Book Review: Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

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Book: Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

Published September 2005 by HMH Books For Young Readers|308 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

In the northern Ooni Kingdom, fear of the unknown runs deep, and children born dada are rumored to have special powers. Thirteen-year-old Zahrah Tsami feels like a normal girl — she grows her own flora computer, has mirrors sewn onto her clothes, and stays clear of the Forbidden Greeny Jungle. But unlike other kids in the village of Kirki, Zahrah was born with the telling dadalocks. Only her best friend, Dari, isn’t afraid of her, even when something unusual begins happening — something that definitely makes Zahrah different. The two friends investigate, edging closer and closer to danger. When Dari’s life is threatened. Zahrah must face her worst fears alone, including the very thing that makes her different.

In this exciting debut novel by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, things aren’t always what they seem — monkeys tell fortunes, plants offer wisdom, and a teenage girl is the only one who stands a chance at saving her best friend’s life.

I’ve read a couple of Okorafor’s books, and thought I’d read this one.  It’s not my favorite book of hers, but I still liked it a lot.  Zahrah The Windseeker is this really cool middle grade that’s about learning how to accept yourself and overcoming your fears and overcoming fear of the unknown.  I really liked that about the book.

I also really liked how there’s this interesting blend of past and present- there’s something about Zahrah that feels really old, and yet there’s something very modern, especially where technology is concerned.  I think that’s something she does really well.  If you liked Akata Witch, this is a really good book to pick up.  Even if you haven’t, it’s still a really good read.

I loved the setting, especially the market and the jungle.  I thought the jungle was very vivid, and I could picture everything very clearly.  I really felt like I was with Zahrah in the jungle.  I really liked the market as well, but it didn’t have the life and vividness that the jungle had.

I also really liked that she came across another windseeker, and I wish we saw more of their relationship.  Even though Zahrah needs to take her own journey, and the other windseeker isn’t supposed to have a huge role in the book, I still wonder what sort of relationship they have once the book ends.  I thought her friendship with Dari was great, and how she kept going, even though she was scared, because she wanted to help him.  She really was willing to help him, no matter what.

I am curious about the ending.  I liked it, and it wrapped things up really well, but at the same time, I thought it left things open for a potential sequel.  As far as I can tell, it’s a stand-alone, which is fine, because it works really well on its own.  But there is part of me that wants to know how things turn out with Zahrah.

3 stars.  I liked it, and there are some things that I really liked (and even loved) about the book, but I didn’t love it the way I’ve loved her other books.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Series I Still Haven’t Read Even Though I Keep Telling Myself I Will Read Them

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Series I Keep Meaning To Read But Still Haven’t

I can’t remember the last time I did a Top Ten Tuesday, but this topic seems like a good one to do!  I could go on forever about the books I want to read and never get around to actually reading, but these are the series I want to read but never do.

  1. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows.  I’ve been meaning to read this book for ages, but I never get around to it.  One day.  That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway.
  2. Flame In The Mist by Renee Ahdieh.  I have this book sitting on my desk, and I just got it from the library a few days ago.  I don’t know if I’ll end up switching to the audio book- I might, because I loved the audio for the Wrath And The Dawn, and now I associate her books with listening, but I’ll try it and see.
  3. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard.  I have this book, and it’s sitting on my shelf…I just haven’t read it yet.  Maybe this summer I’ll read it?
  4. Lumberjanes.  I heard about this comic ages ago, and heard really good things about it, but I keep forgetting to get a copy so I can actually read it.
  5. Anathema by K.A. Tucker.  I loved her Ten Tiny Breaths series, and I want to read this one.  I have the e-book, but the narrator for the audio books is one of my favorite narrators, so I’m considering trying the audio book.
  6. The Pennyroyal Green series by Julie Ann Long.  I have a bunch of the books in this series, but I never seem to be in the mood for romance.
  7. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.  I’ve had this on my TBR for YEARS.  I wish I were kidding, but I’m not.  One day, I will get to it.
  8. The Reader by Traci Chee.  I started it, but couldn’t get into it, and I was really close to putting it in the DNF pile.  But then I decided to give the audio book a try, which I will do one of these days, because I am not ready to give up on this book yet.
  9. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.  I got a few pages into the print version and knew that reading would drive me crazy because of the interview type format.  However, I think it’ll work really well as an audio book, so I’ll probably listen to it at some point.
  10. Sorcerer To The Crown by Zen Cho.  This book sounds pretty cool, and I can’t wait to read it.  Especially since I have a copy on my shelf.

Audio Book Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Narrated by Justine Eyre

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Book: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Narrated by Justine Eyre

Published March 2014 by Listening Library|8 hours, 24 minutes

Where I Got It: I borrowed the audio book from the library

Series: The Winner’s Trilogy #1

Genre: YA Fantasy/Alternate History

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

This has been on my TBR for a while, and it seemed pretty popular, so when I saw the audio book at the library, I figured it would be a good time to check it out.

What I liked the most was seeing the privilege and power the Valorians have, and how they don’t care about the way the come in and conquer people.  They take what they want, because they can, and they enslave an entire country because they think they can.  You also get a sense of how the two different cultures are, and I liked that we get this really amazing immersion in their world.  It didn’t feel forced, and I liked that there was no info-dumping.

I wasn’t a big fan of the romance- it was so problematic for me, because Arin is Kestrel’s slave, and I feel like he can’t truly be in love with her, or have feelings for her, because she’s in a position of power and authority over him.  It’s a very unbalanced relationship, and I will be disappointed if they end up with each other in the end.

The relationship between them was my main problem, but I also disliked some other things about the book.  There are hints that the slavery we see in the book is really brutal, but unfortunately, it’s only hinted at.  And I don’t know if it’s just me, but I assumed that Kestrel had fair skin, while Arin had dark skin.  Something about the book reminded me of slavery in the U.S., and…now I have no idea where I’m going with this, or what point I’m trying to make with this.  I did not give this enough thought, and I’m sure people with more knowledge about slavery in the U.S. could say it a lot better than I ever could.  I was also reminded of the Roman empire, and I think this book, and An Ember In The Ashes would make really good read-a-likes.

Since I listened to the audio book, let’s talk about that!  I liked it as an audio book, and I think that’s why I finished the book, because I’m not sure I would have finished if I had gone with the print/e-book version.  I liked the narrator, but didn’t love her either.

3 stars.  I really liked the world, but I had some issues with the possible romance between Kestrel and Arin.  I have the 2nd book on audio from the library, so I’ll at least try out the 2nd book to see if I l’m more interested in the series.

Book Review: Just Like Us: The True Story Of Four Mexican Girls Coming Of Age In America by Helen Thorpe

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Book: Just Like Us: The True Story Of Four Mexican Girls Coming Of Age In America by Helen Thorpe

Published September 2009 by Scribner|400 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction

Written by a gifted journalist, a powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver—two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don’t— and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream.

Just  Like  Us takes readers on a compelling journey with four  young  Mexican-American  women  who  have  lived in  the  U.S.  since  childhood.  Exploring  not  only  the women’s personal life stories, this book also delves deep into an American subculture and the complex and controversial politics that surround the issue of immigration.

The story opens on the eve of the girls’ senior prom in Denver, Colorado. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, all four want to make it into college and succeed, but only two have immigration papers. Meanwhile, after a Mexican immigrant shoots and kills a local police officer, Colorado becomes the place where national argu- ments over immigration rage most fiercely. As the girls’ lives play out against this backdrop of intense debate over whether they have any right to live here, readers will gain remarkable insight into both the power players and the most vulnerable members of society as they grapple with understanding one of the most complicated social issues of our times.

Moving, timely, and passionately told, Just Like Us is a riveting story about girlhood, friendship, identity, and survival.

I really liked Just Like Us.  We see 4 girls who are very much affected by immigration policies- 2 are legal citizens, and 2 are undocumented.  It highlights how hard it is to become a citizen, and how hard it is to come here legally. It doesn’t go into a lot of depth the entire process, but you get a glimpse of what it’s like to be undocumented, and how difficult it is to become a citizen.

All 4 girls were in limbo, and they all have one foot in each world.  I felt for them, because they never asked to come. They worked so hard in school, because they wanted better opportunities and didn’t want to end up being stuck, like their parents, even though it was a possibility.

There is a lot how to become a legal citizen that I don’t know, and it’s because I never had to think about it.  I doubt I’d be willing to do some of the jobs they (and their parents) took just to get by.

I also felt like the author was very sympathetic towards the girls.  It’s hard not to be, and she spent a lot of time with them, so it makes sense.  She does try to show all of the different sides of immigration, but it did feel uneven to a certain extent.  Almost everything relating to those opposing illegal immigration felt very technical and not emotional.  It did get bogged down in the legislative stuff.  It was a huge force for all four girls, and I understand why it comes up, but part of me wishes the book had completely focused on the girls.

They had a lot of opportunities, and there is no doubt these girls are hardworking and intelligent and deserve every bit of success they get.  But I wonder if maybe some of the opportunities the girls had are because of Thorpe’s involvement in their lives.

It was hard to get into at first, because it wasn’t linear at first, but once everything is set up, it settles is, and has a definite timeline.  Not only that, but once they get to college, we only see 3 of the girls, since one of them went off to college in California, and we don’t hear much about her once they all finish high school.  I get they were all best friends, and that she went her own way after high school, but I almost wish we didn’t learn more about her, because we got almost no updates after high school.

It did give a face to what it’s like to be an illegal immigrant, and that it’s so much more complicated than I thought it would be.  Their families were so willing to do whatever they could to survive, and the girls in particular wanted to change the world.  Their story made it personal.

3 stars.  I liked it, but I wish we saw all 4 girls through college, instead of 3 of them.  I do wonder how they’re doing, and how much their lives have changed since the book came out.

Book Review: Human Acts by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith

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Book: Human Acts by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith

Published January 2017 by Hogarth Press|218 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: Adult Literary Fiction

From the internationally bestselling author of The Vegetarian, a rare and astonishing (The Observer) portrait of political unrest and the universal struggle for justice.

In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed.

The story of this tragic episode unfolds in a sequence of interconnected chapters as the victims and the bereaved encounter suppression, denial, and the echoing agony of the massacre. From Dong-ho’s best friend who meets his own fateful end; to an editor struggling against censorship; to a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories; and to Dong-ho’s own grief-stricken mother; and through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope is the tale of a brutalized people in search of a voice.

An award-winning, controversial bestseller, Human Acts is a timeless, pointillist portrait of an historic event with reverberations still being felt today, by turns tracing the harsh reality of oppression and the resounding, extraordinary poetry of humanity.

I first heard about Human Acts from my friend Mollie, and since I liked The Vegetarian, I figured I’d pick up this book.

I’m actually going to do something a little different for this novel: each chapter is told from a different perspective, so I’m doing a chapter-by-chapter review, and then I’ll sum up my feelings about the book.

The Intro By The Translator:

I really liked the intro, since it talked about the real life event that inspired the book.  I especially liked that the author had a personal connection to the event we see in the book, and it made me feeling the author had a personal investment in seeing the story told.

Chapter One, The Boy, 1980:

This chapter is told in second person, and that’s really different, since novels are usually told in first person or third person.  I have such mixed feelings about it: I felt like we were really, truly seeing things first hand, and you really experience the horror of what happened.  At the same time, it was really off-putting, and I was really close to putting it down and not finishing it at all because of it.  You’re there, experiencing everything the boy is experiencing, but at the same time, I felt so distant and disconnected from everything.  I think, in a way, it made me feel like I was being told what happened, even though you’re experiencing everything as though it’s happening to you.  It is a strong start to the book, and I cannot say enough that this chapter, as horrifying and off-putting as it was, makes me want to learn more about what really happened.

Chapter Two, The Boy’s Friend, 1980:

I was really confused reading this chapter at first, because I didn’t realize it was a different narrator.  It took a couple of reads to realize it was a different person narrating.  This chapter is told in first person, and it felt very personal. It’s just as horrifying as the first chapter, but in a very different way.  It’s also a very powerful chapter, because you really see how it rippled out to so many different people.  And through the boy’s friend, you really see a different side of it.

Chapter Three, The Editor, 1985:

I had a lot of trouble understanding why we were seeing things from the editor’s point of view.  Third person was interesting, and it somehow made the chapter feel neutral.  It didn’t have the same horror that the first two chapters did, and it didn’t have the same effect those chapters did.  Looking back, this chapter was the beginning of me starting to lose a lot of interesting in the book, and how much this event changed things. Thinking about it now, I suppose the editor’s chapter is supposed to show how things are very much censored? And the point of forgetting the slaps…I’m not sure what the point of it is.  I am so fuzzy about what it had to do with the student uprising, because it seemed like it was the least connected to it.

Chapter Four, The Prisoner, 1990:

At first, I was curious about why he was in prison, because it wasn’t clear to me.  At least at first.  It did offer a different perspective on the student uprising, and what happened after.  Especially for those who lived through the uprising.  It really stayed with him, and you really see how it haunts him.  It’s not one of my favorite chapters, but it’s up there with the first two chapters.

Chapter 5, The Factory Girl, 2002:

So, we’re back to 2nd person for this chapter.  It felt very distant in the way the first chapter did.  Partially because we’re so far removed from the original uprising, but also because of how this chapter is told.  I was pretty bored reading this chapter, and it jumped around a lot in terms of time.  It really muddled her story, and even though, like the previous chapter, was a different perspective on what happened, I just didn’t care.

Chapter 6, The Boy’s Mother, 2010: 

This chapter felt very personal, like the chapters we saw with the first two chapters.  And since it focuses on the boy’s mom, it felt even more personal.  I liked seeing how little she knows of some of the people she knows, and also how she dealt with the loss of her son.  It really brought it back to the horror of the student uprising.  It was hard chapter to get through- at this point, I lost a lot of the interesting I had at the beginning, and I just wanted to get through it.

Epilogue, The Writer, 2013:

I don’t have a lot to say about this chapter.  You really see the effect the student uprising had decades later, and on so many different people.  By this point, you were so far removed from it, and yet, it still lingers haunts people.

Overall Thoughts:

I thought the chapters were really uneven.  It started off so strong and horrifying, and the passage of time, as well as some of the narrators, lessened it for me.  The chapters told in 2nd person were the hardest to get through, and I didn’t like the choose-your-own-adventure feel they had.  I definitely lost interest the further you got from the uprising, and I definitely didn’t like it as much as the The Vegetarian.

2 stars.  I had to read each chapter 2 or 3 times to get a sense of what was going on, and I could only handle a chapter at a time.

Book Review: The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

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Book: The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

Published December 2015 by Tor|340 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: The Invisible Library #2

Genre: Adult Fantasy/Steampunk

Librarian-spy Irene is working undercover in an alternative London when her assistant Kai goes missing. She discovers he’s been kidnapped by the fae faction and the repercussions could be fatal. Not just for Kai, but for whole worlds.

Kai’s dragon heritage means he has powerful allies, but also powerful enemies in the form of the fae. With this act of aggression, the fae are determined to trigger a war between their people – and the forces of order and chaos themselves.

Irene’s mission to save Kai and avert Armageddon will take her to a dark, alternate Venice where it’s always Carnival. Here Irene will be forced to blackmail, fast talk, and fight. Or face death.

I liked The Masked City, but not as much as I thought I would.  I think I liked the first one more, but I found myself a little more bored reading it.  I had a harder time getting into this book, and that made me a little sad, since I really like the premise of a librarian-spy.

It is an alternate Venice, and I liked the Venice we see in the book.  Instead of a Victorian-steampunk setting, we get an alternate carnival setting, and one of the interesting things about this series is the potential to see the different realities and dimensions the librarians have to go to for their missions.

I think maybe I wanted more time in the library, and less time in the world said library is in.  I just really wanted more about the library, but since there are more books, there’s a chance we’ll be spending more time in the library itself.  I think I just wanted more balance between the library and the different dimensions.  And as much as I want to keep going, I don’t know that I want to immediately read the next book in the series.  I’m sure I’ll get back to it eventually…or maybe I should try the audio book?  I suddenly had the thought that maybe it’s a series I need to listen to, and not read.

It is entertaining and fun and light, and it would be great to read over the summer.  They’re really good summer reads.  Or just good vacation reads in general.

3 stars.  I liked it, but it didn’t have the same appeal that The Invisible Library had.

Audio Book Review: The Wrath And The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

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Book: The Wrath And The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, narrated by Ariana Delawari

Published May 2015 by Listening Library|Length: 10 hours, 38 minutes

Where I Got It: I got the audio book via Audible.com

Series: The Wrath & The Dawn #1

Genre: YA Fantasy/Re-Telling

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch…she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

I really liked The Wrath And The Dawn!  I’ve had it for a while, but finally got around to listening to it.

I really liked Sharzhad.  She was so conflicted about her feelings for the king and getting revenge for her best friend, especially as she got to know him, and why he took so many brides.  It was really predictable that she’d start to fall for him, and that she would have conflicted feelings about her mission, so to speak.

I didn’t like either choice, but I’d rather her be with the king, because I did not care for the guy she left behind when she volunteered to become his bride.  Her childhood friend/love was whiny and annoying in the little we see of him. I felt like he didn’t care about what SHE wanted, and he wasn’t willing to hear her out.  I do get why he reacted the way he did, but it also really bothered me.  I’m not sure if it’s because we know things he doesn’t, or if I saw more of the king and feel a little more sympathetic towards him, but I was not a fan of this other guy. Who, by the way, isn’t memorable enough for me to actually remember his name.

It was interesting that she was the one he kept alive, at great cost to him.  I’m not sure what I was expecting in terms of why he was killing his brides, but it does make sense, and I liked it more than I thought it would.

I LOVED the narration!  Ariana Delawari is one of my favorite narrators, even though this is only the 2nd book I’ve listened to that she’s narrated.  I specifically switched over to the audio book because of her.  She really captured who Sharzhad is a a character, and I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this series.

4 stars.  I really liked The Wrath And The Dawn, and I really recommend the audio book.  I can’t wait to listen to the next book in the series.

Book Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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Book: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Published February 2017 by Balzer + Bray|464 pages

Where I Got It: I own the e-book

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas’s searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. Soon to be a major motion picture from Fox 2000/Temple Hill Productions.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

The Hate U Give was easily one of my most anticipated books of the year, and there was a lot of buzz surrounding the book.  I was really hesitant to read it- as much as I wanted to read it- because I was terrified it wouldn’t live up to all of the hype and my really high expectations.

Now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read it.

Because I loved this book, and it completely gutted me.  If you read one book this year, please make it this book.

I felt so much for Starr and Khalil and her neighborhood.  What Starr and Khalil went through…I will never experience, and I am grateful I don’t have to worry about getting shot at if I get pulled over by a cop.  The conversation her dad has with her about what to do if she gets pulled over?  That’s a conversation my mom and grandparents never needed to have with me, nor is it a conversation I will never need to have with my non-existent children.  However, I vaguely remember hearing that the police would help me, and that they’d protect me and keep me safe.

That is not the reality for Starr at all, and it makes me so unbelievably sad that not everyone is able to trust that the police will keep them safe.  That Khalil- and many others like him- are guilty until proven innocent, that Khalil, who was doing NOTHING wrong, is seen as trouble because of where he’s from.

It was such a hard book to put down, and even thinking about this book, I’m getting emotional.  The entire time I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but be reminded of everything that’s going on in America right now.  It very much reflects real life, and it felt very honest.

Yes, it reflects real life, but it is unforgettable and powerful, and an amazing story with amazing, nuanced characters. No one is stereotypical or one-dimensional, and each character is unforgettable.

I did want to talk about Hailey, one of Starr’s best friends.  I hated Hailey with a passion, and how she took part in a protest just to get out of class.  In general, I hated her classmates for using Khalil’s death to get out of class, and yet, it’s something I would expect from Starr’s classmates.  But most of all, the things Hailey said, and how she didn’t see anything wrong with making comments about fried chicken to Starr, or comments about eating cats to their other best friend Maya.  Hailey…she didn’t understand why Starr had such a problem with everything Hailey herself said about Khalil, and completely dismissed Starr’s feelings about it.  Yes, she’s 16 or 17, but that doesn’t dismiss it at all. She, very clearly, didn’t want to understand, and it was frustrating to see Hailey want to stay in her own little bubble of people like her.  It makes me wonder why they were all friends to begin with.

No words will describe how I feel about this book.  Just trust me when I say that if you haven’t read The Hate U Give, you really need to.

5 stars.  I loved this book so much, and it’s easily my favorite book of the year.

Currently Obsessed With: May 2017

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month feature where I talking about my favorite things from the last month.

May was fun!  I find myself needing to review quite a few books…but unable to find the motivation to sit down and write them.  They will be coming, though, I promise.  Maybe I’ll start going to the library or Starbucks or something once or twice a week to get myself back into writing and blogging, since that’s the only place I seem to be productive these days.

For whatever reason, I’ve had a hard time writing at home, and I really have to sit down and force myself to do it. But if I’m not at home, I’m perfectly fine.  It’s weird, because while I’ve always managed to write at home just fine, it’s never been this hard.  I’m randomly in the mood to blog, but maybe the lack of motivation is a weird way to get me to take a break?  I haven’t really taken a break from blogging since I started back in 2010.  I can’t believe it’s been that long, but maybe it’s overdue.  I’ll be glad to get back to it consistently because I really miss it.

Books:

I did buy a few books last month!  I got The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye, Soldier by Julie Kagawa, and Binti and Hello, Moto, both of which are by Nnedi Okorafor.  I also got a couple of cookbooks: Joy The Baker’s Over Easy and Five Ingredients Or Less Slow Cooker Cookbook by Stephanie O’Dea.  Now that it’s summer, it’s pretty much time to dust off my crock-pot and find some new recipes.

I know it sounds weird, but I use the crock-pot more during the summer than any other time of year. It just gets so hot that I don’t want to turn on the oven or stand over a stove and cook anything, and the crock-pot is a pretty easy (and wonderful) way to cook that doesn’t require the oven or the stove.

I’m actually really excited about the slow cooker cookbook, because I really like her recipes- the ingredients are things I either have on hand, or things I can find easily at the grocery store.  I can’t wait to start making things from it.  I’m also really excited about the Joy The Baker cookbook too.  I have her other cookbooks, and I love her recipes, so I had no hesitation in ordering it online.

I also got The Rose And The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh and When Dimple Met Risha by Sandhya Menon from Audible.

Crochet: 

I’m still working on the blanket I mentioned last month!  I still don’t know what I’m going to work on when it’s too hot to work on it.  I’m going to have to find something in the next couple of weeks, because I figure by the end of the month, I’ll have to set it aside.

It might be the perfect time to work on a Viking hat- I’ve always wanted to make one, so I might start on that first. I also ordered a beginner embroidery kit from Etsy, since I’ve always wanted to try my hand at something besides crochet, and that seemed like a good start.

I also have this shawl that I started last year, and I’m considering going back to it.  It’s been in time-out for a long time, because the stitch count is completely off, and I didn’t want to keep going…but I also didn’t want to frog it either.  At this point, I’m considering frogging it and starting over, because being off on the stitch count is really bothering me.

Crocheting something that required a lot of attention during my lunch was not a good idea- I eventually switched over to projects that didn’t require any (or minimal) counting because then I wouldn’t lose track of where I was.

I’m also considering doing something made out of granny squares- I’m towards a blanket (of course) or a bag. Making the squares will be fun, but I’m a little hesitant because eventually I will have to put the squares together and there would be so many ends to weave in.  I have the feeling that they may sit there for a while before I get around to doing that.  By the time I have enough for some sort of project, summer would be over though.  Since I’m not sure what to make with them, I’d probably skip over the one method of attaching the squares where you do it as you go along.

T.V./Movies:

Let’s start with movies!  I saw Guardians Of The Galaxy, and it was fun.  Which wasn’t surprising, considering the first one was fun, but Groot was my favorite part of the whole movie.  I have the soundtrack, but have yet to listen to it- I liked the music but not as much as I like the music from the first Guardians Of The Galaxy.  I did really like a couple of the song, though.

I never made it to Everything, Everything, which I want to see, but I don’t know that I want to see it enough to see it in an actual theater.  Also, there aren’t a lot of showings, and none of the times work super well for me. They’re not horrible, but I don’t want to see the movie enough to make it work.

As for t.v., I’ve been watching The Crown on Netflix!  I really like Matt Smith in it, and I wasn’t sure if I’d like him in it.  And I’m not sure who’s playing Queen Elizabeth, but I really like her!  I also watched a few episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, and I like it, but not as much as I thought.  It’s hard to watch- mostly because it’s something I can see happening.  Not to the degree that it’s happening in the show, of course, but so much of what’s happening seems so very familiar, and not in a good way.

I haven’t read the book, though, so I wonder if maybe that’s why I’m not as excited as I thought?  In a lot of ways, I’m glad I got to watch it before reading the book, because I don’t have the book to compare it too, and I can go into it with a fresh set of eyes.  Plus, the wait list for the audio book is really long- it’s narrated by Claire Danes, which I think will be cool/interesting.  I did try reading it a few years ago, but it didn’t work for me, so I’m hoping the audio will work better for me.

As for what to watch next…I’m not sure what to go with next.  Nothing is really jumping out at me, but I’m considering watching this series called The Keepers.  It’s about this nun who was murdered, and the connection it may have to a priest who was accused of abuse.  I’ve heard a lot about Anne With An E, so that’s on the shortlist. I’ve only the first couple of books, and that was when I first started blogging years ago, so maybe I’ll watch it and then re-read it.  And I haven’t watched the latest season of The 100, so I’m between those 3 for now.

I haven’t listened to many podcasts lately, so I’m super behind on those.  I’ve given up hope for catching up on Gilmore Guys and Alohomora- their episodes tend to be long (especially Gilmore Guys, those 3.5/4 hour episodes kill me sometimes), and it’s hard to get through anything that’s over an hour-and-a-half tops.  But since I’m not really in the mood to watch anything, maybe I’ll switch over to podcasts for a while.

Around The Internet:

  • I don’t think about what it’s like to be a truck driver, but this article about truck drivers is pretty interesting.
  • I always wonder about storing certain foods (especially produce), and this list of resources seems like it will be really helpful.
  • I really like this article about writing ASL.  It’s such a visual language, and I wonder if some of the points mentioned in the book are why I had major issues with Soundless by Richelle Mead.
  • There are two interesting articles about some of the changes made to what the Librarian Of Congress can do.  You can find them here and here.
  • I think trigger warnings are important, and I love this post about why they matter.
  • I’m still on the fence about watching 13 Reasons Why- I was not a fan of the book, and from what I’ve heard about the t.v. show (from sources I trust), I’m not sure it’s for me.  I do want to know what people are talking about, though, so maybe eventually?  At any rate, there are a ton of articles and blog posts about the series, and this is one of my favorite posts I’ve seen so far.
  • I have yet to see the video, but this article highlighting a panel Chimamanda Adichie and Trevor Noah did on cultural identity in both literature and life makes me want to watch it even more.
  • If you’re looking for podcasts about food & nutrition, this list might be a good place to start.  I haven’t listened to any of them, but a couple have caught my eye.
  • Speaking of food: I made this lemon chicken, and it was really good!  Unfortunately, I went to make it, only to realize I took out a package of chicken thighs and drumsticks instead of all chicken thighs, but it was still really good with the drumsticks.  If anyone is wondering.
  • I also really liked this recipe for skillet chicken, and I like the idea of this breakfast meal prep.  I usually stick with oatmeal, since that’s a lot easier for me to prep, but I might do this every once in a while.

Fun Things I Did In May:

  • I did a Star Wars pub trivia thing with some friends.  I am completely horrible with Stars Wars trivia, but it was still fun!
  • I went to a book signing for Injection Burn!  I know Jason, and it was great to go and support him and his book!
  • My birthday was a few days ago!  Car stuff took up part of my day- it turns out I had a nail in one of my tires, and that was why it randomly needed air, but thankfully it was able to be patched up.  I will need new tires pretty soon, though, but not right away.  On the plus side, my car is good, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
  • Back to my birthday!  I did wander around Old Town for a while.  They have this shop that sells coffee and tea, and I was in desperate need for both, so I stopped by and got some.  I love their Highlander Grog coffee and their black currant tea.  I also stopped to get some salt water taffy from Cousin’s Candy Shop, and it’s fun to see them pulling the taffy and cutting it up.  Plus, they usually have samples.
  • And I know I can buy olive oil and balsamic vinegar elsewhere (and for a lot cheaper) but I just really, really like this roasted garlic olive oil and fresh apple balsamic vinegar.  I also like that they have a tasting room, which I would never think to do.  And tacos!  It’s Old Town, so there are a ton of Mexican food restaurants, and since I was really hungry, I figured I might as well eat something, and fish tacos sounded really good.

June Things I’m Looking Forward To:

Honestly, it’s not much.  I am looking forward to the launch party for Now I Rise by Kiersten White, but that’s it. Maybe I’ll do something else, but who knows?  I have plenty of time to figure it out.

Music/Podcasts:

Well…I haven’t been listening to anything new, music wise.  I do have a couple of podcast recommendations I want to share.

  • I just started listening to The Baby Sitter’s Club Club, and even though I’ve listened to the most recent episode, plus their first episode, I am already a fan.  It makes me want to go back and re-read the series along with them, because I haven’t read those books in forever.  Even though it’s been a very long time since I picked up a BSC book, it’s still easy to follow along.
  • I also started listening to My Favorite Murder.  It’s worth checking out if you like true crime, and I think it’s pretty interesting.  I’m a few episodes behind, but I’m hoping I can get caught up soon.

That’s all for today!  Have a great Sunday!

Book Review: The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst

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Book: The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst

Published November 2015 by Clarion|384 Pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Sophie loves the hidden shop below her parents’ bookstore, where dreams are secretly bought and sold. When the dream shop is robbed and her parents go missing, Sophie must unravel the truth to save them. Together with her best friend—a wisecracking and fanatically loyal monster named Monster—she must decide whom to trust with her family’s carefully guarded secrets. Who will help them, and who will betray them?

I liked it!  This book is a really cute middle grade book about a girl who has to find her parents after they go missing.

I loved her friend Monster, and I really liked how her parents bottled and sold dreams.  And how she didn’t really have friends because she felt different, but ended up making new friends by trying to find her parents.

I thought the Night Guards, who were supposed to be really scary, weren’t all that scary.  In general, I have a lot of questions.  Most importantly, why doesn’t Sophie dream, and why are non-dreamers so bad?  We did get an explanation for the second part of my question, in the sense that we find out what would happen if they got their hands on the bottled dreams.  But not why they can’t, and that’s what I’m curious about.  Also, why does Sophie have the ability to make dreams come to life?

It is a stand-alone, which was a little surprising, because it seems like the sort of book that would be the first book in a series.  But things are wrapped up really well, even though there is the possibility for more books.

3 stars.  I wanted to like it more, but I don’t think I’m the right audience for this book.  I liked how cute it is and I think a lot of other people will like it, but it’s not for me.