One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul.
Thoughts:
I enjoyed her random thoughts on growing up as a first generation Canadian from India. We get to see insight into her parents, their culture, how she feels about going back to India. What being white means or darker complected depending on where she's at. What love and relationships mean to her.
Some of her essays are better than others. But overall it's a fun journey through the crags of her mind and her experiences.
Some quotes:
"...our inability to talk about race and its complexities actually means our racism is arguable more insidious. We rarely acknowledge it, and when we do, we're punished, as if we're speaking badly of an elderly relative who can't help but make fun of the Irish."
"Fitting is a luxury rarely given to immigrants, or the children of immigrants. We are stuck in emotional purgatory. Home, somehow, is always the last place you left, and never the place you're in."
Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Really Did That?: 101 Stories of Miracles, Mischief, and Magical Moments by Amy Newmark
Thoughts:
I read this aloud with G and we both loved all the fun and poignant stories. We laughed and cried through the whole thing. It's a great collection; cats are truly magical.
A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong
Thoughts:
True crime non-fiction can be a harrowing read. Miller and Armstrong bring it all together. Two reporters came at this story from two sides of the same coin. How do the police properly investigate rape? And how can an investigation go so terribly wrong? We get both in this true story. One woman is raped in Seattle and no one believes her. While in Colorado the victims of the same man are believed. They collaborate and bring all their resources together. It's an unbelievable story. We learn about how much has changed in rape investigation and criminal prosecution. It's also a history of how rape and the criminal justice system have evolved and just who are these women making and implementing these changes.
This is a must-read. It'll break your heart but also put it back together knowing there are people willing to change the system and fight.
Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge
Thoughts:
Judge writes a biography using poems and art. It's quite a feat and an experience I recommend everyone partake in if they have any interest in Mary Shelley and her classic Frankenstein. How and why does Shelley create this monster? Well, it's a some of her lived experiences. And they were harrowing. It makes me want to pick up a more in-depth biography on her.
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers
Thoughts:
This is an illustrated children's book. It's a powerful one that I read aloud with G. Eggers writes about the history of the Statue of Liberty. Who made it? Why was it given to America? And what's going on with her right foot? It's about love of immigrants on which America was founded. Go out and read it. It's a timely book.
The Fifth Season by N.J. Jemisin
Thoughts:
This is the first book in the Broken Earth trilogy. I enjoyed her world-building. She seamlessly sews together a society of those with powers and those without. What does it look like? What happens when the earth can break apart and destroy everything at any time? What does it look like when people can look differently without it being weird? That's a weird thing to write but take your typical epic fantasy and being white is a default. And if a person who isn't white is in the story they're usually coffee colored or a smooth caramel or something like that. Jemisin just describes people. You never assume anyone looks any certain way. This world is just amazing. Her characters are never two-dimensional and no one is perfect and everyone has room to grow and be taken down a notch. It's true epic fantasy. And I loved it and can't wait for more!
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Thoughts:
This was a great dark fantasy. She opened up a world where fairy tales exist and can literally take you and bite you back! I enjoyed the adventure of Alice searching for her mother Ella. It's fast-paced and the world of earth and the world of Hazel Wood feel real. There are no cliff-hangers at the end so you can just read this one and be done. But I have a feeling Albert will toss some more dark and twisted fairy tales from Hazel Wood our way!
*all pics were taken from Goodreads.com
The Determined Heart by Antoinette May is a book about Mary Shelley that I would recommend if you are interested in learning more about her and her life. It drags a bit in places but really makes me feel for that poor woman!
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