All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews, which was well narrated by Reena Dutt.

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews is the Online Rainbow Book Club selection for May 2026.We will be discussing this novel on Thursday May 28th via Zoom. I'm looking forward to discussing this novel with the group.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to like All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews when I first started listening to it. In fact, I almost gave up on it altogether early on. But, I'm glad I persisted with this novel. It has a lot of layers and depth to it that makes it a worthwhile read. 

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews is a contemporary work of fiction. It falls into the lgbtqia+, coming of age, and immigration genres. Let's just say there is a lot going on in this novel. It's divided into four sections. The writing is good overall and the author manages to wrap up all topics/issues nicely. 

Even thought I enjoyed All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews, I wouldn't rush to recommend it to other readers.

Below is the publisher's summary for All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews from Chirp's website:

Graduating into the long maw of an American recession, Sneha is one of the fortunate ones. She’s moved to Milwaukee for an entry-level corporate job that, grueling as it may be, is the key that unlocks every door: she can pick up the tab at dinner with her new friend Tig, get her college buddy Thom hired alongside her, and send money to her parents back in India. She begins dating women—soon developing a burning crush on Marina, a beguiling and beautiful dancer who always seems just out of reach.

But before long, trouble arrives. Painful secrets rear their heads; jobs go off the rails; evictions loom. Sneha struggles to be truly close and open with anybody, even as her friendships deepen, even as she throws herself headlong into a dizzying romance with Marina. It’s then that Tig begins to draw up a radical solution to their problems, hoping to save them all.

A beautiful and capacious novel rendered in singular, unforgettable prose, All This Could Be Different is a wise, tender, and riveting group portrait of young people forging love and community amidst struggle, and a moving story of one immigrant’s journey to make her home in the world.

I am giving All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Happy Ending For Planet Books Indie Bookstore in Signal Hill!

 

I'm thrilled to learn that after 30 years in business, Planet Books in Signal Hill, California is still thriving after a major move to a new location.

Happy National Little Free Library Day!!

 

I hope you visit a few Little Free Libraries today!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

I began reading the ebook edition of Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf on May 4th, which coincidentally marked the 56th anniversary of the Kent State Massacre. 

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf is a work of nonfiction, written in graphic form, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading, because it contains visual imagery along with written details about the Kent State Massacre. This gives readers the perfect overview regarding the events leading up to the Kent State Massacre, the event itself, and the eventual aftermath without giving overwhelming amounts of information to the reader to absorb and digest.

The artwork and writing are both well done for Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf. Kudos to Derf Backderf for all of his thorough research into the Kent State Massacre, which he details at the end of his book along with copious footnotes. 

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf is riveting for history buffs wanting to learn more about the details of the Kent State Massacre and 

My favorite quote from Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf is: "No shooter, official, or politician is held accountable for the Kent State shootings." I found this deplorable. Four unarmed students died and nine unarmed students were seriously injured by the National Guard during the Kent State Massacre. These deaths and injuries should have never happened based on what I read in this book. Derf Backderf's book describes the epic f*uk up on the part of the politicians, military, other government entities for their part in the Kent State Massacre.

Below is the publisher's summary for Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf:

"Derf Backderf takes us back to the age of the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon, Woodstock, and the Cold War and explores, in words and images, a scene of tragedy: the campus of Kent State University, where National Guard Troops attacked unarmed protestors and killed four students (Allison Beth Krause, age 19, Jeffrey Glenn Miller, age 20, Sandra Lee Scheuer, age 20, and William Knox Schroeder, age 19).

On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard gunned down unarmed college students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University. In a deadly barrage of 67 shots, four students were killed and nine shot and wounded. It was the day America turned guns on its own children—a shocking event burned into our national memory.

The fatal shootings triggered immediate and massive outrage on campuses around the country. More than four million students participated in organized walkouts at hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools, the largest student strike in the history of the United States at that time. It was a day that shocked the nation and helped turn the tide of public opinion against America’s war in Vietnam.

A few days prior, 10-year-old Derf Backderf saw those same guardsmen patrolling his nearby hometown, sent in by the governor to crush a trucker strike.

Using the journalism skills he employed on My Friend Dahmer and Trashed, Backderf has conducted extensive interviews and research to explore the lives of these four young people and the events of those four days in May, when the country seemed on the brink of tearing apart.

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio is a moving and troubling story about the bitter price of dissent—as relevant today as it was in 1970."

I am giving Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

A Push to Ban Roald Dahl's, The Twits

 

Ugh, book banning seems to be at an all time high these days. It seems like one hears about book banning quite frequently on the news.

Recently, I watched the above video and learned that The Twits by Roald Dahl has been called out by an Australian academic. The Australian academic noted in the above video says The Twits encourages misogyny and anti-beard bias!!

I have not read The Twits, but have read other novels by Roald Dahl and enjoyed them.

I question whether The Twits truly encourages misogyny and anti-beard bias.

Reading Quote of the Day!!

 

I wonder how true this statistic is? I'm not sure where the information came from, but I would be curious to know if readers of books really do live longer than non-readers..

Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke

 

Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke has been on my radar for awhile. I hadn't added this horror novella to my reading wishlist or anything and didn't have any plans to read actually.

However, I was looking for a quick read and had stumbled upon Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke while scrolling around on Hoopla. After reading the publisher's summary and discovering that the audio edition of Sour Candy was 2 hours, 36 minutes in length, I figured why not make this my next read? After all, Sour Candy sounded like an interesting read.

Well, Sour Candy is definitely an interesting read. It's a work of contemporary fiction with a focus on horror and suspense. The author is good at building suspense and creating a slow, but steady pace for this novella. I found myself hooked immediately while reading the first chapter and wanted to see where this book lead me.

For the full storyline, read the publisher's summary below. For me, Sour Candy is all about whether the main character, Phil Pendleton, is sane or mental ill. Did he really have an otherworldly/paranormal experience that lead to his demise or was he dealing with mental health issues? The ending makes it look like the events that occurred weren't all in Phil's head, but really did happen.

If you've read Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke, I'd be curious to read your thoughts about this novella.

Lastly, it's worth noting that I listened to the unabridged audio version of Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke, which was wonderfully narrated by Andrew Gibson.

Below id the publisher's summary for Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke:

At first glance, Phil Pendleton and his son Adam are just an ordinary father and son, no different from any other. They take walks in the park together, visit county fairs, museums, and zoos, and eat together overlooking the lake. Some might say the father is a little too accommodating given the lack of discipline when the child loses his temper in public. Some might say he spoils his son by allowing him to eat candy whenever he wants and set his own bedtimes. Some might say that such leniency is starting to take its toll on the father, given how his health has declined.

What no one knows is that Phil is a prisoner, and that up until a few weeks ago and a chance encounter at a grocery store, he had never seen the child before in his life.

I am giving Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!