Lauren
I'm done reading this series and author. Don't continue to read if you don't want any spoilers for the book.
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SPOILERS
Why was it necessary for the author's fake persona to insist that he has every right to write about other people's lived experiences, especially those of minorities? One of the biggest lessons we ALL should have learned from everything that's happened since 2020 is that we should be listening to OWN VOICES, and when a Native American character is insisting that you don't have their permission to tell their story, you should respect that. Not have your white, upperclass male author lecture (***read throw a tantrum) about why he's entitled to write about whoever he wants.
It was incredibly frustrating to have the main character agreeing with the elitist views of the lawyer whose wealthy family shifted the blame of a crime from their rich, privileged son onto a blue collar kid with a troubled family life.
One of the biggest re-occurring issues I've had with Anthony Horowitz is the homophobia he writes into the books, and here we are yet again with that being an element of one of the characters. It's not necessary.
Your ability to write a good mystery does not exempt you THE AUTHOR from being socially conscious or writing characters that can grow and change based on new information.
I didn't know what to expect going into this so discover a surreal sci-fi/fantasy sapphic love story was quite the surprise. This short tale weaves through time as two opponents try to best one another. An abstract, epic, story that at the heart of it is about how love can be the most powerful weapon of all.
This was less of a traditional graphic novel and more a short memoir/self help book with illustrations.
I absolutely agreed with a lot of talking points of this book, and resonated with the self discovery journey because it felt very parallel to my own.
I think the target audience for this one would be in the 15-25 range. I think if younger people had a lot more realistic conversations with other and themselves about love and relationships as well as understanding/knowing themselves rather than this idea that you think everyone wants you to be then you will discover sooner what you need and want from a partner.
There is a lot of practical, relatable advice in here that anyone looking to find lasting love would benefit from.
***Thank you to Chronicle Books and PA Press for providing me with the eBook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
Really wanted to love this one especially because of the age group that's being targeted and was into for the first half, but then my feelings quickly went down hill.
The artwork was absolutely wonderful (5/5!!!), and the original concept was cute. Unfortunately, I felt that the execution of the overall story was very disappointing.
One of the biggest issues I had was the type of language that was being thrown around because it was very body/sex shaming and name calling/bullying. There isn't a great resolution in multiple instances despite there being an opportunity to really have teachable moments about why we shouldn't use language like that.
There were quite a few heavy topics discussed and I personally would want to be having additional conversations with my young reader outside of this book because there isn't a lot of nuance here and while I understand this is targeting a younger audience and is also a graphic novel so there is a desire for it to be shorter, I still think there could have been a more in depth discussion and learning that could have occurred.
***Thank you to Astra Publishing House and Hippo Park for providing me with the eBook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
3.5 and rounding up.
As an audiobook narrator and voice actor, it's not every day you have a plot centered around our industry.
I don't read a lot of romance, but this felt very much like the Emily Henry and Beth O'Leary books I've read so if you are fan of those I would say you will probably enjoy this one as well.
And of course Julia Whelan's performance was top-notch. You are doing yourself a disservice not listening to such a talent.
This was an interesting read. It's a collection of messages sent in the first few weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that started in February 2022.
A professor from Sweden reached out to alumni from a program that was hosted in Ukraine and offered them places to stay in Sweden, and this is a series of responses he received. It shows the range of feelings and reactions the people in Ukraine experienced including the determination to stay and fight and provide support or to get as far away from the fighting as possible. It highlights the displacement of war, the love of country, and resilience of people.
It's a short read, and at the end features some information about how and why the collection was made. As well as a study guide, which I could see being useful for a younger audience to discuss in class or at home, or even just critically think about on their own.
Proceeds from the sale of Messages from Ukraine will go to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, a national charitable foundation that provides humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine.
***Thank you to University of Toronto Press for providing me with the ePub for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
This is my first time with this series, and would definitely be interested in checking out more from it.
THE WOMAN IN THE WOODS AND OTHER NORTH AMERICAN STORIES is a collection of re-imagined folklore by indigenous authors and illustrators. The nations represented include: Odawa, Chickasaw, Métis, Cree, Ojibwe, Taino, Navajo, S'Kallam.
As with any short story collection, there were some I really liked and others that weren't my favorite, but I always like hearing different voices and seeing such variety of art styles. I find that Native mythology isn't really taught here in the USA unless you seek it out specifically. This would be a great introduction for a younger reader. A quick and accessible read that will hopefully a jumping off point to seeking out more.
***Thank you to Letter Better Publishing Services and Iron Circus Comics for providing me with the ePub for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
I like the concept of this collection that celebrates women. This is a translated work that features female voices and illustrators from Spain.
There were a couple of standout stories that I really enjoyed, and a few that I felt could have been a bit longer to leave the reader with a bit more impact. I always love having the opportunity to hear voices from different cultures and backgrounds. It provides such meaningful perspective that really shows the commonality we share while also highlighting the beauty of the differences.
It would have been great to see even more representation especially from Black, Disabled, and Trans authors and illustrators.
TW for ED.
***Thank you to IDW Publishing for providing me with the ePub for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
3,5 Going into this book I was expecting a breakdown of actionable steps in working towards abolition of the current incarceration and policing systems here in the USA.What I discovered was more of a handbook in how to be an effective activist and avoid burnout, which is a very important thing to learn and something I struggle with. I found the breakdown of how to building up emotional intelligence, how to listen without judgment and how to apologize and take accountability to be very valuable lessons for anyone to work on.The title felt a bit misleading about the content, but that is partly because of how and what I associate with the word abolitionist. To me, a better word would have been activist because the content in the book felt more broad and targeted towards everyone in the social justice movement, rather than specifically abolition.The book is a useful read for anyone practicing any type of activism, and I would recommend it to folx who are struggling with finding their place in the movement and balancing their life/work/activism.***Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
This is a great, easy read for anyone, but I would especially recommend it to parents of young readers and teens. Inside you'll discover a wonderful collection of short bios about Black women from many different backgrounds and interests.
Unfortunately, I only recognized some of the names mentioned in here, which is a perfect illustration of how important this kind of book is for everyone to read. I heard about a lot of amazing Black women's accomplishments and legacy's, and felt so inspired by their stories. I loved how accessible the book is because society/public education tends to over look how much women have contributed to so many different industries, and especially Black women.
This is a great jumping off point to start exploring the women mentioned more in depth, or to seek out others who weren't.
The audiobook is an excellent experience, and useful way to introduce the information to younger readers. You could easily have it playing in the car and get through a handful of bios and I imagine they would inspire some wonderful conversations.
***Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing me with the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
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.
WHAT IT TOOK TO WIN, is a summation of the history of the Democratic party. I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in a more in depth look of the party rather than just relying on what you were taught in school.
My big take away is that since it's conception, the party has been practicing the same tactics and from the beginning, and that corruption and the lust for power being a major motivator is not a thing of the past, nor is it unique to modern times.
We often have tunnel vision when it comes to our lived experiences, and this book really illustrates how humans repeat the same behavior over and over again.
I appreciated the final 3rd of the book which explored how the support of labor/unions/workers is where the modern democratic party has found it's power, and that if they continue to turn their backs on that they will continue to lose the support of the people.
***Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing me with the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
If you want to relive the trauma of the Trump presidency, then this will do it for you.
In all seriousness, this is a comprehensive summary of everything that happened during his 2016 run, his 4 years in the White House and on January 6th.
I think if you've been playing close attention nothing new will be presented here, but for the casual observer this will be an eye opening timeline and explanation of how Trump was able to manipulate the masses and bully his peers into blindly supporting him.
Trump's determination to appear strong, and willingness to lie about both small and big things in order to create a narrative that keeps him in power, has completely undermined not only our democracy, but has destroyed a large portion of the population's ability to trust reality. It has created an environment in which people will only believe what makes them feel good/strong and they will steamroll anyone who gets in the way of that.
We will dealing with the aftermath of his time in office for decades, and it's important for people to understand, that Trump will continue to work towards regaining the power of the White House. But even more importantly, he has shown others the playbook on how to achieve the same kind of power and those who will be even more skilled at playing the game will be looking to replace him in 2024. If America wants to remain a democracy, it's critical that everyone remain vigilant and show up to the polls at EVERY election.
***Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.
I think most people wouldn't think about the links between food and racism, but it is most definitely a thing.
In EATING WHILE BLACK we get an examination of the different aspects of the role white supremacy has played in the practice and culture of eating.
All our lives the media, nutrition science, economics, and public policy have helped shape opinions among both Black and non-Black Americans about what is healthful and right to eat, and many of those opinions are influenced by racism. For instance, a savory french dish may be deemed eloquent and high class, while a savory soul food dish served will be viewed as unhealthy, indulgent and unsophisticated.
This book challenges us to examine the lens in which we view food, how we often shame people for their food choices, and to dive deeper into why we have those feelings.
***Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.