Linda Sarsour - the organizer behind the Women's March (a worldwide protest in 2017 against the election of Donald Trump) has been making waves in her community for years.
She's a strong political activist and never shied away from speaking her truth - that the right to peace, justice and equality should be just that, a fundamental right.
In her memoir, she chronicles her unique childhood and what sparked her journey into activism as a Muslim American.
She discusses her accomplishments through various acts of activism and the very real and tangible results that came from it.
She explains the purpose of the Women's March and how she was able to achieve that amazing turnout...and why she continues to fight to this day.
In light of recent events...more people NEED to read this book. Seriously.
I loved Linda's perspective and how she systematically evaluates injustices and fights to make a difference.
I particularly loved reading about how her childhood formed her passion and how she uses that passion to fuel herself to this day.
I'm not flaunting anything. I'm just existing. This is me. I can't hide myself.
Felix Love is an art student at an incredibly prestigious high school.
He's been through a lot in the past few years - from transitioning to losing his mom (she's not dead...just gone. Moved on.) And he's ready for the next step - college. And to get there, he needs to win a scholarship.
But just as things amp up for him...the unthinkable happened.
Someone found old pictures of Felix (pretransition) and posted it with his deadname as a gallery of sorts.
He's horrified and heartbroken and above all, ready for revenge.
After narrowing down the pool of subjects, he quickly finds who he thinks is the culprit. But the longer he spends trying to figure out the best way to extract revenge...the more he begins to doubt his plan, and himself.
This was a wonderful book. Really, truly.
I loved watching Felix's character grow and change throughout the pages.
I adored the love shown in this story...and while my favorite pairing never happened, I still adored the ones that did.
The way the author unabashedly covers all the hard-hitting topics was admirable.
Just cause they're teens, doesn't mean that they don't have to deal with life's issues and I love the way the author portrayed Felix tackling those head-on.
All in all, this was an absolutely fabulous book. Definitely recommend it.
Just released my Worst 2020 Books Video - now that you know this one made the list, click the link to find the rest!
The Written Review
[i
[image]
Just released my Worst 2020 Books Video - now that you know this one made the list, click the link to find the rest!
The Written Review
[image]
Alessandra has a plan - convince the Shadow King to marry her. Then kill him. Then inherit the kingdom.
It's quite a brilliant and flawless plan.
The only problem? She's starting to like him alive more than she wants to see him dead.
So. Essentially this book didn't work for me.
The beginning is CRAZY intense - like 5/5 stars for me.
I loved the idea that she was just going to woo-and-kill the king and I couldn't wait to see what happens after she achieved her plan.
But then she starts drawing things out.
First she needs to do this, then that, then there's suspicion that needs to be diverted...then more problems...and what was originally very easy and straightforward gets dragged on and on and on. Very frustrating.
Eventually I realized that the author was going for the falling-in-love opposed to falling-in-the-grave angle which was alright...but it was disappointing.
It pulled this book away from a fresh, exciting concept into something more mundane and ordinary YA.
Plus...well... maybe it's just me but I would've loved to see an evil YA heroine...and I was disappointed when she was shuffled to a more ordinary pathway.
Young Nickle spent most of his childhood bouncing around in foster homes...however a chance encounter and a particularly green thumb sends him on a path he never would've expected.
Nickle discovers he's a dwarf in the sense that he has dwarvian magic. And from there he begins his adventure.
School, training and eventual graduation - he's ready to go out and prove himself to the world...but then he realizes that he might not be all-dwarf. That there might just be a different type of magic within him too.
I quite liked this story!
I listened to the audiobook and it was FABULOUS. I loved the narrator's voice and the way he conveyed the tone, excitement and so much more in the book.
The concept of this story was unique - we passed through so much time (years!) with Nickle but it worked really well.
I enjoyed the adventures shown and the various characters introduced - especially the kinda-sorta-maybe love interest!
The plot was definitely a wild ride and while I never knew where it was going, I was really excited to find out.
I definitely recommend this one!!
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
Thursday has spent her entire life not only saddled with an odd name but also poised on the edge.
Most recently, she's married the guy of h
[image]
Thursday has spent her entire life not only saddled with an odd name but also poised on the edge.
Most recently, she's married the guy of her dreams...only to realize that he has other wives. Something-something-Salt Lake City sorta stuff.
And at first, she thought she can handle it. "Monday" and "Tuesday" (as she's nicknamed them) only see her husband a few days a week.
But she knows her role - the wild and fun wife - the one who makes a gorgeous dinner and does what he wants. And for a while...it's enough.
That is...until her curiosity gets the best of her.
Overall, this one was an okay book to me. It certainly had good elements and there were bits that I liked a lot about it but it just kinda fizzled for me.
The ending really annoyed me. I mean, yes...it took me by surprise but not in a good way. It felt more of a letdown rather than the aha! moment that I wanted.
You never know who's going to hold the keys to the castle.
David Chang burst out onto the culinary scene with Momofuku - a noodle res3.5 stars
[image]
You never know who's going to hold the keys to the castle.
David Chang burst out onto the culinary scene with Momofuku - a noodle restaurant located in Manhattan.
And after a decade and a half of grueling work, it's safe to say that he's "made" it. He owns 15 restaurants, has graced the television over and over, has his own podcast and has 1.2 million followers.
But how?
But for years, my best coping strategy has been work.
Eat a Peach is Chang's memoir - from his childhood balancing a tiger mom and wild golf career to convincing his dad to loan him enough money for restaurant.
He speaks candidly about how his fixation with success has affected both his career and his home life.
The paradox for the workaholic is that rock bottom is the top of whatever profession they’re in.
And he speaks about what the fallout of that was.
But if you've fought depression or know somebody who has, you know that no amount of money can fix it. No amount of fame. No logic.
Overall, this was a lovely memoir.
I hadn't heard of him prior to picking this one up but it was a rather interesting peek into the culinary world.
I loved how Chang spoke about his successes but also the failures - what business plans didn't work and how he worked around that. It was refreshing to read about someone who speaks so candidly about failure.
I also really enjoyed that he pulled no punches when talking about what it takes to get to the top.
It honestly sounds like way more stress than what it's worth and while I'm now 110% sure that I don't even want to get anywhere NEAR the culinary profession - it was still cool to learn about his career path.
So, I've talked about this one on my channel a lot by now. And the long and short of it is that I enjoyed this book immensely.
I really enjoyed just discovering what this book was about without any external influence, so I'll keep my review short.
It's an atmospheric whodunit with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
The overall premise is that there's a wedding on a remote Irish island, the weather closes in and the island is cut off from the rest of the world. And then the body is found.
Not knowing the body and having an ever-growing list of potential-killers...you are left wondering who in the world could've done it. And why??
I loved and adored the setting and various atmospheric elements. The characters felt well fleshed out and the plot was intriguing throughout. I definitely recommend it!!
Other BookTube Videos involving this gorgeous book:
So, everyone and their mother has heard of Dracula. I vant to suk your blud and all that jazz...but I would wager not many have read the original book.
I've always have been curious over the original text but I haven't ever actually took the time to read it. So when I joined in on a Halloween Reading Challenge, I knew what I was going to pick as one of my four reads.
And my overall thoughts on Dracula...was that it was interesting.
I was expecting this big, creepy and scary book but ultimately, I was just interested by the parallels that I saw between this book and the various movie adaptations.
One thing that was certainly different was the pacing - and I really should've expected it given the publication date...but wow. Things took a lonnnng time to ramp up and happen.
All in all, this book was neat to read solely cause I've been curious about the legend for ages but it didn't get to me the way Frankenstein or other monster books did.
Patricia Campbell remembers what life was like before she gave into motherhood - she was an amazing nurse and strong-willed.
But marriage ch
[image]
Patricia Campbell remembers what life was like before she gave into motherhood - she was an amazing nurse and strong-willed.
But marriage changed all that. She's now a stay-at-home mom and with the way her husband treats her...it is a sobering thought, the life that's ahead of her.
But at least she has book club.
Every meeting they go over the latest true-crime or grisly detective book. It is the one time that Patricia feels like herself.
And then...HE moved in. The new neighbor.
At first it was the little things - he misplaced his ID and legal documents. He has a severe sun allergy.
But then those little things snowballed - children from the next town over are being taken.
And Patricia begins to wonder...what if it was all true? What if that "nice" neighbor is a monster?
And what could she possibly do against that in a world full of smartphones and science?
OMG.
So, I picked this one up because I saw it on the GRs Nominee list...oh my gosh. It was SOOOO good. WORTH. IT.
I LOVED the way this book was set up - the girls in the book club, the weirdness of the neighbor- it all worked so well.
I was so thrown by the way the plot went too. I never knew what was going to happen next and I was LIVING ,for that.
About halfway through, I had to put the book down because I was SO stressed by it. Also - that ending. Perfection. Sheer perfection!
Just released my Worst 2020 Books Video - now that you know this one made the list, click the link to find the rest!
The Written Review
[imag
[image]
Just released my Worst 2020 Books Video - now that you know this one made the list, click the link to find the rest!
The Written Review
[image]
Nurse Julia works tirelessly in the maternity ward as the plague and the war ravages through Ireland.
As the night wears on, she's joined by a suspicious new doctor (a rumored rebel) and Birdie (a volunteer).
Together they fight save as many lives as humanly possible.
Soooooo....it may just be me but I did NOT enjoy this one at all.
I'm not big on historical fiction, nor books centered on or occurring during a war...so I really should've seen this one coming...but I just couldn't get into it.
I listened to the audiobook and I'm normally quite good at that - but I just constantly felt my mind wandering and my attention straying.
There were elements that worked well for me - like the characters of Julia and Birdie, and their friendship.
And (from what I can tell) the actual history bits were incredibly well-researched and put-together...it just never clicked with me.
I think it might also be the flu that Julia dealt with just felt too close to home with the current pandemic.
OHMYGOSH. Goodreads Choice Nominees are in and My Reaction Video is up! Don't forget to vote!
The Written Review
[image]
Amora Montara knows
[image]
OHMYGOSH. Goodreads Choice Nominees are in and My Reaction Video is up! Don't forget to vote!
The Written Review
[image]
Amora Montara knows she's her kingdom's only hope as the next High Animancer (master of souls).
She's been training all her life to wield Soul Magic - which allows her to control and destroy enemies of her country.
However, it is a fickle power. One where if it goes wrong, there are disastrous consequences.
On the very night she was supposed to demonstrate complete and utter mastery of Soul Magic...things go terribly wrong.
Amora is thrown into the dungeon and her only way of survival is to escape from her own kingdom.
Rumors abound about a new, destructive magic running rampart on her island-kingdom.
Only by reigning that in would she be able to prove her worthiness for the crown...but the question remains...will she survive long enough to destroy that magic? Or will her magic destroy her first?
Ultimately this one was an okay read for me.
I was interested by the magic and the world that was created.
I thought the secrets that Amora hunted were compelling and interesting.
But...the actual characters felt a bit bland to me.
Maybe my expectations were too high based on that gorgeous cover but I just didn't feel the bookish obsession that I wanted.
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
Oh my gosh.
Like most Backman books at this point...I'm at a complete loss regarding how to tell you that this book is, quite frankly, the best thing I've read all year.
I'm just overwhelmed by the sheer goodness of this book...and if I were to try to summarize it...It would be:
Failed bank robber takes on kidnapping role (unintentionally) and also kinda fails at it....but in a good way? Like a laugh-cry-laugh way.
Oh gosh. Now I'm not making sense.
Essentially, this book was amazing. But you really just have to read it yourself.
As always Backman is able to instantly create fully-fleshed out characters from just a few sentences and he plays your emotions like a violin.
I've never listened to an audiobook and had that serious of a yo-yo happening constantly - like there would be literal tears leaking out of my face followed by laughter.
The way all of the characters came together and fed off of each other's energy was amazing. The way their pasts interwove with their presents was just as stunning.
This truly was an amazing book and I cannot recommend it enough.
“That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between two people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.”
Just published my October Book Vlog and whew! It was a lot of reading but so worth it!
The Written Review
[image]
Joyce had that nuclear fami
[image]
Just published my October Book Vlog and whew! It was a lot of reading but so worth it!
The Written Review
[image]
Joyce had that nuclear family thing down - doting husband, loving child, house in the suburbs - so how did she end up alone, in a crappy apartment with only a cat for company?
Glad you asked. Take a seat. It's going to be a lonnnng one.
That's right. Joyce is finally telling her life story to her (somewhat) unwilling neighbor. (He made the mistake of telling her that he's a writer...and well...once Joyce gets an idea, nothing (hell or high water) will stop her).
Anyway, it all goes back to Michael, her son.
He was a quiet kid. He was always thinking. Not a big hugger, didn't have many interests.
And when he became a teenager, all he wanted to do was hole up in his room with a computer. At first Joyce thought, hey. He's a bit of a loner but that's okay.
But when he got to college...that's when things took a turn for the worse.
Michael just...stopped.
He stopped showing up at his job, he stopped paying rent to his apartment and (and this is the big one) he stopped returning Joyce's phone calls.
Joyce has no choice but to believe the absolute worse. So, she drives upstate - fully expecting to find him dead in a ditch.
But what she finds? It was far worse.
Wolf.
Oh. My. God. This book was a roller coaster - but in the best way possible.
It took me a little bit to get into the story but once I got through the first bits, I was absolutely hooked.
Joyce's character was phenomenal. The author really nailed that overbearing, worry-obsessed but with a heavy dose of tough-love mom - the kind that loves you to death but visits more than a hour brings about a headache. Her take on life was completely on point. And I loved her.
Uncovering Michael's story, watching Joyce's reaction to it and all the hijinks that happen - it was riveting. It was hilarious. It was absolutely fabulous slab of dark humor pie.
And combine that all with the true horror of that ending? Perfection.
I truly wish this book was longer - cause there was so much left to be explored. So many nooks and crannies that could've been uncovered. And yet, I'm also really happy to be left wondering. Go figure.
A huge thank you to Netgalley Audio, Ben Dolnick and Recorded Books for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
So, this is a book that follows the apparent suicide of Bean's (yes that's her real name) older brother (Sam) and how the whole family grieves, processes and comes to terms with his death.
This book delves into love and loss, promises tragedy and heartwarming moments...but most of all...I felt annoyed.
And I felt annoyed that I felt annoyed.
It's not that it's a terrible book (ok, it's kinda terrible)...but this is definitely one of those books where I'm mildly peeved throughout and by the end of it, I'm left holding the book and going, "That's it? That's really how it all went down? Seriously??"
Ultimately there are a few things that really pulled me out of the book and affected my rating.
Bean's Attitude
So, the book begins with Bean (aside: apparently Sam (2 yrs older) thought she was a bean when their mom was pregnant and the parents just...rolled with it? They literally were like "omg so cute. Slap "Bean" on the birth certificate. lol." AND Bean never has a second thought about it?? She's all "omg. so cute. my 2 yr old bro thought i was a bean. And now i'm named bean." am I the only one thinking that being saddled with "Bean" would cause some issue?).
Bean's a typical me-teenager (the kind which interprets the world as how it relates to them)...which in and of itself wasn't too bad...but after a while it really grated on me.
Her mom is numb from grief? LIFE FREAKING SUCKS CAUSE MOM IS TOO WEAK TO MAKE BREAKFAST. MOM USED TO BE STRONG BUT NOW SHE DOESN'T DO THE LAUNDRY.
Her dad asks her to help with chores? LET ME COMPLAIN BUT NEVER CONFRONT THE ISSUE SO THERE'S A RESOLUTION. STUPID LAUNDRY. IF ONLY MOM WASN'T SO PATHETIC.
And so on. Bean just constantly dumped on her mom for not cooking, cleaning and caring for their family.
I get that it would be nice for the mom to snap right out of things and whip up a four-course meal and bleach the socks every week for the family...but Bean is fifteen, has an older brother still living at home plus her dad.
All of whom (to my knowledge) have working arms and legs. And are completely capable of nuking a bowl of soup or adding soap to the washing machine.
So that annoyed me. Plus she had a slightly...odd fixation with her other brother.
Bean's Fixation
The book begins with Bean going on and on about how wonderful her brother is, how kind, how caring, how he's the only one in the family she loves that much...and idk...it felt a little weird.
To be honest, I would say that my sister and I are pretty dang close but I never got near this level of obsession.
We couldn't go one page without Bean talking about how fantastic her brother was - and I get that grief causes fixations but this was also pre-dead-Sam era too.
There was this whole birthday-card-scene where Sam writes about how he noticed how much she's "grown" and realizes that all of his friends are going to be looking at her different and he's just so happy to see her like that. It was kinda weird.
And later, when Bean begins her sleuthing...she just had to know as much as she could about his sex life. She interrogated her brother's ex-girlfriend and demanded to know if he was a virgin when he died (cause it would be so tragic to die without sex) and the sheer amount of relief she felt when she learned that he wasn't...idk. It was a bit weird to me.
Bean and Sam's appreciation-appropriation?
Maybe it's just me, but I did feel like there should have been more sensitivity readers for this one.
Throughout this book there's a running theme of Inuit people and how Sam was obsessed with their culture...which in and of itself isn't the worst I read.
It kinda hit like when kids are first getting into anime and Japanese culture - where it's all they talk about and they start adopting all these customs that are pretty far from their own culture.
For example, the book mentioned the mom wanting a totem pole for the family to honor Sam's death and that he wanted a natural burial just like the Inuit - both of those were just kinda mentioned and dropped.
They weren't followed through nor were they really discussed. Which made me wonder why they were brought up at all.
After the car crash that killed a deer, Sam just bursts into the house with a knife wound down his chest (apparently Inuit culture demands a self-inflicted blood wound if you kill an animal?) and his family just shrugs it off?
Like what family looks at their kid and go, "Yup. Two foot knife wound. He's stumbling through the living room. Wow. He just loves the Inuit culture." and lets him carry on?
Why in the world wasn't there any concern for this kid's mental well-being when he first began cutting himself when he went fishing (and killed the fish)?
The Actual Cause of Death
(view spoiler)[ So, we eventually find out that the actual cause of death was auto-erotic asphyxiation.
And then the book ends.
Ok, not totally.
There's some poetic at the end about appreciating life and how he had already lived his life to the fullest and how he would always be watching over them. And the author mentions that it is a dangerous process and places like youtube are making it seem more and more popular but to not ever try it cause it looks like a suicide when you die.
But that's it.
It left me feeling disappointed with the book.
I was really expecting the grand reveal to be...well...a bit more impactful? To have some sort of negative reaction from the family.
Maybe I'm just jaded but I have a hard time believing not one of the the family members goes, "What the fuck? He just wanted to get high?"
I can't imagine Bean not reeling back and questioning everything she's ever known. To have that perfect mental image of her brother absolutely shattered because he killed himself to get a high.
But nope. She's just so happy and grateful that it wasn't a suicide. And she kept emphasizing that he had already achieved his life and he'll forever be watching over her.
I was holding the book and just kinda going...oh. So that's it. He liked to get high and went too far. Got it.
With the way it's written, it just feels so much less gut-wrenching than it could have been. It flatlined for me opposed to that emotional plunge I was expecting.
OHMYGOSH. Goodreads Choice Award Nominees are up and My Reaction Video is too! Don't forget to vote!
[image]
The Written Review4.5 stars
[image]
OHMYGOSH. Goodreads Choice Award Nominees are up and My Reaction Video is too! Don't forget to vote!
[image]
The Written Review
“And life was too short to play chicken with something as important as the person you loved.”
Ollie just had the perfect summer romance.
Will was sweet, kind and genuinely seemed to "get" Ollie in all the ways his friends never did.
But...it's been a few days since he got back from visiting his Aunt and Uncle and Will has gone silent.
And then Ollie's parents drop the news that his Aunt's cancer has gotten worse and the whole family is moving to her house to take care of her.
“That's the beautiful thing about the universe. It puts you through trials, but it never gives you anything you can't handle. We grow from these things.”
It's awful and Ollie can't stop thinking about it but on the bright side - at least he will see Will again.
But when that happens...it goes no where near Ollie's expectations.
In fact...it's devastating.
“I’m really sorry.' He peeked at me, but I still didn’t reply. I mean, what could I say? That it was okay? Because it really wasn’t.
But, behind this cold exterior....Ollie's Will still exists - he can see his Will peeking out when others aren't around.
Does Ollie give Will another chance? Does Will even deserve it?
Ohhh man. This book was BRILLIANT.
It had all the right feels in all the right places.
Ollie is a precious snowflake and I will defend him with my life. He had such an incredibly fun perspective on life and it truly brightened the scenes.
I loved Ollie's love for music and his family - it truly rounded out his character and endeared him so much more.
I loved Will's journey of acceptance and his development in this book.
The plot was just the perfect slice of life - it had laughs, tears and made me want to hug the main characters and never let them go.
This is definitely going to be one of my favorites in the book.
“You are a full human being. It's never as simple as being half and half.”
This was a stunning book!
We follow Michael as h4.5 stars
[image]
“You are a full human being. It's never as simple as being half and half.”
This was a stunning book!
We follow Michael as he grows from a child to a teenager to a young adult. We are right with him when he takes his first tentative steps towards adulthood and finding his identity.
This book is a fairy tale in which I am the prince and the princess. I am the king and the queen.
This was one of my very first verse novels and I don't think I got the full effect by listening to the audiobook.
I could tell that the sentence structure was different from a regular novel but I think I would have had more of an impact if I had read it (especially considering the regular book apparently had a pictures and other visual formats to enhance the story).
I did really enjoy this book though - Michael's story was compelling and beautifully told. I loved watching him grow and develop throughout.
The story was well-crafted - it covered so many years and never skipped the beat.
I loved the representation and the wonderful characters that the story surrounds. Michael's family and his family of choice were both fabulous.
And the ending was fantastic!
All in all, I would recommend it.
“I come from stories, myths, legends and folk tales”
Loading...
