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I started a #bookstagram because I simply love books and have been looking for more bookish people to talk to. Since joining my #TBR has gotten a little out of control. ?⠀
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I’m a mom to a two year old and I live in Southern California with my partner, two dogs, bearded dragon, and one fish. We also harvest Monarch Butterflies to help regrow their population. I’ve been teaching fourth grade for five years, going on six.
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February Wrap Up
THICK is a standout, and it's a collection I will keep in my library. If you haven't read it, this...
Library Glare Don’t Care
I am exhausted and it is only Monday. I didn't buy a single book in January, please clap....
The Last White Man
Hmmmm...This one left me quite perplexed at what exactly it was trying to convey. The story...
What Doesn’t Kill You
I don't remember where I saw this quote, so forgive me, but it went something like "I wish...
Books to be Read
Here we are again, new year, bigger TBR. I know my partner will laugh in my face, but I am...
Reading Wrap Up 2022 In Review
It was a lot of fun to go back over my reading year, but one thing really struck me, most of the...
Book of the Month
#TransRightsReadathon is underway, and here are some books I am hoping to dive into this week. Lots of #bookstagrammers across the web are posting wonderful organizations and mutual aid funds you can donate to to help out our transgender siblings. Follow the hashtag for more information and donate any money if you have the ability to do so, and finally make sure you`re listening to transgender voices and activists!!! It is strange to me when I talk to people I know and they don`t understand something and why it is wrong, but then don`t seek out information from the source or group being affected. Have questions? Confused? The answer is quite simple. Listen.To.Transgender.People. (and please actually listen, if it is not your lived experience, then sit back and shut up)
Here is what I`m hoping to get into:
the ship we built, by Lexie Bean: Rowan discovers a way to share his secrets: letters. Letters he attaches to balloons and releases into the universe, hoping someone new will read them and understand. But when he befriends a classmate who knows what it’s like to be lonely and scared, even at home, Rowan realizes that there might already be a person he can trust right by his side.
Freshwater, by Akwaeke Emezi: An extraordinary debut novel, Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born "with one foot on the other side." Unsettling, heartwrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater is a sharp evocation of a rare way of experiencing the world, one that illuminates how we all construct our identities.
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon: Vern - seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised - flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world. But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes.
Another rainy day, means a rainy photo. I thought this sequel was better than the first. I understand a lot of people`s gripe with the first one was that it confusing and kind of all over the place. Well if you can push through it, this one clarifies a lot of things the first one had trouble working through. The cast of characters is smaller and the world wider. It feels more focused. I loved it. There are times I have to stop myself when I read YA and be like "Viv, this was written with teens in mind, you are 35 get a grip." But I love YA. There`s an earnestness you don`t find in adult fiction all the time that I appreciate. Bloodmarked was fast paced, action packed, and such a ride. I can`t wait to see how this story closes.
#Bloodmarked #Legendborn #YA #YAFantasy #ReadMoreBooks #RainyDayReads #FastPacedBooks #ActionPackedBooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer
Here is my #FebruaryWrapUp.
THICK is a standout, and it`s a collection I will keep in my library. If you haven`t read it, this is the one that is the must read.
THE NIGHT WATCHMAN was fantastic. Patrice is a character that will stick to you. Erdrich is an author that stands apart.
WILDSEED, was well, wild. I can`t wait to discuss it with my two girlfriends when we get a chance! Butler truly has an unmatched imagination. This is my third work by her and they are all SO DIFFERENT.
NINTH HOUSE was a reread to prep for HELL BENT, glad I reread it too. HELL BENT was pure popcorn, all plot, no real character development but I enjoyed it. I wished there was more explored in the central relationship between Darlington and Alex, because you don`t go to hell TWICE for someone and just not have a come to Jesus conversation. There was time for some emotional reckoning and not having that here was a major disappointment, but again this was a popcorn read so whatevs. Thanks @paigerragerreads for talking about it with me!
I was underwhelmed by Tx3. I found it emotionally manipulative. I`m a gamer too, so I thought I`d love it more.
AGE OF VICE was great at first, but then the ending was truly perplexing. It dedicated way too much air time to this random character and it left me scratching my head. I will read the next book though, so that`s saying something.
UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN was great. Shifted a lot of my thinking about religion in general, not just Mormons.
#MGlit: I would recommend all of these. They each meet my criteria for middle grade lit: under 300 pages with short chapters. I’m reading A ROVER’S STORY with my class now and they are loving it. EDEN`S EVERDARK is perfect for kids who love spooky stories and PAX:JOURNEY HOME is great for kids dealing with grief.
#bookstagram #middlegradebooks #middlegradefiction #fiction #booksbooksbooks #alwaysreading #readmorebooks #february #februarywrapup
#LibraryGlareDontCare
I am exhausted and it is only Monday. I didn`t buy a single book in January, please clap. Hopefully I will get around to these two in the coming weeks. I know Ninth House is problematic (The MC is supposed to be of Latine Heritage, but Leigh Bardugo is not. And no this is not me saying white authors shouldn`t write characters from the global south, but there were some VERY cringe moments in Ninth House because of this. Heard Hell Bent does not have the same issues, which is great because maybe that means Bardugo is listening and actually taking the feedback, instead of you know just listening) I want to reread it ahead of Hell Bent based on @paigerragerreads review!
Seven Moons of Maali Almeida caught my eye and after reading the first page at the library I decided I was sold.
How is everyone`s February shaping up? What are you reading? Any of y`all implement a book buying ban, I am in solidarity with you! And if you broke it, hey you probably deserved that little book. #bookstagram #library #librariesarethebest #useyourlocallibrary #booksbooksbooks #alwaysreading
Hmmmm...This one left me quite perplexed at what exactly it was trying to convey. The story centers around Anders, who wakes up one day to find himself brown, and eventually in the whole world white people begin to wake up with their skin mysteriously darker, chaos ensues but it happens mostly off page. Much like Exit West this one centers around a budding romance, but I don`t feel like it worked here. It is clear he got inspiration from Kafka`s masterpiece, Metamorphosis and others that have followed similar formats. Man wakes up to find himself suddenly changed, but must go about his daily life. But in my opinion, Hamid did not lean into the absolute absurdity of it all and I felt like the message was muddled and the arc of the story suffered. Because what is the message here? That race isn`t real? Maybe, but if so I felt like this short novel did not go deep enough for my liking to get that message across, and it was wrapped up way too neatly. But this worked for a lot of people, so give it a shot and see for yourself.
[ID: The novel The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid lays flat on a gray fabric.]
#Fictionbooks #Aspenlonglist #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #Books
I don`t remember where I saw this quote, so forgive me, but it went something like "I wish everyone understood that being non-disabled is temporary." We all age, and things can happen to our bodies or minds that are not within our control, literally at any moment.
Tessa Miller`s WHAT DOESN`T KILL YOU, was an illuminating memoir/nonfiction book. I know I`m going to keep it on my shelf forever because she has some really helpful tidbits about how to fight for proper healthcare and how to best support people in your life that are chronically ill. It was a sobering read, because our capitalistic society does not value human life, only money. The horrifying stories she shared about fighting for life saving procedures and the hoops she had to jump through one million times over in order to get insurance to cover it or even just to approve it were truly dystopian. But this is her reality, and the reality of millions of people across the United States. I think this is a really valuable book for everyone to read, whether or not you are disabled.
[ID: The nonfiction book What Doesn`t Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness, Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller is held up by Viv`s hand against a tree`s stump.]
#nonfiction #memoirs #alwaysreading #learnmore #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readmorenonfiction #readmorememoirs
Here we are again, new year, bigger TBR. I know my partner will laugh in my face, but I am determined not to buy any new books, for a long time. So many of these books have been influenced by you lovely people. So where to start? Can`t promise I`ll listen, but I`m excited to dig in. I may have to mute 2023 new releases on this damn app though. Anyone know how to do that? Ha!
[ID: Two stacks of books sit side by side.]
#Nonfiction #happynewyear #TBR #ReadMoreBooks #Fiction #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #BookRecommendations #BookRecs #somanybookssolittletime
It was a lot of fun to go back over my reading year, but one thing really struck me, most of the favorite books I read in the beginning of the year. And although I have read the most I have ever in my life in one year (101 books!), that did not equate to quality. Lesson learned, but also that makes a lot of sense. In a crowded year, it had to really stand out to make the cut. Plus my brain short circuited around May until like, well it`s still going I think, so I think that could be a part of it too. Which makes sense, because we moved in May. In 2023 all I want is to read what I own and DNF with abandon. I live near an amazing library that is well stocked, there is no reason for me to keep buying books. I`m honestly grossed out by how much I own and need to remedy that, especially with what`s coming on the horizon....Onwards to 2023. Happy New Year Book Community, you`re still the best place on the internet.
Listed Books are:
Fiction that made me cry:
The Seed Keeper
Stay With Me
The Swimmers
The Arsonists City
Beloved
What Storm What Thunder
The Vanished Birds
Jaw Dropping Fiction:
Babel
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
YA Page Turners:
Iron Widow
Bloodmarked
Unforgettable Nonfiction:
What My Bones Know
White Negroes
All That She Carried
Paradise
Grass
Welcome to the Terrordome
Poetry:
Deaf Republic
Don`t Call Us Dead: Poems
Middle Grade:
Shirley and Jamila save their summer
The Tryout
Ghost
I Can Make This Promise
Ophie`s Ghost
All Thirteen
#BestOf2022 #BestBooks #Fiction #Nonfiction #LoveReading #ReadMoreBooks #AlwaysReading #Bookstagram #YearWrap #YearlyWrapUp #BooksBooksBooks #BestBooks #MiddleGradeBooks #poetry
This book is a perfect winter read. The writing is gorgeous and the descriptions of every tiny little thing, from the way the birds chirped, to the sound of snow crunching beneath your feet, is just perfect. It is how I want all my writing to feel. Not overly flowery, just the right touch, with an emotional resonance that has not left even long after I finished. I was completely taken with this story, it is beautiful and easily one of my new all time favorites.
[ID: The novel The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson, rests on a white furry blanket.]
#TheSeedKeeper #DianeWilson #ReadIndigenousAuthors #ReadIndigenousWomen #Community #BeautifulBooks #WinterStories #Bookstagram #BestFictionBooks #ReadMoreBooks #Bookstagrammer #MultigenerationalStories #familystories
I used to be someone who always thought nothing of sports. "Oh, I`m not involved and I don`t watch it, so how could it effect me?" Well boy was I wrong. Just like everything else in life, sports are political. With all the controversy surrounding the World Cup and honestly FIFA in general, I keep thinking of this book. The essays in here really bring into focus how even if you don`t play sports or watch them they shape the politics around you in ways you probably don`t realize. Looking at sports through the lens of race, class, gender, and more Dave Zirin examines how sports shape much of political life outside the field. I think this book could make a great holiday gift for your fellow sports lover, or even a novice. The essays "Béisbol: How the Major Leagues Eat Their Young," "The Uses of Sports: How People in Power Exploit the Games," and "Relearning Roberto Clemente" have stayed with me in particular.
[ID: The essay collection Welcome to the Terrordome by Dave Zirin rests on a table with a mini succulent garden pot]
#sports #sportsandpolitics #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #welcometotheterrordome #essaycollection #baseballwriting #basketballwriting #nonfiction #readmorebooks #themoreyouknow🌈
December hopeful. I know we don’t typically see this dude in these parts of #bookstagram but I’m reading it with my husband and it’s really enriched the experience. You gotta have range right? #doorstopperbooks never intimidate me. I am hoping once we finish this series I can convince him to read The Fifth Season or another fantasy book written by an author of the Global South. Got any recs for us? Let me know! He enjoys horror too! Pictured is the book Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson on top of a circular black metal table. #buddyreading #bookclubs #wordsofradiance #TBR #fantasy #bigbooks
By far my favorite reads of the month are The Seed Keeper, Stay With Me, and Bloodmarked. Those really knocked it out of the park for me.
I was less impressed by How Much of These Hills is Gold honestly, while I appreciate the story being told, I felt like the flowery language made it so detached and it didn`t give me the emotional resonance that Stay with Me, or The Seed Keeper did. The Seed Keeper also had these gorgeous descriptive passages, but it forced you to slow down and it was so simply done, it was elegant.
Thank you to @thatgoodgoodbook for gifting me Uphill by Jemele Hill. I love the NBA and Hill is someone I have always admired. I remember when she tweeted about that awful president and how it was received, so it was interesting to hear her side of the story. She has led a very interesting life, and I thought she told her story really well. I was engaged throughout. And Indigenous Peoples History was a heavy read, and it`s meant to be a textbook. It did not have that narrative quality that makes nonfiction engaging, but again, I don`t think that is its purpose. It is to inform you of the truth laid bare, and I think it`s really important to have out in the world.
Invisible was a great graphic novel about Spanish speaking students that come from alllll over Central and South America, coming together in a common cause. A great one. Indian No More was pretty good, glad it exists in the world, and it`s an important story to tell. I can see myself using this as an anchor in social studies lessons.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
#bookstagram #monthlywrapup #fiction #nonfiction #middlegrade #alwaysreading #readmorebooks #readers #greatbooksfor2022 #bookstagrammer