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Black Sun

Dec 12, 2021

Black Sun

Rebecca Roanhorse

Multiple POV’s are always challenging to pull off, but Black Sun comes out swinging. Rebecca Roanhorse’s epic fantasy, inspired by pre-Columbian Americas, is a must read for any fantasy lover. Expansive without being overwhelming, fast paced but easy to follow, this book hits all the right marks of a fantasy book. I was thrilled throughout and had the best time reading it. Simply put, this one is superb. I am PUMPED for book 2, because that ending, WOW.

[ID: The novel BLACK SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse, rests on a glass table outside. There are several green leaves surrounding it.]

#BlackSun #RebeccaRoanhorse #EpicFantasyNovels #SFF #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #Bookstagram #AlwaysReading #LosAngelesReads #vivandbooks

amari and the night brothers by b.b. alston

December Possibilities

Dec 7, 2021

December Possibility Pile

December Possibility Pile! I went through my shelves yesterday so I can participate in @caseythereader Clear Out Your TBR Bingo. Will I get through all these? Most definitely not, but it was fun to make this pile. And who knows! I’m definitely on a reading tear this month, so I might as well try. I’m already one hundred pages and some change into The Warmth of Other Suns and The Light of Uncommon Stars. After reading How the Word is Passed I was craving more beautifully written non-fiction, and I have had The Warmth of Other Suns on my shelf for awhile. It’s definitely scratching the itch. The Light of Uncommon Stars, gifted to me by the amazing @nerdtasticnoms, is also so much fun!!! It’s nice to have a good balance between the two books. The picture shows an armchair with a floral pattern and a stack of books next to a small lavender Christmas tree.
A Tale for the Time Being-Backlist
Light from Uncommon Stars-gifted
The Properties of Perpetual Light- A book out of my comfort zone
Concepcion- new release
Little Women- Unread and gifted
Seven Days in June-Most recently acquired
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay- Book I’ve owned the longest
Heart Berries-Shortest book I own
The Warmth of Other Suns-Books I said I would definitely read this year.

#ClearOutYourTBR #AlwaysReading #DecemberPossibilities #Books #ReadMoreBooks #TBR #Bookstagram #bookstagrammer

amari and the night brothers by b.b. alston

How The Word Is Passed

Dec 6, 2021

How The Word Is Passed

Clint Smith

There are so many reasons why I loved this book that I don’t have space to talk about here. But wow, Clint Smith is the teacher I wish I had in high school. Here he does what any good teacher should do: present the facts, observe your audience, be an attentive listener (!!!), ask probing questions, and always always always be your authentic self. I love that this was a nonfiction book that almost read like a memoir. It is also so clear that Smith is a poet. His ability to create such evocative imagery made it feel like you were standing there with him at every site he visited. It made the learning so powerful. Can we make every history textbook read like this please??? Of course I was also enraged because so much history I had been taught was so watered down. And I don’t understand how anyone could be satisfied with half versions of the truth or just straight up lies.

It also really made me reflect on CA history and how the Spanish Missions reckon, or don’t really, with their treatment of the Indigenous people of CA. I take students on field trips to the CA Missions and not one says anything about the Indigenous tribes that thrived in those areas before the colonizers invaded their lands. If they do, it’s very subtle and mentions nothing of the way they were forced to convert to Christianity and work for the mission or suffer the consequences. This book is definitely inspiring me for some future lessons and end of unit ideas…

This is a powerful book, and definitely in my top reads of the year, and arguably my life. There is so much I don’t know. There is so much more I want to learn. Thank you Clint Smith for writing this masterpiece and sharing such a personal part of yourself with us. You are the teacher I strive to be.

#Bookstagram #NonFitcionReads #BestBooksOfTheYear #HistoryBooks #AlwaysReading #AmericanHistory #NonFictionBooks #BestBooksof2021 #HowtheWordisPassed #clintsmith

amari and the night brothers by b.b. alston

October and November Wrap Up

Dec 1, 2021

October and November Wrap Up

October and November Wrap Up.

October and November were weird months for a myriad of reasons, so again my reading is all over the place. These tend to be the most challenging months for teachers (for everyone this year though really) because the newness of school has worn off and we are starting to understand the hill we have to climb as the year progresses. I am lucky, with only 17 students, my class this year is truly a dream. Am I being that effective? I honestly don’t know. Do I care? Kind of, but as y’all know WE ARE TIRED. Anyways, my favorites have to be Little Devil in America and Black Sun. Clean Getaway was a perfect read aloud in my classroom as well. Also Heartstopper has stolen my heart. If you are looking for a comfort read that still has deep themes, pick it up. Its adorableness will surely make you smile. I hope you all are doing okay. The holidays this year are especially brutal. Hold your community and loved ones close. Tell people how much you love them.

[ID: First slide has an ocean background with rocks and the book covers for Black Sun, Never Have I Ever, Clean Getaway, White Smoke, Eva Evergreen, Go Ahead in the Rain, and Acts of Desperation. Second slide is a picture of a lake and the book covers for Room to Dream, Little Devil In America, American Born Chinese, and Heartstopper Volumes 1-3]

#Bookstagram #AlwaysReading #WrapUp

Birthday Giveaway

Nov 29, 2021

Birthday Giveaway

BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY

Thirty four years around the sun. One of the funniest things about getting older is understanding why adults forget how old they are. I remember being a kid and asking adults “how old are you?” not understanding at the time the intrusion of this question. I personally don’t get offended when I get asked this, I work with ten year olds afterall. I remember how the adults laughed because the answer didn’t come immediately, they could not remember! I thought how crazy it was to not remember how old you were going to be! How could one forget! But as the days grow longer and the years shorter, I understand a little bit more now. Life comes at you fast, as they say. With every passing year I take the opportunity to reflect and understand how lucky I am to be alive with the people I am surrounded by, and I mean that I am surrounded by the best people in this space called Bookstagram and also in my life away from the internet. Thank you for being here and being in community with me. I figured last year I did a giveaway of Elatsoe, it is only fitting that I return with “A Snake Falls to Earth” by Darcie Little Badger. Elatsoe was absolutely fantastic, and I have heard rave reviews for this as well. The book itself is also a beauty.

Rules:
Answer this question in the comments below: What is your favorite kind of cake? One bonus entry for sharing in your stories. Make sure to tag me so I can see it!
Mine is chocolate cake. Forever. And always. Giveaway Closes, next Sunday December 5th. Open to US and Canada only.

#Giveaway #BookGiveaway #BirthdayGiveaway #Bookstagrammer #ILoveBooks #AlwaysReading #ASnakeFallstoEarth #DarcieLittleBadger #LipanApacheAuthor #supportindigenousamericanauthors

Final Revival of Opan & Nev

Oct 30, 2021

Final Revival of Opan & Nev

Dawnie Walton

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev had such a convincing introduction I went to google to see if it was based on a true story. Ha! I did enjoy how immersive this book felt, because it really did feel like this is something that could’ve happened. I love how the core of the story unraveled as well. I was continuously wondering where it was going and once we got to the climax I was buckled in. I won’t say too much about that here, because I think it’s best for you to experience it yourself. The seventies rock and roll vibe of the book was also welcome. It sort of felt like reading historical fiction, a genre I love.

While I really enjoyed this read, I did struggle with the interview format. I feel like if you are planning on reading this, the audiobook version is probably the way to go. I can see a cast of voice actors really bringing this to life in a way that maybe didn’t translate as well when reading the physical book, at least for me. There were also some secondary characters I just did not care for, not because they were villains (although maybe they were), but I just found them kind of boring so I skimmed over their parts. Perhaps a voice actor would’ve done them justice in a way my brain could not.

I think this would make a really cool movie or limited series. If I was a more talented bookstagrammer I can see this also making a really cool aesthetic reel. So someone please make that. Thank you. Hehe. Read the synopsis below (taken from goodreads)

Synopsis: An electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic interracial rock duo in the 1970s, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite decades later for one last tour.

[ID: The novel THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL AND NEV resting on a glass table. There is a small cactus and other plants surrounding it]

#LibraryGlareDontCare #Bookstagram #TheFinalRevivalofOpalandNev #Fiction #BookswithRocknRoll #LibraryBook #Novels #BookReview #plantsandbooks

amari and the night brothers by b.b. alston