Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Dash & Lily, #1) by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

 This is a reread. I watched the Netflix show/series based on this and was reminded how much I loved the book so felt the need to reread it and grab the 2 follow up books, The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily and Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily. 

I loved the book this time too. It was a quick read and cleansing I guess after some heavy and darker reads. It was a feel good, sweet & innocent story and I love it!! 

Dash & Lily find each other in my hometown of NYC around Christmas time when Lily leaves a red Moleskin with a message and a dare near one of her favorite books at The Strand bookstore. Dash finds the book and chooses to play along. What follows is a learning experience for them both and a sweet falling for each other. 

If you haven't read this but have seen the show here is what I want you to know, while the show is pretty true to the source there are some differences, as usual. But it holds up well. The supporting cast are so awesome on paper & screen. Boomer is as goofy and sweet and just amazing on paper as you would hope. Mrs. Basil E is FABULOUS!! The boots are still important. Langston & Benny are not as present but their story is here. There is more of Lily and her life aside from the book and Dash and I love it, she makes some friends. Her grandpa isn't as hard ass on paper as on screen. Her family is huge and the Santa scene is better on paper!! The muppet is still here. And Boris is the best even if he didn't make the screen. 

This is a brain cleanser and heart warming story!! I hope the next 2 books do right by Dash & Lily!!

(Finished December 29, 2020)

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

 I read and LOVED The Hate U Give. It was evident that Anger Thomas was an incredible writer who could spin a tale that was important, needed, well told, and entertaining. I was excited to see what else she would give to the world of readers. She then followed it up with On The Come Up, which while it took place in the same community as The Hate U Give, was its very own story and was also powerful and amazing. Angie clearly wasn't a "one hit wonder."

Coming in January 2021 is the next outing, Concrete Rose. And yes this a Tupac reference too. I got to read it early because as a bookseller our store gets ARCs. 

Short review: I WILL BE TELLING EVERY CUSTOMER I TALK TO ABOUT THIS BOOK!!

Longer review:

This is the story of Star's father, Maverick. He is what some think isn't a real thing, a young Black father who sticks around and is an active, loving, and present father. 

His story isn't easy, gang activity, his father's crimes that have him in prison, mistakes and bad choices, all make him the man we met in The Hate U Give. He is strong and learns that his fears and tears are what make him strong and not the "slinging on the side" and following the path of those who are active in the drug and gang activity. He is mentored by Mr. Wyatt, the man who owns the neighborhood store and gives Mav a job and a love of gardening. 

The most powerful point, a section that stayed with me, was when Mav is told my Mr. Wyatt that "one of the biggest lies ever told is that Black men don't feel emotions. Guess it's easier to not see us as human when you think we're heartless. Fact of the matter is, we feel things. Hurt, pain, sadness, all of it. We got a right to show them feelings as much as anybody else." And this is so important to take in. 

I think that white people who continue to carry on in racist ways, who aren't willing to look within and work on their biases this is something they buy into, that denying the feelings of people makes it easier to dismiss them and disregard their rights, by dehumanizing. I think it is why white officers find it ok to mistreat Black people. To murder them even...because they take away the humanity and don't see people, mothers or fathers, sons or daughters, siblings, when they target people for doing anything while Black. 

But it is not right. And I add this work to my antiracist reading list and will take this to heart as I daily work on being antiracist, on being willing to do the work. This was a powerful work even as it was a gripping and entertaining story. I loved Mav and Lisa. I loved Dre. And Faye and Moe!!! LOVE!!!

I am so excited for this book to be readily available!

(Finished December 27, 2020)

Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation by Andrew Weissmann

 As with all audiobook reviews this posting will address two aspects, content & presentation. 

Let's start with presentation. The introduction and epilogue are narrated by the author. The content between that is done by George Newbern. His voice doesn't distract from the seriousness of the material nor does he read in a dry, monotone style. His voice is pleasant and his tone of voice and inflection makes this an easy listen. 

Now the content....

This is one of the worst books ever!! Not because it is badly written but the exact opposite. It is well written and detailed. Where it can't be it is explained why information can't be addressed. It is the infuriating nature of the content that is so bad. It lays open the investigation of Trump, his campaign, and the actions of Russia. And what it found should horrify and anger you. 

If you knew at the time Barr was full of shit when he presented his interpretation of the report this will confirm how right you were. The people who worked on the investigation worked under incredibly challenging circumstances. But they did the most thorough job they could given the road blocks Trump and his sycophants placed in their way. 

It was interesting to get this inside view on the investigation and to hear from someone involved explain what happened and what was really found. 

Weissmann ends with some ideas on how to prevent this kind of interference from happening again. But he concludes that the damage is so great that it will be incredibly difficult and in some cases require law or constitution changes. I don't feel much hope that the damage isn't already done to such a great degree that it won't be fixed for many years if ever. Outside influences have been given an in and it will be beyond difficult to get them out. Proven by the fact that as I write this we are being internally attacked by Russian hackers and have no idea as to the extent of this intrusion and harm done. 

This is worth your time reading or listening to. 

(Finished December 24, 2020)

The Lives of Saints (Grishaverse) by Leigh Bardugo

 My first experience reading Leigh Bardugo was when I read an ARC of Ninth House for the B&N Bookclub (where before COVID I was the bookclub leader in my store). I brought it was me to LeakyCon and was pounced on my a sweet person who was so excited to see me reading it and telling me I HAD TO read the Grishaverse books. So I did, they were so passionate and I needed to know why. 

So I read in this order:

Shadow and Bone

Siege and Storm

Ruin and Rising

Six of Crows

Crooked Kingdom

And then this little gem came onto my store with the signed books we get on Black Friday...I wanted it and waited a little...and gave myself a deadline that if it was still there by a certain day it was meant to be mine...and it was...I read it in pretty much one sitting...I fell asleep last night with about 25 pages to go and finished it today...

Everything about this book is lovely...the cover, the paper quality, the art...and the stories. 

Well ok, some of the stories are creepy, like the demon under the bridge, but the language, the way she writes, it is beautiful. This is the Istorii Sankt’ya (Lives of Saints) referenced in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy. It is a great, quick read that adds to the joy of the Grishaverse. 

I will spend more time with it enjoying the artwork. I hope you get it and enjoy the experience....Oh and this weekend I am picking up my copy of the first book in the next part of the story, the first in the King of Scars duology which just came out in paperback. I am waiting for my gift card my mother-in-law has for me...I get a discount but it is even better when paying with someone else's money LOL. 

FYI, book 2 of King of Scars, Rule of Wolves is set to come out in March 2021. 

(Finished December 22, 2020)

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik

I read Uprooted early last year (2019) and really enjoyed it. Given this I ordered this book as a special box from OwlCrate. 

Working retail during the holidays cut down on my time for reading so it took me longer than it should have to read this. But also, my copy of the final book in The Ember In The Ashes series arrived and I should have paused this and went on to that and then come back because I had a hard time pushing through knowing it was there and waiting...

So what did I think of this one? I wanted to love it. I really did. The classist system of this magical school and the world it exists in was fascinating. It really was a commentary on the haves and have nots and the privilege or lack there of that ones position affords a person. 

Something I did notice here, and it took some getting used to, was the difference in how the world building was done. Most first books in a series takes some time to get the reader aquatinted with world, the language, the systems, the monsters, etc. Novil didn't do that here. She jumped right in and we, the readers were meant to catch on. There was no slow down to explain things in the traditional way. 

On the other hand the action was slow in ramping up...it got progressively more frenetic until the big action scene near the end. And then wham!! So that was interesting. And then the cliffhanger...was major...one line that could change everything that came before it. 

El (Galadriel) does change and grow some as the book goes on, but not in a way that changes her nature, just makes her open more and interesting. But it felt real and not like some overly dramatic and instant change...she is who she is, just how she handles the outside world, those around her, changes. 

Overall, this was a good story and given the way it ended I will read book 2 when it is out....If you read her other works which felt more fairytale this one will feel different, very much so. But that isn't a bad thing, it just doesn't have the old fashioned, old world field of her other work. 

(Finished December 20, 2020)