tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66362617250496718882024-03-24T13:29:32.061-07:00The Book NestA Place For the Littlest Bird to RestCorinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.comBlogger1557125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-66853712869178921142024-03-24T13:28:00.000-07:002024-03-24T13:28:40.069-07:00Gigi by Collette<p>genre: historical fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpuPfHLLhiNvlswNONZEris795zWLXhmIdutBiBd2oSjzgR2dHqCSdSuBSGbMNZc1GE9IQiTmDhRgATdVEA3TCfwX8YQA4blICKW5W8B1AVSJr4bwSA2AldcpPg3qiIDv-7pB7Mhf2EYLCWhGohVQOtWg1mdDHGxjksb5EKY4gdbfxXHFZxxOgWr9-_k3/s2140/89852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2140" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpuPfHLLhiNvlswNONZEris795zWLXhmIdutBiBd2oSjzgR2dHqCSdSuBSGbMNZc1GE9IQiTmDhRgATdVEA3TCfwX8YQA4blICKW5W8B1AVSJr4bwSA2AldcpPg3qiIDv-7pB7Mhf2EYLCWhGohVQOtWg1mdDHGxjksb5EKY4gdbfxXHFZxxOgWr9-_k3/s320/89852.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><p></p>Raised by her grandmother and great-aunt, Gigi knows she should be respectable. There are so many rules when one must be respectable - but Gigi’s free spirit can manage to both follow the rules and manage things in her own way. She knows herself and the limits of her life but it doesn’t stop her from dreaming. Being a courtesan does require a certain amount of decorum though - Gigi just has to decide that she cares and thus far she hasn’t! She’d rather play cards with the friendly Tonton, whose money and exploits make his friendship such a boon for Gigi and her family of women. <br /><br />A short novel, a novella, really, Gigi is both humorous and sad. Sad to imagine that so many women really were taught that to make yourself as small and dainty as possible is the way to happiness with a man - but sometimes it’s such nonsense that it really is funny. I have to say, I started it THREE TIMES before I wanted to finish but now that I have, it’s actually a fast read. I think the age gap, the grooming to be a courtesan stuff, it just doesn’t feel super cozy to read about. So on the surface - clever and well-written - but underneath a bit unsettling.<div><br /></div><div>Note I didn't read this whole book, only the first novella</div>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-17941652701931711612024-03-21T06:24:00.000-07:002024-03-21T06:24:29.864-07:00The Measure by Nikki Erlick<p> genre: speculative fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYyTzYeMeOiRdeEmeymr-rF1zwoL2wo0ZWZVuB5zSENqT27ydgMrz_utmXzs3o32CSMFxHANI_vLH2bWXqv6YYe31alWzYdVTcfUEgfUV-9Nf8CD3FXxjS2WDwC7X7qIoKHzR5zGM8IEu9nmuuyzK-Lsc7JixBQ_zwlsouuiOXnyBwnoabs18IAKURGnv/s2471/58884736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2471" data-original-width="1628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYyTzYeMeOiRdeEmeymr-rF1zwoL2wo0ZWZVuB5zSENqT27ydgMrz_utmXzs3o32CSMFxHANI_vLH2bWXqv6YYe31alWzYdVTcfUEgfUV-9Nf8CD3FXxjS2WDwC7X7qIoKHzR5zGM8IEu9nmuuyzK-Lsc7JixBQ_zwlsouuiOXnyBwnoabs18IAKURGnv/s320/58884736.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><p></p><p>When the little brown boxes arrive one morning, no one in the world knows what they mean - only that every single human over the age of 22 has gotten one. Inside those boxes? Something that will be the key to knowing how long you will live. And the world has no idea how to handle this information.</p><p>I was hesitant to start this but it was recommended by more than one friend so I went in rather blind and ended up really enjoying this story of interconnected characters who have to rebuild their lives in a society that now knows the length of a life. There is crazy contention and division - and a beautiful and deep understanding of what makes a life worth living. There was a lot to like - as well as a few things (especially in the storyline about two young men who apparently went to West Point but it only ever calls it "The Academy") that actually felt factually incorrect, but not every reader would notice or be annoyed. I liked reading about people in this new reality figuring things out, making choices, showing up for each other - and for themselves. The pacing of the worked well for me, even if it wasn't literarily ever particularly brilliant. Four strong stars for an enjoyable read.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-77228953421212844242024-03-14T17:48:00.000-07:002024-03-14T17:48:46.653-07:00The Fury by Alex Michaelides (audiobook)<p> genre: contemporary mystery</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoMB44TvLfnwC5LuO4vOykiyjc4EFxpjQot5B7b33U9F1zIYKq0X6RBwR6uihY7ldBT29SdndjIaJOeUh_EZBB9tZte5PIIrP7EJ570B0nbmExz3but8FS_p3jfFZPoyvh1VlX9Zz9rRfUAiBuGMGUyA2ZLDCCMGOq_cQOoN3Gbj_jiMvPIORW9MMxXEQ/s2860/123206645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="1949" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoMB44TvLfnwC5LuO4vOykiyjc4EFxpjQot5B7b33U9F1zIYKq0X6RBwR6uihY7ldBT29SdndjIaJOeUh_EZBB9tZte5PIIrP7EJ570B0nbmExz3but8FS_p3jfFZPoyvh1VlX9Zz9rRfUAiBuGMGUyA2ZLDCCMGOq_cQOoN3Gbj_jiMvPIORW9MMxXEQ/s320/123206645.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><p></p><p>When Lana Farrar decides she needs to escape the London dreariness, she brings her friends with her for a weekend at her Greek island summer home. As an ex-movie star, her Lana's friends are quirky creatures with secrets of their own and from the beginning of this tale, we know that one person doesn't leave that island alive. What we don't know is who - or why.</p><p>I jumped on this as soon as I heard it was coming out because I'd enjoyed The Silent Patient so much. This one wasn't as smooth or enjoyable of a read, unfortunately. The narrative style was unique and I liked it to an extent, but all the back and forth and labyrinthine dead ends ended up feeling heavy and overdone. It needed MORE linear plot, in my opinion. There also wasn't one single likable character by the end of the book, which just left me feeling a bit flat. Bottom line: I was interested enough to be engaged in the whole thing but it just really was lacking the sort of zing I want in a psychological thriller.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-15446565102679562182024-03-07T18:58:00.000-08:002024-03-07T18:58:46.239-08:00The Lover by Marguerite Duras<p> genre: fictionalized memoir</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iv1lzylCL_ljc2HXDMfdMCZkMkOYOG2e4XZLtKlTGkCiO0naHRZHlC_9ZXw_Tmf9sQLfbl0pA-ecXvwc5FKia7g1T118KuIHRHRHp5Ys4eWVqv1jxwBt4SkqRh02NC12X0tIbliT20A9WB7h7Z0_TudDag-Y8uhoIGiDYYYqb70vxQCvXQ14L95_07d8/s700/275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="447" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iv1lzylCL_ljc2HXDMfdMCZkMkOYOG2e4XZLtKlTGkCiO0naHRZHlC_9ZXw_Tmf9sQLfbl0pA-ecXvwc5FKia7g1T118KuIHRHRHp5Ys4eWVqv1jxwBt4SkqRh02NC12X0tIbliT20A9WB7h7Z0_TudDag-Y8uhoIGiDYYYqb70vxQCvXQ14L95_07d8/s320/275.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><p></p><p>In colonized Vietnam, a fifteen year old girl from a French family (whom we never know by name) finds her life utterly changed the day she meets the older Chinese man while on the ferry to school. This part-reminiscent part-stream of consciousness look at the narrator's family and life explores not just this Lolita-like affair but also her struggles within her poor family and the racism and complicated relationships among the colonizers and the colonized. </p><p>This is such a short book but it took me a lot longer to work my way through it than I'd anticipated. I chose it because it was on a list of big award winners for French writers For one thing, it's not linear. None of the main characters have names and even the narration switches between third and first person as our main character explores her painful memories. There are some truly vivid scenes and images, both of her as a young person with a quirky nature and especially of Siagon and the lives of the French living in Indochina at the time. The strange dreamlike quality of the "scenes" with the Chinese man aren't super open-door but they aren't non-descriptive either. It's almost like she can't even look at what happened straight on. What does really intrigue me is that the author says that it is based on her own experiences from pre-war Vietnam so I can really appreciate it as a look at a place and time that no longer exist in the same way.</p><p>Honestly, I can't say I loved it. I can see the value of it from a literary point of view but it just didn't capture me.</p><p>content: super adult themed with sexual scenes</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-48600997911392128972024-03-04T12:04:00.000-08:002024-03-04T12:04:26.632-08:00Above Ground by Clint Smith (audiobook)<p>genre: poetry</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrntZoIa1KiD-q4ZVf8wi5cd-dVOp01rsY55H9dIAScWQqDrb80G9vhF6k4IqSLUtcWRvRcE5tr-VQoM0FxD5CVgyDcRkeQrUZ325O7tUXA-qoJDAVPLUmugjZGRLAqqdkZgoNNaIHwH7te9VidSInJWLTICTVyplm2Xe1flQHXMVt9X_v0X1K8SWbWjo/s400/61398927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrntZoIa1KiD-q4ZVf8wi5cd-dVOp01rsY55H9dIAScWQqDrb80G9vhF6k4IqSLUtcWRvRcE5tr-VQoM0FxD5CVgyDcRkeQrUZ325O7tUXA-qoJDAVPLUmugjZGRLAqqdkZgoNNaIHwH7te9VidSInJWLTICTVyplm2Xe1flQHXMVt9X_v0X1K8SWbWjo/s320/61398927.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><p></p><p>I still have goose-bumps, right now, from listening to the author read his collection of poetry. It has been a LONG time since I just listened to poetry and I forgot how I can be moved by it. MOVED. Clint's words lulled me and reminded me of the beautiful moments we can take for granted. They made me feel nostalgic for times and places that aren't mine. His way of making words create an image made me want to wrap my language around me like a giant quilt, so grateful for how a voice making sounds can tell me so much, even in the spaces. From maternity wards to the shores of Louisiana, from deep inside the heart of a father to the face of stranger deserving of compassion, Clint Smith made me feel so deeply.</p><p>If you even think you might ever like to try poetry, try this. Please. I would put it in the hands of every language lover that is in my circle. Highly recommended.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-78455563336001256912024-03-02T10:28:00.000-08:002024-03-03T10:50:02.046-08:00It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover<p>genre: contemporary fiction </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FxGaZZGN2pQdStzinlYeetuo71sxAMD6BVtaUaaoUZfCYzDi5hE4RHD6JSUjwXAGi9UUheRrgIcro06doO4vAXo82ld5aPwMF9Hlkw1nL6HB0lCYg173nb-I7eLp-sscdNJ1ZUZSlSCEI4KgK5Lm3fGSEtFIM4GAjXGPIdJa-v9wk9lSaZiyUIuOrcG6/s1920/27362503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FxGaZZGN2pQdStzinlYeetuo71sxAMD6BVtaUaaoUZfCYzDi5hE4RHD6JSUjwXAGi9UUheRrgIcro06doO4vAXo82ld5aPwMF9Hlkw1nL6HB0lCYg173nb-I7eLp-sscdNJ1ZUZSlSCEI4KgK5Lm3fGSEtFIM4GAjXGPIdJa-v9wk9lSaZiyUIuOrcG6/s320/27362503.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><p></p>When Lily meets Ryle, she’s not in a good place. Her dreams are on hold, her childhood was full of pain and her life in Boston isn’t what she’d anticipated. But in their short first encounter, Lily sees something in Ryle that she notices - and likes. So when chance throws them together again, Lily’s story pivots in a huge way. Determined to live a different life than her mother, Lily knows how to be a strong and capable woman, no matter what she faces.<div><br />I am truly of two minds about this book. Part of me says: this book was GOOD. I couldn’t put it down, I cared about what happened to Lily, it made me feel big things and I didn’t know what would happen next. I love that. Also, the powerful look at domestic abuse is a topic that is absolutely worth discussing and I felt very invested in Lily’s past and future.<br /><br />On the other hand, the writing is NOT great. I didn’t really get the chemistry between Lily and Ryle, I don’t feel like I knew them well enough to understand their obsession with each other. The best friend plot line, as well, just happened so fast that it made me work harder to suspend my disbelief. The language never super moved me.<br /><br />So, I’m giving it a strong three stars. It would be deeply triggering to anyone who has any experience with domestic/partner abuse. A few open door sex scenes and some language.<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br clear="all" /><div dir="auto"><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr">*the littlest birds sing the prettiest songs*</div></div></div></div>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-22515952313999116902024-02-28T14:50:00.000-08:002024-02-28T14:50:07.916-08:00The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store James McBride (audiobook)<p> genre: historical fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IT6E5YV5vZjsxVk-VO3_n4Jc9pNOc3Kv3DLeZ-ajXTepTDXHDVtK8i3Hy3zFefzLkQjNuD89qB9V3k6IsdQaNntCDnPfeoHQ2r2bLms3Yk0OSbfI8qnPg6X8vqWl9R6DH0zNNyjefrKxd_Vp0wXXzVGTziRDgHqC7iagdEt1HQy2z4n-Jjb_VRUnr6mQ/s400/65678550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IT6E5YV5vZjsxVk-VO3_n4Jc9pNOc3Kv3DLeZ-ajXTepTDXHDVtK8i3Hy3zFefzLkQjNuD89qB9V3k6IsdQaNntCDnPfeoHQ2r2bLms3Yk0OSbfI8qnPg6X8vqWl9R6DH0zNNyjefrKxd_Vp0wXXzVGTziRDgHqC7iagdEt1HQy2z4n-Jjb_VRUnr6mQ/s320/65678550.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p></p>The neighborhood of Chicken Hill might not be fancy. It might be filled with those who exist on the edge of society, heck, it might be filled with people who can’t even always get along themselves. But they know each other and what they are up against as immigrants and descendants of former slaves in a Pennsylvania where the white man makes the rules. And amongst the Jews and African Americans in this there is enough of a camaraderie that the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is a place everyone visits, especially to see Chona, whose vibrant spirit has made it a place of welcome. When bureaucracy threatens one of their own, the residents of Chicken Hill have a choice to make that will impact even those that are most beloved.<br /><br />Technically this is a murder mystery, I suppose. I mean, there is a murder and we do find out who committed it. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s portraits of individuals, all tied together in the kinds of knots that small towns can make and what I most appreciated was the way that Jewish immigrants interacted with and yet still kept themselves apart from their neighbors and how that balance can impact the ebb and flow of a sense of community. The darkness here was hard to read but it was balanced out by the compassion and redemption in a way that worked for me. I can see why so many praise this novel and while it wasn’t my favorite read I really enjoyed it.<br /><br />Audiobook narration was well done.<br /><br />Content: a scene of child abuse, adult themesCorinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-81345864233098705502024-02-28T14:43:00.000-08:002024-02-28T14:43:36.657-08:00This Impossible Brightness by Jessica Bryant Klagmanngenre: speculative fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nXfqgtK___tfbl9C9a6iQCDeU5WOEYXj7lLy2HbfWNKxlYcFER4bkb-SVe-EjzBJ-GifZ5jfs8fHvmwIyvDKdKbh126nO69WO1lvi3qiBEB3UDbW6PUInsrGrWWLInXUrMSIHecL2dbOGIefbIm57NWHDGYQXZMI6lI73xqNuSZUThQayv3qaO3kgVHd/s2550/123445739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nXfqgtK___tfbl9C9a6iQCDeU5WOEYXj7lLy2HbfWNKxlYcFER4bkb-SVe-EjzBJ-GifZ5jfs8fHvmwIyvDKdKbh126nO69WO1lvi3qiBEB3UDbW6PUInsrGrWWLInXUrMSIHecL2dbOGIefbIm57NWHDGYQXZMI6lI73xqNuSZUThQayv3qaO3kgVHd/s320/123445739.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br />The hole in Alma’s heart will not close. After loosing her most important person, to stay out in a crowded society is more than her heart can handle, especially in a world on the brink of environmental disaster. So she escapes to a wild island off the coast of Canada to live as solitary an existence as she possibly can. Except there is something…unique about the location of this island that makes it collect old sounds and radio broadcasts. That uniqueness will tap into something special inside Alma and connect her to this barren place.<br /><br />I didn’t know anything about this when I started (for some reason, I also thought the author was different? I literally just started reading it off my Kindle and knew nothing.). I ended up finding it to be a really interesting and thought provoking read. The connection to the land, the way we can be connected to the people we love, how essential it is that someone knows our story - it mostly read quick for me. It rambled a little bit and Alma is an emotionally complicated character, a bit hard to connect to, but by the end I cared about her and the place she called home.<br /><span class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-59861311711526001072024-02-19T06:14:00.000-08:002024-02-19T06:14:41.911-08:00Brave New World by Aldous Huxley<p>genre: dystopian speculative fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gl-Ra7AuwIUPHHeJtwMUozMVh6AcU797ParxHX4Ih8YqRlGauaB66caR5BnaqgA_ieKAalaHR2go4eKYK-KIgGUILiFPQi1ZM417Qk_ABfOD-eE9oTn-OVcJVEyJpvqTM7Lc3bBxlfuq-EVAMfMYNijez1Rhf5NYyCAtjM18K3DLF10b7vYoEPu6Bjrg/s400/5481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gl-Ra7AuwIUPHHeJtwMUozMVh6AcU797ParxHX4Ih8YqRlGauaB66caR5BnaqgA_ieKAalaHR2go4eKYK-KIgGUILiFPQi1ZM417Qk_ABfOD-eE9oTn-OVcJVEyJpvqTM7Lc3bBxlfuq-EVAMfMYNijez1Rhf5NYyCAtjM18K3DLF10b7vYoEPu6Bjrg/s320/5481.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><p></p><p>I feel silly writing a little summary of this book because I feel like I am the last adult American to read it, but, it should be noted that even though I think I knew what it was about, I wasn't correct. Brave New World is about an imagined "utopian" society in which pain, worry, the need to make any kind of challenging decision has all be forfeited in the quest for peace and "happiness." To make a society like this requires a surprising amount of conformity which has been put in place using a lot of mechanical and scientific social structures to ensure that everyone knows their place, the role they play, and what is allowed. </p><p>What happens when someone doesn't easily fit their role in society? That's where our story comes in. If a curious brain somehow overrides its genetic and psychological programming, or if an outsider somehow makes their way into Civilization, it must be dealt with.</p><p>This was more interesting than I'd imagined, super thought provoking. It's deeply uncomfortable to imagine this world, so much the opposite of ours in so many ways. No idea of "family." The ability to dull ourselves whenever we have a feeling we don't like - it sounds appealing until you see the consequences of a society of people who have no idea of what to do with emotions. I can see why this required reading so often because there is a lot of ethical questions to discuss.</p><p><br /></p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-3885168176517471782024-02-13T17:41:00.000-08:002024-02-13T17:41:23.364-08:00Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera<p> genre: middle grade</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X_G_rCJbIQkVg3GzpJYCC-DZRtGqmQRHNTJ9AX0OV7h6bhaBunJiAwt6fCWD4pvQSgXORS-AGyP4c4aVqvsI2c-Tg62tdJbtRWyorN7uNy-_C3OEbma9BK0VrfvgdozGLaLUTyqXCFEkRXKlo6xQVfhC3M6BUG644dGoTrSpJXHnJyMW4atm_VDZIZh7/s2550/49613673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X_G_rCJbIQkVg3GzpJYCC-DZRtGqmQRHNTJ9AX0OV7h6bhaBunJiAwt6fCWD4pvQSgXORS-AGyP4c4aVqvsI2c-Tg62tdJbtRWyorN7uNy-_C3OEbma9BK0VrfvgdozGLaLUTyqXCFEkRXKlo6xQVfhC3M6BUG644dGoTrSpJXHnJyMW4atm_VDZIZh7/s320/49613673.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Cece's life is dominated by the reality of the creatures (criatura) that live in the desert on the outskirts of her home. Every year, these powerful beings will try to create mayhem and even kidnappings among the humans in Cece's town and so going out into the desert by yourself is forbidden. For Cece, though, the pull of that wild place is too great and when one day her choices lead to tragedy, Cece will have to be brave enough to face who she thinks she is - and what she's capable of doing - to save the people she loves.</p><p>This is another book I read out loud to my fifth grade twins as part of our prep for the Battle of the Books. I would never have chosen it for myself or them as it's really long, and by the end, I decided TOO long. The world building here feels clunky and almost too multi-dimensional, too many details to keep straight. I did like the legends tied in and I have to say, even though I thought it was too micromanaged of a plot with way too many requirements to suspend my disbelief, my boys really enjoyed it. </p><p>The strong Latin American feel between the setting, the characters and the legends sprinkled throughout definitely grounded this story in a different culture. The fantastical criaturas were intriguing to them. They were into it enough that by the end, we read out loud for over two hours to finish it, so that has to count for something. I liked Cece as a character though, that I need to make sure I mention. She wants to be brave, she wants to be a helper, she leans into her compassion all while knowing she has to do hard things sometimes to get what she wants.</p><p>I'd probably give it 2 stars for just myself but the actual target audience probably liked it at a 4 so I'll give it a 3 :)</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-69887190540953672882024-02-13T03:25:00.000-08:002024-02-13T03:25:50.929-08:00The Amish Wife by Gregg Olsengenre: true crime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXM_Ew4urQj6UeAzfuDdnNtOlGASakKnoz7dOEjweA289gVyHOLf0xSaF-9R1ZAbKxdPFPgBwvGbks0NDa3H2pboG5pUa13DWLFNo74htAvazx39UQawC573Nte5ViqIxUtBYya537l-9BRrQj63g5g9JMSHRACFIUdfDFKkmpNMs1K3HHL0oiDTQzIaYK/s346/175532363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXM_Ew4urQj6UeAzfuDdnNtOlGASakKnoz7dOEjweA289gVyHOLf0xSaF-9R1ZAbKxdPFPgBwvGbks0NDa3H2pboG5pUa13DWLFNo74htAvazx39UQawC573Nte5ViqIxUtBYya537l-9BRrQj63g5g9JMSHRACFIUdfDFKkmpNMs1K3HHL0oiDTQzIaYK/s320/175532363.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br />The sheriff's office in Ohio's Amish country recorded back in 1977 that Ida Stutzman, wife and mom, died of injuries related to a barn fire. For most of her community, though, there were doubts that there wasn't any foul play. And for Gregg Olson, author and sleuth, this case stank of murder. Having already written one book about the case thirty years ago, he revisits the crime to try and provide justice for Ida with the assumption that instead of dying in a fire, Ida was somehow killed by her husband Eli.<div><br /></div><div>First, I should mention that I honestly have very little interest in the genre, I think I've read like five true crime books in my entire life, so my baseline for judging the form itself isn't very sophisticated. The ones I've read just felt like general nonfiction and this one is more like a glorified journal where we are walking along with Gregg during every step of his investigation - we are interviews with him, on phone calls, feeling all his feelings with him and always making connections to his previous book. I found myself really wanting to know what happened to Ida and the look into Amish life was interesting. However, I feel like it could've been significantly shorter and still told me what I needed to know. I completely gave up on keeping all but the most frequently referenced names straight. It is unbelievable how many people we encounter in this book with the exact same or similar names.</div><div><br /></div><div>I read this one because I got it as a free offering from Amazon First Reads and I thought I'd try something different but I can't say this has made me want to read more true crime. If I did, I'd try a different author.</div><div><br /></div><div>sensitive content: child abuse, lgbtq violence, sexual descriptions, language</div>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-8731385396765409772024-02-09T20:06:00.000-08:002024-02-09T20:08:41.476-08:00The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (audiobook)<p> genre: historical fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNF7HQRYirKeupFctZjnPPNVf38emdUlPoqzyvjbKWmNHcbbhTR8hfR7BdQAVSFe1LvIzUlKxAz9sCXwnvyBqXdkz929iHA2uIWU-TXppL2yGAfgdjs-C2aXrXHq2qLyNO8BYB2GG_u1_AosDet6-AXjCfvxRiCEZrj7nMnBIMyNVqFAIcgJcLrNBab9S/s480/112975658.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNF7HQRYirKeupFctZjnPPNVf38emdUlPoqzyvjbKWmNHcbbhTR8hfR7BdQAVSFe1LvIzUlKxAz9sCXwnvyBqXdkz929iHA2uIWU-TXppL2yGAfgdjs-C2aXrXHq2qLyNO8BYB2GG_u1_AosDet6-AXjCfvxRiCEZrj7nMnBIMyNVqFAIcgJcLrNBab9S/s320/112975658.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><p></p><p>I read the book A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 the year I got married, before I was even considering being a mother. Even then, I felt so moved by that depiction of a midwife living in a different time but with a hard-working heart and a desire to record her story just like I had. When I heard that a new book was based on her life and diary, I knew I wanted to spend time in that world. </p><p>While this book is fiction (and at the end of the author does an amazingly thorough job of telling us where she deviates from the historical record) it is based solidly in facts and has a murder mystery threaded throughout that kept the story moving along at a great pace. What it has at its heart, though, is Martha - midwife and witness, mother and friend. She is so human with her faults and so dedicated to her craft. The chapters of this book are sprinkled everywhere with births and new mothers as well as with the fine art of mothering one's grown children, all while in a tiny Puritan town where sexual sins are literally considered public business and everyone has secrets they are trying to keep. For a while I felt like there were far too many babies from unwed mothers until I realized that these poor women not only couldn't own land or vote or really have much say at all about how their life would turn out - but birth control didn't exist. </p><p>It is so well written, the relationship between Martha and her husband was so tender and beautiful. All the courthouse scenes were both interesting and so so frustrating, it is HARD to remember how little women's rights have mattered over time. I just wanted to spend all my time listening and I finished it feeling so at peace with the story and so grateful that the knowledge of at least some of the lives of women like Martha's have managed to survive until now so we can know them. </p><p>content: a little bit of language, sexual assault, rape</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-10240227120958154562024-02-08T04:11:00.000-08:002024-02-08T04:11:19.460-08:00Painting Time by Maylis de Kerangal translated from the French by Jessica Moore<p> genre: contemporary fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSD5ukhlory682vPGxVrjNLyVDcbwNn0XYSElyAQsEDtKcKWMuVOY-NkVGNiFjjPEl3ugWoddTYGP-K7WmVEiyV6r4Y2Whfeuk73ggxsJlBu9-9X2mMzucjca2nHvnfUaujy9pysachFFKDQSdVur66RxUqKCH2kVr3QLb2t5ioiwefkPsNb72LuBHrCrc/s400/53317478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSD5ukhlory682vPGxVrjNLyVDcbwNn0XYSElyAQsEDtKcKWMuVOY-NkVGNiFjjPEl3ugWoddTYGP-K7WmVEiyV6r4Y2Whfeuk73ggxsJlBu9-9X2mMzucjca2nHvnfUaujy9pysachFFKDQSdVur66RxUqKCH2kVr3QLb2t5ioiwefkPsNb72LuBHrCrc/s320/53317478.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p></p><p>Paula's tried to launch from the nest. Whatever attempts she's made thus far have failed, so when she chooses to enroll at the famed Institut de Peinture in Brussels, her parent's aren't hopeful that this will stick either. And yet, in that high windowed room, where she learns how to paint so that her creation looks like reality, she is changed. The beauty of the earth is at her fingertips and despite the nomadic life that being a painter of this kind requires, she knows she has to try it.</p><p>This is a hard book for me to review, for some reason. It was slower going than I'd anticipated, as it's so short. It IS a coming of age book but during more of the new adult period. It is dense and there really isn't a plot, per say. It's not even completely chronological. Also, there really are no fully fleshed out characters at all beyond Paula, even the love interest and friend feel rather flat. But I also did want to keep reading, because interspersed with lots of vague interpersonal stuff I had a hard time caring about, the descriptions of the painting itself, of art and the power of it, that was beautiful. Most especially the last fourth of the book where her being essentially a "forger" comes full circle and connects Paula with all of humankind's desire to replicate and create representations of the world around us, THAT part I actually loved. </p><p>So, it really probably deserves 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up to 4 because of how much I enjoyed the last bit. The translation was well done.</p><p>Content: some language and sexual content</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-4070089368557520962024-02-03T07:16:00.000-08:002024-02-03T07:16:19.680-08:00Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang<p>genre: speculative/climate fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_wvdsVDG72UYZs-Z5EeJKa_4ShIg9hEqnpbkdJ3IkQIQokTfl5BEV3KxlDFUsWP42g7ht1paS4W1mDhJ_7CND39uyy2QxhcJvujLYgNUmyNhBoGDojtlY-HI9aQvD2QcM_DU69MdLOqgbTE2KFgo80T6-X09XkeIUPp4V4SwSuiDhKGEovokj5OuDHb_/s2560/101673225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_wvdsVDG72UYZs-Z5EeJKa_4ShIg9hEqnpbkdJ3IkQIQokTfl5BEV3KxlDFUsWP42g7ht1paS4W1mDhJ_7CND39uyy2QxhcJvujLYgNUmyNhBoGDojtlY-HI9aQvD2QcM_DU69MdLOqgbTE2KFgo80T6-X09XkeIUPp4V4SwSuiDhKGEovokj5OuDHb_/s320/101673225.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p></p><p>Smog has created an earth devoid of fresh food. The lack of sunlight and clear air has rendered the human population reliant on the sort of processed food that lies limp in the mouth, tasteless but will keep one alive. But, is that a life worth living? For the chef, the answer is no. Because when she is offered an opportunity to be a private chef for an investor who thinks he can save the world, she takes it, not knowing the real cost of the job that puts her in a position of catering to a group of elites whose money might be the key to the earth's salvation.</p><p>This book really intrigued me and lived up to what I'd imagined. There is a lot going on, both between the chef and her employer but also the chef and the new world that's evolved. As someone passionate about food and flavor, her tongue rules her life in some ways and I found both her inner world and the plot itself to just be beautifully raw and exposed. Nothing is shied away from in this novel - I was disgusted and horrified and surprised in turn but none of it felt unbelievable, the economics of survival, the food as vehicle for lust and sensual pleasure, the horror of what we can do to animals as well as each other - I believed it. I was so grateful for the last few chapters that tied up lingering questions and gave things perspective. </p><p>Content warning: some sensuality, animal cruelty, language</p><p><br /></p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-24690276352127582052024-02-03T06:48:00.000-08:002024-02-03T06:48:53.008-08:00The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story by Jay Hosler<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx9S9MYIHeHB_sujepM3m9XCnCz-MJZqTns9qiAtHStvOIBxbEQCW6ssRy2_gR4KjjmBTzs9zEixNi0gH_IREEf-e_EkbEKaBYaNLc-RegtP5A1tpdlpokeMeGwd2pVMC1o5rjWhox3I5PBPYlqIoWqHyv-cODWQvm4OUkkwgcQAlSlNid7WW7ZtUBwm5/s400/54619011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx9S9MYIHeHB_sujepM3m9XCnCz-MJZqTns9qiAtHStvOIBxbEQCW6ssRy2_gR4KjjmBTzs9zEixNi0gH_IREEf-e_EkbEKaBYaNLc-RegtP5A1tpdlpokeMeGwd2pVMC1o5rjWhox3I5PBPYlqIoWqHyv-cODWQvm4OUkkwgcQAlSlNid7WW7ZtUBwm5/s320/54619011.jpg" width="220" /></a></div> genre: graphic novel<p></p><p>This book came to my attention because my two fifth grade sons are reading it as a part of Battle of the Books for the state of Maryland. When they both told me they really enjoyed it, I thought I would give it a try and I'm glad I did! It's a fascinating explanation of the life cycles of bees - scientifically accurate but made palatable to younger reader. It does not shy away from the life-and-death reality of nature's birth and rebirth cycles and there were three different occasions where I was sort of stopped in my tracks by the tenderness and beauty here that was reflected in the way that a bee's existence is entirely focused around the good of the whole hive. The dialogue is a little cheesy sometimes but the science here is spot on and I learned a lot while being surprisingly entertained. Four solid stars.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-91372157571044873682024-01-31T19:00:00.000-08:002024-01-31T19:00:55.216-08:00Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen<p>genre: historical fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgUgUdebnzxU_FH9swoQekBNBYHNgO7AVPCxOtK8PbEuQUFnIU2RZSX3LJinZdT05hOPkTIQu3gxe-n-0bOd7NeHbxhSs7KwvS5FnIMaW3ZuG5Pi72PwEZd266fWk-olDfW3ueoDQgBvNZf43LF98KHiBtjeVr3JufUPpVjCDWTlzj44nsBxUKkNEIPVB/s475/43641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgUgUdebnzxU_FH9swoQekBNBYHNgO7AVPCxOtK8PbEuQUFnIU2RZSX3LJinZdT05hOPkTIQu3gxe-n-0bOd7NeHbxhSs7KwvS5FnIMaW3ZuG5Pi72PwEZd266fWk-olDfW3ueoDQgBvNZf43LF98KHiBtjeVr3JufUPpVjCDWTlzj44nsBxUKkNEIPVB/s320/43641.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p></p>Jacob Jankowski's life in a nursing home is just meals and sleeping and remembering. And remember he does. The part of his life that stands out the starkest? As a young man in the early 1930s, Jacob jumped into a passing train only to find out that it's a circus train. Instead of running away as fast as he can, Jacob, an animal lover and almost-vet, makes a place for himself among this group of wanderers and performers. It's a rough and often ugly life, with few bright spots, but find those bright spots Jacob does. As we go back and forth between Jacob's present and past we see the dark side of human nature as well as what a person will do for love.<div><br /></div><div>Throughout this audiobook, I liked the past sections better than the present day sections. The portrait of traveling circus life is really well done, totally transported me. I liked our main character better than the other characters but dang if bad stuff isn't happening all the time. There are a few tender moments but life is raw on the road and when Jacob starts finding himself attached to both people and animals, the stakes get higher than he ever could've imagined, I did find myself caring about what happened. It wasn't the best book I've ever read but I'm glad I finally tried it.</div><div><br /></div><div>content warning: abuse, sexual scenes, animal cruelty</div>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-9802021108830816792024-01-31T18:08:00.000-08:002024-01-31T18:08:14.980-08:00Forever Young: A Memoir by Hayley Mills<p> genre: nonfiction memoir</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX55dhLN8ZLW0hFEn4fgS8VaJLI5v6ZJo56G3e4IGR22oD32oT7CwI4RqbPmrqbRB1AxRtjsMzKFy9I3yErdxdofUmBAAHl_E46l_Sf4Odm-hD-MlvOhOf8x0IvxxNz5IQaL8rH_He1JAROqHfnH40vkvQ6wzpbcMoyRC3rO5TIPkDzPkCguUrAXwNdU7l/s1510/56625088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX55dhLN8ZLW0hFEn4fgS8VaJLI5v6ZJo56G3e4IGR22oD32oT7CwI4RqbPmrqbRB1AxRtjsMzKFy9I3yErdxdofUmBAAHl_E46l_Sf4Odm-hD-MlvOhOf8x0IvxxNz5IQaL8rH_He1JAROqHfnH40vkvQ6wzpbcMoyRC3rO5TIPkDzPkCguUrAXwNdU7l/s320/56625088.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p></p><p>The movies of Hayley Mills are such a distinct and tangible part of my childhood. There is no way to count how many times I've seen the Parent Trap, Pollyanna, Summer Magic and Parent Trap II and so when I walked by this memoir on the shelf at the bookstore, I knew I wanted to learn about the life of this woman that I'd spent so much time with growing up.</p><p>The truth is that her story is a pretty wild one, not in the sense that tons of crazy things were always happening just that it was so incredibly unique. Her father was a very famous actor and so her life was full of famous people and if I have one gripe about the book, it's that there is so much name dropping that for maybe for British cinema lovers of generation maybe all the names are familiar but for me, maybe 50% of them I recognized. But it was such an interesting walk through time, beginning when she was little and started off in Pollyanna all that way through her early adulthood. She ends the book where, I believe, she felt like her childhood really ended so I did end up on Wikipedia when I was finished reading to try and piece together what I knew of some of her later years.</p><p>She's self-deprecatory and very vulnerable about her own mistakes and struggles, giving grace where she can. I loved learning about all the different films she made that I'd never heard of, I went online and found trailers on YouTube for five or six of them out of curiosity. The acting itself as well as the movie business is such a complex game and Hayley does a fine job of walking us through how the process shifted and changed for her as she got older. I wish there wasn't quite so much foreshadowing but it didn't stop me from enjoying Hayley's story. It's a compassionate look back at an unusual life.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-19964721270983669772024-01-26T12:13:00.000-08:002024-01-26T12:13:32.224-08:00The Postcard by Anne Berest<p> genre: historical fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiknG-ZofZiccALm77DofEgXuaH9lObp2y9tMG9pdlkEqaFuQoJc6zmWG0hMH7KKCx3vfxg_c-NLO5S8pZYk9Pprqaw6kc_csGSJaTIDwZpRZGgBb6BkcdG1AkLFalsruh6K4Lg9H2Cr7J2iRmIWTBQrlgmCHr4r81z1ZGEz56AlI-gscT8X_KRl6-aY_r/s378/63880836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiknG-ZofZiccALm77DofEgXuaH9lObp2y9tMG9pdlkEqaFuQoJc6zmWG0hMH7KKCx3vfxg_c-NLO5S8pZYk9Pprqaw6kc_csGSJaTIDwZpRZGgBb6BkcdG1AkLFalsruh6K4Lg9H2Cr7J2iRmIWTBQrlgmCHr4r81z1ZGEz56AlI-gscT8X_KRl6-aY_r/s320/63880836.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><p></p>When a postcard arrives at the Berest family home, Anne and her family don't know what to make of it: on one side, a picture of the Opéra Garnier in Paris and on the other, four names. But these aren't just any four names, they are the names of Anne's maternal great-grandparents and their two children, all of whom were killed at Auschwitz. When Anne determines to try and solve the mystery of who sent the postcard, she ends up on a journey into her family's past, deep into the layers of secrets that can be buried when one's own family has been nearly wiped from off the earth. <div><br /></div><div>I couldn't stop thinking about this book. It is so well written, like a mystery where we are learning along with Anne the genealogy of her own people. Different documents give us clues and we understand how lives can be pieced together from small details that have been left behind. I found myself so engaged in the unraveling and I particularly appreciated the way this book has, like no other book I've read in recent memory, made me engage in the hard truths of intergenerational trauma and how just because one survives something doesn't mean that the devastation of the loss can ever be okay. I appreciated how Anne takes a hard look at the French people, both those who helped and those who let themselves be lulled into the kind of concern that maybe feels something but does nothing. I have read so very much about World War 2 and yet the description here about Paris in the immediate aftermath of the war's end was the most poignant and powerful one I've ever read, making me think about practicalities and realities in a new and painful way.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I finished this book I had goosebumps and actual tears in my eyes. There is such much here about how gravely important our personal histories are, how a family or society's collective memories shape us even if no one ever speaks words about them to us. It is a current and yet timeless story about family and culture and Jewishness and bigotry and history and shared trauma and by the end it absolutely blew me away. </div><div><br /></div><div>content warning: some adult scenes but nothing super graphic</div>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-38530555026666332202024-01-23T13:48:00.000-08:002024-01-23T13:48:34.671-08:00The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (audiobook)<p> genre: historical/contemporary family fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5g0jWPZhqGew19I3z3aq4O6yopVxKD8k1mRtE7VlALzwC4UUuyd96Ew3S3Yzw-HVKi9ixnO31Fj0zI9EbMDdl-8zf_IO6qaIeBxxkXNsKGikoy1ojmNE0bnf5Ny0Qys6G3DC9M5_NGgP2SH5GF_X8cDUHXBr-bmgWwkHGU9uV_hB3YeWNYvZ-ivwFrrNn/s2560/51791252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5g0jWPZhqGew19I3z3aq4O6yopVxKD8k1mRtE7VlALzwC4UUuyd96Ew3S3Yzw-HVKi9ixnO31Fj0zI9EbMDdl-8zf_IO6qaIeBxxkXNsKGikoy1ojmNE0bnf5Ny0Qys6G3DC9M5_NGgP2SH5GF_X8cDUHXBr-bmgWwkHGU9uV_hB3YeWNYvZ-ivwFrrNn/s320/51791252.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p></p><p>As identical twins, Stella and Desiree look exactly alike. In their tiny southern community, it's not the only thing to know about them, but it's a big one. When they both run away from home at age 16, there can be only supposition in town about what happened to them - until Desiree comes back, with a child in tow, and Stella doesn't. This story of two paths diverging, of family and community, of race and identity, takes three generations of women and imagines what would happen if one sister chooses to lean into her race while another rejects it and lives a "passing" life. Can there be peace and happiness whichever path you choose?</p><p>This was a beautifully performed audiobook, the voices all different enough that they became familiar and comforting. So much of it was fascinating to me, the incredible amount of effort it would take to choose to leave your family behind and live as a person of a different race. I felt like, although the beginning was slow, it got intriguing for me quickly and I was super invested in these women and their children. One character in particular was pretty annoying and while I understood why, she still was harder to care about and another character could've been fleshed out way more (as I was very intrigued by him as a trans man). Even though there were two different coincidences that were too much to be believable, I still DID let myself believe because it made the story so interesting and because I wanted to know how everyone would handle it. I'm glad I finally got to this book because it really did keep my attention and gave me insight into lives different than my own. I can't imagine having to make some of these choices - or having certain choices made for me purely because of how I look. I know that's my privilege talking and I appreciate that books like this make me truly stop and think and put myself in someone else's shoes while entertaining me at the same time.</p><p>PLUS twins. I love twin stories.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-63190858049606379072024-01-20T18:12:00.000-08:002024-01-20T18:12:53.398-08:00The Wild Robot by Peter Brown<p> genre: children's literature</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZINdDtz8ssnh36wU6BYbQg2id0DlbldooihIgYBa_SkRWxY-GuHDnCMNivZ-oBtyDrkvA1lfrcV2BaMux6rKdn1yW51BJ_2WLxkhyAClCZmyyb6YVNGn3pCmOlgDoru8Mrp4y9_wX4WWMhM4bXHUJRlPec_EP1baK7sXoa6e_8Q5MrMCSR3PWXYjYXdS/s952/26030734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZINdDtz8ssnh36wU6BYbQg2id0DlbldooihIgYBa_SkRWxY-GuHDnCMNivZ-oBtyDrkvA1lfrcV2BaMux6rKdn1yW51BJ_2WLxkhyAClCZmyyb6YVNGn3pCmOlgDoru8Mrp4y9_wX4WWMhM4bXHUJRlPec_EP1baK7sXoa6e_8Q5MrMCSR3PWXYjYXdS/s320/26030734.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><p></p><p>Roz has no idea how she arrived on the island. One day she was turned on and the island surrounded her. Well, the island and all the creatures that already live there. How can a robot make a home on an animal-filled island? How can animals learn to trust a robot? This is the story of The Wild Robot and for my two 11 year old sons and I, the journey was a breathtaking and delightful one.</p><p>I love that Roz was a helper. She was a nurturer and a peacemaker. She was a problem-solver and a protector. While there is disquiet and some fear-of-the-unknown that results in Roz dealing with the kind of isolation that a lot of kids will understand, there is also kind perseverance. There is forgiveness and a tenderness that really struck me. Even when there are upsetting circle-of-life moments, we as readers were given space to feel our feelings about them and move on, the way nature does.</p><p>My only hesitation in recommending it is that the ending has some violence in it that is different than the rest of the story. My boys are a bit older so they were just only riveted and worried but I can imagine that younger readers might need more processing. Maybe not, that's just a heads up. </p><p>We gave it five glowing stars for our little read aloud posse and my one son said, as soon as we finished and he saw there was a sequel, "I'm so glad we can read more because I got so attached to those characters." If that's not a recommendation from an eleven year old kid, I don't know what is.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-40105602195716613732024-01-19T15:45:00.000-08:002024-01-19T15:45:49.265-08:00Dumpling Days by Grace Lin<p> genre: middle grade</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3i_aED_tPk146BfwrctEwKzbznjKfftWxAnlHOF-CoEfL-RusI5aRhNt7FHDmTUyuIE6cBi8wCYGI95wbRs26Z4Zmo76B9XwtGf-yE1AO3g08gshOtUC2feHBNIBPsvPmxMggZ4fWUoRbXaOH9tlZj1jafQSQMDRHRR3APjO5jSHFBjmw2vQB4KEy6eGV/s400/41214803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3i_aED_tPk146BfwrctEwKzbznjKfftWxAnlHOF-CoEfL-RusI5aRhNt7FHDmTUyuIE6cBi8wCYGI95wbRs26Z4Zmo76B9XwtGf-yE1AO3g08gshOtUC2feHBNIBPsvPmxMggZ4fWUoRbXaOH9tlZj1jafQSQMDRHRR3APjO5jSHFBjmw2vQB4KEy6eGV/s320/41214803.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Pacy Lin is NOT looking forward to spending her summer in Taiwan along with her two sisters. Although she does want to see her family there, a whole month in such an unfamiliar place is not her idea of fun. And when she arrives, the transition is rough! From strange foods to challenging art lessons, Pacy's feelings are sometimes a rollercoaster. But through it all, her sisters, parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles are right there helping her learn and giving her the space to see that Taiwan might someday feel a little bit like home.</p><p>This was a delight. It makes me want to go to Taiwan tomorrow, it does that good of a job of describing the sights and smells of this country so far from my home. I learned so much about the culture here along with Pacy and the little drawn illustrations throughout the book make it such a quick and fun read. Pacy's a great narrator and the lessons she learns could apply to anyone (child or adult!) who is brave enough to put themselves out there and try something new. I loved the short legends and stories sprinkled throughout and the deep sense of family and tradition felt so cozy. I finished this book so grateful I'd grabbed it off of my fifth grade sons' Battle of the Books pile. I'd totally recommend this to other early middle grade readers!</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-839074769057724992024-01-16T13:27:00.000-08:002024-01-16T13:27:47.299-08:00Think Again by Adam Grant<p> genre: non-fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP_w0zvtHJZqO3DO2P4Qrx2OX_L-ws0uL4wxhGK7_cfIgGRUMuKqwrea6-7lqxTcFcAbMHLbFxTJtAqRb4jFe-Ha_d2G9k7JcodmwfvVdjYZ5y8fiLgEowN5Vy0VageJf_UEtWLgw9geLATWGpGE7K6u6MX14OC-xLmIWRy8EUB16-3sX4ZPyRXtkTPIc/s400/55539565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP_w0zvtHJZqO3DO2P4Qrx2OX_L-ws0uL4wxhGK7_cfIgGRUMuKqwrea6-7lqxTcFcAbMHLbFxTJtAqRb4jFe-Ha_d2G9k7JcodmwfvVdjYZ5y8fiLgEowN5Vy0VageJf_UEtWLgw9geLATWGpGE7K6u6MX14OC-xLmIWRy8EUB16-3sX4ZPyRXtkTPIc/s320/55539565.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p></p><p>As far as Adam Grant is concerned, having knowledge isn't quite as important as a willingness to question that knowledge - not by a long shot. This entire book, filled with examples and anecdotes, is a testament to the power of, as the title says, "thinking again" - questioning our unquestioned assumptions as well as everything new that we ingest as media consumers. The idea here is that the way to a meaningful connections with people both at work and in our community as well as just a more meaningful life in general lies in our power to think critically outside the box of what we think we already know. Whether that is solving a big problem at work, interacting with our kids or choosing whether or not to pivot in our career - allowing ourselves to look at our underlying beliefs will have a better chance of us creating a successful outcome.</p><p>This is so very readable. Some of ideas were things I'd sorta noticed but never gave a concrete thought to and other things really made me deeply think. And honestly, on more than one occasion what I had JUST READ about in this book came up in conversation with my family! Once with my grad student oldest child and once with my husband while at the Air and Space Smithsonian - the things Grant talks about are fear reaching and powerful, most especially the idea of eliminating in our minds that being wrong is a "failure." I want so much for myself and my kids to find joy in realizing that we are now LESS wrong than before and that it's safe to "know better then do better." I really, really enjoyed book, so much so that I think I'll buy a paper copy and mark it up because there are pointers here I truly want to incorporate into my life.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-54223978492646969612024-01-12T12:00:00.000-08:002024-01-12T12:00:47.756-08:00Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson<p> genre: fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4ofkYmjBmTFy-WE9yoGm6R0GiGpFZuw5rjVc_Rt3lxjeSHkFQFwD5dAcVvMtWxawT3ooH4-RC3_ZXvilyUNRDYOXxpKJPNJueQaRX7csqoGVi7lfyw8DojfcpcWNtClNx0ME3sxg01ZO_RoW579sa4Nl4gbVFmO8P0n7CAtgGMdpHWmc82SawWY3M_tQ/s400/112973639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4ofkYmjBmTFy-WE9yoGm6R0GiGpFZuw5rjVc_Rt3lxjeSHkFQFwD5dAcVvMtWxawT3ooH4-RC3_ZXvilyUNRDYOXxpKJPNJueQaRX7csqoGVi7lfyw8DojfcpcWNtClNx0ME3sxg01ZO_RoW579sa4Nl4gbVFmO8P0n7CAtgGMdpHWmc82SawWY3M_tQ/s320/112973639.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p>The nothing that happens in Coalfield, Tennessee is the oppressive kind, the kind that makes 16 year old Frankie feel like she could literally fade away into that nothingness before ever really living. But when Zeke moves into town, with his sketchpads and big ideas, not only does Frankie’s summer shift, but her whole life trajectory takes a spin. They have an idea, see, to make something beautiful, the kind of art that can touch you and make you FEEL something. So they do. And they share it and in the sharing, it slides out of their control. Years later, this shared thing that seemed safely hidden will come back to Frankie in a way she couldn't have imagined.<br /><br />There was so much I loved about this. I think particularly that it takes place to a high schooler just after my own high school years and vibe feels so right is a part of it. It really was so isolating to live in a world where, in a small town, that small town was all there was. The Internet has made our world tiny in a way that I think sometimes we forget about what it really used to be like, being so NOT connected. And the idea of something “viral “happening before the Internet is such a very, very intriguing idea. I loved how it played out. I liked Frankie’s arc and her growing up, I liked how this one summer gave her a whole new story about herself. It was quirky, unpredictable and yet totally believable. I really enjoyed the ride.Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-33656099584811702672024-01-11T17:37:00.000-08:002024-01-11T17:37:18.526-08:00Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (audiobook)<p> genre: contemporary fiction/mystery</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fh55oOh4oJDYZ6BOli4SxwUmwspETffcL10_PsW3rv7ZAGwK78cqEYBFcqZjS0E8DAbhLHFqTw0J1obeDuOR4QB4SJ62hrzFSI0jgXyK5V2EcpkmjP5Hm_MWxD4cqINmSmhMsNjv4snNU1tVTkSKxjDyGEZN0pn_iEYmMqyZAYshtJTvm8efIIZNfLkx/s2560/54860573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fh55oOh4oJDYZ6BOli4SxwUmwspETffcL10_PsW3rv7ZAGwK78cqEYBFcqZjS0E8DAbhLHFqTw0J1obeDuOR4QB4SJ62hrzFSI0jgXyK5V2EcpkmjP5Hm_MWxD4cqINmSmhMsNjv4snNU1tVTkSKxjDyGEZN0pn_iEYmMqyZAYshtJTvm8efIIZNfLkx/s320/54860573.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><p></p>For many lifetimes, the Scottish highlands have been empty of wolves. They were actively hunted to the point of non existence - but ecologically, this hasn’t been a good thing. And Inti (along with her twin sister Aggie) has arrived with a team of biologists to reintroduce wolves into the forests to try and begin healing the ecosystem. The team isn’t particularly welcome, though, amongst the farmers and herdsmen of the highlands, and as tensions over the wolves rises amongst the locals and Inti’s team, she herself has her own demons that demand to be fought.<br /><br />I am not a habitual mystery reader but the premise of this really interested me (but I don’t think I actually understood that it would end up being a mystery, so there is that) but from the first chapter I was HOOKED. This is such a dark and atmospheric read. The wolves are fascinating and their role in the story makes it so tense sometimes. Not only that, you can’t figure out which humans to trust either and everyone seems to have violence in them or done to them but there is also humanity and a deep love for the earth and the creatures on it. Sometimes the violence felt like a little TOO much and Inti was a really complicated character who sometimes was super frustrating but it didn’t impact my desire to find out what would happen.<br /><br />Like I said earlier, this is DARK. It’s not for everyone. It has abuse and upsetting images and s**ual trauma. But it was also so freaking beautiful. And when a book has all that and still I can’t stop listening, that’s a five star rating from me.Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636261725049671888.post-27902569392018495702024-01-08T11:49:00.000-08:002024-01-08T11:49:50.052-08:00Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (audiobook)<p> genre: middle grade fiction</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2ZgJDBaxqEw47yQARZFWDCe2QE48L201fdDV3f4vGQoqAO0B7PF5e4nyU7TN_x5j7BGGqebvX_aXAMWEzX5sdg-UtRq8qZUzavylYqT2x_xVSVxAR_WbZ4d7QDhS7hc1VgflYlK6bjEPI-r7EpFw4lbX1xeA8Y6bjS-S9XNGbR4EAh1UINHF6r43VzKJ/s400/51988656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2ZgJDBaxqEw47yQARZFWDCe2QE48L201fdDV3f4vGQoqAO0B7PF5e4nyU7TN_x5j7BGGqebvX_aXAMWEzX5sdg-UtRq8qZUzavylYqT2x_xVSVxAR_WbZ4d7QDhS7hc1VgflYlK6bjEPI-r7EpFw4lbX1xeA8Y6bjS-S9XNGbR4EAh1UINHF6r43VzKJ/s320/51988656.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p>ZJ loves his dad more than anybody does - and when your dad has been a pro-football player, a LOT of people love him. With his dad's big heart and big personality, life for ZJ is almost too good to be true. So when his dad starts acting not like himself, it's deeply upsetting and confusing for ZJ. Slowly, as he and his family learn that Dad's football career has impacted his brain, ZJ realizes that even with all the comfort you can find in the past, we have to find ways to deal with even a really hard present.</p><p>This is a gorgeously performed audiobook. I could imagine ZJ in all his boyishness, the relationships here ringing so true and poignant. ZJ and his Dad. ZJ and his mom. ZJ and his best friends. It is raw and beautiful in its honesty about a subject that's big and scary. Even if your dad wasn't a profootball player, any child who has a parent dealing with mental illness can find comfort in how ZJ works his way through, finding coping strategies and relying on people that circle him with love.</p>Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741365928762676938noreply@blogger.com0