Becca

In Are Prisons Obsolete? (published in 2003), activist and scholar Angela Davis discusses why it's so hard for so many to imagine a world without prisons. Though there are people who have studied police and prison abolition for decades, such concepts are unfamiliar to most of us. They seem idealistic, unrealistic. Something that could only work in a utopia, or more bluntly, something that could never work in reality. Many factors make prison what it is today, in this country. The average American's distance from and/or indifference to prison life. Disproportionate sentencing of people of color. Private prisons with incentive to maximize the number of inmates and the length of their sentences, to maintain a robust workforce. That is to say, any idea of rehabilitation and eventual reintegration into society is not only irrelevant, but directly opposed to prison privatization. All of the above and more combine to form an environment where exploitation and violence fester unchecked. In the worst cases, abuse is not only permitted but justified as another way to control and punish prisoners. The logic here is, “they deserve whatever they get, they're criminals.” It's easier to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses when you dehumanize those targeted.In an interesting chapter about gender, Davis talks about how women of color are cast as simultaneously hypersexual and unfeminine. She talks about how women's prison labor has historically focused on domesticity. For white women, this meant developing skills to be a homemaker to a future husband and children. But for women of color, this meant developing skills to cook and clean and childrear on behalf of affluent white women. She also discusses how women have been institutionalized in a different sense, in psychiatric wards, saying “deviant men have been con­structed as criminal, while deviant women have been con­structed as insane.” This last point is important to keep in mind as we have conversations about having social workers and psychiatrists step in where police do now.I will warn, if you are looking for a good place to start, this is not that. Try [b:The New Jim Crow 6792458 The New Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Michelle Alexander https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328751532l/6792458.SX50.jpg 6996712] (available immediately from my library on hoopla), or Ava DuVernay's documentary 13th (available on Netflix and in-full on YouTube here). But for those interested, a free PDF of Are Prisons Obsolete is available here!

A very timely book due to current events. Vitale argues that police reform often applies band-aid solutions that fail to address the root of social inequities and the function of policing itself. Increasing the budget for body cameras and mandating implicit bias seminars, he argues, does not disrupt how police officers often exist primarily to intimidate and control (especially marginalized) communities, suppress political dissent, and uphold the status quo, no matter how unjust.

So what's to be done? He proposes a shift in priorities and funding. Challenge the idea that the more police there are and the more funding they receive, the safer everyone will be. Reallocate funds that militarize police and shield them from accountability.

Instead, like preventative medicine, alleviate root causes of unrest and disruption. Many such causes are linked to poverty and its dearth of resources and opportunities. Give people better access to and higher quality education, food, healthcare, and housing. Research has shown we cannot police or incarcerate our way out of drug use, homelessness, and sex work. It's not only harrowing, but also outrageously expensive and pitifully ineffective. Instead of spending billions on what doesn't work, why don't we spend millions on what does, while bettering millions of lives?

America is a country Americans are taught to think about in a certain way. It's a country that teaches its own history in a certain way. It's unpleasant to think about how central racism has been to this nation, and how racism has evolved to be as relevant today as it ever was. But books like this help us envision a world where different priorities and outcomes are possible.

FYI, you can download a free End of Policing ebook from the publisher here!

You think middle grade is a safe bet when you're trying to consume light and fluffy media because 2020 is putting you through it? Wrong, this book attacked me in my own home, which I am still leaving as little as possible.

A Kind of Paradise is a book about how important public libraries are to the community, how many small and big things they do for so many. How they provide opportunities to learn and grow and change, how they provide comfort and fun. How they let people both escape the world and connect with one another. They provide people things they can't find anywhere else, for free. Public libraries are quite literally a lifeline for many of society's most vulnerable.

A Kind of Paradise is also about how hard public libraries often have to fight for even a scrap of economic stability. It's about disconnects between the ornate gilded past and current shoestring budgets. It's about how some dismiss the library as irrelevant in the 21st Century, as no longer necessary or worth it. As a public library employee both yearning for and terrified of reopening our doors to the public during an epidemic, amidst sweeping funding cuts, it hit way too close to home (where I am).

This book is a good depiction of work in a public library—you can tell the author has firsthand experience. It's rarely glamorous, it's often gross. You encounter a lot of aggravation that has nothing to do with you. You treat people with more patience and dignity than they might ever show you. You listen, both to sympathize and solve. You enforce policies equitably, which sometimes includes making exceptions. But I tell you what, there's nothing more gratifying that helping an elderly patron print off photos of their granddaughter, who, they'll have you know, just placed second in the school science fair. You can't convince me otherwise.

The Return is a horror debut about a dysfunctional group of four women who struggle to be honest with each other, no matter how high the stakes. Even when one of them goes on a hike and disappears without a trace. Especially when one of them goes on a hike and disappears without a trace.It's an interesting mix of characters. There are no male characters of importance, and all of the women are distinct and flawed. They're inconsistent, often abrasive. Sometimes it verges on unrealistic—who has the energy to maintain friendships that tense? I had a similar gripe with [b:Gone Girl 19288043 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554086139l/19288043.SY75.jpg 13306276], but these dynamics felt more human, at least. More about insecurity than manipulation.But did I like it? I don't really know. It didn't scare me so much as gross me out. There's not really a big twist—what's happening was fairly obvious to me early on, and it was a slow build to a gruesome end. I think the depiction of disordered eating might upset a lot of readers—that's a general content warning.I will say, when I wasn't repulsed, I did like the writing. It was really easy for me to picture what Harrison was describing, to really feel what the characters were. I like rooting for characters that I don't necessarily relate to or always like. There were oddly funny moments. The diversity was explicitly defined but not hamfisted, presented as just a fact of life. I'm too squeamish to guarantee I'd pick up another Harrison horror, but if I have enough time to recover between them I might try. Maybe. It was gross, to me!

I don't know when I started or finished this. Sometime several weeks ago. Days don't exist anymore, to me. It was funny and I liked it.

Volume 4 covers early adulthood existential crises (what's that like?), trying to pay your way for the first time, cutthroat competitions for poorly maintained off-campus housing, and having a terrible time trying to rebound via dating apps after a painful breakup. We learn a little more about all three main characters, even as they're provided opportunities to grow and change.

Susan struggles with her ex moving on. Daisy struggles with a hostile instructor. Esther and Ed get caught up in a dubious side hustle. They go to an outdoor musical festival and find it far less picturesque than expected. They go to IKEA and are overwhelmed in a good way, then go home to build flatpack furniture and are overwhelmed in a bad way. It's a rambunctious, endearing, fun time.

I've having trouble reading these days, can't imagine why. Luckily I grabbed most of this graphic novel series before my library closed indefinitely.

Volume Three, was, like the prior two, a delight. It follows the same group of freshman going to university in England. This volume looks at student journalism and elections, poor time management and resultant sleep deprivation, and difficulties in having your college friends and friends from back home mingle. The characters are dramatic, angsty, utter messes, and I love them.

Onto Volume Four.

Finally, some answers! I really enjoyed the ending to this series.

This is some interesting YA. The characters are distinct and flawed (except Janelle, she is perfect), yet each have their appeal. The dialogue is realistic and genuinely funny. Alternating between the 1930s and 2010s makes it feel like both contemporary and historical fiction. The article clippings and interview transcripts give it an epistolary twist.

Stevie is an endearing and intriguing protagonist. She's proof that mental illness does not disqualify you from tense, high-stakes professions. She works through her anxiety, helped by both medication and therapy. She acts even when she's scared, despite swirling thoughts that she's not good enough, and despite certain characters who seem to agree. It's great representation of anxiety.

This is also good quarantine content. It's suspenseful and sometimes eerie. The students live in uncertainty, scrambling to keep hold of plans and aspirations as horrors unfold beyond their control (was that heavy-handed enough?). But having friends to talk to and lean on means you laugh even during weird, dark times (was THAT heavy-handed enough?).

Sometimes you need some escapism and some answers to problems. And with the Truly Devious trilogy, Johnson provides both. Even if she makes you wait for the latter.

I've not read in a few weeks because of the whole “global epidemic” thing and “not being able to stop reading the news” and “constantly checking in with loved ones” and “personally spiralling, on and off” etc, etc. But I'm back, baby! Reading hardcovers, which blessedly lack horrifying push notifications.


Go with the Flow is a graphic novel that straddles the line between middle grade and teen. It features a group of four girls frustrated by their school charging students for pads and tampons. Unlike toilet paper, another sanitary necessity, the pads and tampons are locked in dispensers with coin slots. To add insult to injury, they always seem to be empty.

This book is an accessible primer on period poverty and stigma, and how it's difficult to make change when the powers that be are dismissive and squeamish about even acknowledging something around half of all humans experience.

Go with the Flow is inclusive to trans men and gender nonconforming folks, reinforcing that girls and women are not the only ones who bleed. It considers how and why the topic of menstruation is surrounded with shame. The authors talk about how girls are ridiculed for unknowingly leaking. They discuss how debilitating cramps and other symptoms can be: the pain and fear some shoulder while expected to pretend nothing hurts, nothing is wrong, nothing is happening.

It's the type of book you wish you had growing up, and unlike many other sex ed-type books, contains powerful messages about how personal experiences can propel cultural changes. The writing is pretty direct, which isn't my favorite in fiction, but this has an educational element, and is geared toward an audience who might be hearing a lot of this for the first time. In all, I think it's equally cute and important.

Ah, the old “I haven't read in several days and am worried I forgot how so I need to read a (probably queer) graphic novel all in one go” maneuver. It never fails, folks.

Giant Days is about three women who are roommates despite many differences in personality. They're at college and are constantly swept up in dramatic antics. In one chapter, they all catch a campus bug and spiral off in different directions. It's hilarious and will resonate with anyone who's had the misfortune of being miserably ill in a dorm room.

I like that the characters are flawed and even abrasive. Everyone is figuring themselves out, and rarely is that graceful. The characters are distinct yet relatable, and it never gets too heavy. I'm excited to read ALL OF THESE.

Just as good as the first!

Hectic lives, yet persistent friendships. Exploration of sexuality and relationships. Volume Two delves into academic pressure around exam time: the ways we self-sabotage, the ways we cope, and how sometimes those are the same. It also covers what it's like to go home for the holidays after being on your own for the first time, in a delightedly weird, heist-y way.

Would that I had Volume Three with me.

Things aren't going the best for Ava or Jules. They recently broke up, and are awkwardly working the same shift at LitenVärld, a Scandinavian furniture chain with a disorienting maze of showrooms (it's IKEA).To make matters worse, an elderly customer wandered off into a wormhole and Ava and Jules are tasked with bringing her back.Why is the onus on two hourly associates to navigate the multiverse? Because 1) customers always come first, and 2) budget cuts.FINNA is a surreal, entertaining, damning time. It discusses complacency in life and codependency in relationships. Cipri looks at how self-rejection can lead us to reject others. They look at the utter absurdity employees are expected to put up with in exchange for the bare minimum. If you like [b:Friday Black 37570595 Friday Black Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519263290l/37570595.SY75.jpg 59181816] or even the TV show Superstore, try FINNA. Read it when you're supposed to be working.

I have a thing for fiction about teenagers struggling with faith. Could it be because I myself was a teenager struggling with faith, and who knows what such books could have meant to me then? Nah, that can't be it. Have a Little Faith in Me has a good title and cover, and an intriguing premise. Ethan broke up with CeCe abruptly, and is headed to Christian summer camp. Unbeknownst to him, CeCe decides to show up, pretending to be newly saved, to win him back. You will be shocked to learn this does not go to plan.I was prepared to love this, but I had a hard time getting through it. Here's two reasons why:- CeCe and Paul have heart-to-hearts where they tell each other “stories” brimming with metaphors so heavy-handed it's aggravating. At one point I said, “this is the worst,” out loud. - The main issue I have is with pacing. The camp dynamics constantly shift. Big conflicts are introduced way too soon, then resolved way too quick. There's no build-up, just arguments that begin and end out of nowhere, so characters can give an update on who they are atm. There's not enough time for introspection between things happening, so characters feel inconsistent. Plus, as the book goes on, it becomes less and less about religion and more and more about sex. Which is a fine focus, but it feels like an essay where you write an introduction before you really know what your paper's about. I think Have a Little Faith in Me could have been much more interesting if the point of view switched between chapters. Switch between CeCe and Paul, or CeCe and Ethan, or all three. I do think the book contains some important messages about consent, shame, and finding support where you least expect it. I'd recommend if you like [a:Katie Henry 13756005 Katie Henry https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1491090685p2/13756005.jpg], [b:The Book of Essie 34503571 The Book of Essie Meghan MacLean Weir https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515874042l/34503571.SX50.jpg 55628862], or [b:Autoboyography 28919058 Autoboyography Christina Lauren https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490425916l/28919058.SY75.jpg 49135502].

Alix Chamberlain is the real deal. She empowers other women, guiding them into colleges and jobs. She publicly breastfeeds, sometimes mid speaking panel. She surrounds herself with a diverse group of other working moms, all quick to offer advice and criticism. The Clinton campaign keeps calling. All signs point to 1) progressive 2) feminist 3) who gets it.Sure, Mrs. Chamberlain has a babysitter who watches her kid 20+ hours every week. It takes a village. In this case, a village of one young Black woman who would really love vacation days and health insurance. Emira quite likes looking after this weird, talkative Chamberlain toddler. But she's only covered by her parents' insurance until her next birthday, and the job offers zero benefits. But make no mistake, Emira is part of the family. They'd be lost without her. This is my exact type of contemporary, and it met my high expectations. It reminds me of [b:Little Fires Everywhere 34273236 Little Fires Everywhere Celeste Ng https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522684533l/34273236.SY75.jpg 52959357]: the exploration of classism, the characters whose lives overlap in ways they don't first realize, the slowly building tension. It's sad, funny, infuriating. I loved the dialogue. It reads like people actually talking, including the constantly interrupting children. The social commentary is direct without soapboxing or spoonfeeding. Reid has us consider big questions. Why is defining racism as a conscious individual choice to be evil insufficient? Are the rich white women pummeling the glass ceiling only able to reach because they outsourced diapers, dishes, and tantrums to poor women of color? What happens when quitting your job means there will be no one left to listen to a child desperate for attention? I can't say enough good things about this book. Such a Fun Read.

On Zoe's 12th birthday, she receives a letter from her biological father Marcus, who's been in prison her whole life. Shocked but curious, she writes him back. What follows is a summer filled with baking, friendship, and some hardhitting messages about the criminal justice system. Marks tackles a lot: idealized career aspirations, conflict in friendships, how limiting it is to see the world in absolutes. But most importantly, she explores the suffering caused by wrongful conviction. She discusses how racism and classism remove opportunities for thorough legal counsel and lessen likelihood of sympathetic judges and jurors. She shows how innocent people end up forever held accountable for things they never did. From the Desk of Zoe Washington is a unique, compassionate, altogether stunning debut. Its depiction of institutional racism in America is comparable to [b:The Hate U Give 32075671 The Hate U Give Angie Thomas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476284759l/32075671.SY75.jpg 49638190] (albeit less depressing because it's written for a younger audience), and I'd love to see it gain similar acclaim. I'd recommend this to fans of [b:Front Desk 36127488 Front Desk (Front Desk, #1) Kelly Yang https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507986199l/36127488.SX50.jpg 51903030] and [b:Breakout 36528200 Breakout Kate Messner https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509720063l/36528200.SY75.jpg 49008564].

In the tradition of Hilary Duff's acclaimed Cinderella Story (2004), classmates Jack and Pepper bond via anonymous messages. Then, another form of social media comes into play: Twitter, as the title implies. Cue snarky personified brands—one of my least favorite things in the world—feuding over grilled cheese. How many ways can Jack and Pepper interact before realizing they're talking to each other? Can their different personas combine into anything other than a mess? Or will the moment of discovery break the spell?I have mixed feelings about this, and here's a few reasons why:- In my opinion, Lord gets how young people talk and use technology more than many YA authors. But, she sometimes misses the mark, and every time I picture Steve Buscemi with a skateboard slung over his shoulder. - Acknowledging that doxxing and BuzzFeed (here Hub Seed, what) and Brand Twitter exist is not enough. There needs to be some stance taken, some criticism or analysis. Lord was more direct about academic pressure than social media, even though the latter is so central it's in the title. What happens when a big verified account targets someone with a fraction of their followers? What happens when a business gets someone young and hip to deflect from scandals by tweeting out the right gif at the right time? How does humanizing a corporation to make it “relatable” distort sense of reality?I'm not asking for Black Mirror (I never am), but if you write a book where technology is so central, why wouldn't you grapple with such questions? Isn't that the point?- I'm always a little skeeved out by that trope where multiple generations of two families are/have been romantically involved.. In all, this brings something new to the table, and I'm sure it'll be a crowd pleaser. I think its main pitfall is biting off more than it can chew. The characters and plot dart around tying up loose ends that didn't need to be introduced in the first place. That leaves it more tense and scattered than it needs to be, and things end up more squished than unpacked. But if you like [a:Alice Oseman 7789423 Alice Oseman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1515091539p2/7789423.jpg], [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 19547856 Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simonverse, #1) Becky Albertalli https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402915678l/19547856.SY75.jpg 27679579], or [b:Eliza and Her Monsters 31931941 Eliza and Her Monsters Francesca Zappia https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476994065l/31931941.SY75.jpg 52586056], you'd probably have fun with Tweet Cute.

This wasn't my favorite. It wasn't nearly as scary or intriguing as the first book. Most of the new plot points ultimately trailed off into nothing. The explanations given were predictable and trite—fertility issues, Soviet spies, “why not just choose love” counterarguments. In all, it felt largely unnecessary. I would read the first book and leave it at that. If Thompson puts out a third in the series, I probably won't pick it up.

Molly Southbourne lives a quiet life with her parents on a farm. Quiet except for the fact that girls who look just like her keep cropping up (an agriculture pun!) and trying to kill her with their/her bare hands. But don't worry, Molly's parents would do anything to keep her safe, including constantly killing things that look just like their child before they can kill her. Suffice it to say, short as it is, this book is plenty bloody and scary.Thompson distinguishes between Molly and her murderous spawns by keeping her a proper noun and making them nouns. For example: “Let me in,” says the molly.Run.Fight.Molly lets the molly in.Terrifying, if you ask me! Also, blood causes the mollies to spawn, which makes for some chaos come puberty. If you scare as easy as me, the only thing worse than reading this before bed is reading this before bed when you have your period. I sensed impending demise by beccas.This is a weird amalgamation, but The Murders of Molly Southbourne reminds me a bit of [b:Educated 35133922 Educated Tara Westover https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1506026635l/35133922.SY75.jpg 53814228], [b:My Sister, the Serial Killer 38819868 My Sister, the Serial Killer Oyinkan Braithwaite https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523366732l/38819868.SY75.jpg 60394238], and also the show Killing Eve, with hints of [b:Her Body and Other Parties 33375622 Her Body and Other Parties Carmen Maria Machado https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485266434l/33375622.SX50.jpg 54116423] and [b:Through the Woods 18659623 Through the Woods Emily Carroll https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414845473l/18659623.SX50.jpg 26477611]. The premise is disturbing if not mind-blowing, and the page count makes it a great way to dip your toes into the horror genre.

It's Sloane's senior year, and her family has just moved across the country. A confrontation at a party embeds her in a tightknit group of childhood friends. Problem is, Sloane puts walls up, deflecting with humor before things get too earnest. That might sound cliché, but instead of brooding, she throws herself into a scheme (her words) to relocate a painting with her lab partner, who is a) going through a crisis of faith and b) calls himself DJ Smooth. Meanwhile, her father, a famous author, contends with a combination of writer's block and depression by diving deep into Were School (think Teen Wolf) fanfiction. It's all stupid and hilarious and sweet. With both Sloane and Claudia in [b:Foolish Hearts 33275690 Foolish Hearts Emma Mills https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487081647l/33275690.SY75.jpg 53998283], Mills portrays vulnerability issues in a way that feels authentic instead of tedious, encompassing both romance and friendship. I also like how she emphasizes the artistic value of both paintings that sell for thousands and NSFW fic. I like more that the character vehemently arguing the value of fandom is a middle-aged acclaimed male author. This Adventure Ends is funny and refreshing, but it taps into bigger questions—what does it mean to care about people? More to the point, why don't we let ourselves? And the cover, of course, is gorgeous. Thick swirls of paint in hues evoking both sloshing water and melancholy. Stars representing everything from dead reckoning to Laney's love of constellations to engagement on social media. If you like [a:Alice Oseman 7789423 Alice Oseman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1515091539p2/7789423.jpg], [b:Eliza and Her Monsters 31931941 Eliza and Her Monsters Francesca Zappia https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476994065l/31931941.SY75.jpg 52586056], [b:Nice Try, Jane Sinner 33413915 Nice Try, Jane Sinner Lianne Oelke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500554660l/33413915.SX50.jpg 49155351], or even the movie Ingrid Goes West, try this (adventure ends).

Sara had unprotected sex and is pregnant, and has decided she's staying that way. It is what it is. But the reason it's that simple is because of how those in her life have taken the news. Her family and friends reinforce her independence, yet tend to her. They ensure she's well-fed and well-rested. They let her vent and cry. They let her nap. Sara's grandmother, judgmental as she is, will snarl at anyone who dares judge Sara.I think we all get that choosing to stay pregnant while still in high school throws everything about your future into question, and Belly Up doesn't argue any different. What it does, however, is drive home the point that lives are not ruined by teenage pregnancy, but by lack of support for teenage parents.I like that Darrows discusses how lack of support impacts teenage dads. I like that Sara and her trans friend openly discuss gender assignment. I like the peeks into Swedish and Romanian culture. All that said, I almost quit this book. The attempts to educate young readers are so hamfisted—[b:Girls on the Verge 31822503 Girls on the Verge Sharon Biggs Waller https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529735057l/31822503.SY75.jpg 52479523] falls into the same trap. But mainly I object to the PAINFULLY off dialogue. I made a list: “the make-outs were epic,” “aww, crapcicles,” “chzburgrs,” “skantitude,” “slutitude,” to name a few. This came out in 2019. Teenagers do not talk like this now, and probably never have. I just hate it. If you can get past that, Belly Up is hopeful and warm. Its message is simple but powerful: the impossible drifts within reach when you have a village backing you. It reminds me a little of both [b:I Wish You All the Best 41473872 I Wish You All the Best Mason Deaver https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538483349l/41473872.SY75.jpg 61277384] and [b:A Heart in a Body in the World 38244389 A Heart in a Body in the World Deb Caletti https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1517850258l/38244389.SY75.jpg 59926250]—all three are about people showing up for teenagers going through difficult and isolating challenges.

Belonging is a nonfiction comic about family history, specifically a German woman's search for the role her ancestors played in Nazi Germany. Krug talks about the impact of the Holocaust on German collective identity. She was born decades after WWII, but had several school trips and lessons about the progression of the regime. She includes scans of assignments where she and her peers annotated Hitler's speeches, analyzing how Nazis used propaganda. Even so, Krug brims with unanswered questions about where her family fits into all this.At one point, Krug talks about American Germans having an almost American-like pride in German culture. While Germans in Germany carry shame over the blood shed on their soil, Germans in the US wave German flags with fervor in American streets. Want to feel good about being German? Just do it in America. The exceptionalism will trickle down.Belonging explores messy, complex, human topics: family, history, culture. The epistolary artwork is a perfect representation of Krug's ongoing efforts to piece together identity. I liked the depiction of research—as including both archives and thrift shops, both historians and obscure internet forums. If you have interest in archival research, genealogy, or liked [b:Good Talk 36700347 Good Talk A Memoir in Conversations Mira Jacob https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534098775l/36700347.SX50.jpg 56227420], I'd recommend Belonging.

I'm not usually one for books by public figures, especially those with some tie to contemporary politics. I read for escapism, for distance from push notifications about neverending election cycles. So why read this? I don't know. I don't know why I do what I do. But I just happened to wrap it up on Michelle Obama's birthday, and was surprised by how much I liked it.

More than anything, Becoming is about the impossible balancing act that comes with being someone like Michelle Obama. She's been branded everything and its opposite: too much and not enough, loved and hated, worshipped and demonized. She recalls how soundbites and outfits morphed into scathing headlines. One journalist called her the “princess of South Chicago,” while others argued she didn't know how to conduct herself around Queen Elizabeth. She was alleged to hate both America and Oscar de la Renta. She was a liability.

Many have explored this idea of balancing the personal and professional, have felt trapped in a tug-of-war between being successful and being well-liked. Every factor involved in that is magnified and complicated by being the first Black FLOTUS to the first Black POTUS.

Being shielded by security, yet under worldwide scrutiny. Living in a fortress equipped with a bowling alley and personal chefs, yet not having the freedom to open a window. Trying to divide time between your children and the constituents who elected their father (as well as those who didn't). It was so difficult, yet she is so grateful. It was exhausting, but such an honor.

Mrs. Obama also discusses imposter syndrome: asking herself whether she's good enough, whether she's done enough, whether she's done good. She talks about building confidence in herself, in her kids, in kids in general. Her perspective was too individualistic for me at some points, but you don't get to the White House with my cynicism. Becoming is a warm memoir chronicling the unique experiences of a woman who broke new ground, then did so more literally by planting a beautiful garden.

I don't read many thrillers, and when I do I rarely love them. [b:Gone Girl 19288043 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554086139l/19288043.SY75.jpg 13306276]? More like, I didn't like it. [b:The Woman in the Window 40389527 The Woman in the Window A.J. Finn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528225499l/40389527.SY75.jpg 52941950]? More like, I also didn't like it. No Exit was a huge surprise, the type of book that makes me reconsider an entire genre. No Exit's protagonist, Darby, is a college student who just learned her mom has late-stage pancreatic cancer. She drives through heavy snow, desperate to reach her before she passes away. An imminent blizzard descends in full, and it's futile. She's snowed in at a rest stop with a handful of strangers. As if that's not bad enough, Darby notices something suspicious in one of their cars. A pretty strong indicator that while the rest stop provides shelter, that doesn't mean it's safe.Adams strikes the perfect balance between “reading this is very stressful” and “I can't put this down.” He includes some surprising commentary about how humor and media can be (though obviously are not inherently) used to normalize and glamorize violence. He looks at how “bad guys” don't necessarily think of themselves as such, treating patterns of behavior as outliers where their hand was forced.It's hard to compare this to books or movies without risking spoilers, but if you're seeking some dark, terrifying entertainment against the backdrop of a lot of snow, pick up No Exit. And realize how good it is when you become anxious about YOUR phone battery dying before Darby can call for help.

A lot of the nonfiction I read is political, so sometimes it's nice to just read about bees. Especially when you can tell how much fun the author is having. Embry really loves bees.

I also like that she doesn't create an unnecessary divide between “wild” and “civilization.” She talks about a farm that simply doesn't weed between rows of crops, providing bees with more variety in diet. She talks about a golf course that composts to reduce chemical nitrogen use.

Her overarching point seems to be: there are simple and effective ways to support wildlife, including wild bees. And stewardship arguments aside, humans often materially benefit from doing so.

This is a fascinating look at a subject I'd never thought to explore. It's oddly endearing, and a good reminder of the beauty and complexity in nature. I suddenly feel like beekeeping. From my apartment. In January. I guess you could say I get what all the buzz is about. I'll see myself out.

“By the time I was fifteen years old, I had been in jail nine times.”With an opening line that hits you like a ton of bricks, Lynda Blackmon Lowery describes what it was like to march for voting rights as a young girl. Lowery was the youngest person to march all the way from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, despite the terror she endured shortly beforehand on Bloody Sunday.I read this all in one go. There's not much text per page, and there are illustrations and photographs. Lowery's writing is direct and accessible. I didn't know about the so-called “brains”—students who went to school during demonstrations to make up assignments for their marching and/or jailed peers. Lowery also mentions cooking, carpooling, and medical help. She provides an interesting look at the many forms activism can take, and by extension who can embody that identity: in short, anyone, of any race, of any age. This is a striking memoir for kids, teens, and adults alike, especially as Black History Month approaches. I can see it being assigned in schools alongside the [b:March 17346698 March Book One (March, #1) John Lewis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360539808l/17346698.SX50.jpg 24086771] graphic novels.