. 

T: The Story of Testosterone and How it Dominates and Divides Us by Carole Hooven/ 2021/ 357 pages/ Scribd
Goodreads Summary:
Testosterone: Misunderstood. Mythologized. Controversial.

A Harvard evolutionary biologist debunks the myths and cultural stereotypes surrounding testosterone and reveals its far-reaching effects on gender and sexuality, sports, relationships, and many more aspects of our everyday lives.

The biological source of virility and masculinity has inspired fascination, investigation, and controversy since antiquity. From the eunuchs in the royal courts of ancient China to the booming market for “elixirs” of youth in nineteenth-century Europe, humans have been obsessed with identifying and manipulating what we now know as testosterone. And the trends show no signs of slowing down—the modern market for testosterone supplements is booming. Thanks to this history and the methods of modern science, today we have a rich body of research about testosterone’s effects in both men and women.

The science is clear: testosterone is a major, invisible player in our relationships, sex lives, athletic abilities, childhood play, gender transitions, parenting roles, violent crime, and so much more. But there is still a lot of pushback to the idea that it does, in fact, cause sex differences and significantly influence behavior.

Carole Hooven argues in T that acknowledging testosterone as a potent force in society doesn’t reinforce stifling gender norms or patriarchal values. Testosterone and evolution work together to produce a huge variety of human behavior, and that includes a multitude of ways to be masculine or feminine. Understanding the science sheds light on how we work and relate to one another, how we express anger and love, and how we can fight bias and problematic behavior to build a more fair society.
My Thoughts:
Loved this book. She's very clear and concise. She provides tons of science and the stories behind them. She doesn't have all the answers nor does she try to. But it's an open discussion with the science to begin. One of my favorite science books I've read in a long time.

Pride and Prejudice: An Annotated Edition by Jane Austen and edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks/ 2010/ 442 pages/ Hardcover
Goodreads Summary:
'Vanity, not love, has been my folly'

When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.
My Thoughts:
Reading an annotated edition of Pride and Prejudice was pure joy! So many little insights into the culture and archaic words. And insight into what Austen might have meant with certain phrases or reasons why certain characters may have said or done certain things. Pure joy. This is one that will be reread time and again!
Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey/ 2012/ 595 pages/ Paperback

Goodreads Summary:
We are not alone.

On Ganymede, breadbasket of the outer planets, a Martian marine watches as her platoon is slaughtered by a monstrous supersoldier. On Earth, a high-level politician struggles to prevent interplanetary war from reigniting. And on Venus, an alien protomolecule has overrun the planet, wreaking massive, mysterious changes and threatening to spread out into the solar system.

In the vast wilderness of space, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have been keeping the peace for the Outer Planets Alliance. When they agree to help a scientist search war-torn Ganymede for a missing child, the future of humanity rests on whether a single ship can prevent an alien invasion that may have already begun . . .
My Thoughts:
This is the second book in The Expanse series and it's almost as good as the first! Lots of action and two new characters that I love! Yes.

Joining up with Deb from Readerbuzz and her Sunday Salon.

Mini Book Reviews: Adulthood Rites, Imago...

Adulthood Rites (#2 Xenogenesis) by Octavia Butler

Published: 1988 by Aspect

Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopia

Format: Kindle, 277 Pages, Own

Publisher's Summary:

In this sequel to Dawn, Lilith Iyapo has given birth to what looks like a normal human boy named Akin. But Akin actually has five parents: a male and female human, a male and female Oankali, and a sexless Ooloi. The Oankali and Ooloi are part of an alien race that rescued humanity from a devastating nuclear war, but the price they exact is a high one the aliens are compelled to genetically merge their species with other races, drastically altering both in the process.

On a rehabilitated Earth, this "new" race is emerging through human/Oankali/Ooloi mating, but there are also "pure" humans who choose to resist the aliens and the salvation they offer.These resisters are sterilized by the Ooloi so that they cannot reproduce the genetic defect that drives humanity to destroy itself, but otherwise they are left alone (unless they become violent).

When the resisters kidnap young Akin, the Oankali choose to leave the child with his captors, for he the most "human" of the Oankali children will decide whether the resisters should be given back their fertility and freedom, even though they will only destroy themselves again.

This is the second volume in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series, a powerful tale of alien existence.

My Thoughts:

I loved the world-building and the philosophy behind this series. It's a way to explore what makes us human and who deserves to be treated as such. I enjoyed Akin's journey as he struggles to understand humans and the Oankali and how he fits into this new society.

Imago (#3 Xenogenesis) by Octavia Butler

Published: 1989 by Aspect

Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopia

Format: Kindle, 224 Pages, Own

Publisher's Summary:

The stunning conclusion to a postapocalyptic trilogy about an alien species merging with humans—from “one of science fiction’s finest writers” (TheNew York Times).
Human and Oankali have been mating since the aliens first came to Earth to rescue the few survivors of an annihilating nuclear war. The Oankali began a massive breeding project, guided by the ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA, in the hope of eventually creating a perfect starfaring race. Jodahs is supposed to be just another hybrid of human and Oankali, but as he begins his transformation to adulthood he finds himself becoming ooloi—the first ever born to a human mother. As his body changes, Jodahs develops the ability to shapeshift, manipulate matter, and cure or create disease at will. If this frightened young man is able to master his new identity, Jodahs could prove the savior of what’s left of mankind. Or, if he is not careful, he could become a plague that will destroy this new race once and for all.

My Thoughts:

A fantastic conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed Butler's thoughtful story on whether humanity can change and if not, whether or not we're worth saving...

Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle

Published: June 16th, 2020 by Morrow Gift

Genre: Humor, Graphic Novel

Format: Ebook, 144 Pages, Scribd

Publisher's Summary:

In this eagerly awaited sequel, Nathan takes us back to his charming and instantly recognizable planet colored in bright pinks, blues, greens, and purples, providing more escapades, jokes, and p h r a s e s.

Nathan mixes his most popular Instagram comics with more than thirty original works created exclusively for this second volume to explore four major topics: traditions, nature, emotions, and knowledge. He inducts new and longtime fans into a strangely familiar world and its culture, from “cohesion” (marriage) to “mild poison” (alcohol) to the full lyrics to “The Small Eight-Legged Creature” (sung to the tune of The Itsy-Bitsy Spider).

Bright, colorful, and whimsical—yet charmingly familiar—Stranger Planet is out-of-this-world fun.

My Thoughts:

So funny!!! If you haven't read the first in the series go check it out. It's just such a great look at the weirdness that is humanity! And the second one is not any different. He'll never run out of things to make fun!

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Published: first published in 1844

Genre: Action/Adventure

Format: Ebook, 1276 Pages, Scribd

Publisher's Summary:

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas’ epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.

My Thoughts:

I was surprised at how lively and fun the book was! I was expecting it to be a bit more droll like Les Mis...I'd call this a French Soap Opera! 

The thing that stuck out most with me is how much Dumas' ties Dantes' revenge to God's Wrath aka Vigilante Justice that's sanctioned by God. Not until the end does he question even a little bit about what he has done as part of his revenge. There are a couple of casualties that he did not plan along the way. But he makes it up by helping others along the way...I like that twist. Usually it's "revenge is a dish best served cold." And how revenge truly never works. Which I think is mostly true. But yeah it was just fun to see this side of it. Fun escapism. The baddies get their just desserts!

There is also a theme of memories and remembrance throughout the book. Of course, Dantes remembers; he is exacting his revenge slowly and carefully. The ones who are his friends ponder and remember their past and remember him. The enemies are the ones who only remember once the "guillotine" has dropped.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading it and glad I finally took the time to do so this year!

I also recently watched the movie done in the early 2000s...It was OK. But they switched it up and used the whole "revenge is a dish best served cold" idea. Irritated me. They took out key characters and completely changed the ending. But what do you do when you only have 2.5 hours to get in a 1200+ book! I'd like to see a limited series done.

*Read for Back to the Classics challenge and The Classics Club challenge

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco: Book Review

 

Source

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Published: 1980

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Format: Paperback, 536 Pages, Own

Rating: 3 stars

Publisher's Summary:

The year is 1327. Benedictines in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon—all sharpened to a glistening edge by wry humor and a ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey, where “the most interesting things happen at night.”

My Thoughts:

I never thought I'd enjoy a book set in the 14th century at a monastery would be so intriguing! But It was. And I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Brother William and how he uses his logic and knowledge to figure out who is murdering all the monks!

The story is told through his novices eyes but when his novice is an old man and can look back on these events with a more discerning eye. 

Now, I'm not going to give it 4 or more stars because there are a lot of really slow parts, especially at the beginning that introduces us to the history of the time with the Pope and the kings and the different branches of sects that were dueling it out for power. Eco explains in an afterward section that he purposely added those boring sections to weed out his readers! Well, I stuck with it. lol.

And while it's a mystery in the sense that there are monks being murdered and Brother William is there to figure it out, I felt it was more about philosophy in novel form. How can logic and emotion fail us in equal measure? Well, this book will let you know!

Not quite what I expected but overall glad I read it. I see why it's a modern classic.

Mini Book Reviews: Go Tell it on the Mountain

Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin

Published: September 17th, 2013 by Vintage (originally published in 1953)

Genre: Classic

Format: Kindle, 242 Pages, Own

Rating: 3.5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

“Mountain,” Baldwin said, “is the book I had to write if I was ever going to write anything else.” Go Tell It On The Mountain, first published in 1953, is Baldwin's first major work, a novel that has established itself as an American classic. With lyrical precision, psychological directness, resonating symbolic power, and a rage that is at once unrelenting and compassionate, Baldwin chronicles a fourteen-year-old boy’s discovery of the terms of his identity as the stepson of the minister of a storefront Pentecostal church in Harlem one Saturday in March of 1935. Baldwin’s rendering of his protagonist’s spiritual, sexual, and moral struggle of self-invention opened new possibilities in the American language and in the way Americans understand themselves.

My Thoughts:

Now I know why everything James Baldwin wrote has become a classic. His prose and how he layers his stories with deep meaning and metaphor is truly astounding. And that's not to mention how well he knows and loves his characters and he knows how deeply human they are.

But even with all of the acknowledgement I had a really hard time getting through this book. It was hard to follow through time and back each character. I had to look them up and try and remember how each was connected to who. 

And the subject matter of religion and religious hypocrisy was also hard to swallow. I know it's a semi-autobiographical tale of Baldwin growing up in the Pentecostal religion with an abusive stepfather...It looks like it was not easy. Abuse and rancor and self-righteousness abounds.

I'm glad I read it but it wasn't pleasant and I'll never read it again. I've enjoyed two of his other fiction books and so I know I'll enjoy his others. I think this one was closest to his pain and thus the most raw.

I read this one for my Back to the Classics challenge in the classic by a BIPOC author prompt.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Published: January 19th, 2021 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ+, Historical Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages, Libary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Acclaimed author of Ash Malinda Lo returns with her most personal and ambitious novel yet, a gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare.

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

"Lo's writing, restrained yet luscious, shimmers with the thrills of youthful desire. A lovely, memorable novel about listening to the whispers of a wayward heart and claiming a place in the world."—Sarah Waters, bestselling and award winning author of Tipping the Velvet and The Night Watch

My Thoughts:

I fell in love with Lily. She's a young Chinese-American teen caught up in the Red Square of the 1950s and having to deal with the poopy politics of America and who "counts" as truly American? And dealing with her burgeoning love for another teenage girl Kath. Both of her cultures say it's wrong.

Her and Kath start to hang out at the Telegraph Club where they are able to meet and party with other lesbians and understand that there are people who are like them and how to form bonds that last a lifetime even when society isn't ready for them.

It's a perfect blend of real history, fully fledged characters trying to deal with what the world has thrown at them. And it's a wonderful love story. I can't recommend this one enough. All the feels are here.

The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad #2) by Tana French

Published: January 17th, 2008 by Penguin Group

Genre: Crime, Mystery

Format: Kindle, 470 Pages, Own

Rating: 3 stars

Publisher's Summary:

In the “compellingˮ (The Boston Globe) and “pitch perfectˮ (Entertainment Weekly) follow-up to Tana French’s runaway bestseller In the Woods, itʼs six months later and Cassie Maddox has transferred out of the Dublin Murder Squad with no plans to go back—until an urgent telephone call summons her to a grisly crime scene. The victim looks exactly like Cassie and carries ID identifying herself as Alexandra Madison, an alias Cassie once used as an undercover cop. Cassie must discover not only who killed this girl, but, more important, who was this girl?

My Thoughts:

I loved French's first book in the series! Absolute delight with a fantastic setting and engaging characters and good mystery to solve. But I was a little less taken with the second installment, unfortunately. Cass was a character I wanted to follow from the first book so I was happy this one focused on her instead of Rob. But the plot was too fantastical from the start to seem even somewhat believable. A woman who looks exactly like her is murdered! And what do they decide to do? They let her go undercover and infiltrate the home she's been living at with four other flatmates....Really? I've grown up with identical twin friends and even they don't look exactly alike! In what universe is this even plausible? I had flashbacks to reading a Dan Brown novel which touts itself as serious mystery thrillers and yet the laws of physics that normally held things together just don't...

The plot suffered for French's wanting to wax philosophical about who we are compared to who we want people to think we are. 

I hear the third instalment is better! It follows Frank, but he was not one I loved that much in The Likeness but maybe that's a good thing. The plot can't be any dumber...hopefully!

Don't get me wrong. I still love French. I truly love her writing style and her settings in and around Dublin. 

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

Published: April 7th, 2015 by Balzer + Bray

Genre: LGBTQ+, Young Adult

Format: Hardcover, 328 Pages, Library

Rating: 3.5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex... and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.

What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?

When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."

Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

My Thoughts:

I highly recommend this book about a teenage girl who discovers she's intersex. Gregorio is a surgeon and was inspired by one of her patients who came to her for a gonadectomy after discovering she was intersex. She never saw her again and wondered about her life. She decided to write this book to bring awareness and to dispel ignorance and intolerance.

As far as a book of characters and the world they live in, this one wasn't the best. And the ending felt rushed and a bit flat for me. But she's a surgeon! She has other priorities! lol. 

But I still think it's a good read and brings a lot of awareness about gender and biology and culture and how we're all just humans.

Back to the Classics Challenge 2021

I have read about a few people finding classics and older books very enlightening this last year through this pandemic. I'm taking that to heart and I'm joining Karen's, from Books and Chocolate, classics challenge. This will be her 8th year hosting! I know the pandemic is still not going away any time soon, at least for the first half of 2021. So bring on the classics. I have so many I've been meaning to get to...

If you complete the challenge there's even a chance at a 30$ gift card at the end! Check out her website for all the rules. 

If you're new to the challenge, here's how it works:

• Complete six categories, and you'll get one entry in the drawing; 
• Complete nine categories, and you'll get two entries in the drawing; 
• Complete all twelve categories, and you'll get three entries in the drawing

Without further ado, here are the categories for 2021: 

1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899

• War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy

2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published.

• Go Tell It on a Mountain by James Baldwin

3. A classic by a woman author.

• The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer. 

• The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.

• Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurston
• Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autiobiography by Zora Neale Hurston

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.

• A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read. 

• Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).

• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

9. A children's classic. 

• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

10. A humorous or satirical classic.

• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure. 

• Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift
• The Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl

12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.

• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

These are just a few ideas that I researched out and some I have in my lonely kindle shelves! I'm looking forward to it! 

Mini Book Reviews: Mexican Gothic, The Vanishing Half...

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Published: June 30th, 2020 by Del Rey

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Format: Kindle, 304 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Noemí Taboada and her father receive a frantic and desperate letter from her newly married cousin who explains that she feels her life and sanity may be in danger. Noemi takes up the task to visit the Mexican high-mountain countryside and find out what's truly going on. As she arrives, though, she is both allured and repulsed by her cousin's Englishman husband, horrified at their father Howard Doyle who is decrepit both of body and mind, and High Place with its damp and fungal appearance and the nightmares she soon begins to dream...Is her cousin mad? What secrets and horrors lie beneath?

Noemi is a fantastic character. She's a socialite but one who thinks for herself and has a self-determination to see things through and get to the bottom of it all. I had to take breaks from the book because it was so disturbing in parts. The mood is dark and dank and damp and oppressive. She covers eugenics and colonialism and misogyny and patriarchy. But it all comes together for quite an ending. Go into this book without knowing much about it. It is a true Gothic horror from a fabulous writer. Near perfection.

Ms. Moreno-Garcia has also shared some highlights and quotes and insights from her book on Goodreads. So go check it out if you are interested in reading this one.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Published: September 1st, 2020 by MacMillman Audio

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, LGBTQIA+

Format: Audiobook, 13 hours, Scribd

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Yadriel's traditional family is having a hard time accepting his gender and therefore they don't think he's a brujo. To prove them wrong he ends up doing the ritual himself alongside his best friend and cousin Maritza. But the ghost he ends up summoning is neighborhood badboy Julian Diaz and not his murdered cousin. But Julian refuses to pass on until he sets a few things right in the real world and Yadriel sets out to help him. But it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. No one can find Julian's body nor the body of his cousin. It's up to Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian to find out what's really going on.

This is a beautifully written tale of Yadriel coming into his own and accepting who he is. We get to learn all about his culture and el Dia de los Muertos. His relationship with his mother who died a little before the books begins is so poignant. The fraught relationship he has with his father and grandmother who are trying but aren't doing enough to accept him for who he is. And the relationship he begins to have with Julian is also beautiful to watch.

The audiobook was well-performed and enjoyed it all. There is even an interview between the author and the audiobook narrator that is fantastic at the end.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Published: June 2nd, 2020 by Riverhead Books

Genre: Literary Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 343 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Two Black light-skinned twins take two very divergent paths. The Vignes sisters Desiree and Stella runaway as teenagers from their town of light-skinned Blacks. Desiree ends up marrying a Black man who abuses her. Her sister Stella decides to pass as White to live the "American Dream." She ends up marrying her boss and moves away and cuts of her family. Desiree flees her abusive marriage to come back home to Mallard with extremely dark daughter Jude. What happens when we flee our origins and become something different? Does it free us or bind us? Ms. Bennett weaves a beautiful story that lets us experience the answers to these questions.

The book is all about the characters and their experiences. This is a beautifully character-driven novel. Brit Bennett knocks it out of the park again. We need more voices such as hers.

Emma by Jane Austen

Published: April 15th, 2004 by Barnes Noble Classics (Originally published December 23rd, 1815)

Genre: Classic

Format: Paperback, 462 Pages, Own

Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

I read Emma for the first time back when the Gwyneth Paltrow adaptation came out in the mid-90s. So it's been awhile. The story always feel fresh because there are so many fun adaptations and retellings out there. But I really wanted to get a sense of Emma again now that I'm older and have seen so many versions of her story. I would have to say Emma is not my favorite but she is a more likeable character than Fanny of Mansfield Park. It's quite the little soap opera drama, actually. All the highjinx of a quiet country town with Emma at the center of it all as the richest and thus classiest citizen in its ranks.

I do enjoy the growth of Emma throughout the novel. From matchmaker of Ms. Taylor to failed matchmaking for her friend Harriet to finding love for others in her community to finally finding her own love. I may try an annotated edition and maybe grab a few more tidbits I know I missed. It's still a fun one to read and I'm sure I'll read it again in a few years. 

Mini Book Reviews: The Histories and The Subtle Knife

The Histories by Herodotus

Published: approximately 450 BCE, this edition January 30th, 2003 by Penguin Books

Genre: Non-fiction, Myth, History

Format: Paperback, 716 Pages, Own

Rating: 3 stars

Publisher's Summary:

One of the masterpieces of classical literature, the "Histories" describes how a small and quarrelsome band of Greek city states united to repel the might of the Persian empire. But while this epic struggle forms the core of his work, Herodotus' natural curiosity frequently gives rise to colorful digressions - a description of the natural wonders of Egypt; an account of European lake-dwellers; and far-fetched accounts of dog-headed men and gold-digging ants. With its kaleidoscopic blend of fact and legend, the "Histories" offers a compelling Greek view of the world of the fifth century BC.

My Thoughts:

I read parts of this originally when I was in college back in the day for my Greek History course. But I finally decided to read through the whole thing. It's hard to follow all the names and dates but it's a fascinating look at what Herodotus thought was important historically and thematically. He was a big proponent of looking at the divine hand of the gods in the Greeks' history so he seemed to play up that theme a lot.

I also noticed how crappy they treated their women. Lots of insults that were the worst insults ever were calling men "women" or that they fought like "women." If a woman did fight than she fought weirdly like a man and wasn't really a woman anymore. The more things change the more they stay the same, honestly.

I never have to read it again! Yay!

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Published: originally July 22nd, 1997 this edition November 13, 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Format: Paperback, 326 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Will--a boy on the run, a murderer--a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.
Each is searching--Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father--but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, their destinies are bound together . . . until they are split apart.

My Thoughts:

It's a very enjoyable second book, though it did drag a bit in the middle. I think it's harder to keep up with the middle in a trilogy. But not always. 

Who does one root for? Is Lord Asriel goodish, or just crazy, or deluded? We don't know and neither does Lyra or Will. So we are on their side wherever that may lead. And can Mrs. Coulter and her golden monkey die already? She's so deliciously evil.

*Read "The Histories" as part of the:

Mini Book Reviews: Dracula, Dead Voices...

Source

Published: May 26th, 1897 by Archibald Constable and Company
Audio edition: February 2nd, 2012 by Audible Studios

Genre: Horror, Classic

Format: Audiobook, 15 hours, 28 minutes, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Followers of the popular vampire literary and film interpretations of recent years might be blasé about another performance of the exquisitely written novel that started it all. But listening to this full-cast performance turns out to be remarkably suspenseful and chilling. The superlative cast lends this powerful production the diversity that is required by the structure of the novel, which includes journal entries and letters. Each actor employs various accents, infusing into the characters vibrant emphasis, urgency, and dread. The famed vampire Count Dracula leaves a swath of exsanguinated bodies in his wake as he attempts to relocate from Transylvania to England in 1897, stalked by the brave Van Helsing.

My Thoughts:

This is a re-read for me. And I listened to it for the first time from Audible. It was fun to experience it that way. Everyone did a fantastic job in their roles. But hearing it out loud made me a bit squeamish. The views the women and the men take on gender roles, and what's proper for females, and who makes a great woman were eye-rolling. But I take it in stride with when it was written. It's still a creepy tale and good conquers all in the end! Fantastic read for the Halloween season.

Source

Published: August 27th, 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Horror, Juvenile fiction

Format: Hardcover, 256 pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie's watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the series. G and I both loved the first book and this was a great followup. The characters stick it out at a snowed-in ski lodge in the mountains. There were vibes of "The Shining" here too. Great atmosphere and a fun ending made it a great Halloween read with my G.

Source

Published: June 2nd, 2015 by William Morrow
Genre: Horror

Format: Hardcover, 286 pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.

To her parents' despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie's descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts' plight. With John, Marjorie's father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.

Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie's younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long-ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface--and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil. 

My Thoughts:

This was a lot better than I was expecting. The meta-horror was a nice surprise and I enjoyed the possession stereotype critique. Having read Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," I was able to figure out the main plot by the middle of the story. But I didn't quite know where he was going to take the mental illness angle and his take on reality TV and its cultural impact was also an interesting point. Spooky with something to say. I really enjoyed it!

Source

Published: 1984 by Scholastic, Inc.
Genre: Horror, Short stories, Juvenile fiction

Format: Paperback, 112 pages, Own 

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

All those who enjoyed shuddering their way through Alvin Schwartz's first volume of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark will find a satisfyingly spooky sequel in this new collection of the macabre, the funny, and the fantastic. Is it possible to die -- and not know it? What if a person is buried too soon? What happens to a thief foolish enough to rob a corpse, or to a murderer whose victim returns from the grave? Read about these terrifying predicaments as well as what happens when practical jokes produce gruesome consequences and initiations go awry. Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories -- and even a scary song -- all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark. If You Dare!

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the series. G loved them! He wanted a few stories every night till we were done. And this version has the original illustrations by Stephen Gammell which are the scariest drawings ever. Creepy. The new Scholastic versions are silly. Like somehow kids can't take the creepy drawings anymore? What? So stick with the original!

Source

Published: October 1st, 2019 by SourceBooks Explore
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Juvenile, Graphic Novel

Format: Paperback, 96 pages, Own 

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Between 1933 and 1945, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party were responsible for the persecution of millions of Jews across Europe.

This extraordinary graphic novel tells the true stories of six Jewish children and young people who survived the Holocaust. From suffering the horrors of Auschwitz, to hiding from Nazi soldiers in war-torn Paris, to sheltering from the Blitz in England, each true story is a powerful testament to the survivors' courage. These remarkable testimonials serve as a reminder never to allow such a tragedy to happen again.

My Thoughts:

G had a sick day last week and I had bought this knowing we'd read it soon together but I decided this was as good a day as any to dive into these harrowing stories. I bawled through most of them and G and I had good discussions about the Holocaust and World War II and totalitarianism, etc. It's one of the reasons I will continue to read to G until he says stop or moves out of the house. They are great ways to begin discussions and ask questions.

Source

Published: October 1st, 2008 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Children, Poetry, Philosophy

Format: Hardcover, 40 pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Wabi Sabi, a little cat in Kyoto, Japan, had never thought much about her name until friends visiting from another land asked her owner what it meant.

At last, the master
Says, "That's hard to explain." And
That is all she says.

This unsatisfying answer sets Wabi Sabi on a journey to uncover the meaning of her name, and on the way discovers what wabi sabi is: a Japanese philosophy of seeing beauty in simplicity, the ordinary, and the imperfect.

Using spare text and haiku, Mark Reibstein weaves an extraordinary story about finding real beauty in unexpected places. Caldecott Medal-winning artist Ed Young complements the lyrical text with breathtaking collages. Together, they illustrate the unique world view that is wabi sabi.

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book for 2008!

My Thoughts:

I also read this one to G while he was sick. The illustrations were fantastic and it was a great intro into the philosophy of wabi sabi. Taking the broken things and mending them into something fantastic and beautiful.

Source

Published: January 1st, 1999 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Genre: Historical Fiction, Juvenile

Format: Paperback, 243 pages, Own 

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud's got a few things going for him:

He has his own suitcase full of special things.

He's the author of Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.

His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!

Bud's got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and find this mystery man, nothing can stop him--not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself.

My Thoughts:

I read this one for G's school. I volunteered to read some of the Battle of the Books books and write up questions for each one I read. This is the first I have finished. It's a really lovely story. Curtis takes some tough topics like class, racism, and the Depression and puts it all into an endearing story about a boy who wants to find a family to love. I enjoyed his spunky journey.