Courtney Pyche
I would like to start this review by pushing the envelope on whether this novel is akin to Crazy Rich Asians. It's really nothing like it. Characterizing it as such is subtly racist–are we only ever able to understand the Asian experience based on the current popular Asian romance? It doesn't leave room for the depth this novel has about wealth, loyalty, and justice.
That being said, I felt the twist at the end was disingenuous and difficult to believe. I felt the plot had been very well-developed, then shattered. The author does a great job describing the excessive wealth and developing the moral questions that come about in this novel.
It's worth the read, I would say.
I found this book through an article that NPR wrote abou Karla Cornejo Villavicencio at the end of June.
Right from the start, the author lets you know that this is not going to be the book you expected it to be. This work is deeply personal, filled with stories about the people they met, the people they loved, and the demons facing them daily. I have never heard the story of immigrants in America told in such a raw, emotional way. Karla Cornejo Villavicencio does an incredible job of showing you how these people are woven into the story of America, yet each is forgotten and hidden by design. One of the stories that most affected me were the day laborers who helped clear the disaster of 9/11. When I hear these stories, I think of the firefighters and the police officers. Hearing that these undocumented immigrants risked their lives and were traumatized directly by their work here, yet we don't talk about them, evokes a feeling that I'm not sure I have a word for. Shame at my ignorance, anger at the people who taught me these stories without mentioning them, and sadness for the people who suffered. I will never let someone explain the story of 9/11 in front of me without mentioning this part of the tragedy again.
Angie Thomas brilliantly tells the story of Starr, a girl who has witnessed her two childhood best friends die from gun violence. The story is fictional, however, anyone not living under a rock can see the parallels between Starr's world and our world. I cried many times reading this book, feeling so hard for Starr and the ones she loves it. She really drives home the point that no one wants the police to kill black people—and no one wanted to have to advocate against this, but, when black people are dying and justice is never being served, you have to use your voice. Throughout Starr's dilemma, I kept hearing the phrase “the hidden violence of silence.” It will never go away if we don't talk about it and take action. This is a good book, but the only real good in it is the way Thomas' characters stick together despite it all.
When I read the teaser for this book, I expected it to be a book about an incredibly social awkward girl who stumbles her way through life and then falls in love with her coworker.
In actuality, this book is an incredibly intense journey through Eleanor's psyche and personal growth. While there are many other side stories, Eleanor's growth is the true main character of this story. She is funny, and clever, and very strong person. By the end of this book, you'll be wanting to meet her as well.
This book is about 260 pgs. Within those pages, you're welcomed into the life of the Number 6 school bus kids and general ordinary people doing extraordinary things and the stories that surround them. This book covers most of the issues plaguing our society in one way or another and offers ways that you and I could help fix them. There is an obvious lean to the government intervention solutions, but the authors do leave room for the idea that ordinary people can do things to change our trajectory.
I found this book to be a good reminder of ideas I already support and issues that I was already aware of. I think this would be a great book for anyone who enjoyed Educated by Tara Westover, Hillbilly Elegy, and anyone who would like to know more about why the COVID-19 crisis is particularly distressing for a country, in many ways, already in many, many crises.
This book is on our list of selections for Teen Battle of the Books this summer. It reads more like a short story or a novella.
It's written in free verse—something I didn't realize until I opened the book on Libby.
The ending of this is a moral question as the whole book about the cycle of violence and our ability to choose whether or not to continue it.
Many have tried, but not many have succeed as well in articulating how complex being a senior in high school in a very complicated life can be. This author does a wonderful, heart breaking job of telling a story about a teenage boy who has his entire world crumble underneath him. By the end of it, it's impossible to not feel connected to Danny.
Overall, this is a good book to help you spend a few hours thinking about your habits and gives you a reasonably convincing method of changing them (cue-routine-reward, changing habits is just about changing the routine). Some of the stories in this book are great and interesting, others are lackluster. Luckily, I found that this was the kind of book that you could while you were reading others. Might be more enjoyable as an audiobook.
From the get-go, you can tell that this is a story not often told before. Lina is a teenager, she's Lithuanian, and she loves to draw. She also fiercely loves her family and ferociously hates Stalin and the communists. Lina's story is what happens when the Soviets invade Lithuania and systematically work to imprison, through hard labor, the people who disagree with them.
The book follows her on her journey to their final destination. Throughout the story, families are separated. People are shot. Children die. There are moments of joy and triumph, but, ultimately, this story is about bringing to light the absolute tragedy these people faced and how the world ignored it, prioritizing the threat from the Nazis.
Ruta Septeys does an amazing job of finding these kinds of stories and helping us remember them. Without a doubt, a new favorite author of mine.
I decided to reread this book to help me overcome some feelings of “need” to produce. After rereading, I read some of the reviews of this book as being ‘mislabeled', and I found the inspiration to write a review for anyone who would like a different perspective on whether this book has been ‘mislabeled'.
The premise of Odell's novel is to find the joy in doing nothing, in taking life slowly, in #NOMO (necessity of missing out). She quotes Audre Lorde's self-care as “ caring for myself is not self-indulgent, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Odell writes to convince us and remind of the importance of self-preservation, time away, taking our 8 hrs to work, 8 hrs to rest, 8 hrs to do what we will instead of putting that time towards something like Facebook, Instagram, our brand that primarily serve to make money (and not usually for ourselves).
I suspect that the people upset with this book are exactly the people need this book the most. I imagine those readers picked up this book hoping for the quick fix that Odell is really specifically writing against. It is a book that requires deep listening and forces you to take the time to contemplate rather than produce. By the end of this book, one feels both inspired to tackle modern day issues and to take the time to pay attention to the community around them and make change as opposed to their Facebook pages, Twitter feed, and Goodreads followers.
Josie Moraine is a native of New Orleans, unwillingly caught in the thick of the madness in the Quarter. All she wants to do is work at Marlowe's bookstore until she finds a way out. Unfortunately, her familial connections tear her away from the places and people she loves the most.
Josie's story is especially easy to relate to for those of us who have felt disconnected and different with an insatiable urge to run away from it all. But, as you read Josie's story, you begin to see the human in all of the characters of her life, and part of you will wonder if leaving is really what's best.
Full of betrayal, twists and turns, ‘Out of the Easy' is a quick, fun read about a place and time you don't often get to read about.
Overall, this is a great book. It's made even better when you read Toni Adeyemi's inspiration—a novel meant to empower African Americans and shed light on the Black Lives Matter Movement.
From a fantasy reader standpoint, I found parts of this book to happen too quickly, and sometimes found it hard to sympathize with the characters—which is really strange considering how long it is (over 500 pgs)
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy YA and fantasy (but not high fantasy). I am definitely excited to read the sequel!
This book came recommended as a solid romance novel without the sex (essentially). It's a pretty thick book—it follows the characters over years—and does take some time to read, but it's enjoyable. There were moments that it brought me to tears, to be honest. It is a book about love, friendship, and choice, really. A good, light read that will have you not wanting to put it down.
Wow. I requested our library purchase this book after reading a NYTimes article about it, and I am even happier after finishing that they bought it.
This is a story about the people, living in a complete war zone, who founded a secret library as a way to bring their community together and further education. It is a detailed account of their lives along the timeline of the Syrian Civil War—by the end of it, you almost feel that you know Omar, Anas, Abdul Basit, Sara, Amjad, and friends. Parts of this book were very hard to get through, and, at times, you can really feel the despair they felt. Their efforts are absolutely heroic, and I hope they are celebrated some day in their home.
I recommend this book to anyone who does not know about the Syrian Civil War, those who do know, those who like to read inspirational novels, and people like me who are international affairs nerds + library lovers. What a powerful read.
Book three of 2020 is extra exciting because...drumroll Eric Klinenberg is speaking at the Florida Library Association conference in May! Klinenberg's big idea here is “social infrastructure” and how it effects our lives. He does a wonderful job developing his thesis and using examples to convince us that he's right. This book is awesome for anyone interested in community development, libraries, climate change, and, in general, how we can make the world a better place.
More specifically, I read this book because of his discussions about libraries. As a library professional, I understand that there are more than one kind of library, and I thought Klinenberg did not address that very clearly here. However, I would encourage any library staff reading this who don't work in a public library to think outside the box. How does your library offer social infrastructure to its patron? Is it the bathroom? Is it a cool place to sit on hot days? Is it hosting conversations on a college campus? There are so many things that could apply, and they are worth thinking about, especially as we look at how to distinguish ourselves for funding and strategic planning.
This book is an absolute treasure of historical fiction. I'm disappointed that my library placed it in young adult fiction; it is a complicated story about an important issue in Spain's history. The characters are well-developed, the plot stays interesting, and the writing is incredible. I could not put this one down.
Don't be alarmed by the length: it is absolutely worth a read.
I chose this book to read as an example of the adult romance genre for my class because...it's under 300 pages.
This book is a quick read. It is very stereotypical romance and very predictable; if you're paying attention, it's hard not to feel a little invested in the outcome. Susan Mallery does a good job of keeping you interested and does feature character development outside of the two in the relationship. This book doesn't do anything outrageous or innovative, but it's not supposed to. It's good at exactly what it's supposed to do.
I'd say this is not a good book for someone searching for substance, but is a great read for someone who wants a sweet; romantic story set in a small town.
An average book discussing eBooks vs print books. The author does have some compelling moments (chapter 8 was really stellar), but the point that prints books are superior to eBooks was made very clear from the beginning, did not need 300 pages, and did not clearly address all the counter arguments to her stance.
To begin with, this is absolutely not the sort of book that I would gravitate towards on my own. While I love reading, I tend to stay away from books about reading-not as a rule, just as a matter of preference.
I found the first essay about her and her husband to be quite poetic and enjoyable. Many pages later, I found the essay about reading aloud to each other also quite enjoyable.
Between those chapters, I found this book to be quite...unejoyable. This book is written for a person who loves to devour books and words, not just a person who likes books and likes to read. The author mentions reading a car manual from front to back. She also goes on to describe her family's love of correcting grammatical errors in everything they read. To think that it is somehow wonderful to find joy in perceived superiority that has only been gained from a place of privilege is really quite unbearable to me. I cannot imagine how this author would function on social media. Actually—I can. I can very clearly see this author engaging in a Facebook debate and thinking it is a valid debate point to say that their competitor used “you're” incorrectly and is somehow wrong solely for that reason.
If you identify as a physical book-obsessed, grammar-worshipping, bibliophile, this book is probably for you. As someone who mostly loves books for the stories they tell, this book was not for me.
This is a captivating story about a real couple. Their relationship is complicated and is further complicated by WWII.
The Nazis have occupied the Ritz. The Auzellos are trying to survive. The narrative goes back and forth between Blanch and Claude; however, Blanche is clearly our star. Her adventures and daring personality drive much of the plot here. I found this book to have me at the edge of my seat the whole time–this book is a great read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.