Non Fiction November

 
It's Non Fiction November, and this time I have 2 very different books and two backlist audiobooks with sad similarities.

Fans who want more of #thecrown will enjoy Elizabeth & Margaret The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters.  I'm not a monarchist, but I like royalty series & movies because I'm intrigued by their unique fascinating lifestyles, so different from my own. Well known biographer Andrew Morton supplies quotes from royal insiders on HRM Queen Elizabeth II and her notorious glamorous sister Princess Margaret. I learned about how their closeness from childhood continued to the end, and about how Margaret loved a party and men. This tell-all biography will interest you if you can't get enough of the Windsors.

To say that Hunger and Heavy are difficult, essential memoirs is an under statement. Both authors Roxane Gay and Kiese Laymon share their childhood traumas, unhealthy relationship with food as comfort & protection, and ultimately learning to accept and love their bodies.
From a writing standpoint, Gay was often repetitive, and included a few very short, abrupt chapters. Hunger cannot help but leave a deep impact on every reader or listener, but with the trigger warnings, it's not for everyone.
Laymon's style is so unique, authentic and intense. Just the poetic way he begins admitting he wrote a titillating lie, but learned nothing, so started over, sends shivers. He puts it all out there, never holding back about the abuse he suffered from and his troubling complex relationship with his mother.
These books are surely forms of therapy for the authors. I'm interested in reading more of their work.

In Baek Sehee's debut Korean best seller, she documents her recorded conversations with her psychiatrist. This mental health memoir was not intriguing to me, but rather repetitive & gave off a self indulgent feel unfortunately. I found her dialogue to be too perfect. She used the exact lingo, which is curiously remarkable to have such insight right in your appointment. Her psychiatrist validated everything she said so perfectly. This non-fiction didn't work for me because I was uninterested in the author. I just couldn't get why I should read it and I wasn't able to make a connection with her.

What interesting non fiction have you read this month?
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I received Elizabeth & Margaret in an Instagram giveaway,🙏🏼thank you @arrow_reads Caroline. I received I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki in a Goodreads giveaway. 

Until next time,

~Kara

Run, Rose Run

Every song tells a story.

She's a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.
She's also on the run: Find a future, lose a past.
Nashville is where she's come to claim her destiny. It's also where the darkness she's fled might find her. And destroy her.
🎸👢🎤🪕

I chose to give Run, Rose Run a listen because it was marked as thriller, suspense and mystery. And, who doesn't like Dolly Parton?! 😍 It only started to get a bit thrilling at Part 3. The focus has been on the Nashville music scene. The story is quite predictable, with scenes about stereotypical honky tonks and sleazy music producers you'd expect. But the witty dialogue of main characters AnnieLee, Ruthanna and Ethan is fun.
I'm enjoying Kelsea Ballerini cast as AnnieLee and the icon herself Dolly Parton narrating Ruthanna. I recently liked listening to Soneela Nankani narrate His Only Wife. Her formal voice with exact enunciation feels off here as the main narrator though. For the style of this book, her specific tone is not the right fit. I wonder why this part wasn't given to someone with a Tennessee twang. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Listening to a book about country music, you would expect the narrators to sing the song lyrics parts, right? It's disappointing they aren't.🧐
I figured there'd be some songs at the end to look forward to, but there aren't!😮‍💨
I'm at Part 4 now, and am compelled to continue to find out what happens to AnnieLee.
I've not read any of James Patterson's novels, they're not really my type. I'm afraid to say, this one doesn't make me want to read any more.
The album Run, Rose Run was released this March, and the movie is in pre-production, so country music fans can hear & see AnnieLee / Rose come to life. I'm curious and will check both out.
I haven't seen this on Booksta, has anyone listened to / read it?

I borrowed Run, Rose Run from the library (Overdrive). 

🎸👢🎤🪕

Until next time, 
~Kara

Beach Read

 

🔥👀Talk about a hot read summer!
This isn't your typical easy breezy beach read that you can get through quickly and leave behind. It's unique story and interesting characters are memorable. There's quick, witty dialogue and lots of fun back and forths between January and Augustus. Besides the cute notes they hold up for each other and some ♨️, Beach Read has moments of introspection and awareness. Bravo author Emily Henry! 👏🏼
If you haven't read it yet, you still have time, there's 22 days left of summer!🌞

I received Beach Read in a Goodreads giveaway, thanks!🙏🏼

Until next time, 

~Kara

Must listen audiobooks

🎧🍁If you haven’t already, you NEED to listen to these books on audio! Both are narrated by their authors, personalizing the experience even more, adding rich emotion.

Tessa McWatt does a deep dive into her multi-racial identity in her memoir Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging. She shares her encounters and experiences of growing up questioning her identity and colour through body part chapter titles like Lips, Nose, Hair, and Ass. What box do you tick when you have Chinese, Scottish, Portuguese, Indian, African and French ancestry?
Having a mixed racial background, and been asked “What are you?” throughout my life, I can relate. I also struggle with enjoying the dance-able Trinidad (my father’s homeland) Calypso / Soca music that unfortunately is problematically filled with sexual innuendo, and an overt focus on the female body.
It was also informative and interesting to learn about Guyana’s colonialism history.

🎧🍁
Disturbing and determined. Powerful and peaceful. From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way is this, and more.
Jesse Thistle’s subtle yet strong voice details his abandonment, abuse, trauma, addiction, and ultimately, redemption. His story is told without fear, and is truly inspiring. It’s one I won’t forget. He is the definition of a survivor!

I can’t recommend enough listening to both of these memorable audiobooks! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What awesome audiobook would you recommend? I’m currently absorbed with Kiese Laymon’s intense and well, heavy memoir, Heavy.
I borrowed both these books from the library (Overdrive). 
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Until next time,

~Kara

Pride month reads

 
For Pride month, I'm sharing a couple memoirs, a beach read, & an evocative love story.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Adam Rippon's Beautiful on the Outside memoir.
He shares how he made his journey from struggling with poverty to becoming a figure skating Olympic medalist.
He's confident yet self depreciating. Being anxious and outgoing are what make him relatable.Turns out he details everything with humour & modesty, making it a fun, easy read.
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A "modern classic" to me, Call Me by your Name is filled with lovely, vivid quite different style prose. I found constant poetry throughout the pages.
Elio speaks in a fast, flustered, muffling way, exactly what you expect from a 17 year old.
There are 2 pages devoted to how he felt being touched the first time. An average writer would say he was shocked. But author André Aciman spends time on his emotions, each reaction, and the reasons why. What a wonderful writer.
Elio's father was very intuitive and supportive. How I liked that character! This was a novel that was brought to life so well on the big screen. A must read erotic romance.
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Fans of Queer Eye will appreciate hearing it's shining stylish star Tan France tell his story in Naturally Tan. His memoir is told in fun chapter titles like jeans, sweatpants, brogues & cowboy boots. Some are PSAs on jeans, accessories & little black something.
It was his first chapter shalwar kameez that I liked the most actually. He talks about growing up in a small county in England in a traditional Muslim Pakistani family.
Something that I took note of, recognizing the sentiment that others feel, is when he said "I always had to be polite, always be nice, always be kind. You can't be another crazy brown person who's upset."
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In Right Before the Weather, 40 something Cate realizes she has to start adulting. She's struggling from a recent break up, is in a new relationship, has a dead end job, & an ex husband staying with her. A violent assault of her close friend that she happens upon brings her into that tragedy.
A lot happens in this book, much sad & unfinished. And the 2016 president Trump election is featured.
Did you read any of these? What did you think?                                                                                                             🏳️‍🌈

I received these books in giveaways, thanks Bookstagrammers! 

Until next time, 

~Kara

Hyped books

 
Worth the hype? Or overhyped? 🤔😍

I simply didn't want Where the Crawdads Sing to end. This story gave me all the feels; I enjoyed the intrigue, anger, tears, and smiles reading about Kya, The Marsh Girl. The North Carolina cove comes alive with author Delia Owens lovely writing. I placed myself right there and could picture each unique character. Where the Crawdads Sing is romance, mystery, a courtroom drama, and even some poetry that deals with race, isolation, and environmentalism. This is one that I'll read again.
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo story is certainly intriguing, and the newspaper clippings throughout were a good addition. Evelyn tells her stories though in an unemotional way. Sex was an exchange, which was very Daisy Jones like. She's in it (everything) for her ego. All these sharp edges made it hard for me to identify with her. Although towards the end I understood her.
I didn't think Monique should have asked her again who the love of her life was at that point & reveal it so soon. Felt it would have been better for the end.
And what's with the obsessive mentioning of her flat ass?? 😶
I didn't feel the love between her & Celia, it wasn't steamy. Was it romance? It got kind of boring after she revealed her feelings. Maybe that's the point, some love doesn't burn.
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The Push was a fascinating page turner for me, gave the type of psychological intensity that has remained with me.
When something is just not right with baby Violet, Blythe doesn't get the validation she seeks from her husband. Fox instead was downright annoying, oblivious and patronizing. He didn't ask Blythe about her mother when she brought up her childhood. He told her it's all in your head, babies don't hate. His unsupportive dismissiveness takes its toll.
I felt like cheering when finally, a day care worker sees her problem!
Violet's coldness was incredibly sad.
Blythe pretending was very heartbreaking. Together, they just didn't mesh, which was a difficult reality.
The Push explores nature vs nurture, expectations on motherhood, and unconditional love. Such a controversial topic makes it a must read. What a well written debut for Ashley Audrain!
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Taking place in 1990, Palestine, and 2008, Brooklyn in A Woman is no Man, we quickly learn that "life was nothing but a bad joke for women."                                                                                                                 

17 year old romantic Isra enjoys reading or believing in fairy tales according to her mother. She's quickly married, living in America with her detached new husband and oppressive mother in law.                               

How I wanted to enjoy this book, but it was a constant onslaught of cringy lessons.

A daughter is only a temporary guest, quietly awaiting another man to scoop her away...
A woman belongs at home.
Obedience was the single path to love.
There's no room for love, only patience.
A proper girl never lays her gaze on a man!
The constant harping to be subordinate and submissive was depressing.
I kept waiting for it to improve, and THAT is the very point. For too many women, it doesn't.

I'll be waiting to watch all these books come to life on screen. 
Which ones do you think were worth the hype or overhyped?  

I received these books in giveaways, thank you Bookstagrammers! 

Until next time, 

~Kara                                   

Bookstagram made me do it!

It's a case of Bookstagram made me do it! 

In Everything I Never Told You, 16 year old favourite child Lydia absorbed her parents dreams. Lydia will achieve what they couldn't. She must get top grades as she's expected to become a doctor. Plus Lydia's under awful pressure to make friends & be popular. So she fakes conversations on the phone with pretend friends.
The way Lydia's mother "helped" her with her homework reminds me of my own junior high science struggles with my dad.😬
Everything I Never Told You is a heart breaking family drama focusing on mixed race relationships, keeping secrets, pressure & love. This devastating story will stay with me.
📘
After reporter Jessica Williams is fired for plagiarism in a public scandal, she plans a trip to Mexico to escape. Sitting next to her at the airport bar though is another Jessica Williams. The cat & mouse game of You Can't Catch Me begins. Her bank account is emptied, & she starts to investigate. Enter more Jessica's, deception & threats, and she seeks revenge to catch the con artist.
The side story that Jessica was brought up in a cult was interesting.
You Can't Catch Me was a fast, compelling read that captured my interest from the get-go.
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When an accident puts you in the hospital facing a long, painful recovery, you would expect to have the support of your parents and fiancé. Not the case though for Margaret in How to Walk Away.
Katherine Center did a great job at creating hateable characters in Margaret's mother and her fiancé Charlie. Both of their reactions were awful, and I was pissed at what insensitive & unhelpful idiots they were. Center presented a complicated sibling relationship with Margaret & her sister Kit. Like how you can only reach out so many times before you stop trying, and how fast siblings can get into a rage state, & everything they were ever angry about comes tumbling out.
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It's a typical story of thinking you have it all: a successful company with your husband & a happy marriage. But Kate's husband leaves her for a younger woman in The Next Wife. Tish is an annoying, childish person that you certainly don't root for. 🤨The story, writing and characters fell flat for me.
📔

I received these books in giveaways, thank you Bookstagrammers!

Until next time,

~Kara

March memoirs month

 
I don't know if it's a thing, but for me, March is memoirs month. ☺️

I was channeling my inner World Wide Vet, aka Dr. Evan Antin when I "wrangled" this garter recently. 😁 (Taken right before he tried to strike.) His memoir/travelogue Encounters in the Animal Kingdom was a joy to read. He details his wild, fun animal adventures from around the world in an easy, down-to-earth manner.
This is exactly the book to read after a heavy, emotional one. And #thatcoverthough 👀
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Listening to Glennon Doyle narrate her story in her soft & sweet, yet strong voice is a big theme in Untamed: that women aren't just one thing. Society tends to tell women who we are, until we can hopefully find it out for ourselves. She examined all the expectations placed on her, what it lead to, and how she broke free. There are so many gems here and much to contemplate.
🏳️‍🌈
In Jennifer Palmieri's manifesto
She Proclaims, we hear stories & advice from her political career in a man's world. Palmieri is the former director of communications for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campain, and White House communications director for President Obama. I learned about bropriating: when men don't acknowledge an idea when it's presented by a woman, but laude the same idea from a male. Oh, so that's what it's called. 🙄 Another gender bias issue in the workplace mentioned is how we judge men based on the potential we see in them, but judge women based on their record of accomplishment.
Older men are often revered as wise & their experience gives them the ability to offer sage advice. But she noted age & experience isn't valued in women. Fortunately the exception to this is Speaker Nancy Polosi. She didn't run for office until she was 47, and became the 1st female Speaker at 66, & then again at 78.
💪🏼♀️
I was hoping to hear from historic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself about her battles with sexism, and fights for women's and worker's rights. But My Own Words is a collection of speeches, writings and even excerpts from the Scalia/Ginsburg opera. If that's what you're interested in, this will be an interesting read for you. For me though, I think I chose the wrong RBG book.

Thank you Bookstagrammers for these books which I received in giveaways. 

Until next time,

~Kara

Black History Month awesome audiobooks

The audiobooks I've been listening to lately continue to be awesome. 👊🏼 I'll start with a memorable favourite Seven Days in June. It's fun & full of current contemporary culture and sharp, quick witted dialogue. Eva and Shane meet as teenagers and in 7 days, fall fast in love. They don't see each other for 15 years until they reconnect for 7 more days. The tone reminded me of Such a Fun Age with all the trendy pop culture references. Narrator Mela Lee was a delight to listen to. Is it romantic? Yes. Is it erotic?Definitely!! Is it a must read? Absolutely!!! 👀♨️                                       💕                                                                                                                                                                                        In Sankofa, Londoner Anna discovers some information about the father she never knew. Not only is he still alive, but he's the dictator president of a (fictional) West African nation. So begins her journey to find her father and answers. The meaning of the metaphorical bird Sankofa is to go back to the past and bring forward that which is useful. This interesting, unique story looks at race, belonging, the African diaspora experience, and family dynamics. Sara Powell narrates each character wonderfully.

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The Prophets is a heartbreaking, difficult story featuring two young plantation slaves. Isaiah and Samuel grew up together, and found solace, refuge, and eventually intimacy with each other. Their love though, is forbidden and a sin. The Prophets changes points of view with many characters, and contains biblical references & chapter titles. I do feel like I needed a notes section. Moving and emotional, Robert Jones Jr. wrote a cruelly beautiful debut. Karen Chilton brings these characters alive so well with her incredible narrating.
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What audiobooks have you enjoyed lately?
I'm currently listening to and enjoying Lawrence Hill's The Illegal.

❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️💛💚❤️

White Out

 

❄Another seasonal read here with Danielle Girard's thriller White Out.

It has good flow at the beginning, and I appreciated how the action started immediately, we were right there in it.
Chapters were told by multiple characters points of view. A lot was happening in this story, and at about ¾ of the way in I started to feel lost, so there was some re-reading. I found I had to pay closer attention at this point.

In a small North Dakota town, Lily Baker survives a car accident but has no memory of what happened and who she even is. That same night a murdered woman is discovered in a dumpster.
Detective Kylie Milliard eventually learns that Lily and the murdered woman share a dark past.
White Out is Badlands Thriller # 1, so stay tuned for the next in this series.

Have you read any backlist books lately? What about any by Danielle Girard?

I received White Out in a giveaway. Thank you @daniellegirardbooks!🙏🏼

Until next time,

~Kara

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