Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo

This is book 22 of Book a Day January.

I read Harjo's 2012 memoir Crazy Brave some years ago, and we have the updated edition in our collection.  This is her new memoir, published in 2021.  Harjo is the first Indigenous Poet Laureate of the United States and is a member of the Muscogee Nation.  She is a poet, musician, activist, and professor.

What I like about this style of memoir, similar to Ordinary Hazards and My Name is Jason, is the intermingling of poetry (both lyrical and free), prose, and art.  There is never boring "and on this day I did this" that sometimes occurs in autobiographical works.  

Poet Warrior details the oral stories Harjo learned as a child, many passed down for generations, and laments the loss of such created by our technology-driven society.  She discusses her influences in the realm of poetry (and they are an eclectic mix of authors) and in life as a wife, mother, woman, and Native American Indian.  And how all of that intersects with our current political climate. 

You can read Harjo's factual background here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Harjo

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Ridgeline by Michael Punke

I have failed miserably at Book a Day January.  This is book 21.  It took me 2.5 days to get through, and I forgot to take my two weekend books home, leaving them on the Circ Desk. It looks like it'll be 23 books in 31 days. Eh.

You may know Punke's famous first novel by its movie adaptation: The Revenant starring Leo.  As we look to improve our holdings by and about the Indigenous peoples of the United States, this was recommended by our book vendor Follett.  Punke grew up in Wyoming near Fort Laramie and currently lives in Montana.   

This is a fictionalized account of the 1866 conflict in Powder Valley, Wyoming between westward expanding Americans and the tribes who have always called these lands home.  Red Cloud, revered leader of the Lakota, seeks a resolution while Crazy Horse, a fierce warrior, wants to drive the settlers back by any means necessary.  The white soldiers deal with internal strife, as the Civil War has left the army fractured.  There are many desertions as men fight the temptation to search for gold instead.  

This was not an easy read.  Besides the bloodshed, there are a LOT of characters.  Punke does his readers a favor with a brief chart at the beginning and more in-depth explanations at the end.  He also explains where and when he took creative license and gives more history to some.  The style is a cross between Conductor on the Underground Railroad, Petry's narrative biography of Harriet Tubman, and Dances With Wolves.  

I'll be adding this to our Indigenous subcollection momentarily.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

We are feeling much better!  That was a NASTY bug!

I know I totally failed at Book a Day January, but this is book 20 for the month.

AND I HATED IT.

This was recommended as an independent reading book for an advanced science course and requested to be put on my most recent district order.  I don't want call my colleague out, but my goodness this was awful.

I think the premise is great, and that's why I wanted to read this.  A young woman studying the nearly extinct Artic tern (bird) wants to follow their migration pattern.  Franny finagles her way onto a fishing vessel and heads south, finding herself on the way.  Sounds good. A little nature, a little conservation, a little female in a male-dominated science. 

Nowhere in the description does this say it's somewhere in the future.  ALL animals are nearly extinct in this dystopian world.  Those who fish and hunt are vilified.  Franny's descriptions of men and those of other skin colors are disparaging.  We learn Franny is a liar who thinks only about herself with little care whom she hurts on her "quest".  

I seriously wanted to throw this by 30 pages in.  

I look forward to proofreading the written examination by the student who chose this as her reading book, but if I know anything about her, she will be brutally honest about this character, novel, and author!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Just an update...

The awful stomach bug going around hit the Eagles-Woychowski household hard.  Hoping to get back to reading a book a day starting today through the end of the month!

JW

Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill

This was on our Wish List, but Mr. Weber sent us a copy from his daughter's bookcase cleanout. 

NOT an easy read.  At all.  

Evalina is an Italian American in California.  She is in love with Taichi Hamasaki, who is Japanese.  It is 1941, and Japan has just attacked Pearl Harbor.  Their relationship is completely illegal, as interracial marriage is banned. Taichi and his family are sent to an internment camp.  

The treatment of Taichi and his family is awful.  I know that my education glossed right over the interment camps our country set up on American soil to hold American citizens who were of Japanese descent.  Only recently has this truth begun to be included in our curricula.  George Takei and Kyle Larson have been instrumental in using their fame to help remind us what transpired.  

Taichi and Evalina communicate through letters. There is of course the chance their writings will be intercepted.  In addition, Evalina becomes a vocal protester of the camps, putting her own Italian family in danger.  

This would be great book to add to our freshman independent reading list for WWII and Romeo & Juliet. I did cry at the end, but they were happy tears.  

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

I did it again.  Left my Chromebook on my desk at school on charge.  Oops.

This is the first of 2 reviews I'll do today as time allows (I did not read a book Saturday as it was my belated birthday/early Valentine's Day dinner and Six the Musical).

My son has taken to skiing in the Berkshires, at Catamount and Mohawk.  This came across my suggestions on Amazon.  I know SkyNet has become self-aware, but kinda creepy.

I'm glad I purchased it though!

Maya is living in Boston, but she grew up in the Berkshires.  Just before leaving for college, her best friend Aubrey dropped dead in front of Maya and the young man they were recently quarreling over, Frank.  Frank is a librarian and says he's returned to the area to care for his ailing father after living on the West Coast.

Years later, Maya sees a viral video called "girl drops dead", in which a young woman dies suddenly in a diner.  Across from her in the booth is Frank.  Maya is sure Frank killed the young woman, same as he did Aubrey.  However, no one believes Maya now, just as no one believed her then.  

I don't want to spoil too much, but this is a definite thriller that keeps you guessing.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

 

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

Book 17 of Book a Day January.

Agatha Christie was a famous English murder-mystery author.  She was born upper middle class and was required to follow the customs of such in the 1910s-20s.  In 1926, her marriage broke down, with her husband having an affair with a long time friend, and Christie disappeared for 11 days.  Upon her return, she claimed amnesia.

It has long been speculated she faked her own disappearance in order to drum up literary fame and sympathy as the scorned wife.  

This is a fictionalized account of Christie's disappearance, following that theory.

I have to be honest, I had no idea about Christie's disappearance.  My Grandma Fran was a huge fan and had all of her novels and plays.  I read quite a few in late elementary school and middle school when I'd spend afternoons and the summer there with her and my Nana.

Definitely held my interest!  I could see our Criminal Justice cohort using this one!

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

All the Best Liars by Amelia Kahaney

This book was requested by a student.  I put it on our Amazon Wish List, and a generous donor sent it our way.  After it was returned, I decided to check it out.

Similar to the works of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson, this is a YA murder mystery.  I liked it until the very end!

Brie, Rain, and Sydney are best friends from a poor community in California.  Brie's father invests in a car dealership and suddenly she finds her and her widower father are rich.  They move to wealthy Palm Springs.  Brie's personality turns nasty.  She's a bully and a narcissist.  Then Rain's mother, a casino minimum wage employee, wins the second prize in the lottery.  Rain and her mother move to the rich-person side of town as well.  But Rain doesn't change.  Instead she defends the students Brie bullies.  Rain is a solid C student, but Brie and Sydney are in AP courses together.  Brie's daddy's money will mean she'll go to a top college, while Syd will likely work and go to community college part time. 

The girls find themselves together at a party one night.  There are drugs and alcohol a plenty.  They fight, publicly. 

Brie's home catches fire, and she dies in bed.  Rain goes on the run.  And Sydney is left facing the police.

I don't want to spoil too much, as this is a whodunit.  I was very surprised when the truth is revealed.  But as I turned that last page, I went, "wait, where's the rest?".  Because things are NOT wrapped up.  Guessing we're looking for a sequel...?

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

This is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for February, chosen by Ms. Corrado (Mrs. Paredes' secretary). 

Diana has her whole life planned out. She's an art seller via Sotheby's in NYC and in a long-term relationship with a resident soon to be surgeon at a major hospital.  Currently 29, she wants to be engaged at 30 and knows he's hiding a ring in his sock drawer, kids by 35.  They plan to travel, starting with a two-week trip to the Galapagos Islands in March 2020.  She expects he'll propose on the beach.  

It's March of 2020.  We all know what happens in March of 2020. 

Finn, Diane's soon to be fiance, tells her to go on the trip.  There's no point in them losing all that money.  Maybe she'll be safer there.  After all, Covid is supposed to die out after two weeks of shut down, right?  

Diane arrives to find the entire island has closed.  There's no wifi, no post office, no bank, no hotels, no restaurants.  She has no way to contact Finn or her mother in a nursing home.  She's got two weeks in paradise, but now it's total isolation from the rest of the world.  She also doesn't speak Spanish like most of the islanders.  

Thankfully, a grandmother takes her in and allows her to stay in her grandson's old bedroom.  Abeula's grandson Gabriel is a former tour guide; he and his teenage daughter Beatriz both speak fluent English.  Diana, Gabriel, and Beatriz go on local adventures outdoors--hiking, swimming, etc.  Diana sees parts of their home the tourists usually never do, while Abuela takes care of her and shows her the local trade market.  

And that's where I'm going to stop.  There is a major plot twist I did NOT expect and I do not want to ruin it.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Ok, the last of the 4 reviews from this weekend.  Note to self, DON'T LEAVE YOUR CHROMEBOOK AT SCHOOL!

I wanted to like this.  I really, really did.  And I loved the first part.  Second part, I found so depressing.  And the thing is, it honestly reads like two completely separate books, as if two different people wrote them and the publisher thought, well here's two stories about Minneapolis, let's forge them together!

Part 1 is an amusing ghost story.  Tookie, a recently released inmate, works at her local book store.  She was arrested after stealing a dead body for a friend, that was actually hiding drugs.  Said book store is modeled on Erdrich's actual one, with a fictional Louise as the boss.  The store features books by, about, and for Native American Indians.  Flora, a white female ghost, haunts the store.  The writing is sarcastic, witty, and entertaining. It's almost perfect October reading. 

Then part 2 is 2020.  The pandemic and George Floyd/BLM.  The story turns incredibly dark, as would be the case.  The writing style changes too.  Riots and looting occur around the store, as happened in real life.  It's heartbreaking.

And I do not feel they actually go together well.  They absolutely could have been two separate novels, and would have been successful I think.  Or even a series.  But as one continuous novel, it does not work.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.   

My Name is Jason. Mine Too. By Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin

This is an incredibly unique book.  It's a hybrid graphic and in-verse memoir told in both simultaneous and alternating viewpoints of two best friends, both named Jason. 

The first Jason in Reynolds.  We know him as an author and poet.  He is black.

The second Jason is Griffin.  He is an artist.  He is white.  

And they tell their story, from college to poverty as starving artists/authors to success.  It ends with them reflecting on the project, 13 years later.  

It's hard to review this.  I can't explain it.  It is just. so. moving.  There are definite Mrs. W. tear stains!  From the words to the visuals, this is a book you MUST read.

Find this on display in memoir as a "Mrs. W.'s Favorite".

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart

My family does names out of a hat for adults for Christmas.  We each get one person to buy for, and we choose a theme.  We've done flat gifts only, A Blue Christmas, picnic baskets, socks and jammies, hoodies, surprise interest-based, and this year: Want, Need, Wear, Read.  We each had to list 4 items, 1 per category, and the giver chose any combo up to $50.  This was my Read choice from my cousin-in-law Juliet. 

This was recommended to me by Amazon.  I'm guessing since your phone tracks basically everything, and there is a lot of NASCAR between North Carolina and Georgia...

This was a fairly easy read with nothing major happening.  I know that sounds strange.  It was NOT boring, but there was no OMG plot twist.  There were a couple of tough scenes--Black workers face much harsher treatment, women are treated as property, all as one would expect in the early days of the Depression in these locations.   

Rae Lynn is a turpentine farmer in NC, married to a bumbling idiot who falls off a ladder.  She shoots him in the head to end his pain, but doesn't know his friend sees it.  She goes on the run, ending up in Swallow Hill, a labor camp.  Del, a womanizing farmhand, gets caught being naughty with his wife's boss.  After the boss tries to kill him in revenge, he leaves and ends up at Swallow Hill.  Rae, disguised as Ray, and Del work together until Rae's is found out.  The camp owner's wife Nellie falls in love with Rae, and the 3 escape to Del's sister's home.  Del and Rae marry and have children, helping out Del's family and Aunt Nellie.  

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.   

Trejo by Danny Trejo

I read every day over this long weekend, but I forgot my Chromebook at school, so I'll be typing up these 4 reviews as time permits today.

My next book in Book a Day January is Danny Trejo's memoir.  I have to say I only recently became aware of the actor after his appearance in The Book of Boba Fett as the rancor handler.  His guest appearance was a surprise and everyone went kinda bonkers about it.  I recognized him from commercials, but didn't really know a lot.  A student asked if we had this shortly thereafter and I added it to our wish list. I am so glad I did.

Danny Trejo was a womanizing, drug addicted, hard core criminal in California.  While serving time, he attended a charity baseball game at which a riot broke out.  He and 2 other inmates were accused and faced the death penalty.  Trejo made a pact with God if his life was spared, he'd turn things around. And he did.  He became an advocate for the homeless, the addicted, and the poor.  He worked with recently released prisoners to secure housing, employment, and treatment.  For a time, he struggled greatly as a husband and father.  It was not until much later his children were able to turn their own lives around.  Now he is a successful actor, author, and activist.

I cried several times reading this.  It isn't easy.  But is an amazing story of redemption and faith. 

Find this on display in memoir as a "Mrs. W.'s Favorite".

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.    

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton

Book 10 of Book a Day January.  Yes, I'm a little behind.  I had some home stuff to handle Tuesday and Wednesday evening that took precedence.    

This is the adult selection for All CT Reads 2023.  Last night I attended the state-wide launch for this year's program and heard from the author Dawnie Walton about her process and motivation.  As a Black female punk rock fan, she wanted to write about a Black female rock icon.  The entire recorded webinar will be available to view in a few days on the CT State Library website.  The Teachers and Friends Book Club have made this their selection for March.  Since I'm moderating, I get to choose the restaurant.  I am actually thinking of having our meeting be at a local music venue to hear a local singer of band. 

Opal and Nev were a 70s rock duo: an unlikely combo of a gritty, tall, bald Black woman from Detroit and a scrawny White man from England.  I kept picturing them as Tina Turner mixed with a little Cher and Paul McCartney mixed with a little Liam Gallagher (Oasis).  In 2016 Sunny Shelton decides to interview Opal and Nev as they contemplate a reunion show for her magazine and possible book deal (really got some 7 Husbands vibes from this).  Sunny is the daughter of Opal and Nev's drummer Jimmy, with whom Opal had a known affair.  Jimmy was killed during race riot that erupted at a music festival.  Opal and Nev performed, as did their label's rival band.  Said rival band hangs a Confederate flag up before their performance, which Opal then protests.  A single picture taken as Opal and Nev leave the festival becomes their infamous historical image.  

As I was reading this, I was strongly reminded of VH1's Behind the Music.  The story is told in alternating bits from the characters: Opal, Nev, their label owner and producer, former band mates, Opal's stylist, Opal's sister, etc.  I also was casting it in my head, and I'm pretty sure we will see this in visual format someday.  I thought of Sweetwater and Eddie & The Cruisers as model pieces.  One of the questions I intend to pose is who should play Opal and Nev, past and present.

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.      

If We We're Villains by M.L. Rio

Book 9 of Book a Day January.

I am honestly not sure where this came from.  It doesn't have a Follett sticker, so it's not from our book vendor.  It's not donated from the Amazon Wish List, nor do I remember buying it at BN.  If you gave it to us, and I'm blanking, thank you!

Either way, I wasn't a fan.  

The premise is that 7 theater major seniors at an elite arts college are about to put on Julius Caesar.  This particular theater program only focuses on Shakespeare, putting on a comedy or history in one's 3rd year and a tragedy 4th year.  They also do scenes from Macbeth at Halloween and Midsummer Night's Dream in December. You can be kicked out if you're not up to snuff on the stage.  And you do not earn an actual degree. 

The theater students also seem to look down on the music, visual art, and dance majors. Their descriptions of these students are downright mean.

I am sorry to say I found the characters annoying, whiny, stuck-up brats.  I didn't find any of them worth my sympathy.  As a parent considering to costs of college very soon, I found myself more aligning with the Dad saying "I'm not paying for this nonsense".  I rolled my eyes at least half a dozen times and groaned once so loud it woke my dogs up.  

Perhaps someone interested in theater, particularly Shakespeare might want to read this, or even someone reading Caesar for English II as a companion novel, but for me, it's a no.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O'Neill

This is book #8 in my Book a Day January.

I wanted to like this.  I REALLY did.

In 2020 I reviewed Romanov. This is another fictionalized account of what might've happened to Anastasia Romanov.  From that earlier review:

"Every once and while you hear a claim made by an elderly woman that she is the long lost Anastasia Romanov. It was even a joke of Betty White's character Elka on "Hot In Cleveland".  I had a childhood friend who claimed to be Anastasia's granddaughter (she wasn't--I knew both sets of her grandparents, and they were 100% Italian.).

So who exactly was Anastasia Romanov? 
Read here from Wikipedia:

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (Russian: Анастаси́я Никола́евна Рома́нова, tr. Anastasíya Nikoláyevna Románova; June 18 [O.S. June 5] 1901 – July 17, 1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna.

Anastasia was the younger sister of Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, and Maria, and was the elder sister of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia. She was murdered with her family by a group of Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918.

Persistent rumors of her possible escape circulated after her death, fueled by the fact that the location of her burial was unknown during the decades of Communist rule. The abandoned mine serving as a mass grave near Yekaterinburg which held the acidified remains of the Tsar, his wife, and three of their daughters was revealed in 1991. These remains were put to rest at Peter and Paul Fortress in 1998. The bodies of Alexei Nikolaevich and the remaining daughter—either Anastasia or her older sister Maria—were discovered in 2007. Her possible survival has been conclusively disproved. Scientific analysis including DNA testing confirmed that the remains are those of the imperial family, showing that all four grand duchesses were killed in 1918.^[1][2]

Several women falsely claimed to have been Anastasia; the best known impostor is Anna Anderson. Anderson's body was cremated upon her death in 1984, but DNA testing in 1994 on available pieces of Anderson's tissue and hair showed no relation to the Romanov family.

So despite proof of Anastasia's murder, stories that she survived and fled to Siberia or America persist."

This was a much more violent version of the story though.  I found the frequent Russian, English potty language, and graphic violence a little too much.  This is will be the first of my attempts at Book a Day January that I simply cannot finish. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.  

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

This is Book #7 in my Book a Day January, but I didn't finish it until this morning (day 8).  I'll have a Book #8 review shortly...

I had a $50 gift card to BN, and this was on clearance, so I bought it to read then donate (I later learned it is the first in a series).   I knew the author from the recent AP Gov prompt using his Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) as a "banned book".  Don't. Even. Get. Me. Started.  There is so much wrong with that prompt that...never mind.

ANYWAY.  I found the premise intriguing: a very Clue style mystery where everyone is a suspect and potential next victim.  Yes, all the characters are in some way gay (gay, lesbian, bi, drag), and it is central to the plot.  All of our characters are living in a big mansion, masquerading to the outside world via a giant soap company as straight.  It is the early 1950s, when being gay was a crime.  When the matriarch of the family and business dies under suspicious circumstances, her wife hires a former cop, who was recently outed, to investigate.

This novel was sssllllooooowwww to get moving.  There was a lot of detail that seemed superfluous to the whodunit plot.  I feel like it could've been half the length!

I absolutely loved all the characters, save one, and I did really enjoy trying to figure out the murderer.  That being said, I don't foresee myself running out to buy the next book.

I'll be donating this tomorrow morning and adding it to the new books once I finish uploading Coach Unger's football DVDs to the video server!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Later by Stephen King

Book #6 for Book a Day January! Have to be honest, today is my family Christmas (we never celebrate on the actual holiday) at Auntie Lissa's, so I'm not sure if with that plus my son's passport renewal appointment if I'll be able to finish Day 7's Book 7!

The Hard Case Crime series is a collection of shorter novels by famous authors in the style of the 40s and 50s crime novels.  Their best sellers have been by, you guessed it, Stephen King.  He has written 3.  I loved Joyland, which for some reason I didn't review here.  This is the newest.  It is similar in style to the Mr. Mercedes series, which is also cop-drama. 

Now, I really should NOT have read this so soon after Shutter, because the premise was way too similar.  And I'm kinda surprised to find myself saying I preferred Shutter!

Jamie is the son of a literary agent Tia.  Her clients are big bestsellers at the start of the book (2006ish) and they are living on Park in NYC.  Then the crash happens and books are the last thing people are buying.  They fall victim to a Ponzi scheme, Tia's brother needs assisted living, and her relationship with a police officer falls apart. 

Oh, and Jamie can see dead people.

Years later Liz, a really dirty copy dealing drugs, uses her nearly former stepson to solve a case.  Unfortunately said dead criminal is actually a...I guess demon would be the word.  He and the demon form a very Beetlejuice type relationship deal.

As this is a crime drama, I would discuss the plot further so not to spoil anything.  If I had to suggest one of these, it'd definitely be Joyland!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Chasing Me to My Grave by Winfred Rembert

Book #5!

This memoir was recommended by Mr. Winters for our collection.  You may remember one of our former security guards Mitch?  Winfred Rembert was his father (he has sadly passed on).  The book is unique in that it was an oral history--told to Erin Kelly of Tufts University.  I believe Kelly does Rembert's vernacular and accent well in the written version.  The story is interspersed with Rembert's art, telling his story in paintings, drawings, and leather work.  

This isn't an easy read, and I cried several times.  It begins with a foreword by Bryan Stevenson, of Just Mercy reviewed here previously, then an explanation from Rembert about his whys for finally telling what happened to him.  Rembert was born in rural Georgia, where music heavily influenced his informal education outside his work in cotton fields.  He met his lifelong wife Patsy, with whom he'd have several children, and after spending several years in prison during the Civil Rights movement, came to southern Connecticut.  He was incarcerated again for selling drugs, but an impassioned pleas to the Judge by Patsy saw him freed from both prison and the trade.  She influenced him to tell his story via artwork. 

I am so thankful Mr. Winters encouraged me to read this.  It is another book I wish our History classes could take a look at, or Art, or English--a Black man's life story lacking in our curricula, a local artist's work previously invisible, and the craft of memoir.   

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely Mrs. W.'s.   

Choctaw Confederates by Fay Yarbrough

Thank you again for so many wonderful birthday greetings!  I finished this late last night, after my husband and son took me out to dinner.  A little too late to write the review!

I honestly learned SOOOOOOO much in reading this.  I want our History classes to read it or at least excerpts.  

It is perhaps an assumption many make that Native American Indians were against slavery having suffered themselves at the hands of White policy.  However, some Southern tribes were staunchly in favor of States' rights and had enslaved people of African descent.  The Choctaw had written law and policy regarding slavery and support of the Southern cause.  Many of these reflected those of the Southern states: preventing the enslaved from learning to read or write, prohibiting interracial marriage with those of African descent, and banning the employment of free Blacks.  

What I found most fascinating were the personal quotes obtained through painstaking research.  This is as much a book about history and race as it is on research methods.  Primary source documents like military records, artwork, letters, journals, and oral traditions are just as important, if not more so, than a textbook. 

I am happy to say this book has already been checked out to its next reader...my son.  When he returns it, it will be a part of our Indigenous sub collection.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

   

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

I finished this late last night as book 3 in my quest for 31 books this month, but it was too late to write the review. 

Also, thank you for all the birthday wishes!

I was a little hesitant to read this after Nine Perfect Strangers.  I was worried I'd figure out the plot twist very early on.  But, a friend said I would really like this murder mystery.

And I really did!  The ending was definitely NOT where I thought the plot was going and whodunit was not who I thought.

Joy and Stan have been married 60 years, raised 4 children, and ran a successful tennis lesson school in Australia and are now retired.  Behind the facade though, things are not as rosy.  Each of their adult children is "failing at life"--3 ending marriages/engagements, lack of meaningful work, multiple mental health issues without treatment, etc.  Joy and Stan, used to go, go, go are bored stiff.  One day a woman in tattered clothing, bruised and bloody, shows up at their door.  Joy and Stan relish in having a new young woman to take care of, but their children are wary and jealous.

Then Joy disappears.  She sends a disjointed text to her children, then silence, her phone left behind.  

As one would expect, her husband is the prime suspect in her murder. 

I don't want to spoil too much of the plot, since their is a rather big plot twist!

I will be putting this on display with our new books shortly.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.    

Let Me Fly by Sabra Waldfogel

This is Book #2 of Book a Day January

Let Me Fly is the sequel to Sister of Mine, which I reviewed last summer.  It is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for January.  We all felt Sister of Mine ended with too big a thud to not read the sequel and find out what happens.

Adelaide, daughter of a Jewish slaveowner, and her half-sister/former slave Rachel share a plantation owned by Adelaide's absent husband/Rachel's former lover Henry along with their children, who are both half-siblings and cousins.  They run a school for children who are former slaves or the children of those who were, along with a few poor white children.  

I have the strong suspicion this is written with the sole intent of wanting to be picked up as a serial on something like Netflix or Disney+.  The first book just ENDS and felt like a telenovella or soap.  This one even more so.  

Henry moves to Atlanta and returns to clothing.  It is strongly hinted he might be gay, further complicating things.  Adelaide falls in love with Lewis Hart, a man charged with assisting former slaves get on their feet, despite efforts of white men in the area. Rachel is conflicted and one thinks she will end up with a young black lawyer Daniel Periera (we never find out because the book just ENDS).  Several of the former slaves' stories are woven in like Charlie's, even the women's father Mordecai makes an appearance. 

I don't know what to make of it.  I checked the author's site, and there is no book #3 listed.  But I don't see how you can just END a second book still without wrapping up the loose ends!

I do have 2 Book Club members who want to borrow my copy.  Once we've met (at Bear's, because GA = barbecue!), I will add it to our collection. 

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely mine. 

Shutter by Ramona Emerson

Happy New Year! This is Book #1 of 2023.

A few years ago, I did Book a Day January.  I have been in an absolute FUNK lately, and I've decided to dedicate some time daily to reading for me. I'm not sure I can actually meet that goal, but it's a goal nonetheless. The State of CT has implemented a new Native American Indian history component to U.S. History curricula.  As such, I've really been looking for materials to support my teachers in this endeavor.  I found a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card in my bag, and since it was a total surprise, I decided to spend it on my kids and the WHHS Library! Thus...

Rita is a forensic investigation photographer in Albuquerque.  She is the best in her field.  What her colleagues do not know is the reason she spots things others miss is because she can see the spirits of those who have died.  The victims of crimes often tell her where to find evidence, how they died, or where a murder weapon is stashed. Rita is part Navajo and spent much of her childhood in the care of her grandmother on the reservation.  Navajo do not speak of the dead, so her choice of career is seen as bizarre.  Rumors of her ability follow her whenever she returns home, despite her never charging or using her powers for anything but good; it leads to her being ostracized.  In addition, her location means a intersection of Navajo beliefs and Mexican-American Catholicism meets mysticism.  At work, her heritage is often fodder for "the old boys' club" so called "locker room" jokes, even though she has saved many of their cases.  

This is a whodunit/thriller mystery, so I don't want to spoil too much about the plot, but Rita stumbles onto a dirty cop and drug cartel killing anyone in their way.  

While I liked it, I did struggle sometimes to figure out if a living character or ghost was speaking.  There were definite similarities to Tigers, Not Daughters and movies like The Sixth Sense and Stir of Echoes.

I'll put this out on our new book display when we return to school.

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely mine.