I didn’t immediately hop on the bandwagon for a copy of Olympus, Texas because the blurb compared it to The Iliad - something I have never read due toI didn’t immediately hop on the bandwagon for a copy of Olympus, Texas because the blurb compared it to The Iliad - something I have never read due to the fact that . . . . .
(It also namedropped Friday Night Lights, I guess because it was set in Texas???? Seems like maybe a stretch, but again I’ve not read that one either despite owning it for a hundred million years.)
Anyway, I decided to take a gamble when Richard Russo provided an endorsement since I have read and loved some of his stuff. (And a Pulitzer winner even – maybe I am smart after all!)
Turns out Russo was correct and the combo of an ensemble cast of relatives (100% my wheelhouse) and the Texas connection made me realize maybe my addiction to all things family drama might stem from my childhood where I spent all week counting down the minutes until I went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Friday nights and we watched . . . . .
If that’s true, then Knot’s Landing is probably the source of my affinity for neighborhood strife.
Olympus, Texas differs from some of my usual selections featuring meth and trailer parks, but that’s not to say there isn’t a whoooooooooooooooooooole lot going on. Mainly in the form of . . . . .
JanB, Diane S, debra, Marialyce and Sarah Obsesses over Books & Cookies all had success with this one too so I feel pretty comfortable declaring myself a “right reader” for once ; ) ...more
Ooooooooh boy it’s has been a minute since I’ve had a book hangover. Usually I mix up genres a little to keep things fresh, but I generally have zero problems starting a book right after finishing the previous one. It took me a solid day to figure out what was going to be coming up next for me after finishing this, however.
I also have to disclose that I actually sorta read a bit of the blurb here and confess that I put myself back at the bottom of the library hold list due to the story’s timeline running simultaneously with the L.A. Riots. A couple of months ago I just wasn’t in the right headspace to read a fictionalization that would serve as a reminder of how little times have changed. But then I read some real good stuff like Uncomfortable Conversations and my firm started posting more about inclusivity and diversity and this queued up the morning after a guilty verdict FINALLY was achieved in a blatant case of murder caught on tape so I put my big girl pants on and downloaded this.
And holy shit am I so glad I did. Not only can this author write her ass off, but the setting taking place so close and yet so far away from the uprising due to location as well as income level was just brilliant. If you know me you know I love a good coming of age story and young adult fiction that can be appreciated by us oldsters as well as the target demographic and this just checked every single box. This will easily go down as one of the best books I read in 2021. All the Starzzzzz.
I’m pretty sure Barnes & Noble’s ceaseless emails pushing this for their book club was the driving force behind me adding it to the TBR. (It definitely wasn’t the ugly cover!) Anyway, I read the premise before putting in my library request and while I’m not a huge reader of historic fiction, the premise of wealthy women basically vacationing while awaiting their “quickie” (a/k/a six week) divorces in Reno back in the late 1930s certainly caught my attention. Then I waited until I got the friendly reminder notifying me it would expire in a day to ever start reading it. Winning!
Anyway, this wasn’t terrible but I wasn’t a huge fan either. I think I’m in a bit of a funk. Nearly everything I’ve picked up lately has been falling in the 2.5-3.5 Star range. I’m going to go ahead and give this a straight up 3 Stars and point out just a few things that didn’t work for me. To begin with a positive, the ladies at the ranch were a real hoot. In particular Nina. It was so easy to picture one of America’s sweethearts playing the part on the big screen back in the day . . . .
And a supposed Ivy League brainiac to boot from a well-to-do family who lost it all during the Great Depression whose voice kept making me hear this guy in my head . . . .
Well, that was just distracting. Not to mention the fact that this book is all supposed to be about the WOMEN and ditching that zero and such but a DUDE is telling us the story? Right when I would really find myself getting lost in the tale, he’d chime in with some bullshit I could give a fart about and distract me from the only story that mattered – those of the potential divorcées. I’ve worked in large firms my entire adult life. I’ve had my fill of uninteresting old men wanting to talk only about themselves all day while attempting to put the interesting women on mute thankyouverylittle.
The good news is, I’m an avid enough reader to appreciate the fact that sophomore novels are hard. Especially coming off of a story featuring one of the best male characters ever. His name is Frank and I encourage everyone to read about him. I’m just going to chalk this latest release up as a great idea, but a bit of a flop on the delivery....more
And now a confession. Per usual, I didn’t read the blurb before putting myself on the waiting list (like seven months before its pub date after being denied an ARC). I am a sucker for a cartoon cover, a good title and I just assumed this would be a romance . . . .
In case you too are an idiot, let me tell you that it is not a Rom Com.
Instead what we have are the life stories of Anvar and Safwa – who both immigrated to the United States. Anvar’s family was originally from Pakistan and decided to move to the U.S. when he was a child due to feeling the tide of the country was turning into one that was no longer safe. Safwa was born in Iraq and pretty much makes a deal with the devil to get herself and her father, a former Iraqi prisoner who appears to be back on the powers-that-be’s radar, out of the country. What follows is their stories – separately and eventually together when they find themselves living in the same apartment building which offers a “good Muslim discount.” Decades are covered and there are both laughter and tears within the pages. No punches are pulled when it comes to uncomfortable subject matter such as abuse, politics, religion, breaking of tradition, etc., but nothing comes off heavy-handed or preachy. I’m very thankful this was an “own voices” author because from what I can see there has already been backlash from readers not liking the way the Muslim religion was represented. As a white privileged middle-aged woman, I have no dog in that hunt – I simply want a good story. But as someone raised in a VERY devout Catholic family, I felt such a connection with Anvar who was not willing to go with the flow and pretend to be a believer simply to not ruffle any feathers.
I thought this story was so well woven together and it will certainly earn all of the Stars from many. I’m deducting just a little bit because important details were sometimes glossed over – like how Anvar’s family became so settled and stable pretty much instantly upon their arrival and especially regarding exactly how Safwa made the trek from Mexico into the United States. I can only assume after American Dirt those pages were possibly put through the shredder in fear of riling the masses once again. Still, highly recommend this one and I’m surprised I’m the first of my friends that has read it....more
I was just bitching like two seconds ago in another review that blurbs comparing a book to others generally miss the mark, but True Grit meets The CruI was just bitching like two seconds ago in another review that blurbs comparing a book to others generally miss the mark, but True Grit meets The Crucible????
I also keep seeing this book referred to as “dystopian.” To all of you who used that phrase, allow me to quote my former beau Inigo Montoya and state . . . .
The first effing line of the book (which was a good ‘un) is . . .
In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw
I guess if painted with a reeeeeaaaaaal broad brush you wouldn’t get thrown in the stocks for using that term (unless you’re a woman in this novel, then you definitely would get strung up for basically anything, you witchy bitches), but I would call this a “reimagining.” The time is real, the place was real, the outlaws were real, exiling/offing barren women as worthless was more than likely real, hell even some of the characters were real – there’s just been some creative license taken with regard to their individual backstories.
This is the story of Ada, a midwife in training, who gets labeled a witch and sent to the nunnery for failing to produce offspring which her in-laws require in order for Ada to remain married to their son. Ever hopeful for more of a future, Ada ends up being shipped to the Hole in the Wall Gang and taken in by their leader, The Kid. It is there she meets a rabble-rousing band of misfits who have found solidarity and kinship after being ousted from their respective homes. Barren women, gender binary, homosexual, mentally ill – so many various personalities all accepting of one another and each other’s differences. Sounds like a utopia, huh? Well, unfortunately there’s also shoot-em-ups and lawmen who ain’t so keen on these outlaws stealing from folks, so there’s some action to be had as well.
As far as creativity goes, I would easily give this all the stars. I really think I just don’t like Westerns all that much, so my entertainment level hovered at 3 Stars throughout. Per usual, I suck turtles . . . .
I read a handful of Reese's Book Club selections in 2020 and I am fairly sure the trend will continue into the new year. Not only do I appre3.5 Stars
I read a handful of Reese's Book Club selections in 2020 and I am fairly sure the trend will continue into the new year. Not only do I appreciate the fact that the stories are female-centric and written by women as well, but it's nice to see the "chick lit" genre get taken to a little bit deeper level like these choices do. The Chicken Sisters is the story of two families who have maintained a Hatfield & McCoy type of feud for around 100 years. Each runs a chicken joint that claims to be the best. When an opportunity arises to be on Food Wars the families take it. And let me tell you chicken is the least of their concerns when it comes to family drama. I really enjoyed this one, but I have a feeling those of you who enjoy cooking competition types of shows will like it even more. While I watch every housewife of every dang city in the world, my reality viewing regarding food shows ended years ago when this fella was the only one doing them . . . .
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The one thing I do love, however, is . . . .
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And this one didn't disappoint! (But I will probably never eat at a fried chicken place ever again.)...more
That's great, it starts with an earthquake Birds and snakes, and aeroplanes Lenny Bruce Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
That's great, it starts with an earthquake Birds and snakes, and aeroplanes Lenny Bruce is not afraid Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn World serves its own needs Don't mis-serve your own needs Speed it up a notch, speed, grunt, no, strength The ladder starts to clatter With a fear of height, down, height Wire in a fire, represent the seven games And a government for hire and a combat site Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry With the Furies breathing down your neck Team by team, reporters baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped Look at that low plane, fine, then Uh oh, overflow, population, common group But it'll do, save yourself, serve yourself World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed Tell me with the Rapture and the reverent in the right, right You vitriolic, patriotic, slam fight, bright light Feeling pretty psyched . . . .
Ooooooooooooohweeeeeeee me likey this one! All I knew before diving into Leave the World Behind was it was about a family who has done some sort of Air B&B type rental for a week to escape the sweltering summer heat and work responsibilities of Brooklyn for a taste of how the other half lives in a Long Island McMansion – and then people who claim to be the house’s actual owners arrive in the night. My immediate reaction was . . . .
Because I am a huge fat baby and Us ‘bout made me pee myself so I am not about strangers showing up after dark and thinking they are coming into the house. Turns out it wasn’t going to be like Us at all so that was a relief!
Confession: I had never heard of this author before and only requested this book because I am a lemming and once everyone else starts posting about something I get FOMO. And also I was today years old when I realized that the Jenna of the “Read With Jenna” book club and Hoda’s co-host was G.W.’s daughter Jenna . . . .
Alright, so now comes the time when I say “this won’t be a book for everyone” and then feel stupid because DUH not every book is for everyone. That’s the whole reason a site like this even exists so we can all share our varying opinions and get trolled for being wrongreaders. Buuuuuuut, I’m gonna go ahead and say it again because this really isn’t for everyone. To begin with, this is not an in your face type of Armageddon. It’s super subtle and due to these folks being isolated out in the sticks they really have no clue what is happening in the rest of the world. They simply are aware that something like this happened in the city . . . .
And they probably shouldn’t go back there until that situation is rectified. If you don’t have time to dedicate and really sink in to this story, there’s probably a significant chance it will annoy the crap out of you. The entire reason the concept works is your own anxiety starts to crank up due to the unknown. Sort of like how the films Signs or A Quiet Place make you feel. The “what the fuck is happening” factor generates the heebie jeebies.
Also note Rumaan Alam is an obvious lover of words and uses them very well – to the point where a dumbo like me could have used a dictionary a time or two. And setting is a big thing. If you don’t want to hear about exactly what went in the grocery cart during a trip to the store or a step-by-step instructional on how to make the perfect grilled brie and chocolate sandwich (which, by the way, why the eff have I never had one of those before because that sounds like heaven) you might want to chuck this book out the window when it’s all said and done. But again, AT.MOS.PHERE. It’s where it’s at. One more thing: open endings. If you want your end of the world wrapped up and a body count provided, you need to look elsewhere.
So like I said, not for everyone. I read the majority of this on my lunch break during a pandemic where downtown looks more like a ghost town and when I was literally the only human on the 35th floor of a skyscraper while the wind was gusting at 50 MPH making all of the windows sound like they were going to blow out at any moment. Talk about right place/right time. ...more
I mean, unless the only requirement is to show a wedding from another country/culture. I guess if that’s the criteria then good job, Kirkus, you really nailed it!
I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one. I picked it up because it was one of Reece’s book club books and although I knew I wanted to start a new book, I also knew I would totally be hooked on Steve Kornacki’s khakis the entire time I was reading so it had to be light. Reece’s books seem to be a lot like her – pleasant and easy to be around. They are also female-centric and deliver some sort of social message without beating you over the head about it which I absolutely can get on board with.
The story here is about a young woman named Afi who finds herself in an arranged marriage to a man who doesn’t even show up for the wedding. Over time, their relationship improves and she begins to fall in love with him – which opens a whole other can of worms regarding commitment and fidelity and what is acceptable to Afi when it comes to her marriage. I was fascinated by the potential book club discussions regarding cheating. Particularly, who most would view as the “homewrecker” – the husband’s “baby mama” or Afi herself?
"Don't you wish you had a sack full of good days, Betty? Whenever you were havin' a baFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
"Don't you wish you had a sack full of good days, Betty? Whenever you were havin' a bad day you could reach into the sack and make everything better."
Between the ‘Rona being errrrywhere and homeschooling (both high school and college versions) and entirely new systems at work despite no one being at actual work, I haven’t been on here in a hot minute. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut I’m still reading like a maniac and had to say a lil’ summin about Betty. Pause for a brief synopsis . . . . .
Srsly. Oh poor Betty. My notes are full of “holy shits” and “make me stop feeling things, you fucker” (that last one was specifically for Tiffany McDaniel). In case you aren’t familiar with this novel, it’s a fictional biography inspired by the life of the author’s mother that spans from 1901 to 1973. It’s about family and race and class and prejudice and evils of men (and women) and life in Appalachia and a little folklore and a spot of ‘shine. And it is a nearly 500 page kick in the face. But somewhere in all that misery is a little hope and humor as well. Hope in the form of the best daddy I've ever met and humor in Betty herself . . . .
"I've never seen a colored before."
"And I've never seen a butt for a face before but if you don't turn around right now, I'm gonna take my daddy's pocketknife and cut you up into tiny pieces to mail to your momma in a heart-shaped box."
I’ve had The Summer That Everything Melted on my Kindle as an advanced copy since well before its release date, but continue to avoid it like the black plague due to fear of disappointing either My Bestie or My Nemesis when I read it wrong. I’m not going to make any promises that I’ll bump it up the TBR anytime soon, but after reading Betty I think I would likely lean more toward Shelby’s side of the fence.
This book is not going to be for everyone. In case you aren’t familiar with me, I don’t shy away from dark subject matter and when I say this one is brutal, I’m not kidding. Absolutely no punches were pulled so if you are of the sensitive nature or require your reviews come with a trigger warning, consider this your notice that EVERY trigger will be triggered.
4.5 Stars rather than 5 because it was just a weeeeee bit long in the tooth and not every page was necessary....more
Guaranteeing a nearly perfect rating from the masses and broadcasting my wrongreader status far and wide. The premise here starts off fairly simple . . . .
“A cloudy September afternoon in 1969. That’s the day the old deacon, known as Sportcoat to his friends, marched out to the plaza of the Causeway Housing Projects in South Brooklyn, stuck an ancient .38 Colt in the face of a nineteen-year-old drug dealer named Deems Clemens, and pulled the trigger.
What follows is a story about the neighborhood surrounding the Five Points Baptist Church and the various characters who reside near there. Church ladies, maintenance men with a government cheese side hustle, bumbling hitmen, a mobster known as the Elephant, and on and on. Serious messages are delivered with humor (sometimes to the point of being the annoying slapstick variety) as you meander through the interconnected tales of a possible missing treasure and missing Christmas club cash.
This was my second go around with McBride and at this point I feel comfortable saying my lack of stars comes from a place of enjoying the tale but not the telling. I just don’t connect with his writing. This had a lot of potential, and maybe it fell victim to the hype train for me....more
“Men die all the time in fights or pipeline explosions or gas leaks. They fall from cFind all of my reviews at: https://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“Men die all the time in fights or pipeline explosions or gas leaks. They fall from cooling towers or try to beat the train or get drunk and decide to clean their guns. Women are killed when they get cancer or marry badly or take rides with strange men.”
Boy was I afraid to read this one. It had a big ol’ following on the ‘Gram around release time and if you haven’t heard me mention it a time or twelve, that doesn’t necessarily bode well for your ol’ gal pal Kelly. Now before anyone gets their panties in a twist thinking that I’m bashing Insta please let it be noted that it and my newfound love for the TikToks are pretty much what has gotten my family through this ‘Rona without suffering a bludgeoning from my trusty Maglite. The difference between Bookstagram and Goodreads is over there I’m all about the pretty pictures, but may not actually share any of the same tastes with the people I follow. I’ve been a member here for what feels like eternity and have formed a trust circle of fellow curmudgeons, social deviants and general weirdos who pretty much are of one mind when it comes to books. This review is for those people. Don’t be askeered like me and steer clear of this. If you want atmosphere and setting, this is for you. If you want gritty, this is for you. If you want strong female narrators, this is for you.
Set at the beginning of the oil boom in the mid-70s, Odessa, Texas is a place that is changing. Ranches are drying up thanks to drought, but a new crop is on the rise – oil. Valentine jumps off with one of the newly arrived roughnecks taking a local girl out on a date. That girl winds up on a farmhouse porch beaten and bloodied. The story goes from there until the trial date and is told through different connected narratives voiced by various women who make up the town’s population regarding their own personal lots in life with just a touch of some Scout and Boo Radley from To Kill A Mockingbird to really send it over the edge into 5 Star territory. I can’t even words on this review due to my reaction being so opposite of what I went in anticipating. This book punched me right in the gut and that’s a pretty effing hard thing to do at this point.
Highly recommended and will most certainly go down as one of the best things I read in 2020. ...more
I had zero intention of ever picking this book up after having a real-not-so-grFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
I had zero intention of ever picking this book up after having a real-not-so-great-time with Everything I Never Told You. Even when it became a show with my decades-long girl crush Reese as the star and my years-but-not-quite-decades-long newer crush Kerry as the other star. And I even have Hulu thanks a package trio that began with the hubs’ obsession with Marvel (hence Disney+) and ESPN the Ocho (hence massive amounts of tears because everything sportsball related has been cancelled for 2020 and you have to watch old Tiger Woods victories on repeat if you want any Saturday action). But then my real-life reading pal Reggie told me it was good and we are of like minds when it comes to books and it was also available for instant checkout through the library so I figured what the hell.
In case you’re new here, allow me to sum up my personality in .gif format for you . . . . .
During lockdown I have been mixing up my reading as much as possible to keep things from blending into one another (especially thrillers – boy do I forget what those are about like 12 seconds after finishing the book), but I really dig a story full of unlikeable people. Generally I tend to root for the underdog (even when they are murderers or meth-heads), but everyone once in a while I really appreciate a book where I can just kind of hate on everyone. Thus was the case with Little Fires Everywhere. When my husband asked what it was like, my response was pretty much . . . .
I am just old enough to remember when surrogacy and foreign adoption and birth mother rights were new and the court battles that went on regarding change of mind or change of heart. Placing this firmly in that time (with subtle reminders in the form of television programs/songs/election campaigns, etc.) was a smart choice by the author. This would be a fun one for a book club to see just which characters people found sympathetic/which side of some of these hot button topics people choose. And then there would be me sitting in the corner by myself with my shitty attitude that found all three female leads to be atrocious . . . . .
Which translates to “a disgusting garbage person with zero triggers who wants to read all of the potentially disturbing things.”
Luckily I live in a city with one of the greatest library systems imaginable and I was able to snag this from the “New and Notable” shelf before COVID-19 shut down the entire universe.. In case you aren’t aware of what My Dark Vanessa is about – it is the story of an affair between a 15-year old student and her 42-year old English teacher. It is presented in the wibbly-wobbly time format with chapters both in the present (2017 coinciding with #timesup) back to 2007 when the relationship began and gradually works its way back to the present. It was one of the most highly anticipated new releases of 2020 and is receiving rave reviews across the internet. So, of course I read it wrong.
I will concede that the content is “dark” (for lack of a better term). I’m not going to go into the realism of events or not due to the fact that I never had any personal experience with this subject matter. I can only assume it is fairly accurate in its depiction when it comes to a child being “groomed” and the feelings each party experiences in the immediate aftermath as well as for years to come. I will say, however, that although there are scenes of a graphic nature, it certainly didn’t come off as an attempt to titillate or for shock and awe. If you don’t read books as black as Mitchell’s soul on the regular, you’ll be flabbergasted. If you gravitate toward those types of stories already, this one probably isn’t going to have you clutching your pearls any more than any other novel containing squicky themes. The presentation was more matter-of-fact – a/k/a “this happened, this is how it happened, this is what was said while it happened, this is how I felt when it happened,” etc. It’s like one never-ending therapy session where the patient is stuck in a limbo of denial. If I ever interacted with other humans willingly I would love to sit in on a random book club and hear the conversations that could be generated after reading this – from the Me Too Movement to who gets the right to label someone a victim and exactly what equates assault/harassment/rape/etc. Assuming the room didn’t break out in fisticuffs, it would be a real eye opener regarding people’s individual opinions. It’s a shame Oprah got bullied into removing it as her March selection.
Realistically, though, this can’t receive more than 2 Stars from me due to the fact that it took me three solid days to trudge through it and I found my interest waning repeatedly. The writing certainly does not hold a candle to Nabokov (but if you take a drink every time he/his works are mentioned you’ll be in the ER getting your stomach pumped) or the more recent Putney and drones on and on for far too many pages with no progression ever made in the storyline. Bottom line I found it exhausting. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I always give props to writers who are willing to take a risk and this book is most definitely risky so you go Glenn Coco....more
American Dirt has been on my TBR for a minute. All I knew about the story before knowing I wanted to read it was it begins with the gunning down of nearly an entire family at a quinceañera by the cartel. That right there is what you call . . . .
By this point 99.999999% of you have already decided if you’re going to read this or not. I mean, not only did it make the internet explode (we’ll get to that later), but it has also been chosen by The Queen of All Things and Barnes and Noble as their book club selections. For the one person out there who doesn’t know anything about this book, from the jumping off point above survivor Lydia knows that her son’s life is in jeopardy and they must immediately escape Acapulco. The only place she can imagine being far enough away from the reaches of the cartel to disappear completely is the United States. Thus begins a fifty-three day, 2,645 mile journey detailing the lengths a mother will go to for her child. Basically . . . .
“Like in the movies?”
“Yes, mijo. Just like in the movies.”
Interspersed within that tale is the background of just how their family became targets to begin with as well as those of other migrants they meet along the way. It is a FICTIONAL depiction. There are a lot of instances of right place/right time, kindness of strangers, better them than me, thank god we had money, etc., etc., etc. that obviously make this dissimilar to most true accounts. But no one ever said it was based on a true story, so my rating has been driven by my investment in the characters and the page turnability factor.
Talk about a story that sucked me in until the last page! Well, nearly the last page. Per usual I could have lived without the Epilogue. This was a story of the migration itself, after all, and having a blip of an “after” without any details regarding the hows behind Lydia and Luca’s new life, school, etc. was unnecessary to me (and also left a lot of unanswered questions to those truly ignorant of the undocumented person’s experience when it comes to becoming a member of society without truly being allowed legally to be a member of society). I did not feel like this was ANYTHING resembling “tragiporn” until the very end (as I said, in reality I’m sure many more tragedies generally face those attempting to make this trek) and a fade-to-black approach was taken rather than graphic content being added to amp up the shock and awe factor. There were no “white saviors” to come rescue the characters. The story did not perpetuate negative stereotypes other than the cartel is not made up of good guys, which hopefully everyone can agree on. To me, it was simply brilliant.
Now it’s probably time to address the pink elephant in the room.
Once upon a time there was an author who showed up at a reviewer’s house and stalked her for not liking her book. I immediately went to the library so I could read it (and my husband was absolutely horrified by what a whackjob I obviously am). When asked if I was still going to read this, my response was simply . . . .
I had tried and failed to get an ARC, then begged the library to buy it for me, then waited an eternity for it to be released and got first dibs for my efforts . . . which just so happened to be the same day the poo really hit the fan on the intertubes. I couldn't wait to start this son-of-a-gun.
I want to make something real clear in that I believe everyone has a right to have an opinion as well as the right to express it. People should stand up for what they believe in. I thought the conversation was going to be that encouraging publishers/readers to experience more #ownvoices selections, which is great. What I didn’t expect was this attempt to keep authors from writing any character or story they have in their brain due to not be “brown” enough as the case was here (or gay enough or Muslim enough or any other type of “enough” in other cases). Censorship is something I will never get behind. We need as many voices as possible bringing real-life issues to the forefront. Not to mention the flat-out trolling of any reader/reviewer who dared to give American Dirt a chance.
I also encourage people to make sure they have their “own voice” before jumping onto the bandwagon of some of these social justice warriors. You will find people who have not even bothered to read the book themselves and are simply regurging what others have said, or who have an ulterior motive of attempting to sell their own wares, or who have gone viral by devolving into calling a complete stranger a bitch and a “white” person (despite her being of Puerto Rican descent). That is gross. But again, bottom line is opinions are like assholes and what people think about a book is 100% an opinion. My opinion just so happens to agree with the Instagrammer who renamed this release . . . . .
Maybe that’s my privilege showing. And speaking of . . . . do you see that blurb? DON WINSLOW??? A white dude who has made an entire career out of writing books about Mexicans. Yet no one seems to have a problem with him. Or even better, why weren’t people up this guy’s ass????
Dammmmmmmn, son. Talk about #hollywoodsowhite. Not to mention those two actually write stuff that perpetuates the falsity that MexicansSoBad.
But enough of this. Read the book if you want, don’t read it if you don’t. And now to quote my boys Ed Sheeran and Khalid . . . .
♪♫♪I could use some help Gettin' out of this conversation, yeah♪♫♪
Let’s end this with some recommended selections for those who may be looking for #ownvoices stories:
Fruit of the Drunken Tree Prayers for the Stolen Persepolis Darius the Great Is Not Okay The Joy Luck Club Inside Out and Back Again Two Boys Kissing Exit West Night The God of Small Things anything by Sherman Alexie anything by Jason Reynolds
Trollish comments will be automatically deleted this time around. I don’t feel like playing with you dickheads....more
There’s really no reason why either. I seriously think the title and cover were both so “meh” to me that I just assumed I wouldn’t like it and I’m generally not a blurb reader so I didn’t even bother with that. That’s stupid too, because I have a pretty good track record when it comes to enjoying Pulitzer Prize winners. And as far as Oprah Book Club books are concerned? Well . . . . .
Whatever the cause, I had passively avoided this for over a decade and probably would have continued to do so if I hadn’t stumbled upon my friend Debbie’s pogo-sticking review of the original and seeing post upon post about the soon-to-be-released sequel. I decided to go ahead and pick it up since it was handily available at the downtown library. I had no idea that nearly every moment (except for hopefully the smacky ones) spent with Olive would have me saying . . . .
Aside for one second when I thought she might be debra . . . .
“Let me tell you, that idiot ex-cocaine-addict was never a cowboy. He can wear all the cowboy hats he wants. He’s a spoiled brat to the manor born. And he makes me puke.”
I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character as much as I did this one. As the blurb states – at its core this is a book about the human condition. It’s presented in the form known as a composite novel or a short story cycle . . . .
Where vignettes regarding various townsfolk throughout various periods of time all intertwine to paint a larger story. Olive is either a featured or bit player in each of them. Gruff at best or downright cold and brittle at worst, even Olive’s family find her hard and unfeeling, but as the reader gets to know her they discover it’s because she has extreme difficulty expressing her feelings or interacting with others period. Don’t know if she’s for you? Here’s a little taste . . . .
“My God, you do have the passions and the prejudices of a peasant.”
“That’s it. At least I’m not prejudiced against homosexuals.”
“No, just white men with money.”
Damn right, she thought.
And this snippet from my favorite entry of the entire book – “Basket of Trips:”
“I’ve been thinking about killing Kerry.” She raises a hand from her lap and exposes a small paring knife lying on her green flowered dress.
“Oh,” says Olive.
Marlene bends over the sleeping Kerry and touches the woman’s bare neck. “Isn’t this some major vein?” she asks, and puts the knife flat against Kerry’s neck, even poking slightly at the vague throbbing of the pulse there.
“Yuh. Okay. Might want to be a little careful there.” Olive sits forward.
In a moment Marlene sighs, sits back. “Okay, here.” And she hands the paring knife to Olive.
“Do better with a pillow,” Olive tells her. “Cut her throat, there’s going to be a lot of blood.”
I’m giving this 4.5 Stars rather than all 5 simply for the fact that not every entry was as perfectly perfect perfection as the aforementioned.
P.S. This was a book while reading that played like a movie in my head . . . but due to the format I wasn’t sure how well it would translate. Apparently it translated pretty well a few years ago because it won all of the Emmys . . . .
Ted Grayson was a trustworthy news anchor for more than 20 years. So why does Talk To Me open with him attempting to kill himself via not pulling the cord on his parachute after jumping from a plane? Well, it was a little like this . . . . .
Forty-eight hours in and it was at more than two million views. By week’s end it would be five million. The comments were unrelenting and savage. Some were sarcastic. Some were funny. Some suggested he should kill himself. By Wednesday the comments section would be disabled by YouTube customer service, in large part because a repeat commenter was threatening to kill Ted. The troll gave Ted’s Bedford address. The Bedford Police Department put a patrol car in front of Ted’s house.
In a world where comments are King and websites called “scheisse” - ran by uggos like this . . . . .
Not that I’m any better than the next. I spend most of my life reading trashy romances or farfetched thrillers and posting gif-filled reviews. At least I don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account, I guess ; )
But seriously. Selections like this are what the not-scared-t0-deal-with-real-stuff Book Club participants should be picking up (not that Reece Witherspoon’s choices aren’t usually a decent way to pass the time, but those are probably more for Wine Club with a Side of Book groups). This one will definitely get you talking about the issues.
In case you aren’t familiar, very briefly The Nickel Boys is “the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.” It is based on a place that actually existed and tells of the “teaching” that went on there. The school was segregated, so the two boys who are the focus of this story are black. Everyone and their dog has been reading this. Even Barry . . . .
I’m not going to get super detailed and pick apart this book because I read it wrong didn’t hate it. At all. It just didn’t really make me feel all the things it was supposed to make me feel. And the ending?????
I get that the ending was supposed to make me believe in hope and YES WE CAN and feel all the feels. But I have always been pretty clear that I don’t like to be emotionally manipulated – especially when 99.9999% of the story was supposed to be based on facts. You can’t throw in the unfathomable and expect me to swallow it down.
Maybe this would have worked better for me if it had been completely non-fiction rather than historical fiction based on reality. I’m almost certain the novella length did me no favors. Or heck, maybe Colson Whitehead is just not the author for me. He blew me away with The Underground Railroad, but also wrote the most boring zombie book in the history of the universe and now I feel mediocre about this one. I’ll still most likely pick up his next release since the library is only a couple of blocks away, but I’ll lower my expectations from this point forward.
That being said, I agree this is an important story to tell. I would highly encourage high school teachers to recommend it to their students. While the plot may be dark, details have been spared so I believe older teens would be/should be a target demographic for this one. After all, they are the ones who can change the world and they need to remember to . . . .
Make a career of humanity. Make it a central part of your life.
If you are looking for another book (I don’t feel comfortable calling it “true” since it appears the author may have pulled a James Frey regarding his “nonfictional” life story) of the atrocities that happen to boys in a juvie home that then follow them throughout their lives, I can’t recommend Sleepers enough – either the book or the film....more
Little Faith is only my second experience with this author, but I’m most definitely willing to say damn this fella can write. The story here centers around Lyle and Peg – retirees residing in rural Wisconsin. Their daughter Shiloh has recently returned to the family homestead along with her six-year old son Isaac. She’s also become an active member of a new church . . . .
Holy-Rollers I was maybe prepared for. But it seems our daughter has joined a cult.
Lyle lost his faith years ago when he and Peg’s son was born – only to die within hours. However, he’s always been supportive of Peg’s (and anyone else’s) beliefs when it comes to things of a godly nature. But when Joel Osteen Shiloh’s pastor (and potential future husband) amps up the creep factor by claiming Isaac to be a “healer” Lyle has trouble keeping his opinions to himself - potentially breaking up their newly reunited family.
As you can see, at its heart this is a story about family and faith. It’s probably not for everyone since there’s not a lot of action or bells and whistles, but I found it to be absolutely absorbing. I felt I actually knew these people by the time I was done reading and I was bummed to not get to be part of their lives any longer. I wanted to shake the crap out of Shiloh and her Kool-Aid drinking idiot ways, run “Pastor” Steven over with a truck and become best friends with Hoot. I’m pretty thrilled that there’s not only another Butler novel out there that I’ve not yet read, but also that I discovered an (olllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllld) unread ARC of his short-story collection on the Kindle the other day. I’m officially a fan. ...more
Moment of truth: I am still actively avoiding Boyne’s mega-hit-with-all-my-friends The Heart’s Invisible Furies because I’m afraid I’m going to be the dissenting opinion and I don’t want to be stoned to death in the public square. I also have to confess that despite buddying up with my kid for The Boy In The Striped Pajamas a few years ago when it was a required read for school, I didn’t remember Boyne being the author so it was pretty much like he was brand new to me (and also, the latter was a YA book so my two experiences were truly apples and oranges).
I decided to roll the dice and request this from NetGalley after seeing many comments both here and Instagram regarding what a vile main character it contained. And yes, I was totally prepared to fall in love with him. Upon being approved I did what I do best - sat on it forever instead of reading it. But then it was chosen as a Book of the Month selection and I decided to bite the bullet. So what did I think of Maurice????
Ha! Just kidding. He really was awful. I will say that I immediately knew where the story was going (the first part had just a teensie bit of an Apt Pupil vibe that was impossible for me to ignore). It doesn’t appear that was the case for everyone, however, and some were completely blown away by Maurice and his attitude of . . . .
“I want to be a success. It’s all that matters to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.”
Luckily it didn’t matter even one iota that this wasn’t full of shock and awe for me. The storytelling was brilliant and the only reason I’m holding out on a full 5 Stars is because I feel like I need to save at least a half for if I ever get brave enough to try The Hearts Invisible Furies.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!...more
I wanted The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls for the title alone and was beyond shocked when I received an advanced copy back in October . . . . which I then promptly made sure to not read due to the blurbage that stated it was for fans of An American Marriage. Uhhhhhhhhhhh. With the release date quickly approaching I figured it was time to put on my big girl panties and let the chips fall where they may.
I opted to bite the bullet when I got home from work last Thursday (a night that I usually have alone, but thanks to endless ice/rain/sleet/hail/thundersnow (yes, that’s a thing) I had the family with me). Luckily a snow day for Friday had already been called and the hubs had a very important Iowa Hawkeye basketball game to watch so it was pretty much like no one was there anyway. It was a good thing too because I read this book cover-to-cover in the course of that evening – becoming so wrapped up in the lives of the Butler family that I totally ignored my own.
The story here begins with Althea and her husband Proctor being sentenced to the federal penitentiary for food stamp and charity fraud. What unfolds is the history of three sisters and a brother who grew up in a family who firmly believe in the principal . . . .
“The past is the past.”
The reader discovers the Butlers are a group who should have had someone willing to have a moment like this with their daddy . . . .
I will admit that there were some things I wanted to know moremoremoremoremore about – specifically Althea and Proctor's crimes. However, I fully understand that since those two characters were incarcerated it would have been more than a little far-fetched for them to share any additional details that had not been provided/alluded to. (Inquiring minds still want to know/are disappointed they don't, though.) But really, at the end of the day? Family drama is my siren song - 4 Stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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