Recently made a National Book Award longlister (like the Oscars for book nerds for those who don’t know), Chain-Gang-All-Stars is sure to start making the rounds again, and deservedly so.

In Americas increasingly profitable private prison industry, convicted inmates are allowed to enroll in a program called CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment. They fight like gladiators to earn one thing: their freedom. We follow Loretta Thurwar and Hamara Stacker, better known as Hurricane Staxxx who are the stars of the “show.”

I will admit I was a bit frustrated at first with this novel because I felt like it was almost overly detailed. It starts off with a lot of world building. There are chapters dedicated to side characters that range from very important to never mentioned again. To be frank, I think I was expecting something a bit more action packed. The fact that it wasn’t maybe led to my deflation but I’m ashamed to say that probably says more about me than it does about the novel. Was I expecting more violence and bloodshed in a novel about this country’s prison industrial complex so I was entertained? YIKES VIV. Once I recognized that and let go of those expectations I was able to find my footing. And once I was in, I was IN.

And really the ending had my jaw to the floor. I had to read it three times to make sure I understood it because I was simply so shocked. It is one I turn over in my head from time to time, it haunts me. It was like the end of season one game of thrones with Ned (IYKYK). But there will be no season 2! Sheesh. Guess I will always wonder what next? It’s a bold ending and it makes sense.

Have you read this one? What did you think?

#chaingangallstars #novels #fiction #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #bestbooksof2023 #nationalbookaward #dystopianbooks

Every time I peel back another layer of American history I will never fail to be utterly disgusted with the foundations of this supposed “great nation.”

I read this because I have always been meaning to since it came out and now with the movie right around the corner I figured it was time. David Grann does an excellent job of unraveling this particular part of American history. For those who do not know, the Osage Tribe was once the richest group per capita IN THE ENTIRE WORLD due to the vast oil fields found beneath their reservation. I’m sure you can guess which group of people were displeased with that fact. When members of the Osage tribe are murdered one by one the federal government must get involved to solve the grisly crimes. What they uncover is a conspiracy beyond comprehension.

This is an excellent book and deserves all the notice it has been getting. David Grann’s research is thorough and it’s clear he had the trust of the Osage to further investigate the crimes and tell part of their story to the wider audience. Still, I can see why people are concerned that the movie will suffer from a white savior narrative as the lead detective does take center stage. But at the end of the day as the title suggests, this is also about the birth of the FBI.

An important book worthy of your time, I hope some good will come out of it as the movie comes out and this part of history is brought into the light. The Osage deserve reparations and justice, but I doubt anyone is holding their breath. My only hope is that as more people become aware of this story perhaps the needle will move a little bit in the right direction.

#killersoftheflowermoon #booktomovieadaptation #nonfiction #truecrime #greatbooks #alwaysreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

What’s happening #bookstagram? These are some books I’ve read this summer. I have probably had the best summer reading in a long time. So many new favorites I want to review on the grid but oh time. Where art thou? Also I was today years old when I learned how to press enter on Instagram captions.

Look, I did it. I pressed enter. Yes I am an elder millennial why do you ask?

Did everyone have a good summer of reading? Any here that we have in common or you want to know more about?

#booksbooksbooks #alwaysreading #summerreading #lovetoread #fiction #nonfiction #poetry #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks

I was hesitant to read this because the first reviews that came out were kind of mixed, but I absolutely loved this one! A novel about a Taiwanese American woman named Ingrid feels helpless and stuck in her academia career. Pursuing something she has absolutely no passion for has left her depressed and feeling adrift. But when she discovers a shocking secret about the poet she’s writing about chaos reigns, answers must be sought, and demons must be confronted.

My favorite parts were with the white boyfriend. I found them so funny (and sadly relatable) that I read some passages to my husband. I also love that this book seems ridiculous, but this stuff has totally happened! If you know you know. This novel is full of heart and showcases a woman coming to terms with who she is and her place in the world. It felt like a coming of age story, and I absolutely loved it.

#Bookstagram #Disorientation #Satire #SocialCommentary #FunnyBooks #ReadAsianAuthors #BooksByAsianWomen #GreatBooks #Novels #AlwaysReading

“She didn’t want to keep sitting with him the way she used to, not expressing what she was thinking so strongly that it seemed like he had to know it. But she was old enough to recognize that wasn’t how things worked. People were their own individual planets, spinning in their own orbits, and to reach someone else you had to throw a meteor sometimes”

I figured being nine months pregnant was the perfect time to read this collection of short stories centering motherhood in some way. Some were about people really wanting children, others were about the decision to be childless, infertility or infant loss. I feel like one thing I loved about this collection is that the author captured longing so well, longing for a future that won’t happen or a past that whipped by too quickly.

There is this weird longing I have as a mother, a wistfulness. Sometimes it is a desire for more time. More sleep. More silent moments. But I also feel such intense joy and fear at the same time that is indescribable, and if I sit too long with it makes my heart feel swollen where I have to remind myself to breathe. Moments where I want time to slow down so you stay this age forever punctuated by feelings of eagerness to see who you become but also please just give me a moment of silence already and let me get through one conversation without interruption and for the love of god and all that is holy can you just eat one vegetable already?

Anyways, All that to say. I loved this book of short stories. Each story was short but the message concise. A lovely one.

#Bookstagram #ShortStoryCollection #StoriesAboutMotherhood #Motherhood #Shortstories #alwaysreading

Lots of hits, a few misses, and one DNF. Let’s get to it:

Fiction

The Rabbit Hutch is wonderfully written. I was definitely pulled into the story and interested in how it was all going to end up. It is not about foster kids. This is about loneliness and how we connect to each other.

I really enjoyed my time with Kaikeyi. It is not without its flaws, but it fit my mood perfectly at the time I read it. It definitely made me wish I knew more about the Ramayana.

I love What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez. I have a real admiration for authors who pack so much story and character in under 250 pages. Just a wonderful book.

Disorientation made laugh out loud and cringe at the same time. I adore this one very much! I read some passages to my partner because some of it is just so good. Highly recommend.

All My Rage is such a sweet tale about two young people I hope find the contentment in life they deserve. I can see why this is so beloved. I did feel like it ran too long, but I was still a sobbing baby at the end, I’m talking snot down my nose status.

Nonfiction

Showtime was enjoyable. I started reading it because of the show, and since I love sport stories so much I thought it was really interesting. I did not appreciate how women were characterized here though. Some euphemisms for sexual assault peppered the pages and it was icky at best and misogynistic bullshit at worse. I thought it could’ve been handled better.

Minor Feelings was good, but it left me wanting more. I feel like it was very surface level exploration, but understandable because this was published in 2020. I’d be curious to see her thoughts now. I actually enjoyed her essays about her friendships and her personal life more!

Everything Now was not great. I wanted to learn something new about LA but found it boring. Maybe its because I’m from here, I don’t know, this was boring.

And finally I had to DNF The Spear Cuts Through Water, I just couldn’t. Beautifully written and so creative, I just could not wrap my brain around it. It switched POV’s a lot and at random, it was non linear story telling. I get why people love it, but my brain could not. #bookstagram