Lauren
This was an excellent read!
Such an inspiring story of a woman rising to the top of a science field, and a highly informative while very accessible book about nature and the important role forests play in preserving the well being of the planet.
It's a long book, but I was deeply engaged and interested the entire time and love that it ends with practical suggestions for lay folk to get involved with their local forests and climate change activism.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
The audiobook was a great listen!
***Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me with advanced audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.
The last 30% was easily 4.5/5, but for some reason the rest was such a slog for me to get through.
I like the mixed media format, but found that final 3rd to be a slog.
I think if you don't read a ton mysteries and are interested in the format used you'll probably enjoy this.
As far as the mystery goes, personally, I figured out the meat of it by about halfway through, and could see all the “twists” coming.
And the final reasoning behind the whole thing felt like a pretty convoluted way to tie things together.
This was a lovely historical fiction YA that centers on a young woman coming of age in Detroit in the '30s with immigrant parents who met during WWI. She discovers the letters they wrote to each other during that time, and their three narratives spin the story of a family who learns to grieve and grow together.
The audiobook was wonderful to listen to with a full cast narration. I thought the characters and their accents really helped create an immersive atmosphere and since the story was in verse it's a great way to hear the rhythm of the words and how it lends itself to a well paced and impactful storytelling experience.
***Thank you to Andrews McMeel Audio and Netgalley for providing a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.
Wow. An excellent book for ALL parents to read.
Chris walks you through many practical ways that parents and adults who have children in their lives can make small and big changes to not only make their child feel love and supported as a LGBTQ+ youth, but also show kids how to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ children they will meet on playgrounds and within their community.
We all have learned gender roles, biases, and homophobic thoughts. Many LGBTQ+ children internalize that homophobia and carry it with them their whole lives. By addressing our own homophobia, we can help stop from passing that one to our kids, and also give them the tools they need to work through any they may internalize.
So many parents think their kids are too young to talk about being queer, much like they think their kids are too young to talk about racism. The fact of the matter is, that if kids are young enough to understand that people have boyfriends/girlfriends/husbands/wives, then they are old enough to talk about the different ways in which people can be partnered. We as parents need to move past our own discomfort and homophobia to have these important conversations with our kids. The longer we stay silent, the more we pass on the message that anything other than heteronormativity is wrong/strange/weird/taboo/not ok.
This is a great tool for any adult who wants to be a more conscious caregiver.
***Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
The title delivers on its promise...a quick and easy guide to Asexuality.
If you haven't taken the time learn more about the ACE spectrum, this is a great place to start.
The basics are all laid out for you it a very consumable and the perfect jumping off point to start the conversation. There have been quite a few great Asexual books that come out in the last couple years that will give you more insight to the nuances once you've gotten the foundation from this quick read.
***Thank you to Oni Press, Limerence Press for providing me with the e-ARC for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
A FANTASTIC listen
I've always enjoyed anything from Irving I've ever read, and this was no exception.
Having never seen the movie, but knowing the general subject matter I was pleasantly surprised to find it was SO MUCH MORE than a book about abortions.
Each and every character has such a fascinating journey, and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the history and medical side of stuff surrounding the evolution of abortions.
I couldn't get enough of Dr. Larch. I would definitely listen to the audiobook again.
As a former theatre major and someone who hasn't worked on a show in a decade, this was a wonderful way to connect with the drama of that world.
It was wonderful hearing from all the different perspectives of putting the show together from page to stage.
So much drama on and off stage. Loved it!
I listened to the audiobook and while the narration was fine I would have much preferred hearing from the actual folks who were featured in the interviews rather than the voice actors.
***Thank you to RB Media/Recorded Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook copy for an honest review.
UPDATE:
Originally I rated this very high, and stated I wanted to read more from this author. The after posting my review I found out that TJ Klune's other book THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA was actually based on how during the 50s and 60s in Canada Indigenous children were taken from their homes and put into government sanctioned orphanages/residential schools.
The fact that a cis white man turned that trauma into a fantasy story doesn't really sit well with me.
So I'll be passing on reading his other works. Deeply disappointed upon discovering this and the interview in which he discussed his reasoning behind it.
This is a quote from the interview:
“I came across something known as the Sixties Scoop, which was in Canada during the fifties and sixties, where indigenous children were taken from their homes and put into government sanctioned orphanages, for lack of a better word. It was something that I could not shake. And so when I stumbled upon this article about children being taken because they were different or they didn't adhere to what standards people thought should be at the time , it was something that I couldn't get out of my head and, but I didn't want to co-opt, you know, a history that wasn't mine. I'm a cis white dude, so I can't ever really go through something like what those children had to go through. So I sat down and I was like, I'm just going to write this as a fantasy.”
SOURCE: https://www.jeffandwill.com/biggayfictionpodcast/2020/03/16/episode-232-tj-klune-on-the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea-extraordinaries-and-greek-creek/
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Pass the tissues and someone give me a giant Mei hug please.
A solid 4.5 read. The writing hooked me from the start. I loved the quirky style and got an immediate sense of who all the characters were. There are many recognizable troupes, but I enjoyed the journey and exploration of death and beyond. Wonderful world building and so many moments that tug at your heart strings, especially if you've experienced the loss of a loved.
This was my first time reading T.J. Klune, and will certainly be checking out HOUSE BY THE CERULEAN SEA as well as anything else to come.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Kirt Graves' narration, and felt he distinguished between each character subtly, but distinctly so I always knew exactly who was speaking.
***Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
Ropa may be my favorite character of 2021.
I just love her unapologetic sassy bluntness.
Set in the not so distant future of Scotland after an event called the Catastrophe.
We follow a 14 year old girl who can talk to ghosts.
Her job is basically to deliver messages to the living who then pay her for the service.
Ropa is living below the poverty line with her Gran and younger sister and is the sole breadwinner of the family. She understands the hard realities of the world, and refuses to let anyone (especially the spirits she works with) to take advantage of her. If they can't pay, she won't play. But her heart gets the better of her when she decides to help one for free.
This book takes you on a journey into the world of ghosts, dimensions, magic, and more.
I found it a delight to listen to (even if I guessed the twist about ⅓ of the way through).
As an avid audiobook listener and the occasional audiobook narrator, I especially loved hearing Ropa's hot take on the merits of a good narrator. It was totally an unexpected, but welcome commentary.
***This audiobook was provided to me free via NetGalley for an unbiased review. Thank you to T.L. Huchu and Tor Books.
The audiobook is a great way to listen to the dual narration.
As someone who doesn't read a ton of YA, I was thrilled with the representation in this book. The subjects it dealt with especially the grief, betrayal and economic disparities between the families in the US vs DR were palpable.
I love that this is the quality of stories young adults have available to them these days.
3.5 and rounding up
For anyone who has been on a teacher's shit list, fair warning...you might be a bit triggered by some of the things in this book.
A masterclass in how unbelievably HOT consent can be.
This book was an absolute delight. As my first Talia Hibbert book, I was thrilled to see such wonderful representation in this, which I hear is true of the others in this series!
I loved how both Eve and Jacob were able to truly see one another and rather than change to be together, accepted and loved each other because of WHO they are, not who they wanted each other to be.
Could. Not. Stop. Listening.
Evocative, Uncomfortable, and Devourable.
Something that will linger in my mind.
Originally released in 1994, I can completely understand why it would have been so influential at not only that time, but in the decades following. bell examines how the emotional health of black women is wounded by daily assaults of racism and sexism, and then empowers Black women to do the necessary healing to rebuild their inner worlds. I imagine it has helped countless women over the past 30 years.
While the intended audience for this book is Black women, I would still encourage my fellow white women to listen to the words of bell hooks.
Her direct and approachable writing names the truth of the Black woman's lived experience, which has many universal truths for all women, but will also challenge all of us to examine our own biases about whiteness and illuminate the importance of healing and liberation.
Adenrele Ojo does a wonderful job of narrating bell hooks' influential writing.
***Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing me with the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
One of the rare times when a re-read ends up with a higher rating. The first time around I found I gave this 3/5. The highlight for me was how it created a buzzing atmosphere with its language.
However, after reading the source material for the book, I can see how this is also a love letter to the young, queer, feminist Mary MacLane. Personally, I would highly recommend reading THE STORY OF MARY MACLANE to truly appreciate what the author did here and also experience the remarkable writing of Mary's book published in 1901 when she was just 19 years old.
A book, about a book that features a real book that's adapted to a film that's about making a film. About as meta as you can get. Strap in for this sapphic, gothic, horror story.
The art work is stunning!
This is the perfect book for any Bowie Fan with a working knowledge of his rise to stardom.
Personally as a casual fan, I would have wanted for backstory, more like an autobiography, but I understand the medium may not lend itself to it.
Definitely inspired me to seek out more about David Bowie.
Well that was an unexpected journey.
I knew very little going it, and thought it was going to be a haunted house/paranormal story of a newly married woman in a gothic setting.
Which it 100% was, but it took me down a path I wasn't expecting. The entire time I was wondering what is REALLY happening here, and it was a mind tripping, keep you guessing til the end experience.
It blended horror, paranormal and sci-fi beautifully, and while I don't think this book will be everyone's cup of tea (it can feel a bit dizzying at times) I personally, really enjoyed the ride.
Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one, but it might be one of those that you listen and read at the same time, especially once things really take off in the 2nd half.
***Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.