I’m back…sort of!  I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a blog post, and I’m trying to get back into reviewing and blogging again.  I’ve been reading, but not up to reviewing.  But I still wanted to talk about the books I’ve been reading, so I thought I’d talk a little bit about the books I haven’t talked about yet.  I’m a bit fuzzy on some of them, since it’s been a while…but that’s not going to stop me from talking about them!

Book #1: Ghost by Jason Reynolds

I borrowed the hardcover from the library.

Here’s what I thought:

• It’s a middle grade contemporary about a kid who runs track, which I thought was cool.  I feel like track doesn’t come up a lot, as far as sports novels go.  Cross country, yes.  Track, not so much.
• I don’t know that I remember enough to say anything else, but I remember thinking it was okay.  Then again, All-American Boys was such a great book that I had really high expectations.
• I did like the parallels between running and what was going on in his life.  Especially with how running turned out to be a really good thing for him.
• I don’t know that I’d read the rest of the books in the series- it looks like this is the first one of…I’m not sure how many.
• It’s definitely a must read if you like stories about sports.  And also how to move on and deal with your past.
• I think my rating would be 2 stars.  It’s okay, and not a lot stuck with me.

Book #2: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

I borrowed the hardcover from the library.

My thoughts:

• I really liked this book!  It’s a YA contemporary about Amanda, who transferred schools.  I felt for Amanda, who tried so hard to fit in, and who had to deal with a lot- bullying and transphobia are the first things that come to mind.
• I really like that it’s not a coming out story- both are important, but I really liked seeing Amanda move to a new town and transition to a new phase in her life.
• I liked the friendships she had too- people can be horrible, but I’m glad Amanda found some amazing people.
• I can’t remember anything about the romance, other than I liked it…but that’s about it!
• I loved the author’s note at the end of the book.  Don’t skip over it, because it really does add to an already awesome book.
• I feel like I’m not doing this book any justice.  At all.  Mostly because it’s been a while since I’ve read it, and I remember next to nothing.  But it’s such a great book and really important and I doubt I’d do it much justice regardless.  But waiting months to do some sort of half-hearted attempt isn’t helping.
• Part of why it’s important is because of what the book is about, but it is worth mentioning that the author is also trans.
• And I’m not sure if it’s true, but the cover model is trans as well.  For some reason, that feels really important as well.
• I know I got really emotional and starting crying at one point.
• My Rating: 4 stars.  Had I reviewed it right after finishing it, my rating probably would have been 5 stars.
  • But I may re-read it at some point so I can properly talk about it.
  • I still really liked it though.

Book #3: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

This is another hardcover from the library.

What I Thought:

• I liked seeing how much Strayed changed during the hike.
• She did seem ill-prepared for the hike, and I can see why some reviewers think she’s whiny and self-absorbed
  • and also why some people thought she made poor life decisions
  • There’s no judgement from me, though, because she did have a lot of things she had to work through, especially with the death of her mother
• Hiking- especially since she was by herself for most of the hike- seemed to help her
  • there was a lot of opportunity for her to reflect on her life
  • she did randomly meet up with other people along the way, though
• I think my favorite part was seeing her not give up, even when it would have been easy for her to do so
• I can’t imagine doing such a big hike, especially with no hiking/backpacking experience whatsoever
• It really felt like I was hiking with her, and it never felt boring or repetitive
  • I can’t imagine being alone with my thoughts for that long, but props to her for sticking with it
• It’s a memoir of her experience hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, so if you’re looking for more information or history about the trail itself, this is not the book for you
• I’ve heard of it before- because it was adapted into a movie, but I mostly picked it up because it was mentioned in one of the Gilmore Girls revival episodes
  • I’m glad I picked it up, though, because I really liked it
• I think my rating would be 4 stars.  I didn’t love it, but it was an easy read, and there is something about the way she writes

Book #4: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad is a hardcover from the library.

And now, my thoughts:

• This book deserves a lot more attention.  I feel like it didn’t get a lot of attention, despite the fact that it was an Oprah book club pick.  The publication date also got moved up because of it.  And I know it was recommended by Obama, so I had really high expectations.
  • It lived up to all of the hype…at least the hype that I heard.
  • It’s totally worth reading
• I admit that I didn’t like it at first, and it took me a while to get into it.
  • I’m glad I stuck with it, though, because I really liked it
• It is a hard read, because you see what it might have been like for slaves on the Underground Railroad
  • I’m not sure what to call them, but there are ads and wanted posters for runaway slaves, which really added to the journey Cora takes
• The Underground Railroad is quite literal in this book but it was terrifying to see what it was like during that time period
  • so many people risked everything to be a part of it- whether they were a stop along the way, or the one trying to escape slavery
  • I know I said it already, but it really highlighted what it might have been like
• It really is mind-blowing that people were willing to take a chance to have freedom than spend one more second as a slave
• My rating: 4 stars.  It was hard to get into at first, but worth reading.