- Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) ~Robert Galbraith
- Death Comes to Pemberley ~P.D. James
- Hard Choices ~Hillary Rodham Clinton
- In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin ~Erik Larson
- The Namesake ~Jhumpa Lahiri
- Milkweed ~Jerry Spinelli
- Room ~Emma Donoghue
- When Breath Becomes Air ~Paul Kalanithi
- What Alice Forgot ~Liane Moriarty
- United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good ~Cory Booker
- Salt to the Sea ~Ruta Sepetys
- And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East ~Richard Engel
- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand ~Helen Simonson
- A Spool of Blue Thread ~Anne Tyler
- The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss ~Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt
- Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage ~Barney Frank
- The City of Mirrors (The Passage #3) ~Justin Cronin
- The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War ~Stephen Kinzer
- Wonder (Wonder #1) ~R.J. Palacio
- Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps ~Kelly Williams Brown
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane ~Neil Gaiman
- Modern Lovers ~Emma Straub
- A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy ~Sue Klebold
- Luckiest Girl Alive ~Jessica Knoll
- Before the Fall ~Noah Hawley
- Believer: My Forty Years in Politics ~David Axelrod
- Outlander (Outlander #1) ~Diana Gabaldon
- Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) ~Diana Gabaldon
- Voyager (Outlander #3) ~Diana Gabaldon
- Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) ~Diana Gabaldon
- The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5) ~Diana Gabaldon
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8) ~J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne
- A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) ~Diana Gabaldo
- An Echo in the Bone (Outlander, #7) ~Diana Gabaldon
- Written in My Own Heart's Blood (Outlander #8) ~Diana Gabaldon
- An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) ~Sabaa Tahir (did a reread to get ready for book 2)
- A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) ~Sabaa Tahir
- The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) ~Graeme Simsion
- Love That Boy: What Two Presidents, Eight Road Trips, and My Son Taught Me About a Parent's Expectations ~Ron Fournier
- Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
- The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1) by Erika Johansen
Thursday, December 31, 2015
2016 Book List
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I don't but I might be grouped in the people called "Dreamers" by Coates in this letter to his 15 year old son which may have been sparked by his son's reaction to the death of Michael Brown.
However, I didn't grow up privileged (well privileged outside the fact that I have "white skin"). I grew up in an abusive home in New York City Public Housing in Brooklyn NY, a.k.a. The Projects. My bridge between the two worlds that Coates writes about in not just where I or how I grew up but that my oldest child is a young black man. When he was little he was cloaked in the protection my skin offered him. But now he is on his own in a place where I am not known to those around him. When he walks down the street there is nothing to identify him as the child not only of a black man but of a white woman. So when it is dark and he is walking down the street do people cross afraid of him? Do women in elevators with him hold their purses closer and tighter because they only see his skin and know nothing of the sweet little pre-school child who broke his mother's heart when he told her he couldn't marry her when he grew up because he was going to marry the little girl in his class? Do police officers see him as a threat because he wears a hoodie or looks like the vague description of a criminal because of his shared skin color but no other similarity?
Coates writes to his son what it was like growing up in a black body in West Baltimore. How he has always had this fear deep in his bones that his skin would cause his death or destruction.
While this is raw and painful it is an important read for all people of all shades. If you are unable to relate to his fear or upbringing and so the current outcry over the deaths of young men at the hands of police or by supposedly well meaning neighborhood watchers is hard for you to fully comprehend then you need to read this. If you feel dirty and shamed than you are getting it. But I don't think Coates wants to shame you, I think he wants you to understand. Because with understanding comes change. If you do relate than you will find you are not alone. Where ever you are and who ever you are, this book will leave you feeling the love of this man for his son and a sadness over the fear and anger. I hope it will move you and open your eyes.
(finished December 31, 2015)
However, I didn't grow up privileged (well privileged outside the fact that I have "white skin"). I grew up in an abusive home in New York City Public Housing in Brooklyn NY, a.k.a. The Projects. My bridge between the two worlds that Coates writes about in not just where I or how I grew up but that my oldest child is a young black man. When he was little he was cloaked in the protection my skin offered him. But now he is on his own in a place where I am not known to those around him. When he walks down the street there is nothing to identify him as the child not only of a black man but of a white woman. So when it is dark and he is walking down the street do people cross afraid of him? Do women in elevators with him hold their purses closer and tighter because they only see his skin and know nothing of the sweet little pre-school child who broke his mother's heart when he told her he couldn't marry her when he grew up because he was going to marry the little girl in his class? Do police officers see him as a threat because he wears a hoodie or looks like the vague description of a criminal because of his shared skin color but no other similarity?
Coates writes to his son what it was like growing up in a black body in West Baltimore. How he has always had this fear deep in his bones that his skin would cause his death or destruction.
While this is raw and painful it is an important read for all people of all shades. If you are unable to relate to his fear or upbringing and so the current outcry over the deaths of young men at the hands of police or by supposedly well meaning neighborhood watchers is hard for you to fully comprehend then you need to read this. If you feel dirty and shamed than you are getting it. But I don't think Coates wants to shame you, I think he wants you to understand. Because with understanding comes change. If you do relate than you will find you are not alone. Where ever you are and who ever you are, this book will leave you feeling the love of this man for his son and a sadness over the fear and anger. I hope it will move you and open your eyes.
(finished December 31, 2015)
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik
R.B.G.
Ascetically this book is wonderful! The chapter titles are done my a female graffiti artist and are inspired by the lyrics of songs by Notorious B.I.G.
The pictures are a great insight into the woman.
But her story...oh her story. From her beginnings in my hometown, Brooklyn NY all the way to the Supreme Court of The United States...motherhood, an amazing marriage that should be looked at as an inspiration, teaching, speaking out for those who are treated unfairly because of their gender...she is a whirlwind.
There are details about her life outside of the law, her journey to the highest bench in the land despite major obstacles, cancer, loss, even her workout routine (the woman can do pushups)....
She is a really quite amazing!! She is the Notorious R.B.G.
(finished December 29, 2015)
Ascetically this book is wonderful! The chapter titles are done my a female graffiti artist and are inspired by the lyrics of songs by Notorious B.I.G.
The pictures are a great insight into the woman.
But her story...oh her story. From her beginnings in my hometown, Brooklyn NY all the way to the Supreme Court of The United States...motherhood, an amazing marriage that should be looked at as an inspiration, teaching, speaking out for those who are treated unfairly because of their gender...she is a whirlwind.
There are details about her life outside of the law, her journey to the highest bench in the land despite major obstacles, cancer, loss, even her workout routine (the woman can do pushups)....
She is a really quite amazing!! She is the Notorious R.B.G.
(finished December 29, 2015)
Monday, December 28, 2015
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
What do you imagine a conversation with Felicia Day is like? I imagine it as one long thread of speech bouncing from topic to topic barely stopping to breathe.
When I picked up her book You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) my imaginings were confirmed in the intro by Joss Whedon.
Back in 2005 I started playing World of Warcraft and have been playing on and off ever since. I discovered Felicia back when her show The Guild was new and totally loved it and the video Do You Want to Date My Avatar.
She talks openly about her upbringing and how unconventional it was. She is very open about her addiction to gaming and how it let to The Guild...she shares her crippling anxiety and weighs in on gamergate.
But overall her message here is be you, because you are the only you and normal is overrated anyway.
She is brave, funny, interesting, smart (she has degrees in math and music), talented, and human, very human.
(finished December 28, 2015)
When I picked up her book You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) my imaginings were confirmed in the intro by Joss Whedon.
Back in 2005 I started playing World of Warcraft and have been playing on and off ever since. I discovered Felicia back when her show The Guild was new and totally loved it and the video Do You Want to Date My Avatar.
She talks openly about her upbringing and how unconventional it was. She is very open about her addiction to gaming and how it let to The Guild...she shares her crippling anxiety and weighs in on gamergate.
But overall her message here is be you, because you are the only you and normal is overrated anyway.
She is brave, funny, interesting, smart (she has degrees in math and music), talented, and human, very human.
(finished December 28, 2015)
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
I have never read a book that at times I was laughing and horrified on the same page. The ugliness of war set the stage for this story even as it is the story of love and survival. The thread that binds the stories of the people who live in the 379 pages is the mystery of Natasha that means everything to Sonja.
If you could look at life from above as it unfolds and could see the way people weave into and out of each others lives, see the invisible threads that connect people in ways they may never know you would have Marra's story.
The words on the page are beautiful even as they describe brutality and ugliness. I know this sounds like it isn't possible, but trust me it is.
I found this read a slow burn...I am not sure when it happened but at some point during my reading I because invested and emotionally stricken. I didn't want to put it down but I had to so I could breathe and believe for a few minutes that everyone and everything would be ok.
The story of Haava and Sonja takes places over 5 days but the chapters jump back and forth in time and woven into the story are little pieces of where the future takes the people in the story. None of them are like abrupt breaks in the story but are subtle images of life yet to come.
(finished December 28, 2015)
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I read Eleanor & Park and Fan Girl and really enjoyed them so when Carry On was published I figured it for a sure bet. Carry On is the story of Simon Snow and crew which was the story in Fangirl that Cath was a fangirl of.
There are some things that bothered me from the beginning
The opening reeks of Harry Potter
A young person who at age 11 finds out about being magical
A secret school kids go to so they can learn magic
A super smart female best friend
A friendship with a school staff member that takes care of animals
A powerful headmaster who at times is withdrawn and distant
A fellow student set up to be the enemy of the main character
Being the chosen one
But the more I read the more I was able to not get past but put up with the similarities to the Harry Potter universe.
Simon and Baz are roommates who it seems can't stand each other. Simon is the chosen one according to The Mage. There is a brewing war between the old families and The Mage. When the truth about Simon is revealed there are more than magical repercussions. Carry On is also a story about friendship and accepting yourself and your friends for who they are.
(Finished Dec 24, 2015)
There are some things that bothered me from the beginning
The opening reeks of Harry Potter
A young person who at age 11 finds out about being magical
A secret school kids go to so they can learn magic
A super smart female best friend
A friendship with a school staff member that takes care of animals
A powerful headmaster who at times is withdrawn and distant
A fellow student set up to be the enemy of the main character
Being the chosen one
But the more I read the more I was able to not get past but put up with the similarities to the Harry Potter universe.
Simon and Baz are roommates who it seems can't stand each other. Simon is the chosen one according to The Mage. There is a brewing war between the old families and The Mage. When the truth about Simon is revealed there are more than magical repercussions. Carry On is also a story about friendship and accepting yourself and your friends for who they are.
(Finished Dec 24, 2015)
Monday, December 14, 2015
Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante (Maggie Hope Mystery #5) by Susan Elia MacNeal
Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante is the 5th book in the Maggie Hope Mystery series.
This time around Maggie is back in the U.S.A with Mr. Churchill just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Churchill has come to work out war details with F.D.R. as the U.S. enters the war. While there Maggie is pulled into the mystery surrounding the death of a woman, Blanche, who was working for The First Lady. The death of Blanche, the upcoming execution of a sharecropper, and the entrance of America into the war are all somehow connected. Can Maggie figure it out? And what about rebuilding her relationship with John?
There is a little bit of a back story involving Maggie's parents that feel extra to this story and more like setup for book 6, which is fine with me. More Maggie can only be thought of as a good thing. These are pretty easy, fast reads that are enjoyable but don't require a lot of time or effort, just good ol' escapism.
(Finished December 14, 2015)
Meet Maggie in Mr. Churchill's Secretary
More Maggie Mysteries:
Princess Elizabeth's Spy
His Majesty's Hope
The Prime Minister's Secret Agent
This time around Maggie is back in the U.S.A with Mr. Churchill just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Churchill has come to work out war details with F.D.R. as the U.S. enters the war. While there Maggie is pulled into the mystery surrounding the death of a woman, Blanche, who was working for The First Lady. The death of Blanche, the upcoming execution of a sharecropper, and the entrance of America into the war are all somehow connected. Can Maggie figure it out? And what about rebuilding her relationship with John?
There is a little bit of a back story involving Maggie's parents that feel extra to this story and more like setup for book 6, which is fine with me. More Maggie can only be thought of as a good thing. These are pretty easy, fast reads that are enjoyable but don't require a lot of time or effort, just good ol' escapism.
(Finished December 14, 2015)
Meet Maggie in Mr. Churchill's Secretary
More Maggie Mysteries:
Princess Elizabeth's Spy
His Majesty's Hope
The Prime Minister's Secret Agent
Friday, December 4, 2015
The Last of the President's Men by Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward writes about the man who outed the existence of Nixon's White House tapes in The Las of the President's Men
Alex Butterfield shares his unpublished memoir as well as many documents from his time serving at the pleasure of the president. It is fascinating to read these memos and letters. Woodward's telling of Butterfield's place in the Watergate era feels like coming full circle from the work done with Bernstein on the original articles they wrote for The Washington Post when the story originally broke.
The memories Butterfield shares with Woodward are truly fascinating and this is book is not at all dry and boring history. Woodward's writing style is that of an expert journalist, interesting, concise, and engaging.
If you have any interest in politics, history, or just like a good bit of story telling this is a safe bet.
(finished 12/4/15)
Alex Butterfield shares his unpublished memoir as well as many documents from his time serving at the pleasure of the president. It is fascinating to read these memos and letters. Woodward's telling of Butterfield's place in the Watergate era feels like coming full circle from the work done with Bernstein on the original articles they wrote for The Washington Post when the story originally broke.
The memories Butterfield shares with Woodward are truly fascinating and this is book is not at all dry and boring history. Woodward's writing style is that of an expert journalist, interesting, concise, and engaging.
If you have any interest in politics, history, or just like a good bit of story telling this is a safe bet.
(finished 12/4/15)
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