Broken Things by Alice Walker

Today marks the last day of National Poetry Month. I've decided to share a YouTube video of Alice Walker reading her poem, Broken Things.

The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson

In 2017, I listened to and reviewed The Butterfly Effect by Jon Ronson, which is a podcast that basically discussed what happened when the tech industry gave the world free porn.

Because I enjoyed listening to The Butterfly Effect by Jon Ronson, I decided to listen to another one of Jon Ronson's podcasts titled, The Last Days of August. The Last Days of August focuses on the death of porn star August Ames, who committed suicide in 2017. It was speculated she committed suicide due to cyber bullying. The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson discusses/investigates August Ames's death.

Listening time for The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson is 3 hours, 43 minutes.

I was able able to download The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson to my Kindle for FREE from Audible. Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson. 

I enjoyed listening to The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson. It was well presented. I hadn't known who August Ames was or the details of her life and death.

The following is the publisher's summary for The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson from on Amazon:

In December 2017 the famous porn star August Ames committed suicide in a park in the Conejo Valley. It happened a day after she'd been the victim of a pile-on, via Twitter, by fellow porn professionals - punishment for her tweeting something deemed homophobic.

A month later, August's husband, Kevin, connected with Jon Ronson to tell the story of how Twitter bullying killed his wife. What neither Kevin nor Ronson realized was that Ronson would soon hear rumors and secrets hinting at a very different story - something mysterious and unexpected and terrible.

In The Last Days of August, Ronson unravels the never-before-told story of what caused this beloved 23-year-old actress' untimely death.

I am giving The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross

As an Audible member, I was able to download The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross to my Kindle for FREE earlier this year. The listening time for The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross is 6 hours, 45 minutes.

Below is my honest, unbiased review for The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross.

I had high hopes for The Darkwater Bride! I loved the dramatization of this audiobook and the great job the voice actors did for this audiobook... But honestly, that's where my love for The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross ends. The storyline and characters for The Darkwater Bride was less than stellar. If it wasn't for the the voice actors bringing The Darkwater Bride to life, I would have given up on this audiobook long before it was over.

The following is a plot summary for The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross from Audible:

Late Victorian London. When James Miller, the most respectable of Scottish businessmen, is pulled, dead, from the Thames, his daughter is drawn into an investigation which reveals a whole world of secrets and corruption. Alongside local detective Culley, Catriona’s search for her father’s killer leads all the way to the tragic truth behind the ghostly legend of The Darkwater Bride and the power of her deadly kiss.

An epic drama starring Adrian Scarborough, Claire Corbett, Freya Mayor and Jamie Glover, The Darkwater Bride combines the genres of the Victorian mystery thriller with the equally classic Victorian mode of the ghostly tale.

I am giving The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Happy Independent Bookstore Day!!

How will you be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day this year??

The Shaman and the Angel by Elvira Baryakina

I enjoy reading historical fiction and also reading just about anything that pertains to Russia. So, when I discovered the 'Russian Treasures Series' by Elvira Baryakina, I decided to read the prequel to this series titled, The Shaman and the Angel. The Shaman and the Angel by Elvira Baryakina contains two short stories in one ebook and is approximately 34 pages in length.

I was able to download The Shaman and the Angel by Elvira Baryakina to my Kindle for FREE from Amazon. Below is my honest, unbiased opinion of The Shaman and the Angel by Elvira Baryakina.

I liked reading both The Shaman and the Angel by Elvira Baryakina, although I enjoyed The Shaman slightly more than The Angel. Both short stories gave me a taste of the author's writing style. Even though I enjoyed reading both short stories, I'm not sure I am interested enough at this time to continue reading the rest of the 'Russian Treasures Series' as I currently have so many other books to read.

The following is a plot summary for The Shaman and the Angel by Elvira Baryakina from Amazon:

The Shaman and the Angel is two heartwarming, inspiring short stories of young people who try to break the rules and uncover their true calling.

THE SHAMAN

Klim Rogov, the sole heir to the fortune of a noble family, has disappeared without a trace on April 21, 1907. His father has announced a reward for any information about his son; Russia’s finest detectives have tried to track Klim down but to no avail.

Only Klim’s fifteen-year-old cousin, Lubochka, has any idea what has happened, but she is keeping silent. There is little point trying to explain to adults the nature of the mysterious force that has commanded Klim to leave home, come what may.

THE ANGEL

If the people who knew Nina Kupina had been more thoughtful and observant, they would have figured out that this remarkable girl caused cardinal changes in the lives of everyone she met.

They called her an angel because she resembled the clear-eyed, curly-haired girls depicted on the Christmas cards. But if she was an angel, then it was an angel of turmoil who never once bothered her head with other people’s expectations.

Her reckless courage and the ambition to reach for the moon ran deep in her family. Nina’s father, Basil Kupin, was cut from the same cloth. Not surprisingly, the future that life had to offer them was full of magnificent promise but tragic consequences.

The Shaman and the Angel is a prequel to Russian Treasures, a compelling series of historical novels written by Elvira Baryakina, a master of emotionally resonant historical thrillers. For more than a decade, her sensual, highly original prose has inspired thousands of aspiring writers, making her one of the most sought-after literary gurus in the Russian-speaking world.

Now her best books are presented to the English-speaking audience who appreciates uplifting and insightful historical fiction.

I am giving The Shaman and the Angel by Elvira Baryakina a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates

I am always amazed how prolific Joyce Carol Oates is as a writer! It seems like every time you turn around she is out with a newly published book. 

Prior to reading The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art, I'd only read one book written by Joyce Carol Oates. It was a collection of short stories in a book titled, The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense... I wasn't impressed with this collection of darkly written stories. I didn't quite understand the appeal of Joyce Carol Oates as a writer after reading this particular collection of her writing. 

However, I've always felt like I should give Joyce Carol Oates another chance and read something else written by her. So, I decided to read The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates.

I enjoyed reading The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates, although it was different than I expected it to be. It's a collection of essays written by Joyce Oates, which I wasn't expecting. I thought The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art, would solely focus on Joyce Carol Oates's writing alone and perhaps contain snippets of autobiographical tidbits about her life.

The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art does focus on aspects of Joyce Carol Oates's writing, but this book also focuses on the writing of other authors as it pertains to the topics Oates discusses in each of the essays. This book is a much deeper read than I anticipated it to be as well. It's short and powerful.

My favorite essays in The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art were the following four essays: The Writer's Studio, "JCO" & I, To A Young Writer, and Running and Writing.

The following is the publisher's summary for The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates from Amazon:

Joyce Carol Oates is widely regarded as one of America's greatest contemporary literary figures. Having written in a number of genres -- prose, poetry, personal and critical essays, as well as plays -- she is an artist ideally suited to answer essential questions about what makes a story striking, a novel come alive, a writer an artist as well as a craftsman.

In The Faith of a Writer, Oates discusses the subjects most important to the narrative craft, touching on topics such as inspiration, memory, self-criticism, and "the unique power of the unconscious." On a more personal note, she speaks of childhood inspirations, offers advice to young writers, and discusses the wildly varying states of mind of a writer at work. Oates also pays homage to those she calls her "significant predecessors" and discusses the importance of reading in the life of a writer.

Oates claims, "Inspiration and energy and even genius are rarely enough to make 'art': for prose fiction is also a craft, and craft must be learned, whether by accident or design." In fourteen succinct chapters, The Faith of a Writer provides valuable lessons on how language, ideas, and experience are assembled to create art.

I am giving The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday - The First Ten Books I Reviewed On My Blog

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

It was fun going down memory lane and rediscovering the first ten books I reviewed here on my book blog. I had a very different review writing style my first year of blogging than I do now, which goes to show how we all evolve as bloggers.

Below is my list of ten books I reviewed when I first started blogging on January 1, 2012. Click on the links below to read my review of each book.

1. Death In The Cards by Sharon Short (cozy mystery)
2. Grayson by Lynne Cox (nonfiction)
3. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (fiction)
4. Murder Of A Bookstore Babe by Denise Swanson (cozy mystery)
5. So Faux, So Good by Tamar Myers (cozy mystery)
6. Murder On The Rocks by Karen MacInerney (cozy mystery)
7. Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas (nonfiction)
8. May Day by Jess Lourey (cozy mystery)
9. The Dead Beat by Marilyn Johnson (nonfiction)
10. Monet Talks by Tamar Myers (cozy mystery)

Have you read any of the books on my list?

Little Free Library in San Francisco, California

Happy Easter Everyone!!
I hope everyone is having a great day.
My husband and I celebrated Easter in
San Francisco, California this morning.

After brunch, we visited a very charming Little Free Library
set within an urban garden type of setting.
I think this is the first Little Free Library I've 
discovered in San Francisco.

Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein

I've been wanting to read a novel by Chris Grabenstein for a while now. I finally ended up listening to the unabridged audio production of Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein and narrated by by a large cast of talented voice actors! 

As an Audible member, I was able to download Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein to my Kindle Fire for FREE!! Below is my honest, unbiased review of Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein.

Overall I really liked Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein!! This is a fun, fast paced children's novel (for ages 8-10) and is delightfully narrated by a cast of talented voice actors! The storyline and characters are a lot of fun. One of my favorite features is how the author highlights vocabulary words for children in the novel by having a few of the characters use words and then defining them in conversations  with their peers.

I would give Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein a perfect rating, however I felt like there were a couple of stereotypes in the book that didn't sit well with me. I also noticed a couple of minor plot issues/blunders. Otherwise, Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein was a great read.

The plot summary for Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein from Audible is as follows:

In this middle grade Audible Original that's full of both humor and heart, a madcap gang of bold kid crusaders set off on an unforgettable adventure to thwart wrongdoers in their neighborhood.

What do you get when you add up one middle school bully, two bank robbers, 57 puppy-mill dogs, 4,000 missing dollars, and five daring troublemakers led by the incomparable Riley Mack? One crazy caper! In this merry, mischievous romp, master storyteller Chris Grabenstein, the award-winning author of Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library, teams with a full-cast of audio talent to introduce Riley Mack, a one-of-a-kind 12-year-old hometown hero.

This audio adventure features Neil Hellegers as The Narrator, Bryan Kennedy as Riley Mack, Edoardo Ballerini as Ben Markowitz, Lauren Fortgang as Briana Bloomfield, Josh Hurley as Mongo Montgomery, and Khaliah Adams as Jamal Wilson, Suzanne Toren as Grandma, Nick Sullivan as Sheriff Brown, Eric Yves Garcia as Gavin, Colonel Mack and the FBI Agent, Kevin Pariseau as Chuck "Call Me Chip" Weitzel, Eliza Foss as Rada Rollison, Jennifer Van Dyck as Mrs. Montgomery, Ann Osmand as Moonbeam and Dawn Barclay, Allyson Johnson as Diane, Brian Sutherland as Otto, Kevin T. Collins as Fred and Nick, Chris Ciulla as Mr. Karpinski and Roger Rollison, Allison Hiroto as Jenny, Charlie Thurston as Andrew, L.J. Ganser as Special Agent Chavez, and Besty Hogg as Emma.

And if you listen closely, you'll catch a very special appearance from author Chris Grabenstein as the Casino Card Dealer and his wife, J.J. Meyers, who lends her voice to Madeira Mack.

I am giving Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

7 Non-Fiction Books About Filipinx America by Pinoy Writers

I've been happily married to a Filipino-American now for 17 years... But we've been romantically involved for 24 years continuous years. 

Because of this, I've become more interested in learning about Filipino-American culture, history, and heritage over the years.

I recently came across an article on Electric Lit's website titled, 
7 Non-Fiction Books About Filipinx America by Pinoy Writers by Elaine Castillo. In the article, Elaine Castillo wrote the following:

So below are a few of my favorite contemporary Filipinx American critics and historians from whom I, too, have gained a valuable education about the wonders and terrors of American statecraft and its rippling effects around the world, particularly the country my parents immigrated to California from—in the hopes that by expanding the list of people from whom we learn our history, we can also expand the list of people from whom we experience our art.

All 7 books sound like amazing ones to read. I will be adding them to my ever growing reading wishlist!