Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Review: Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everyone should read this. I had a vague memory of Vargas as being the guest of Pelosi at some point--I remember the commentators talking about him being in the audience somewhere and how it was a big deal. But I didn't remember his name or what the event was.

This short autobiography tells his lifestory--how and when he came to America, and how, as a teen, he discovered that he was "illegal." And then comes the passing and lying and growing up to become a successful Pulitzer-winning journalist, who is trying to become a legal citizen, but our process is so fucking messed up.

The immigration policies suck. I don't understand why there are 40 year waitlists. I don't understand why marrying an American makes things easier (that's even more messed up). I don't understand why we let "illegals" pay taxes happily but then don't let them get drivers licenses. The whole system is screwed and it makes me angry.

Vargas is one hell of a storyteller. You won't regret reading this.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Review: Virgil Wander

Virgil Wander Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I forgot how much I liked Enger. His writing is subtle and funny, and this novel had me chuckling a few times. Virgil Wander is having a rough time--his car when into the water in Minnesota, and the concussion has him forgetting adjectives and even, sometimes, to eat. He's alone, a bit odd, but an integral part of his small town. He's the town clerk and the owner of the only movie theater which sometimes even surpasses 10 people per night! This is one of those small town novels that's driven by quirky personalities. Kinda like a Mitford novel, but Minnesotan.

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Monday, November 26, 2018

Review: Woman World

Woman World Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've never read the author's Instagram posts, but this graphic novel collects her art into a paperback. Men have died out and women rule, but still have to deal with the patriarchy and learning to live as women. I chuckled a bit at some of the pages, and there is plenty of irony and pop culture jokes. I wanted more of a narrative thread between the characters, but that's not what this is intended to be. Easy snarky lunch break read.



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Review: The Secrets Between Us

The Secrets Between Us The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't read the first book, so it took me awhile to catch up and understand what was going on in this one.

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Review: The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West

The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West by John Branch
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I feel like this was written for city people to learn about what life on a ranch is like?

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Review: Circe

Circe Circe by Madeline Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There have been soooo many myth retellings, but this one stands out because it's interesting and well written. Drags a bit in the last third, but I still wanted to find out more about how Circe ended up like she did.

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Monday, November 19, 2018

Review: Anatomy of a Miracle

Anatomy of a Miracle Anatomy of a Miracle by Jonathan Miles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this more than I thought I would, since I'm not a fan of "miracle fic." It's written like a true story. Cameron comes home from the Afghan war in a wheelchair and broken mentally, too. He drinks and smokes a lot, but that's about it. One day in the parking lot of the Busy Bee, he stands up and walks. It's a miracle! Cam is Catholic and an investigation ensues. Was it really a miracle? Had Cameron been faking it for years? Or is there more to his depression and/or miracle?

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Sunday, November 11, 2018

Review: A Noise Downstairs

A Noise Downstairs A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A faculty member comes across another faculty member driving erratically. He follows him, and then discovers that he has two dead women in his trunk that he's trying to bury. And there starts the mystery. One is in prison, and the other was hit hard in the head with a shovel. There are cheating spouses, negligent shrinks, and all sorts of supposed plot twists that I just found uninteresting. Not my thing at all, and I usually love mysteries and suspense. The audio is full of audible breaths that drove me nuts.

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Thursday, November 8, 2018

Review: Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win

Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win by Jo Piazza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The perfect listen for election week! It is horrible that women have such a bad experience when running for office, but I'm thrilled that more of them did just so in the past two years. Hopefully we can keep increasing those numbers. But, really, questions about shoes and clothing brands have to stop, if men aren't asked the same questions. It's just stupid. And male politicians don't have to smile and "be nice" all the time. Ugh. I'm getting all riled up just thinking about what Charlotte has to put up with in this book as she runs for PA Senate.

Great contemporary book about a woman running for office. Loved how it focuses on a marriage where the woman is more successful than the husband, a working mother's work/family balance, and seems to make running for office less scary.

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Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Review: Lovely War

Lovely War Lovely War by Julie Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this ARC from the publisher. No quotes are included since I read the advance copy.

I knew I would love this one going into it because of the awesome cover. I'm a sucker for historical fiction, especially the World Wars. I'm glad this one focused on WWI, along with the Harlem Hellfighters, jazz music, women's roles in society, shell shock, and race relations. The four main young adults are very distinctive, and readers will have no problem keeping their stories straight and cheering for them.

At first I wasn't too thrilled with the concept of Aphrodite and Ares being on trial for sleeping around on Hephaestus, but I grew to love how they told the stories of the four human characters. The old mythology legends and Trojan War histories kept coming back to me as I read, and it really did help improve the novel. I came to love Aphrodite (what the heck?), as well as pity Hephaestus and his love for his cheating wife. That's just weird because it's not like I usually develop feelings for Greek gods.

If you love historical fiction, read this, no matter your age. Sure, it's written for teens, but adults will pick this one up, too.

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