An American Marriage

Celestial and Roy are young, newly married, and beginning their careers when their lives are forever changed. When Roy is wrongfully convicted and sent to prison for 12 years, we see what happens to a couple in such a scary situation.

Wonderfully narrated by Eisa Davis and Sean Crisden, I was completely interested in the characters and the story. Told from the main characters points of view, we get to experience how they each felt, which was plenty of frustration. Celestial and Roy's letters to each other were also a great addition in this book, revealing the truth about how feelings change over time.
Jones gives lovely in depth descriptions, like the way Andre described Celestial's singing: "...She is a Scotch and Marlboro's alto. Even when she was a little girl, her voice was like the middle of the night. When she gives a song, it isn't entertaining, rather it sounds like she is telling secrets that are not hers to reveal."
.
I could easily put myself in Celestial's shoes as well as Roy's. The race-based injustice that is so prevalent is a theme throughout An American Marriage, as well as love and loyalty in marriage.
Ultimately, this story makes you wonder "would I wait?"
It's the dramatic circumstances and strong characters that come across in the skilled narration that makes this awesome audio.

Until next time,

Kara

Sticks and Stones

             

New poetry book is a tool on anyone's journey toward acceptance and healing.

In Sticks and Stones, DeVries paints a poetic picture of rising above toxicity, love found and love lost, and delves into what it means to find strength in the human spirit. Through poetry, the reader finds a voice of strength and the rebuilding of one's heart a home with all the sticks and stones thrown upon it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For anyone who has felt the pain of unrequited love, you will certainly identify with Chelsea's poetry.

She writes about what it's like when you find a connection, fall fast, but the feelings aren't returned. There's no heartache like unreciprocated love. Chelsea expresses herself beautifully over the confusion & turmoil she went through, showing sometimes anger, sometimes sadness, and eventually, discovery.

With her love of the Lord and herself, Chelsea shows readers that it's through such experiences, however emotionally draining they may be, that we learn & grow. I have respect for such talent for poetry to help one get through such hurt. Such a lovely, deep form of catharsis this collection of poetry & prose is.

Thank you Chelsea tscphiles for my copy of Sticks and Stones.

Until next time,

Kara

Born a Crime - Stories from a South African Childhood

Trevor Noah hooked me from the start when I heard the excerpt of how at age 5, his mother threw him out of a moving car. I just knew I was in for something unique hearing him tell his stories.

It's not just the riveting way he spins a tale, and his impressive dialects and languages. It's the honesty, sensitivity and vulnerability he shows that makes Born a Crime special.
Noah's relationship with his mother in particular was a source of a lot of laughter from me. I liked her unusual sense of humour. What she considered funny Noah often didn't, which made the anecdotes he told even more humourous.

I also learned so much about South Africa and Apartheid from him. What Noah witnessed and experienced growing up was so shocking and gut wrenching. I was repeatedly on the edge of my seat listening along, rooting for him, the perpetual underdog.

Noah is a well rounded story-teller with the ability to play many characters, which makes him the ideal narrator. I can't recommend this awesome audio enough.
There's just something about hearing the author narrate their own story, you know? I think this is the way I prefer to experience memoirs, listen to them, as opposed to read them.

I've been listening to some poignant, fascinating audiobooks lately. Dare I say, lately these audiobooks are better than some of the books I've been reading. 😮 I can't thank Bookstagrammers enough for introducing me to audio books!

Until next time,

Kara

Not Cancelled - Canadian Kindness in the face of COVID-19

When I was taking this picture with Blaze, my maple tree 🍁, a neighbour from across the street came over. He pointed to the tree and said 'nice'. I nodded, thinking yep, Blaze does look especially fine. He speaks very little English and I speak even less Vietnamese. I showed him my shot. He went to take my phone, offering to take my picture with the tree. Oh no, I thought, this is for the Gram.😆 I thanked him, and we both smiled, me for his offer, and him probably wondering why I took a picture of a book.

Talk about the title coming to life, a little demonstration of Canadian kindness!

These short stories sure came to me at the right time in this pandemic.
After our month break closure in July, I hoped to return refreshed and energized to teaching my adult ESL class. Instead, attendance was dismal and students were unmotivated. They had had enough of learning & struggling online, and wanted back in the classroom. That first week back was just defeating.
Fortunately getting to read these tales brought a smile to my heart, knowing human interaction and thoughtfulness hasn't left us in these COVID times.
People with various backgrounds from across the country have shared more than 50 stories about bagpipes and bhangra; art and photography; that talking dog Pluto; and Girl Guides cookies.
I've been taking my time, not rushing through this collection, savouring them. It's nice to look forward to reading one or two after a challenging work day.
Now that Ontario is in a second wave, with concerns about going back to phase 2, these stories are again much needed.

🤗 For your next feel good read, look no further! 🍁❤️🍁❤️ 

I received Not Cancelled from Wintertickle Press - thank you!

Until next time,

Kara

The Vanishing Half

Two light skinned twins grow up in a small black town in Louisiana, yet drift apart as teenagers, then live very different adult lives. Desiree and Stella's daughters eventually meet, and threaten to reveal the lie one of them has been trying to live with.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is such a fascinating story written in lovely descriptive language. The characters drew me in, and in particular I was interested in understanding troubled Stella.

Narrated by talented Shayna Small, we hear much of the story told with a crisp, clear voice, yet also southern charming gravely for character Early. I especially enjoyed the dialogues between cousins Jude and Kennedy. Shayna Small showed in her narration how different they were, Jude coming across as sweet, simple & pleasant, and snooty Kennedy unabashedly oblivious in her privilege.

This poignant novel posed questions such as, can you ever be rid of your past? and are biases learned and then, unlearned? It deals with complicated family dynamics, race, gender, colorism, and societal expectations.
The Vanishing Half is the type of novel that lingers with me, and that I'll eagerly listen to again. More awesome audio I happily recommend!
My only critique is I wasn't prepared for it to end as it did, I wanted more.
Luckily, it's being made into a series, so we'll get to see these characters come to life.

Until next time,

Kara

Ellie and the Harp Maker

"I see another Clive. He is nothing like the man I thought he was. The qualities I admired were all a sham. His violent reactions to everything (which I interpreted as strength of character) were plain, childish, self-serving neediness. Clive needed me badly, but in fact I've never needed him. Far from it. I was the rock in the relationship. But this discovery has brought no joy. Rocks are heavy. Rocks sink easily."

You've not heard of Ellie and the Harp Maker? I'm not surprised, it's not been on Bookstagram much 🤔, which is odd, because it's such a nice read, a different & special kind of story with memorable characters.

Ellie, taking a walk in the English countryside, stumbles upon Dan in his barn making, of all things, harps. And so their unusual, fun story begins.
I enjoyed how Hazel Prior wrote from both Ellie and Dan's very different perspectives.
We get a look into very real to life manipulative, deceptive relationships, and see how how creative loners can be misunderstood.
Dan reminds me of Eugene 💜, from The Walking Dead with the way he speaks, using vocabulary like indeed, beguile, and saying "deign to partake" and "answered in the affirmative". 😁
It's wonderful to see that autism is a characteristic of some characters in several novels that I've read recently, even though the word is never used. It hopefully makes people think about all the varied traits and qualities people have, and realize autism doesn't have one defined "look".

💎I highly recommend you check out this hidden gem!

I received Ellie and the Harp Maker in a GoodReads giveaway. 

Until next time,

Kara 

Valentine

So much to say about Valentine. But I'll try to keep it brief (ish).
First, this is a debut?!? Wow!
Wetmore's descriptions are like poetry. MY kind of poetry. I envisioned all the scenes clearly. It was easy to feel like I was right in this small town in Texas.
What got me most about Valentine is this novel is just lovely, despite the horrible story. That's writing talent. Plus exceptional narration can change the tone of a novel. You know how in some regions, you need to hear the dialects?
Wetmore gives us real, flawed, honest women, like Corrine: she revealed how she felt upon becoming a mother, that she wanted/needed to go back to work after her daughter's birth.
I review a book based on what it is, not on what it isn't. So while it starts off with the vicious attack of 14 year-old Gloria Ramirez, Valentine doesn't stay with her alone throughout. More of her story is told, but it's mainly about the women in Odessa, Texas. Kick ass women like Mary Rose, who refuses to cower to town pressure, which would be the easier & safer thing to do. Instead she supports & defends Gloria, because it's the right thing to do.
Themes of race, class, assault and justice make up Valentine, and strong female characters overcome.
.
I look for narrators that have special character in their voice, and Cassandra Campbell and Jenna Lamia certainly have it! Jenna Lamia's Mary Beth reminded me of Ruth on Ozark. So lyrical is Jenna Lamia's voice, I searched for other books she's narrated. I will be listening to Valentine again, and I 👏🏼can't 👏🏼recommend 👏🏼it 👏🏼enough.
.
It's because of these ladies talent at bringing Wetmore's wonderful writing to life, and giving me such a memorable experience that is this story, that makes this awesome audio.

I received Valentine free from Audible. 

Until next time,
Kara

The Virtue of Sin

🦋"Perfection is not for the pure of soul; there may be virtue in sin."

Sixteen year old Mariam lives in an isolated desert community New Jerusalem under the watchful eye of leader Daniel.
When the traditional ceremony of Daniel marrying teenage boys to the teenage girls they choose to marry goes very wrong, Mariam begins to dig. She uncovers truths about her community and Daniel, and questions if she will continue to blindly believe.

This YA novel easily had me hooked with it's different, compelling story and interesting characters.
What I was especially impressed with was the female empowerment theme throughout. Mariam takes a hard look at the patriarchal culture she's been raised in, and dares to speak up for herself and others. In this culture, men don't own their mistakes, they do whatever they like, and women never have a choice. Mariam points out that even not choosing (who to marry) is more choice than the women get. She wonders why temptation is always girl's fault, why men never take responsibility.

I haven't seen this book mentioned on the usual online places, so guys, I'm here to recommend you get your hands on it!

I received The Virtue of Sin in an Instagram giveaway win, thank you Thesmartcookiephiles!

Until next time,
Kara

The Giver of Stars

✨"You know what's really wonderful about those fireflies? Sure, they live for just a few weeks. Not much at all in the grand scheme of things. But while they're there, the beauty of them, well, it takes your breath away. You get to see the world in a while new way. And then you have that beautiful picture burned onto the inside of your head. To carry it wherever you go. And never forget it."
"Maybe that's the thing we need to understand, Alice. That some things are a gift, even if you don't get to keep them." ✨
~My favourite passage from The Giver of Stars.

It's 1937 in small town Kentucky, and several outspoken, strong women are just trying to do their jobs - bring books to remote impoverished mountain families - but they're met with constant opposition. Based on true events, The Giver of Stars looks at not only the lives of the Packhorse librarians, but class, race, equality, domestic abuse, passionless marriages and justice.
I appreciated the feminism throughout this book, including how Margery didn't have a need to get married, and lived her life apologetically.
Alice wasn't afraid to stand up for herself when others criticized her for not being pregnant.
This memorable read had interesting characters struggling with timeless issues I'm sure we can all relate to.
Does anyone else enjoy when it's more than just romance?

Several of us on booksta just did a group buddy read and created this bookstasolidarity.
Pictured:
@booksandlemonade @kylieisreading @readgenerate @grim_reads @theocbookgirl @mom.who.reads @glitterandplato @melizreads18 and I'm in there.☺️ 
Thank you for doing this fantastic collage Jaymi @theocbookgirl!💜

I received The Giver of Stars in an Instagram giveaway win, thank you @bookswritingandmore💜.

Until next time,

Kara 

The Girl with the Louding Voice

 

All 14 year old Adunni wants to do is go to school. But when her mother dies, her father sells her to become the third wife of an old well-off man. 

Adjoa Andoh brings Adunni to life with her emotional narrating. She also plays the other characters so well, with variety, even the men. I was in awe when she produced such a low, menacing tone of voice for Big Daddy. What talent! While listening, I thought I couldn't imagine reading this novel. Hearing the Nigerian dialect was for me, so helpful and vital to the story.
I loved Adunni's strength and positivity, even when she's in the most devastating situations. She had sass & class, and discovers her feminism. What a strong female character!

In our North American culture, it's difficult to imagine, let alone understand child marriage, domestic slavery, and exploitation. They are dealt with in a sensitive, yet realistic manner in this novel.

To say this is a tear jerker is an understatement. I also shook with anger, and cheered with joy. The Girl with the Louding Voice has it all.
A story with pain, love, and tension, told by a captivating narrator, makes this amazing audio.
💔💜💛💓

Until next time,

Kara

Daisy has Autism

For April, Autism Awareness Month, I read Aaron J. Wright's non-fiction Daisy has Autism. 

Arthur brings home to his wife Annie and son Charlie a Labrador puppy from an animal shelter, and life with Daisy begins.  

It was fascinating to hear about Daisy's behaviours that lead Arthur to suspect autism, like lining up the tennis balls, making no eye contact, and not interacting with other dogs. I could feel the frustration and concern when Wright details the horrific boot camp experience, and unsuccessful attempts to go for walks. Just as more and more people are being diagnosed with being on the spectrum, I wonder if it's the same with our pets, that an autism diagnosis will become common. 

"Both Daisy and Magda were mostly internalizers, generally incapable of displaying the normal outward signs of distress like barking or screaming only when in full duress." said Wright. "For them, adrenaline meant it was time to inhibit, not excite." 

Something else I also wondered about was if how the dog park bullies pick on the periphery dogs was a foreshadowing to future schooling for Magda...

Arthur describes his easy spontaneous social life before Magda getting together with friends. But after Magda, "In essence, we as a family had become autistic, our social capacity functionally diminished. Our events had to be planned, discussed, and put on Magda's picture schedule as well as on her poster-sized calendar mounted next to the front door." Unplanned trips meant tantrums or shutdowns. Their daily routine couldn't be ambiguous. This is something quite familiar with a nephew of mine who has Asperger's. 

The long and torturous process of testing Magda for placement into special education at school was difficult to read, demonstrating to me how stressful and emotionally draining it was for their family. 
Just when you think you've heard it all, and that things couldn't possibly get worse for them, it does. It all left me thinking the Davis school system showed such unprofessional disregard because they didn't have the money for special education. The YUSD website even stated how they needed to limit the number of special education children. Their solution was to put kids with special needs in regular classes to fend for themselves. It's downright scary how they predetermined Magda wouldn't get any help.

Poetry and a three act play are also in the book. Arthur shared a couple of touching poems about an IEP team meeting and Magda's school's reaction to a bullying incident. The anger and utter frustration was definitely felt in their friend Feather's spoken word poem about how her son with autism was treated by his school.

Arthur pointed out, imagine if he took blood pressure of Magda's tester and lied about what actually it was in his medical record.   
The insinuation is that autism isn't life threatening, when it is, because Magda's at risk for self-injury, and as with others with autism, has a higher suicidal risk. 
Most people have coping skills when stressed, but Magda deals with it by harming herself.

Theory of Mind was a fascinating chapter with Arthur zeroing in on all the household sounds as a way of identifying more with Magda since "as is true with autism, everything shares equal volume, and not one nerve impulse is less important than another." 

Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment was to hear from Magda herself, telling her dad her brain was crying and then at another time, how it's hard to have friends.

I'm left with many thoughts from reading Daisy has Autism, mainly outrage towards the Davis school system. I also have hope though that this book has helped to spark them to change their testing, placement and teaching of special education children. No small feat, but it sounds overdue. I feel such sadness over the continued misunderstanding of autism, and think we've got a long way to go. Ultimately, I smile when I think of how fortunate Magda is to have Arthur and Annie as her parents. 

I received Daisy has Autism from author Aaron J. Wright - thank you.

https://www.daisyhasautism.com/


Until next time,

Kara 

Lake Town

Lake Town Nicole M. Burrell 

Ryan's life is spiraling out of control. She is struggling with a mysterious illness, has lost both of her parents, and even had to watch the man she loves fall for her best friend. More and more, she finds herself hiding out in her lakeside childhood home, soaking up the peace its familarity brings. 

Then one day, it is gone. The lake, which stood outside the cottage her entire life, does not exist. In its place stands a prison camp called Lake Town. When Ryan's curiosity drives her into the camp, she meets a captivating inmate named Adams who helps her uncover a deep layer of corruption within the prison. She decides she has to do something about it, but the question is... how?    

The disappearance of your secluded home and appearance of a prison. An undiagnosed illness that leaves you tired and sore. Your long time love marrying your best friend. An Old family enemy cropping up again. 
Some bizarre and troubing circumstances that Ryan finds herself in in Lake Town. I liked her take-no-crap, sassy personality, and was always interested in finding out what would happen with her next. 
When Ryan discovers a prison in her backyard and meets an intriguing prisoner Adams, I thought, alright, things are going to perk up in her safe, hum drum life. 
What's really going on in Lake Town, and why Ryan can't stay away from the prison is the hidden mystery.

Lake Town was suspenseful, and had the right amount of tension without being over-the-top. 
Oh, I'm definitely #teamadams. 
This was the kind of story that left me wanting more. I hope there will be a sequel! I can also easily picture it on the screen. 

I received Lake Town from author Nicole M. Burrell, thank you.

Until next time,

Kara 

American Dirt

"Terror is more immediate than grief."

What I look for in an audio book is a dramatic story told by a skilled narrator. A unique set of circumstances that takes me right there, where I can feel the characters joy or pain. 
I'd like to share some of the moments that resonated with me in American Dirt, starting with the quote I opened with: "Terror is more immediate than grief." That line stuck with me, because after the massacre, I did wonder how Lydia could even function, let alone react so quickly. 
How Lydia's father's death "acted like a measuring stick for Lydia. It calculated the depth of Sebastien's character." I understand how, as Cummins wrote, tragedy can cement a relationship. 
Lydia's refreshing honestly about motherhood. As much as children are your life, she admits to needing space and time away from her child. 
The way Lydia realized who Javier was to her now: when he squeezed her fingers, she smelled formaldehyde, and saw his lenses spattered with blood. 
The eerie foreshadowing of the beautiful Soledad, how "her presence is a vivid throb of colour," a "living miracle of splendour" - and a real problem. 
These are among the many instances that made American Dirt a memorable experience for me. 

I appreciated the group discussions we @travelingsistersread had last month on Goodreads, and thank you all for that.

While I realize the migrant problem is a very heated & sensitive political and cultural topic, I'm not down with book shaming or author bashing.
Something extreme critics of this book could consider is whether this story helped bring to the forefront the serious issues migrants face a lot more than harm Mexican culture. 
📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘📘

I received American Dirt in an Instagram giveaway, thank you @readwithjamie. 

Until next time,

Kara

What My Sister Knew

From the startling opener, to the final horrific scene, Nina Laurin had me eager to discover What My Sister Knew. 

This gripping story about twins kept me hanging on and full of anticipation. There was plenty of speculation about what really happened to Andrea and Eli and their parents in the house fire all those years ago. 
Eli is out of prison and trying to see Andrea. The chase is on...

I enjoyed the going back & forth from the present day, to 15 years ago, before the fire, to the novel written about the murders.

Author Laurin gave some good descriptions and comparisons: 
I felt Andrea's queasiness and pain from the 'mean girls' incidents with Leeanne, her step sister. It was frankly refreshing to see that she hated her, didn't have the need to try & desparately be likable to her stepsister. This was a realistic and honest side to a personality that we don't often see. 
It gives her character teeth. 

I can easily visualize the "postapocalyptic hideousness of Denver in the early spring", because I know Toronto sure looks disastrous in March & April. 

Andrea's fascination with the lighter, the sounds it makes, and its color was something I could picture.   

"Her eyes are a wishy-washy light brown, as if they couldn't decide what color they wanted to be." 

While reading this, I thought a few times, "and the plot thickens..." so kudos Laurin.

I received What My Sister Knew in a GoodReads giveaway. 

Until next time,

Kara  

Such a Fun Age

Several of us on IG are really enjoying discussing Such a Fun Age.

@butbooksarebetter2 @danythebookworm_ @lindsaytravelingsister @tammyroos
@travelingfriendsreads @travelingsistersread @torontobibliophile
This timely topic about living in the racially charged times we're in is also classic, don't you think?

I must applaud narrator Nicole Lewis! She's incredible, a skilled actor who got all the fantastic dialogue down so that I can't imagine reading it. For me, this book is meant to be listened to.
When you've finished Such a Fun Age, join our discussion! There's so much to say about this book!

I'd like to discuss the controversial Kelley. So my question is:
Do you think Kelley fetishized black women? 
🚨 SPOILER alert in the comments! ⚠️
💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙

My response:

I think Riley wrote it in such a way to give us tidbits here & there, so she let us consider and decide for ourselves - which is superb writing! I think you can be attracted to who you are attracted to. Who's to say who you find attractive, what your type is? Is it automatic that everyone have an attraction to who looks just like them?

The rest of the chat is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8pZ_Ukgq-r/

Until next time,

Kara