Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

 

💋What a fun audio book this was to listen to in February. Drama, adventure, and a wee bit o' romance 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨, Dear Haiti, Love Alaine had everything I like. Along with 17 year-old Alaine, I even learned more about the interesting Haitian culture. Listeners hear about how Alaine, who lives in Miami, got suspended and sent to Haiti through her diary entries, emails, postcards, and letters. Alaine is a smart & sassy wannabe reporter, with a distant journalist mother who she equal parts emulates and is frustrated with.

This fantastic debut novel was co-written by sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite, and narrated by the skilled Bahni Turpin. I was captivated by Turpin's portrayal of the characters and all those accents and dialects. I looked forward to hearing each diary entry "The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant."
All of which makes this awesome audio.

💝Happy Valentine's Day!💖

🇭🇹🥰📒🧳✈️🚢❤️🏝️☀️😘🥥🌺😍🌴🌹

I received Dear Haiti, Love Alaine in an Instagram giveaway, 🙏🏻thank you Jynell @thisreadingnurse.🤗

The Other Mrs.

We hear a lot about how Bookstagram made me do it. I discovered that myself by becoming interested in some thrillers fondly featured by so many of you. Since reading some truly thrilling books, I get it, and have added this genre to my favourites.

In The Other Mrs., we see a couple in a troubled marriage and a troubled teen, "forced" together in a creepy house in a small island town. Add mysterious deaths, disturbing personalities, and of course twists, and you've got this mystery thriller.
Truthfully, there were some unbelievable moments, repetitive thoughts, and an odd fascination with bangs, but overall, an easy escape read. I appreciate those, when I need a break from strong emotion.

This was my first Mary Kubica book, and I'd be interested in knowing from fans, what's your favorite of hers?

All the best dramatic stories are brought to the big screen, and I can't wait to see what Netflix does with this.

I received The Other Mrs. in an Instagram giveaway. Thank you @jessicamap and @wherethereadergrows!

Until next time,

Kara

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."
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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.

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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