Book Tag: 5…4…3…2…1…

I learned about the Book Tag: 5…4…3…2…1… from Marianne @ Let's Read and she learned about it from someone else. I'm not sure where the Book Tag: 5…4…3…2…1… originated from though. Below are my answers to this book tag. Enjoy!

5. Books You Love

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

4. Autobuy Authors

Robin LaFevers

Jerry Spinelli

Thomas Steinbeck

Diana Gabaldon

3. Favorites Genres

Historical fiction, mysteries/thrillers, and nonfiction.

2. Places You Read

At home in a comfortable spot or while traveling by car, train, or plane.

1. Book You Promise to Read Soon

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

I enjoyed answering the questions for this book tag. Although, I must admit that answering the 1st two questions were rough. I have too many favorite books and my favorite books always seem to change. I really don't autobuy any one author necessarily... It just so happens that I've purchased every book published by Thomas Steinbeck and Robin LaFevers (to the best of my knowledge that is) and I have purchased several books written by Jerry Spinelli and Diana Gabaldon, but not all of the books written by the these two authors.

Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY

Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY is owned by author, Emma Straub. The above LifeHacker video discusses how Books Are Magic is thriving in the era of Amazon.

Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay

 

I've had the signed paperback edition of Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay ever since attending the Bay Area Book Festival in 2017 where I heard Roxane Gay speak at an in person event. 

Despite the fact that I've been wanting to read Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay for years, I've kept putting it off until this year when I finally listened to the audio version! One of the reasons I've put off reading Bad Feminist is because I don't normally gravitate towards nonfiction essays despite the fact that I enjoy Roxane Gay's writing. However, nonfiction essays worked in my favor while listening to Bad Feminist this month. Each nonfiction essay was relatively short in length. I was able to enjoy each essay as it was presented and then come back for more when I was ready for the next essay as time permitted with my busier schedule this month.

I liked this collection of nonfiction essays by Roxane Gay. I don't think there was a bad essay in the bunch. Although, of course, there were some essays I enjoyed more than others. The essays seemed to run a diverse range of topics, which I enjoyed. I actually learned a lot about Roxane Gay... Like the fun factoids that Roxane Gay is a competitive Scrabble player, loved the Sweet Valley High series as a youngster, and her favorite color is pink.

Below is a summary for Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay from Chirp's website:

A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched cultural observers of her generation

In these funny and insightful essays, Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of color (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.

Bad Feminist is a sharp, funny, and spot-on look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better, coming from one of our most interesting and important cultural critics.

I am giving Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Throwback Thursday - Favorite Memoirs I've Read and Reviewed on My Blog

I didn't realize how many memoirs I've read and reviewed over the years here on my blog until I did a search!! I've always enjoyed reading memoirs and biographies throughout my entire life... I just didn't think I'd read so many.

There were so many great memoirs to chose from that I'd rated 4 stars or higher. However, I chose to stick to ten of them to keep my list from overflowing. 

I've listed the ten memoirs below in no order of importance. I've added links to each review I've written should you decide you'd like to read what I enjoyed about each memoir.

1. Toni Tennille: A Memoir by Toni Tennille

2. A Life In Parts by Bryan Cranston

3. Out Came the Sun: Overcoming the Legacy of Mental Illness, Addiction, and Suicide in My Family by Mariel Hemingway

4. Becoming by Michelle Obama

5. The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy

6. Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland

7. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

8. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

9. My Life On The Road by Gloria Steinem

10. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

Do you like reading memoirs and biographies? Have you read any of the above memoirs? Do you have a favorite memoir or biography? Please share in the comment section below.

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop in San Diego, CA

 

If you love reading books from the romance genre, then visiting Meet Cute Romance Bookshop in San Diego, California may be the independent bookshop you need to visit next!! 

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop looks awesome! They have author events and even a book podcast. Visit the Meet Cute Romance Bookshop website for more information regarding their book podcast, author events, store hours, and more.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston

 

I've had Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston on my radar for quite sometime. I finally decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston and narrated by Robin Miles for Black History Month.

I am so happy that I finally listened to Barracoon as this work of nonfiction is of historical significance and an engaging listen. While listening to Barracoon, I discovered that Zora Neale Hurston was also an anthropologist as well as the popular writer we know today. She interviewed Cudjo Lewis, one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade from Africa, in 1927 and again in 1931.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston is a short listen at 3 hours, 50 minutes and is extremely well narrated by Robin Miles. It was edited by Deborah G. Plant, which is where we learn a lot of background information about Zora Neale Hurston and Barracoon.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston was written last century, but wasn't published until 2018 as Hurston was unable to find a publisher willing to accept the manuscript as she wrote it, which used Cudjo Lewis's own particular 'vernacular' throughout. 

I am happy that Barracoon was published in its original format. It was also interesting to learn that it became illegal to import slaves from Africa to America in the early 1800s. YET, there were still ships illegally bringing over slaves from Africa to America for decades! It so happened that Cudjo Lewis was brought over on one such ship named the Clotilda. Cudjo Lewis remembers his life in Africa, his capture, his voyage to America, and life afterwards in America as a slave and then a free man. We learn about all of this and more in great detail in Barracoon. I also liked the appendix which shares some traditional African games and stories/folktales.

Below is the summary for Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston from the Chirp website:

A major literary event: a never-before-published work from the author of the American classic Their Eyes Were Watching God that brilliantly illuminates the horror and injustices of slavery as it tells the true story of one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade—abducted from Africa on the last “Black Cargo” ship to arrive in the United States.

In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation’s history. Hurston was there to record Cudjo’s firsthand account of the raid that led to his capture and bondage fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States.

In 1931, Hurston returned to Plateau, the African-centric community three miles from Mobile founded by Cudjo and other former slaves from his ship. Spending more than three months there, she talked in depth with Cudjo about the details of his life. During those weeks, the young writer and the elderly formerly enslaved man ate peaches and watermelon that grew in the backyard and talked about Cudjo’s past—memories from his childhood in Africa, the horrors of being captured and held in a barracoon for selection by American slavers, the harrowing experience of the Middle Passage packed with more than 100 other souls aboard the Clotilda, and the years he spent in slavery until the end of the Civil War.

Based on those interviews, featuring Cudjo’s unique vernacular, and written from Hurston’s perspective with the compassion and singular style that have made her one of the preeminent American authors of the twentieth-century, Barracoon brilliantly illuminates the tragedy of slavery and of one life forever defined by it. Offering insight into the pernicious legacy that continues to haunt us all, black and white, this poignant and powerful work is an invaluable contribution to our shared history and culture.

I am giving Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn

 

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn is a novel that had been on my reading wishlist until recently. I recall learning that Sharks in the Time of Saviors was one of Barack Obama's favorite novels in 2020. The title of this magical realism novel was catchy enough to capture my attention initially and the plot sounded captivating. So with that said, it was an easy decision to add Sharks in the Time of Saviors by to my ever growing reading wishlist.

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn. The audio version is narrated by four different narrators, which I thought was great as each narrator brought their own voice to the character they read for in the novel.

I really liked Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn. The storyline was well laid out, the characters strong and distinct, and each chapter featured a point of view of one of the main characters... However, we only hear from Augie Flores' (the father) point of view in the last chapter... Whereas the rest of the chapters are told from the points of view of the other immediate family members.

Below is the plot summary for Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn from Chirp's website:

Sharks in the Time of Saviors is a groundbreaking debut novel that folds the legends of Hawaiian gods into an engrossing family saga; a story of exile and the pursuit of salvation from Kawai Strong Washburn. In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, 7-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water, everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends. Nainoa’s family, struggling amidst the collapse of the sugarcane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favor from ancient Hawaiian gods - a belief that appears validated after he exhibits puzzling new abilities. But as time passes, this supposed divine favor begins to drive the family apart: Nainoa, working now as a paramedic on the streets of Portland, struggles to fathom the full measure of his expanding abilities; further north in Washington, his older brother Dean hurtles into the world of elite college athletics, obsessed with wealth and fame; while in California, risk-obsessed younger sister Kaui navigates an unforgiving academic workload in an attempt to forge her independence from the family’s legacy. When supernatural events revisit the Flores family in Hawaii - with tragic consequences - they are all forced to reckon with the bonds of family, the meaning of heritage, and the cost of survival.

I am giving Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Throwback Thursday - Revisiting Books I've Read

The following nine novels are ones that I've read in recent years and found to be thought provoking reads. Many of the following novels fall into the historical fiction genre... Twain's novel is an American classic. Butler's novel features time travel. And Beatty's novel features satire.

1. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

2. Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

3. The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian

4. The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

5. Jubilee by Margaret Walker

6. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

7. Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

8. The Sellout by Paul Beatty

9. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Have you read any of the above novels? Did you enjoy reading them?

40 Acre Wood Bookstore in Lexington, TX

 

40 Acre Wood Bookstore in Lexington, Texas is another independent bookstore that I would love to visit in the future. I loved learning about 40 Acre Wood Bookstore and its amazing owner, Heidi Frazier! 

Lexington, Texas is a small town without a public library. Heidi Frazier, the proprietor of 40 Acre Wood Bookstore, makes it a priority to promote reading. In fact, each child that visits 40 Acre Wood Bookstore receives a free book! Watch the above video to learn more.

March of the Mammoths 2023 Readathon Event Announcement!

 Until yesterday, I'd never even heard of the March of the Mammoths Readathon before!! The term 'mammoth' refers to books with 800 pages or longer in length.

The goal of this readathon is to read a book that's 800+ pages in length. This is a stress free reading challenge where one can read one (or more) 800+ page book(s) during the month of March. You don't even have to finish reading the book you chose during the month of March... That's how stress free this readathon is!!

I use to read 500+ page books regularly many moons ago, but typically read books that are less than 400 pages these days. Sadly, I have many lengthy books that I want to read, but have postponed reading them for shorter books. 

This year, I've decided to participate in the March of the Mammoths by listening to the audio version of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and narrated by actress, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Does the March of the Mammoths 2023 Readathon sound like a fun reading event to you? If so, please join me next month by reading an 800+ page book of your own choosing! Both fiction and nonfiction books are allowed. Afterward, post a review of what you read on your blog and your thoughts on participating in the March of the Mammoths 2023 Readathon.

Below is a YouTube video with more information about the March of the Mammoths 2023 Readathon.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

California State Library Parks Pass Program

 

How did I not know about the California State Library Parks Pass program that came out roughly 10 months ago until this past weekend?

California Public Libraries and California State Parks have joined forces to make going outdoors more accessible to all Californians by providing free day use parking passes available to check out from your local public library. These passes allow entry to over 200 participating state parks! Watch the above video as well as checking out the California Department Parks and Recreation website for more information.

Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose

 

I enjoy reading nonfiction books about American history and true crime. Last year, when I first learned about Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose and narrated by Traber Burns through Chirp's website, I decided to buy a copy of this audiobook based on the publisher's summary.

I had high hopes for Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose, but I was quickly disappointed by the audio production and the narration of this book. The narrator sounded like he was speaking in a tin can and I didn't enjoy the narrator's reading style for Star Spangled Scandal. 

I almost gave up on listening to Star Spangled Scandal several times. But I kept going as I was interested learning about this aspect of American history. However, with that being said, I tuned out routinely due to the narration and audio quality. I also thought Star Spangled Scandal wasn't that engaging in spots... Parts of Star Spangled Scandal felt a bit too sensationalistic to me and other parts were decent enough like most of the trial coverage. I may have had an overall more enjoyable experience reading this book instead of listening to it.

Below is the summary for Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose from Chirp:

The year is 1859 and Congressman Daniel Sickles and his beautiful wife Teresa are the toast of Washington, DC society. President James Buchanan is godfather to their daughter. Philip Barton Key, US Attorney for the District of Columbia (and the son of Francis Scott Key), is one of the couple’s closest friends—so close, in fact, that he often escorts the beautiful Mrs. Sickles to social events when the congressman is too busy.

Revelers in DC are accustomed to the sight of the congressman’s wife with the tall, Apollo-like Philip Barton Key, who is considered “the handsomest man in all Washington society … foremost among the popular men of the capital.” Then one day Congressman Daniel Sickles receives an anonymous note about his wife and Key, setting into motion a tragic course of events that culminates in a bloody confrontation in the street that leaves one man dead and the other charged with murder. This is the riveting true story of the murder and historic trial that shocked 19th century America, now brought to vivid life by historian Chris DeRose with the help of Mrs. Sickles’ writings and other primary sources.

I am giving Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Verbatim Books in San Diego, CA

I so want to visit this independent bookstore!! Verbatim Books is exactly what a bookstore is supposed to be like.

Cactus Book Shop in San Angelo, TX

 

I love independent bookstores quite a bit. I discovered the following video footage from YouTube for a neat looking indie bookstore in San Angelo, TX called Cactus Book Shop and run by Felton Cochran. Cactus Book Shop specializes "in Texana/Western Americana and Elmer Kelton Books."

I've never been to Texas before, but I would love to visit the Cactus Book Shop and other wonderful independent bookstores in Texas.

Exit by Belinda Bauer

 

Belinda Bauer is a new to me author. I listened to the unabridged audio version of Exit by Belinda Bauer and narrated by Rupert Degas. 

I really liked Exit quite a bit. It's a thriller/crime fiction novel and it captures your attention from the very start and holds it throughout the entire novel to the very end. Exit isn't a perfect novel, but exciting enough that I now have another novel by the same author lined up to read in the future... Hopefully, before the end of the year.

Felix Pink, the 75 year old main character, is a retired account and widower who lives a rather mundane life now as an Exiteer (a volunteer who sits with terminally ill patients as they die by suicide)... That is until his latest Exiteer job goes entirely wrong and he's left trying to figure out how it all went horribly wrong.

I definitely enjoyed the storyline for Exit. There are subplots along with a few twists and turns that all come together nicely by the end of the novel. I also enjoyed the various characters within this novel. Exit is truly a rewarding crime fiction/thriller novel.

Listening time for Exit by Belinda Bauer is 9 hours, 34 minutes. I enjoyed Rupert Degas's narration of Exit. I look forward to seeing which other novels/books Rupert Degas has narrated as I'd be interested in hearing him as a narrator again in the future.

Below is the plot summary for Exit by Belinda Bauer from Chirp:

Felix Pink is retired. Widowed for more than a decade and a painfully literal thinker, he has led a life of routine and is, not unhappily, waiting to die a hopefully boring death. He occupies himself volunteering as an Exiteer-someone who sits with terminally ill people as they die by suicide, assisting with logistics and lending moral support, then removing the evidence so that family and friends are not implicated in the death. When Felix lets himself into Number 3 Black Lane, he’s there to perform an act of kindness and charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath. But just fifteen minutes later, Felix is on the run from the police-after making the biggest mistake of his life. Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover whether what went wrong was a simple mistake-or deliberate, a murder. With a novel that is part murder mystery, part coming-of-old-age story-however short that future may be—Belinda Bauer continues to redefine the boundaries of crime fiction. With the compassion and dark humor of Jonas Jonasson and the twisted thriller plotting of Rear Window, Exit is a novel listeners will not soon forget.

I am giving Exit by Belinda Bauer a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Book and Bed in Tokyo, Japan!!

I adore independent bookstores, especially unique indie bookstores. I've read about bookstores with cafes inside them, book bars, outdoor bookstores and more. I've even been to a few unique indie bookstores over the years myself.

I've recently read about a bookstore in Tokyo, Japan called Book and Bed, that is both a bookstore and a hostel! This place sounds/looks interesting and I would even like to visit Book and Bed sometime down the road.

Below is a short, 75 second video I watched via YouTube about Book and Bed. Enjoy!

I also discovered the online images below of the interior of Book and Bed for those that don't want to watch the above video.

Book and Bed looks like an interesting place to visit! As a book lover, would you stay there overnight for the fun of it? I think I'd stay for a single night at Book and Bed simply for the unique experience.

The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre

 

I don't remember where or when I first learned about The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre, but this contemporary fiction novel has been on my reading wishlist for a while. I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre and narrated by Andrea Izzy Anthony.

First off, I am glad I finally listened to The Ghostwriter. However, it wasn't entirely what I expected it be based on the plot summary. I was expecting it to be more of a thriller. It does have a bit of a mystery to it, but The Ghostwriter falls more into the psychological fiction genre rather than the thriller genre.

I must say that the main character of Helena Ross is one of the most memorable main characters I've read in a long time. She's also one of my least favorite main characters too. Helena Ross is a complete pain in the butt towards everyone. Helena's a control freak. She is obsessed with making rules that MUST be followed without question and a stickler for following the rules of others. She seems to suffer from ocd. She's a germaphobe. She's also become somewhat of a recluse. Helena's also not very friendly, to the point of being rude.

Helena Ross is a very successful, bestselling author. She also has terminal cancer and is given three months left to live. She's also lost both her husband and her daughter. (And it should be noted here that Helena's personality mentioned above, is what it is prior to her cancer diagnosis and loss of her husband and daughter.) Helena wants to write one last book that proves to be one kicker of a book... But she can't write it alone due to her cancer diagnosis and treatment. This is where the ghostwriter comes in to help Helena write her finally, most urgent book.

I thought the characters were well developed for The Ghostwriter. I loved the start of the novel and the ending as well. The middle section stretched out a bit too long. Or maybe the middle section seemed a bit slower than the start and ending of the novel? By the end of the novel, we as readers do find some sympathy for Helena as her life hasn't been an easy one.

Overall, I enjoyed The Ghostwriter and I would recommend it to other readers.

Listening time for The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre is 9 hours, 26 minutes.

Below is the plot summary for The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre from Chirp:

Four years ago, I lied. I stood in front of the police, my friends and family, and made up a story, my best one yet. Everyone believed me.

I wasn’t surprised. Telling stories is what made me famous. Fifteen bestsellers. Millions of fans. Fame and fortune.

Now, I have one last story to write. It’ll be my best one yet, with a jaw-dropping twist that will leave them stunned and gasping for breath.

They say that sticks and stones will break your bones, but this story? It will be the one that kills me.

I am giving The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright and narrated by the author. Listening time for Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright is 9 hours, 54 minutes.

I really enjoyed listening to Madeleine Albright read her book, Fascism: A Warning, as she did a great job of bringing the information to life in her book through her narration. I enjoyed the discussion on what fascism is as well as learning more about various fascists throughout history. Plus, there is a discussion on the mechanisms that make it possible for fascism to thrive. Overall, Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright is a good book. If you are interested in learning more about the topic of fascism, then this may be the book for you.

Below is the summary for Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright from Amazon:

A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today’s world, written by one of the most admired public servants in American history, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state

A Fascist, observed Madeleine Albright, “is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.”

The twentieth century was defined by the clash between democracy and Fascism, a struggle that created uncertainty about the survival of human freedom and left millions dead. Given the horrors of that experience, one might expect the world to reject the spiritual successors to Hitler and Mussolini should they arise in our era. Fascism: A Warning is drawn from Madeleine Albright's experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her distinguished career as a diplomat to question that assumption.

Fascism, as she shows, not only endured through the twentieth century but now presents a more virulent threat to peace and justice than at any time since the end of World War II. The momentum toward democracy that swept the world when the Berlin Wall fell has gone into reverse. The United States, which historically championed the free world, is led by a president who exacerbates division and heaps scorn on democratic institutions. In many countries, economic, technological, and cultural factors are weakening the political center and empowering the extremes of right and left. Contemporary leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are employing many of the tactics used by Fascists in the 1920s and 30s.

Fascism: A Warning is a book for our times that is relevant to all times. Written by someone who not only studied history but helped to shape it, this call to arms teaches us the lessons we must understand and the questions we must answer if we are to save ourselves from repeating the tragic errors of the past.

I am giving Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Little Free Library is Launching an Indigenous Library Program!!

It's no secret that I LOVE LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES!! I was excited to recently learn online via Book Riot's website that LITTLE FREE LIBRARY TO LAUNCH AN INDIGENOUS LIBRARY PROGRAM. In the above article, I learned the following information:

Little Free Library is launching the Indigenous Library Program this spring. The new program will distribute LFL book-sharing boxes to tribal lands and other Indigenous communities. Boxes will be shipped to volunteer stewards for free and will come with two sets of books — one set will feature 25 books written and/or illustrated by BIPOC authors and another 25 books will center Indigenous people.

The new program has an advisory group consisting of educators, authors, and librarians, most of whom are Indigenous, all of whom have a long history serving Indigenous communities. The program aims to “strengthen community, inspire readers, expand easy book access, support positive literacy outcomes, and make little free libraries available in high-need locations serving Indigenous peoples.”

What an exciting new program to promote literacy and so much more within the indigenous community!! 

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

 

I've have had Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez in my 'to be read' pile since December 2017. I am happy that I was finally able to listen to the unabridged audio version of this historical fiction novel! 

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez was also my 8th and final read during the month of January 2023. Wench is set in the USA in the 1800s prior to the Civil War. The focus of this novel is on the lives of four female slaves and their relationship as mistresses to their white masters. Wench also focuses on the intricate relationship each of the female slaves has with each other during the time they spend in Ohio on vacation with their white masters... And I wouldn't really call it a 'vacation' as these women still had to work, but not as hard as they normally would on the southern plantations where they lived.

Each of the four female slaves have certain privileges afforded to them as mistresses to their white masters, but it's a tenuous one. The women are still treated as property and treated less than equal to whites. Lizzie, for instance, lives in the Big House, is taught to read, and the children she has with her white master are given privileges other slave children are not. Lizzie is also able to acquire special favors for other slaves from the master due to her relationship with him as his mistress... Yet, Lizzie's master won't grant a provision in his will that would allow his children with Lizzie to be set free should he pass away. Also, Lizzie is not completely free to do what she wants and the threat of punishment if she steps out of line is real... Lizzie is also treated in many ways that are unthinkable despite the special privileges she is given by the her master. 

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez offers a lot to ponder. It's a well paced read with a good storyline. I also enjoyed Quincy Tyler Bernstine's narration of Wench.

Below is the plot summary for Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez from Goodreads:

wench \'wench\ n. from Middle English "wenchel," 1 a: a girl, maid, young woman; a female child. 

Tawawa House in many respects is like any other American resort before the Civil War. Situated in Ohio, this idyllic retreat's lofty white cottages provide the desired privacy which best suits the needs of the Southern white men who vacation there every summer with their black, enslaved mistresses. It's their open secret. Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet are regulars at Tawawa House. They have become friends over the years as they share developments in their own lives. They don't bother too much with questions of freedom, though the resort is situated in free territory-but when truth-telling Mawu comes to the resort and starts talking of running away, things change.

To run is to leave behind everything these women value most-friends and families still down South-and for some it also means escaping from the emotional and psychological bonds that bind them to their masters. When a fire on the resort sets off a string of tragedies, the women of Tawawa House soon learn that triumph and dehumanization are inseparable and that love exists even in the most inhuman, brutal of circumstances-all while they are bearing witness to the end of an era.

An engaging, and wholly original novel, WENCH explores, with an unflinching eye, the moral complexities of slavery.

I am giving Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next, post happy reading!!

Top Ten NonFiction Books I Want to Read In Honor of Black History Month

Do you like reading specific books for Black History Month, Women's History Month, National Poetry Month, Asian History Month, National American Indian Heritage Month, Banned Books Week, and so on? I do occasionally like to read specific books during these timeframes to expand my reading horizons.

Below are the top ten nonfiction books I would like to read in honor of Black History Month:

1. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

2. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

3. Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston

4. Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

5. Surviving The White Gaze by Rebecca Carroll

6. Women, Race, & Class by Angela Y. Davis

7. A Promised Land by Barack Obama

8. Feminism Is for Everybody by Bell Hooks

9. This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins

10. Wandering In Strange Lands by Morgan Jerkins

Have you read any of the above nonfiction books? If so, let me know which books you've read from the above list and what you thought about the book(s) you read in the comment section below!!