Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

   I got this one in my book of the month box.  The premise was so intriguing.  It is about a young woman of color who works for an affluent white family as a babysitter.   She is out with the child  at a grocery store late in the evening.  While there, she is approached by security and asked if this is her child.  A whole scene ensues.  I thought that the book was going to be about this scenario and what happens after.  Not quite.

Amira is 25, about to turn 26, and she doesn't know which way her life is going.  She is about to be dropped off her parents insurance and she needs a real job with benefits, instead, she is busy babysitting for a little girl that she just adores and her rather troubled family.

During the course of the traumatic events described in the first paragraph,  Amira meets Kelley - a man who happened to witness the events described.   The people in Amira's life have a very tangled and interwoven relationships.  I was really surprised by the plot turns that happened in this book and how it didn't evolve in the ways that I expected at all. 

I thought that "Such a Fun Age"  was in reference to the child, but in retrospect, I think it was really in reference to Amira with allusions to others in the story, too.  Not what I was expecting and if I were to give it a brief synopsis it would be "how fucked up white people try to mess up young woman of color's life".   I gave it a three.  It was enough to keep the pages turning.

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

   I was reading this book for part of professional development during this crazy time.  It was referred to me by a friend.  I wasn't sure how this would relate to my life, but I wanted to give it a try.

I have seen lots of Brene Brown on Ted talks about motivational videos.  She's amazing in person and good in the written word too, but I think part of her personality is lost in translation.  And let me be clear, while parts of this book are very concise  and relevant, some of it definitely requires translation.

Let's start with her over use of the word Rumble..   To Brene, Rumble means to have these courageous conversations where we share our vulnerability with others.  The problem with using the word in such a way, is that to many readers, "rumble"  already has a connotation and every time she uses it, I just see Ponyboy in his leather jacket getting ready to get even with the Socs for Johnny.  You know what I'm talking about.   If you want to be clear, use words that make sense, don't just take words and try to assign your own meaning.  It doesn't work.

Also, don't talk in anagrams and trite phrases  - B.R.A.V.I.N.G.  and such   No, I am not going to remember what every aspect of braving is and yes, I will probably have to look it up every time I go to relay this story.  Don't talk in trite, overused phrases - like "clear hearts, "painting done" etc.  What the hell is that every supposed to mean?   I agree with the ideas expressed - yes, it is important to be brave and have honest conversations especially at work.  But to do that, you need to be clear and you need to be using a vocabulary that is mutually understood.  If I tell my boss that I want to rumble, well that may not end well. 

So, long and short, I enjoyed the gist and would like to have less banal examples to go from.  I think Brene is genius, I just think she is better in person.  I am more likely to listen than I am to read another book.   3 stars.

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

  I ordered this one as my book of the month selection for April.  It just looked so appealing!   It is written in the genre of magical realism which means that there are real elements mixed in with magical creatures and such.

The story is about a very old set of books, called The Library of Legends, which contains much of China's cultural myths and legends.  The library was kept at a University in Nanking, but during World War 2, it became necessary to evacuate the University and move the books.   While their wasn't a "library of legends" per se, the evacuations of Chinese literary treasure during the war was very real.  This was the aspect of the book that I enjoyed the most.

I had no idea that young adults in China had undertaken such a thing to preserve their cultural heritage.  A massive undertaking under any circumstances.

The book also poses some great philosophical questions like what is relevant to a culture and why?  Also what is the role of legends and myths and why are they important? 

But in addition to the historical backdrop and, of course, the  magical aspects of supernatural beings, there is at the base of this story a rich and complex story about what it means to really love someone.  And what it means to live a purpose filled life - a life worthy of Ascension.   I really enjoyed reading this book and it was great to travel to a distant place and time and just experience it for a while.  I gave it four stars.  Oh, and this one is a pre-release.  It goes on sale May 12th.  Just one more thing I love about book of the month  early access. 

No Time to Spare by Ursula le Guin

     so I have read books by Ursula le Guin in the past and I believe that she is an extremely gifted writer; however, she was never particularly my special cup of tea.  I enjoyed the uniqueness of her story lines - especially in books like The Left Hand of Darkness,  but, when it came to fantasy writing, there were just others I preferred.

Still,  I recently came across this gem on kindle unlimited and something about it resonated with me.  Maybe it was the title, maybe it was because the cover was blue, but whatever the reason, it was definitely a case of the right book at the right time.

This work is just a collection of blog entries basically of the author ruminating about everything in her life from current events to finding a cat at the humane society.  It was brilliant.  I enjoyed every entry especially because it gave me a glimpse into this brilliant woman's mind and how it worked - why she thought some of the things that she did.  I couldn't go through it quickly because in some cases, the essay has to be read and processed before moving on in order to truly do it justice.  If you  are a le Guin fan or simply looking for the right book at the right time,  this book may be for you.  I gave it five out of five stars and would recommend to like minded readers.

The Summer Girls by Mary Alice Munro.

   I took a break from my quarantine work challenge and read this book for my themed book club discussion.  Our theme was weather, so this was a bit of a stretch, but it was exactly what I needed.  I'm looking to escape my current reality, not read about a different type of perfect storm.

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite beach is in South Carolina.  I love the low country - the sweet tea, the slow pace, the drawl of the locals.  I love it.  I miss it.   So this book brought me right back there in my mind, definitely in a good way.

This is the story about three half sisters who have grown apart and a grandmother desperate to reunite them.  Mamaw is celebrating her 80th birthday and she invites her summer girls for one last summer before they have to sell their beloved family home, SeaBreeze.

Dora has been struggling with dealing with her impeding divorce,  how to handle her autistic son, Nate, and how she has lost herself over the years.   The youngest sister, Hannah,  has spent her time with her mother's family in New York.  She's lost her way and her self respect.  And finally Carson ( the sister that this book in the series is about) is jobless, homeless and looking for a fresh start.  A momentous run in with a shark and a wild dolphin turn her world around.

How could I not love a book with a dolphin as a character?  I also really enjoyed reading about Mamaw and Dora's son, Nate.   This book was full of colorful characters - as expected.  It was a great escape to one of my favorite places.  I don't think I will carry on with the series, but who knows?  If the quarantine goes on long enough, I just might.   I gave it four stars.

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

  So even after Allegiant,  I picked this book up and was curious enough about the premise to read it.

The story: a Dark One arises.  He brings terror and death everywhere with him.  Magic has been unleashed on this world.  A prophecy is made and 5 Chosen Ones are named.  They join together and defeat the Dark One.  This all happens in the first chapter because this book takes place 10 years after the defeat of the Dark one.

Only now, the government is messing with magic.  Trying to weaponize it.  Because we all know that is something that the government would totally do that. 

Here's where anyone who doesn't want spoilers should stop reading, because I can't express my feelings and thoughts on this book without them.








Ok, so if you are still with me - our chosen ones get taken to another connected/ adjacent universe where magic is common place and where another Dark one exists.  He raises whole armies from the dead.  Their job?  To find him and defeat him thereby saving both worlds. 

The one thing that I did like about this book is the genius way that Veronica Roth turns the trope of the good guy always looks like the good guy on his head.   Sometimes the good guy doesn't wear a white hat and things aren't always what they seem.  I thought this part of the story was very cleverly done and I really enjoyed that.

Honestly, I think I am still pissed off about Allegiant and I don't know if I will ever really be ready for another Veronica Roth book.  This one certainly didn't help.  I gave it three stars because parts of it are well written and the story engaged me enough to continue.  Other than that, I was just glad to finish it. For someone who loves to read, ,that is the ultimate sad commentary.

Work Friends Coronacation Reading Challenge

So my work friends and I are doing a reading challenge to help get us through our down time.  I'm excited because I love to read, but sometimes i need motivation - like going to the gym.   I am hopeful that this will help with that.  I am making a plan here so that I will remember which books I have for which categories.  Those in bold  are ones I have completed

A book you own but haven't read.


A Book you can finish in one day.  


A book chosen for it's cover:



A book that celebrates diversity



a historical fiction


a book based on a true story


a book written in the year you were born.



A book from the library


a banned book


a graphic novel


A book you loved as a child


a book with a number in the title



a book on your to be read list.



a book set somewhere you have always wanted to visit.



a book you wouldn't normally read


a book everyone has read


a debut


a book by an author you have never read


a book for middle graders


a book assigned in school but never read


a book for young adults


a book about time travel


a book from an independent bookshop


a book set in a different country



a book made into a movie

Now, Then and Every When by Rysa Walker

   I joined a Coronacation reading challenge with my co-workers and that is driving my reading selections for now.  One of the categories was a book about time travel.  Usually I am pretty hesitant about time travel books.  I love them when they are done well but I find that so often they aren't.

I really hate the girl goes back in time, girl meets boy, they fall in love but they aren't from the same time so they are doomed forever trope.   I try desperately to avoid it, but it is fairly common in time travel books.  I am happy to say that this book definitely wasn't that.

This book is about Chronos, a time travel governmental agency and what happens when two agents cross paths in one of the most tumultuous times in our history.   Someone breaks the time line, but who?  And how will they fix it? 

I enjoyed this book because it incorporated a lot of things that I find interesting or that I enjoy.  It talks about the 1960's and the civil rights movement.  It projects so much of what it was like, especially for a person of color to live then.  It also talks a lot about music and the importance of pop culture - but especially music.   I had no idea of the real importance of the Beatles.  I mean, of course they are one of the most influential bands - EVER - but when I read this book I learned a lot about their politics, too.  I had no idea that the Beatles refused to play in front segregated audiences.  Think about that.  It's just so powerful.

I love when I read a book and learn something new.  Something unexpected.   This book also had a lot of legal arguments  - human rights arguments so that aspect was really interesting, too.   Unfortunately, I only gave it three stores because sometimes, with such a complex story,  the author got a little lost in the weeds it felt like.   There was just so much information to sift through - a cult in the 1900s,  multiple time lines,  court cases,  a video game played by a psychopath, etc..... Good effort - too convoluted.

Summer of '79 by Elin Hillderbrand

       So I want to start off by saying that this story is a sequel to Elin's wonderful book The Summer of '69.   You have to read that one first.  This is just a short story/novella that lets you know what happened to those beloved characters 10 years after the end of the story.

I absolutely LOVED the Summer of '69.   I wasn't alive then, but it was fun to reflect on what life was like then.  The characters were so real and vivid, not to mention that there was just so much going on historically.   I enjoyed every second.  You can about every single character - the grandmother, Exalta,  the mother, Kate, oldest sibling, Tiger, oldest girl, Blair, middle wild child, Kirby and the youngest, Jessie.   I didn't want Summer of 69 to end so I was absolutely thrilled to know that there was so much more to the story.

As i said, I wasn't alive for the summer of 69, but I was for 79.  I was almost ten.  I remember everything in this book and it brought back so much nostalgia.  I mean, remember the macrame everything?  My mother even had macrame plant holders for goodness sake.  The playlist mentioned in the book was wonderful.  I could hear the songs in my head.  Just life.  It brought so much back - all good things.  Plus,  I finally felt like all the characters were on a course that I could see them living happily ever after.  Who doesn't love a happy ending?   Five stars

ClickBait by Evelyn Dar

  So I am doing a reading challenge with my work friends for the duration of coronacation.  One of the  tasks was to read a YA book.  If you have ever read my blog, you already know I read a lot of YA so I wanted to read something that wasn't my typical fare.  This seemed to fit the bill.

First of all, let's talk about that cover.  It's gorgeous and really made me curious about the story.  The basics of the story involves a Trumpian  politician, a SAT scandal, a coverup and the use of social media to expose it all.   I didn't love this book, but there were definitely things that I liked.

First, I loved the inclusion in this book.  The two main characters are both girls and, even though they are coming from opposite  places in this story,  it is mainly a love story about them.  The great thing that I enjoyed about this relationship was that it happened so organically.  It didn't seem forced.  Even as a straight woman, I could relate to their feelings and experiences.  I think that is really hard to write.

And there weren't just gay characters.  There were transgendered characters too.  Maybe because most of the characters in this book are teenagers, and this takes place, at least partially in high school,  this inclusion seems more natural.  I really enjoyed the supporting characters in this story, especially Mady.  She really brings a unique perspective to the story and I wish the author had explored it some more.   Maybe Mady will get her own book some day.  I think I would enjoy reading it..

I loved the use of social media.  This book did a beautiful job both of showing how we use it in such a frivolous way and how it can be used as a force for good.

Finally, I think the author did a really great job with voice.  Each character seemed real.  You could see them and understand, although not always agree, with their perspective.  I could hear their voices in their head.

I guess at the end of the day, I didn't love the story but did think the book was well written.  I gave it three stars.

What Great Teachers Do Differently Chapters 7-13

   I continue to enjoy this really concise and wonderful book by Todd Whitaker.  Here are my reflections on Chapters 7-13. 

Probably the most important take away from this - good teachers always look for something they can control- their own performance.  I have always believed that if my students aren't understanding something that I am teaching them, they haven't failed - I HAVE.  It is my job to find a way to communicate to them so that they can understand.    It is never someone else's fault. 

Avoid the lunchroom.  Literally there is a chapter in the book about this and Mr. Whitaker doesn't mean specifically the lunchroom but rather any place that is a potential hive of negativity.  I love my coworkers and most of the time I want to share their joys and triumphs.  We all work those few though who NEVER have anything good to say.  They are always gossiping about other people, complaining, etc.... This kind of negativity is like a cancer and it is HIGHLY contagious.  Don't get caught up in it.  I realize that I have in the past.  That I react to it, even as I strive to distance myself.  I'm not going to do that anymore.  I have no time for that, and I don't want to perpetuate the drama.

Effective praise is really important.  But what does effective mean?  Mr Whitaker outlines five requirements - authentic, specific, immediate, clean and private.   Clean means no buts.... just the praise.  No add ons.  Private is the important part.  Praise that is meant to influence another students behavior isn't really effective praise.   I will be changing this when I get back to an actual classroom.

And finally the big one.  I had a really bad encounter with a coworker just before christmas break.  This co-worker misinterpreted a situation, and jumped to erroneous conclusions because she was too busy to stop and ask for clarification.  It was a really unfortunate situation and one that I understand a little better now.  It's sad really because I fear that it will always color my interaction with her.  Here's the thing though,  I need to remember this because the same thing can happen to me.  I could rush to judgment, misinterpret something a coworker or student says and my response could color their opinion of me - forever.  I want the picture that I give to my coworkers to be clear and true.  I want them to have a true reflection of who I  really am and so I have to remember that in my interactions - to be clear, concise and careful  - not rushed and hurried.  Easier said than done  but I think this is REALLY important.  I want to keep this lesson in the forefront of my mind because even though it was painful for me to experience, I would feel worse if I did this to another person, especially a student. 

The Hen Party by Emily Benet

   I selected this book for an upcoming themed book club.  One of our themes is a book where you would like to travel to.  I have wanted to go to Majorca for some time, and it just so happens that this book is set there.  I was looking for something fun and light and this book seemed to fit the bill.

This is the story of Fiona, a bride to be who won a fabulous get away hen party on Majorca.  Think Big Brother type reality tv.  Fiona can invite four "hens" in addition to herself to celebrate her pending upcoming nuptials. She's very posh and has clear ideas of what a hen party should be - yachts, fancy restaurants,  beautiful alcoholic beverages with umbrellas and beaches. 

Unfortunately, Hen Party, the tv show, has a new director who wants to take the show on a more environmental bent.  Let's just say that Kate and Fiona don't quite see eye to eye.

Between the hilarious friction between Kate and Fiona and the tension and secrets among the hens, there is a lot that will be revealed along the way. 

I gave it three stars. It was entertaining enough, but basically just fluff.  The perfect book to keep my mind off of quarantine and not have to work too hard.