I LOVED this book so much. It will be on my favourites list for this year and one I buy to treasure and share with my boys. Part memoir, part ode to tI LOVED this book so much. It will be on my favourites list for this year and one I buy to treasure and share with my boys. Part memoir, part ode to the natural world (some chapters almost read like episodes of Planet Earth). The author shares her love of nature and knowledge of incredible plants and animals in a very moving and poetic way as well as her experiences growing up the daughter of Indian immigrant parents, often being one of few Brown people in her community and also of having and raising two mixed-race boys with her white husband. For fans of Good talk and Robert Macfarlane’s The lost spells....more
Wow!! I have had this on my radar for a while and kept pushing it to the bottom of my to-read pile (stupid me!). First off the cover is STUNNING! By fWow!! I have had this on my radar for a while and kept pushing it to the bottom of my to-read pile (stupid me!). First off the cover is STUNNING! By far my favourite book cover of 2020 hands down! Additionally, the author narrates the book herself and does such an amazing job - her voice is lyrical and mellifluous! Aside from that though this is such a powerful story of Nahr, a Palestinian woman, and her experiences living in the Middle East during a very politically unstable time. Born in Kuwait in the 70s to refugee parents she hopes to find stability in marriage but very early on gets abandoned by her husband, forced to become a sex worker to support her mother and brother and later after the US invasion of Iraq is forced to flee her home. Eventually she becomes a political prisoner (which is where the story starts off - from a “cube” aka cell). Despite all her hardships (which are many) her indomitable spirit and unique voice stay strong. Nahr’s story is an incredible example of the harrowing lengths some women will go to in order to support their loved ones (Nahr gives all her money towards her brother’s education and works hard to give him an easy life in the hopes he could become a doctor one day). Her sacrifices and courage in the face of incredible circumstances are inspiring. Nahr is one character I won’t soon forget. Fans of Etaf Rum’s A woman is no man should enjoy this story as well - strong Palestinian female characters constrained by their cultural traditions but unwilling to submit to their hardships. Highly recommend this book! The author’s acknowledgments at the end of the book are also very heartfelt and tender and I enjoyed listening to them very much. Great book - one of my favourites so far this year for sure!!!...more
Related to sooooo so much of this book. The author is from Hamilton, born with cerebral palsy, a malformed foot and a brain cyst. She had to have braiRelated to sooooo so much of this book. The author is from Hamilton, born with cerebral palsy, a malformed foot and a brain cyst. She had to have brain surgery as a young child and I definitely connected to that aspect of her life and all the time spent seeing doctors and being in Children’s hospitals. While there are bits of her own story and experiences sprinkled throughout she also does a really good job critically analyzing the representation of disability in both traditional and more popular culture fairy tales (from Perrault to Disney). Great insights about the damaging influence and power of language that positions disabled as bad or something not worthy of happy endings or in need of being overcome instead of celebrated and normalized. I highly highly recommend this book. It will definitely be on my favourites from this year. ...more
**spoiler alert** This is SUCH a great book! Aimed at a younger audience, this graphic memoir features Omar Mohamed's experience as a Somali refugee a**spoiler alert** This is SUCH a great book! Aimed at a younger audience, this graphic memoir features Omar Mohamed's experience as a Somali refugee and the very LONG time it took for him to immigrate to the United States against so many odds. As a very young child Omar witnesses his father's brutal murder and is separated from his mother amidst the chaos. He and his little brother Hassan manage to make it to a refugee camp in Kenya where they live a hard life of hunger and poverty but also love from their foster mother and their fellow refugee friends and neighbors. The illustrations in this book are gorgeous! But more than that, it is such an eye-opening look at what life is really like in refugee camps. This is a great book to teach young children empathy and appreciation for the privileges they have and to hopefully inspire them to find ways they can help refugee families in their communities or abroad. At the heart this is a story of two brothers finding a way to survive in a harsh world. Omar is able to get an education in the refugee camp (many are not, especially the girls). Against ALL odds the brothers were also reunited with their mother but they have not yet been able to get her to America because of the strict immigration laws. As of 2019 the UN estimates that there are over 71 million displaced people around the world. This is a wonderful book to share and inspire perseverance and courage when life seems hopeless - I can't wait to be able to read it with my boys....more
Another AMAZING WWII dual history/mystery story by Natasha Lester. She does such a great job highlighting little-known roles that women played in WWIIAnother AMAZING WWII dual history/mystery story by Natasha Lester. She does such a great job highlighting little-known roles that women played in WWII. This story featured women RAF pilots (they never got to fly in combat but there were women pilots allowed to transport the planes to various bases). I loved learning about the women pilots and really enjoyed more of the history of post-war Paris fashion (this time she featured the House of Dior, whose sister was interned at Ravensbruck along with the other 3 women featured in the book. Both the WWII and present-day characters and story lines were strong. I rooted for all of them and the mystery aspect of the story kept me in suspense right up until the very end. I loved the bonus cameo with D'arcy from the Paris Orphan too. No bad things to say about this book. If you love this genre you won't be disappointed. Fans of the German midwife and Cilka's journey will especially find common themes in the Paris secret....more
Wow. What an inspirational memoir! Equally heartbreaking and inspirational. As a mother my heart broke hearing how she was forced to leave her childreWow. What an inspirational memoir! Equally heartbreaking and inspirational. As a mother my heart broke hearing how she was forced to leave her children behind when her husband divorced her. Part of the memoir is letters she writes to her son trying to explain why she had to leave him behind. Living in a country like Afghanistan where women have so few rights, she fought against the restrictions from a young age (teaching young refugee children in secret). She also was able to get a PhD in literature when her husband was supportive of her furthering her education and working outside the home. Eventually she moves to America to pursue additional writing and learning opportunities and has never stopped fighting for the rights of Afghan women. Very inspirational, along the lines of Malala and Reading Lolita in Tehran....more
Great graphic novel memoir! Very personal and moving. Really does a great job illustrating how difficult it is for new immigrants trying to fit in to Great graphic novel memoir! Very personal and moving. Really does a great job illustrating how difficult it is for new immigrants trying to fit in to a new culture, especially when there’s a language barrier. Really strong (but complicated) mother-daughter relationship and I loved how independent both her mother and she were. They refused to settle for conventional gender norms - no doubt having her mother as such a stromg role model was a big influence on her life choices. Almost a Korean Gilmore Girls but with a more realistic tense and conflicted mother-daughter relationship. Highly recommend this one. Great artwork. Very vulnerable and raw storytelling. ...more
Categorized as non-fiction but should really be considered for Humor! This book was hilarious!! Laugh out loud moments all throughout - the grumpy curCategorized as non-fiction but should really be considered for Humor! This book was hilarious!! Laugh out loud moments all throughout - the grumpy curmudgeon Graham McTavish, paired with the daring do Sam Heughan was pure gold. I can't wait to see the television series they shot based on their adventures in this book. If you love Outlander (the show or books), enjoy Scottish history and travel narratives this is the book for you. Highly recommend the audio, especially if you have a long car ride - will keep you laughing and entertained the whole way through!...more
Really enjoyed this one! Set at various points in more recent Texas history (1950s-1980s) and follows a cast of extremely strong women (young girls, nReally enjoyed this one! Set at various points in more recent Texas history (1950s-1980s) and follows a cast of extremely strong women (young girls, new mothers, older women, etc). There's interconnections between the stories and one main event that starts off the book but the real gem for me was how the author does such an amazing job evoking her setting and creating real, flawed, relatable characters you really care about and empathize with. Anyone that loves great characterization that drives the plot will not be disappointed with this book. Small town Texas life from women's perspective (not wanting to be a stay at home mom vs loving being a stay at home mom, motherless young girls from poor families, a young Mexican girl who is brutally and sexually abused, an older widow that deeply misses her husband, drinks too much and is ready to give up on life, etc). These women's stories will stick with me for a long time. I will eagerly grab the next book Elizabeth Wetmore writes and I hope I don't have to wait too long. What an impressive debut novel!...more
WOW. Such a powerful book! I tried to listen to this earlier in the year but gave up because the narrator was such a childish and illiterate voice butWOW. Such a powerful book! I tried to listen to this earlier in the year but gave up because the narrator was such a childish and illiterate voice but if you can get used to the style (think Jack from Room) the reward is worth it. The fact that this book was set in Nigeria in 2014 and not 1914 is eye-opening. I really enjoyed the little facts about the country sprinkled throughout the book at the beginning of chapters (I really knew very little and learned a lot). Life for women (especially poor women) in Nigeria (and many other African countries no doubt) is so restrictive. Trying to even imagine having no say in who you marry or if and when you have children is mind-blowing. Women seem to have very few rights unless men decide otherwise. The gender i equity is frankly horrifying and egregious. Really makes you appreciate how far women’s rights still need to come and that we shouldn’t be complacent just because we enjoy (and take for granted) things like being able to get an education, vote, control our bodies and choose our own destinies. Highly recommend this book. Trigger warning there are scenes of graphic sexual violence and rape. ...more
SOOO much to love about this book! It was a strong 4-4.5/5 for me. To start the cover is GORGEOUS!! The artwork alone makes you want to pick up this bSOOO much to love about this book! It was a strong 4-4.5/5 for me. To start the cover is GORGEOUS!! The artwork alone makes you want to pick up this book. Apart from that I loved the dry, sarcastic wit through and the cast of kooky characters, plus the charming man-man romance that slowly builds to a lovely end. The storyline is a mashup of Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children and Kevin Wilson's Nothing to see here (with a dash of X-Men thrown in for good measure). Not the most original message: different isn't bad but an important one nonetheless. Great YA book (but adults are going to enjoy this too). My only criticism was the 'Lucy' character in the audiobook came off very whiny (much like the whiny brats from Nothing to see here - why do kids on audiobooks have to be read so whiny and petulant?? but that was more of a personal pet peeve and likely not a factor if you're reading a print copy)....more
I LOVE Jane Fonda! I want to be her when I grow up. This book details her protest work and the “Fire Drill Friday” movement. I hadn’t even heard of thI LOVE Jane Fonda! I want to be her when I grow up. This book details her protest work and the “Fire Drill Friday” movement. I hadn’t even heard of the big protests she held with many important celebrities last year in Washington DC. Over the course of several Fridays. This book is full of important climate change information and practical suggestions that everyone can start doing to help make meaningful changes. This book is so inspiring. Jane is a lifelong environmentalist and change activist; her passion for this cause is clear (by both her actions and words) - I wish everyone would read this book and be inspired to action - there has never been a better time and the next ten years are going to be a pivotal time for change. (Side note: she is also a huge Greta Thunberg fan, as am I). People like Jane and Greta are stellar examples that we can make a difference- no matter how young or how old. The world needs more Gretas and Janes!!! Highly recommend. The audiobook is great also. :)...more
Gorgeous little volume. Beautiful illustrations and lovely rhymes and tongue-twisters. The text accompanying the pictures is lyrical. The book would mGorgeous little volume. Beautiful illustrations and lovely rhymes and tongue-twisters. The text accompanying the pictures is lyrical. The book would make a lovely gift to treasure for both the young and old. ...more
Wow. This was the book I didn't know I needed to read right now. In a time when life is crazy this book has an important message about the importance Wow. This was the book I didn't know I needed to read right now. In a time when life is crazy this book has an important message about the importance of kindness - you never know just how much your actions and words will mean to the people around you. Eudora had a life full of heartbreak and sorrow and just when she decided upon assisted suicide a precocious 10-year old moves in next door and shows her that life can be full of joy even when you're at the end and ready to give up. Eudora's character really made me feel for all the older people who are living alone and lonely right now - anything we can do to spread some kindness and joy can really mean so much. "Choose kindness above everything else." Heartwarming characters and a sweet and sorrow filled tale. Make sure to have the kleenex handy. Highly recommend this one (it's getting great reviews for a reason!)....more
I enjoyed her global perspective and analysis of race (or castes as she likes to frame it). She did a really good job examining the roots of the systeI enjoyed her global perspective and analysis of race (or castes as she likes to frame it). She did a really good job examining the roots of the systemic and persistent castes systems in various societies (mainly America, India and Nazi Germany). There are so many examples of horrific brutalities. I’m honestly surprised every time I read about them but she does a fair job trying to explain the circumstances that allow such things to happen. Ultimately she ends hopeful that we can overcome the entrenched caste systems we’ve created but I don’t know if I cam share her optimism with what’s going on around the world these days. This book is good to help educate yourself and hopefully explain to our children why we need to be kind to each other and no one is better than anyone else. Such a simple concept but so hard to teach in a society that constantly works to prove otherwise. ...more
WOW. This book is amazing! Our generation’s Handmaid’s tale - and I don’t say that lightly. So well done. So smartly written and as with the best dystWOW. This book is amazing! Our generation’s Handmaid’s tale - and I don’t say that lightly. So well done. So smartly written and as with the best dystopias - likely not so implausible (which is scary). I predict lots of awards and I hope everyone reads this. Crosshairs is a good wake up call to make people recognize the dangers of turning a blind eye and seeing people as “others” (as if the Holocaust hasn’t taught us that already but there is definitely still work to be done in terms of race and sexuality). Really loved this book. Far exceeded expectations! (Also, the author narrates the audiobook herself and gives it extra emotional power!)...more
4.5/5 If you’re looking for a feel good read this season I highly recommend this book. It’s right up there with my favourite reads of late. Fans of Fr4.5/5 If you’re looking for a feel good read this season I highly recommend this book. It’s right up there with my favourite reads of late. Fans of Fredrik Bachman’s style won’t be disappointed. His witty observations on the human condition and empathy for his characters are without compare. Strong focus on mental health issues and also has some unexpected twists and turns. This book keeps you guessing and entertained until the very end. Highly, highly recommend. My favourite Bachman book so far. :)...more
Loved this!! Smart and sassy and so intelligently written. I could relate to much of this! If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. So relevantLoved this!! Smart and sassy and so intelligently written. I could relate to much of this! If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. So relevant to our times - especially her last section commenting on how ironic it is that because of COVID-19 employers have bent over backwards to make accommodations that they have always insisted were impossible (for people with disabilities). Amazing how much change can happen when 'regular' people need more flexibility and understanding! Everyone should read this book (and I hope they do)!...more
Closer to a 4.5 tbh. This was a pleasant surprise! Read it on a whim because the premise sounded interesting (basically a spoof off of the bachelorettCloser to a 4.5 tbh. This was a pleasant surprise! Read it on a whim because the premise sounded interesting (basically a spoof off of the bachelorette with a plus size woman). It was so intelligently done! Highly recommend. I was really impressed by this book. Entertaining with relatable characters you want to cheer for. (Sort of like a more wholesome version of the tv show Unreal)...more
I loved her before and love her even more after hearing her well written and incredibly raw and vulnerable story. A feel good book about a truly wondeI loved her before and love her even more after hearing her well written and incredibly raw and vulnerable story. A feel good book about a truly wonderful couple of people....more
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