WWW Wednesdays March 1, 2017

It's time for the weekly meme, WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam
@Taking on a World of Words.

All you need to do is answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So let's get onto it!

What are you currently reading?  I am currently reading an ARC of The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LeBaron.  I'm a little over half done.  It's a true story about one of the fundamental Mormon cults, not the one with Warren Jeffs as prophet.  I ended up not finishing the ARC that I started later last week, When You Never Said Goodbye: An Adoptee's Search for Her Birth Mother: A Novel in Poems and Journal Entries by Meg Kearney. I had trouble getting into the story and one, I had thought it was a memoir, but was a fictionalized account of some things that happened and also because it was an ARC, which is in an uncorrected format, any poems were just regular sentences and not formatted as a poems usually would be.  And therefore, it was difficult to determine what was meant to be poetry.

What did you recently finish reading?  I just finished this afternoon listening to the audiobook, The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman.  I really enjoyed The Midwife of Hope River, the first in the Hope River series, but I'm still trying to determine my exact thoughts on this latest addition to this series.  Last week, Thursday,

What do you think you’ll read next? Tomorrow, I'll start the audiobook, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, which I also have as an ARC from NetGalley.  and is shown to be over 700 pages, which I had not realized when I requested it from NetGalley, so I figured listening to it would work out well, even though it is about 18 hours of listening time. 

I also picked up a couple books at the library also that I need to get to one, I was hoping to read in February in honor of Black History Month, Black Stars of the Civil Rights Movement.  We all know who Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. are, but although I know the names of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois. Marcus, Garvey, among others, I can't really say exactly what they are known for and there were several people included in the book that I never heard of.  Being the mother of an African American son, I want to know who all of these individuals are and what their importance in history was and I want to know about them before my son mentions or asks about them.  I also picked up my second graphic novel, Aya by Marguerite Abouet & Clement Oubrerie, which takes place in 1978 in Ivory Coast.

What about you?  Have you read any of these or do you plan to? What are you reading?

Book Beginnings/The Friday 56 - 2/24/2017

Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. The idea is to share a sentence or so from the first page and the 56th page of the book you are currently reading!  Also, I will now also include a brief synopsis.

A Brief Synopsis: A student at NYU in Greenwich Village, Liz McLane is pursuing her dream of becoming a poet and, at the same time, determined to find her birth mother, no matter what the results may be. Through her journals, Liz records her struggle to navigate adoption bureaucracy and laws.  In spare and poignant poems, she confides her fears and her prayers.  Could her birth mother be the unknown guitarist in Washington Square Park, who sings a soulful song in a strangely familiar voice?  Against a backdrop of college life—classes on Alice Munro and Billy Collins and an active social life—and with the help of her sister, friends, and a private investigator, Liz summons the courage to face the truth about her mother and herself.   


Beginning of the Book:

Back when my heart was a little red jewel

before my longings or limbs were formed

my mother, just nineteen was fated to choose:

should she keep me or give me away.

Page 56:

A couple kiss under the arch "Miss!" they call take our picture?"


This is told through journal entries and poems; this is also an ARC, so it is not the finished version. Since ARCs are often not fully edited and/or formatted, we'll see how this one goes.

WWW Wednesday - February 22, 2017

It's time for the weekly meme, WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam
@Taking on a World of Words.

All you need to do is answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So let's get onto it!

What are you currently reading? 

I am over 80% done with Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman.  I was hoping to finish this today, but I didn't get much reading done today, except for my audiobook, so hopefully tomorrow.  I usually read books on my Kindle Paperwhite and am reading a physical book for this one.  I find it much , much slower.  A lot probably has to do with being able to change the font, font size, margins, and spacing on the Kindle and being able to read in bed in the dark with the Paperwhite and not have to change rooms, so as not to wake my husband if (or actually when) I get insomnia.

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Stupid White Men by Michael Moore.  I don't usually read books slanted so much toward politics, but I found this more humor, be it political humor than anything. 

What do you think you’ll read next?

I'll be reading next an ARC, When You Never Said Goodbye: An Adoptee's Search for Her Birth Mother: A Novel in Poems and Journal Entries by Meg Kearney and listening to The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman

What about you?  Have you read any of these or do you plan to?

Book Beginnings/The Friday 56 - 2/17/2017

Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. The idea is to share a sentence or so from the first page and the 56th page of the book you are currently reading!  Also, I will now also include a brief synopsis.

A Brief Synopsis: In this vibrant new historical novel, the acclaimed author of The Plum Tree and What She Left Behind explores one young woman's determination to put an end to child labor in a Pennsylvania mining town. As a child, Emma Malloy left isolated Coal River, Pennsylvania, vowing never to return. Now, orphaned and penniless at nineteen, she accepts a train ticket from her aunt and uncle and travels back to the rough-hewn community. Treated like a servant by her relatives, Emma works for free in the company store. There, miners and their impoverished families must pay inflated prices for food, clothing, and tools, while those who owe money are turned away to starve. An emotional, compelling novel that rings with authenticity--Coal River is a deft and honest portrait of resilience in the face of hardship, and of the simple acts of courage that can change everything. 


Beginning of the Book:

On the last day in June when the rest of the world was reeling of the sinking of the Titanic, nineteen year-old Emma Malloy was given two choices: get on a train to Coal River, Pennsylvania or be sent to a Brooklyn poorhouse.

Page 56:

But now that she had seen Percy face-to-face and knew that there were no repercussions for what he'd done, the thought of seeing his friends at the Fourth of July celebration filled her stomach with dread.

WWW Wednesday - February 15

It's time for the weekly meme, WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam
@Taking on a World of Words.

All you need to do is answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So let's get onto it!

What are you currently reading? 

I'm just over 20% into Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman, but I an definitely enjoying this one.  I got this one from the library in softcover, which I rarely do; I usually prefer to read books on my Kindle, but it wasn't available in the Kindle format. I just started the audiobook, Stupid White Men by Michael Moore.  I got in from the library at least a week ago, but just have not been in the mood  to listen to an audiobook.

What did you recently finish reading?

Last week, I participated in #TBRTakedown.  I finished 3 books during this readathon, which is really rare.  I usually read a book a week or so.  I finished an ARC of Sunset Canyon by Janet Dailey, El Deafo by Cece  Bell, which is a middle grade graphic novel (the 1st I ever read), and A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Well, once I finish listening to Stupid White Men, I'll be listening to the audiobook, The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman, which just became available on Overdrive.  I think I'll read the ARC, When You Never Said Goodbye: An Adoptee's Search for Her Birth Mother: A Novel in Poems and Journal Entries  by Meg Kearney since according to NetGalley  it is being released next week, but Goodreads gives its release date as a month later.  Since I am trying to read a book by the publication date and for the last 2 months, I've been successful.  (Let's not discuss my extremely large number of ARCs that I am backlogged on ).

What about you?  Have you read any of these or do you plan to?

Book Beginnings/The Friday 56 - 2/10/2017

Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. The idea is to share a sentence or so from the first page and the 56th page of the book you are currently reading!  Also, I will now also include a brief synopsis.

Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

Beginning of the Book

One day it occurred to me that the squeaky, smelly things squirming around next to me were my brothers and sisters.  I was very disappointed.

Page 56:

Familiar was the warm, squirming presence of puppies on either side of me.  Familiar, too, was the shoving clamber for a turn at the teat and the rich, life-giving milk that was the reward for all the pushing and climbing.  Somehow, I was a puppy again, helpless and weak, back in the Den.

Just started this one on Thursday, not even at Page 56 yet, but enjoying it already being from the dog's perspective. 

WWW Wednesdays - February 8

It's time for the weekly meme, WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam
@Taking on a World of Words.

All you need to do is answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So let's get onto it!

What are you currently reading? 

I currently am reading an ARC of Sunrise Canyon by Janet Dailey.  I should finish this probably sometime, Wednesday afternoon or evening.  It's suppose to be the 1st book in the New Americana series, but since the author passed away several years ago, unless they have a ghost writer or reprint her some of her other books, the series won't go any further than book 1.

What did you recently finish reading?

Last Thursday, I finished Behold The Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue and started Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, but decided to put it down for now and will read it at some other time.  I just was not in the mood for something, so heavy.  I also started listening to Phil Collins' autobiography, Not Dead Yet, but decided not to continue listening to it after the first few chapters.  I love his music, so maybe I'll pick it up some other time.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I picked up from the library, the middle grade graphic novel El Deafo by CeCe Bell.  I have never read a graphic novel and I haven't read comics since who knows when.  If that one doesn't work for me or I finish it before next week, which I think I probably would. I had A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron that I just downloaded for my Kindle.  As for what I will be listening to, I haven't been able to stick to a book; nothing is really appealing to me even though I have a long list of audiobooks that I would like to listen to.  I just downloaded Michael Moore's Stupid White Men with all that's happening in the U.S. right now, it might be relevant.  I've actually enjoyed some of his other books and documentaries, so we'll see if this one works for me.

What about you?  Have you read any of these or do you plan to?  What are you reading?

Monthly Recommendations: Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is by far one of my favorite genres to read.  What better way is there to learn about history than through a book of fiction.  Many non-fiction books on history can be on the dry side and full of dates and facts that often go in one ear and out the other, but I find in historical fiction, you learn about history in a much more interesting context.  My love for historical fiction, probably started with the Little House books, although I don't believe I read all of them.  One of these days, I must go back  and read the series in its entirety.

Each month the group Monthly Recommendations, which was created by booktubers Kayla (from Kayla Rayne) and Trina (from Between Chapters), has a new topic for everyone to use to recommend books. There is no set number of books, no set genre, just a general topic that's mostly up to your interpretation.

So let's get into my recommendations.

This was one of my favorites of last year.  It takes place during and after WWII related stories are told: one by a young woman who was sent to Ravensbroucke Concentration Camp, one who was the only female doctor at Ravensbroucke, and one who was a NYC debutante and was involved in the war effort on the home front and helped some of the victims of Add to dictionary after the war.

Another favorite from the first part  of last year following the life of a young girl into old age who was one of the exiles to the leper colony on Moloka'i.  I had not expected to enjoy this as much as I did, but the story was actually very fascinating and engrossing.

I read this back in 2011 or 2012, I think and it also follows a young girl as she grows up and realizes the freedoms she enjoys in the antebellum south are not the same as the slaves on her family's plantation.

This was the first book that I read by Lisa See back in 2011 and my favorite book of that year.  Pearl and May have lived a pretty good life in Shanghai, then their father goes into debt and has to "sell" his daughters into arranged marriages in America.  My first real introduction to Chinese-American lives during the late 30's and 40s.

Another book by Lisa See that was one of my favorites that I read in 2014.  This one also revolves around the same years as Shanghai girls but is solely in the U.S..  Three young women from different backgrounds meet and become friends through the "Chop Suey Circuit". 

I usually don't re-read books, but this and Shanghai Girls are 2 that I may very likely re-read or listen to as an audiobook.  I have am ARC of Lisa See's newest book, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane that I will be reading next month or later this month that I am quite anxious to get to.

Roseanne Bittner is one of my very favorite authors.  I've been reading and loving her historical romances since the early 90s.  It encompasses about 12 years and sees the characters through a wagon train trip out west to see if the dream of a transcontinental railroad is possible, the Civil War, the actual construction of the Union Pacific Railroad and the meeting of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, as well as many adventures within the years.

Honorable Mentions

This is the first book in a series by Patricia Harman and I believe she is a midwife, herself.  The story centers on Patience Murphy, an Appalachian midwife, West Virginia.  Right near the beginning, her boyfriend or fiancé is traveling by train  in Illinois and my hometown is actually mentioned.  I really need to read the second book in the series, since I believe a third book is coming out soon.

Another very enjoyable book that I read in 2012.  Most if not all of you have heard of, if not read this book and/or seen the movie about the lives in the early 60s in Mississippi between the black maids and their white employers.

Sorry this post is late .  January was actually the month for historical fiction recommendations, but better late than never.

Book Review: Behold The Dreamers

Behold The Dreamers

Imbolo Mbue

Random House (Published August 23, 2016)

400 Pages

3.5 Stars

Synopsis:

For fans of Americanah and The Lowland comes a debut novel about an immigrant couple striving to get ahead as the Great Recession hits home. With profound empathy, keen insight, and sly wit, Imbolo Mbue has written a compulsively readable story about marriage, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream.  
Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at their summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future.

However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ facades.

Then the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Desperate to keep Jende’s job, which grows more tenuous by the day, the Jongas try to protect the Edwardses from certain truths, even as their own marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.

My view of the book:

The basic story was good, but I feel this book was overhyped for the most part. I was not super impressed. I think had the book been 50 or so pages shorter, the story would have been just as good or better. Each of the two main characters, who were Cameroonian immigrants seemed inconsistent at times and did or said things later into the story that totally did not seem like something they would do or say based on how they acted earlier in the story. I did enjoy the interaction between Jende and N The basic story was good, but I feel this book was overhyped for the most part. I was not super impressed. I think had the book been 50 or so pages shorter, the story would have been just as good or better. Each of the two main characters, who were Cameroonian immigrants seemed inconsistent at times and did or said things later into the story that totally did not seem like something they would do or say based on how they acted earlier in the story. I did enjoy the interaction between Jende and Neni and the Edwards. I did enjoy the story but not as much as I hoped I would. But in defense , I was at about the half way point when I saw a spoiler in someone's review that gave away the ending, but I was still interested in the story enough to continue reading. on another aside, this is the author's debut novel and I feel she has a lot going for her and her writing will only get better with future novels. Goodreads only allows me to give full star ratings, otherwise I would rate this a 3.5 or possibly a 3.25. I do recommend this novel. The Goodreads review that I saw the spoiler on has since hidden the spoiler.

Book Beginnings/The Friday 56 - 2/3/2017

Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. The idea is to share a sentence or so from the first page and the 56th page of the book you are currently reading!  Also, I will now also include a brief synopsis.

A Brief Synopsis:

In a series of essays, written as a letter to his son, Coates confronts the notion of race in America and how it has shaped American history, many times at the cost of black bodies and lives. Thoughtfully exploring personal and historical events, from his time at Howard University to the Civil War, the author poignantly asks and attempts to answer difficult questions that plague modern society.

Beginning of the Book:

Son,

Last Sunday, the host of a popular news show asked me what it meant to lose my body.  The host was broadcasting from Washington D,C, and I was in a remote studio on the far west side of Manhattan.  A satellite closed the miles between us, but no machinery would close the gap between her world and the world for which I had been summoned to speak.

About Page 56:

These truths I heard in the works of other poets around the city

I'll actually be starting this book on Friday.  I am currently on the last pages of Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue.  I am wondering if I should actually read this immediately after Behold the Dreamers.  Since Between The World and Me is a library book, I think I'll try reading it now before it has to go back and if need be I'll put it on hold again and read it at another time, if need be. 

WWW>Wednesdays - February 1, 2017

It's time for the weekly meme, WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam
@Taking on a World of Words.

All you need to do is answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So let's get onto it!

What are you currently reading? 

I am still reading Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue.  I was hoping I'd be finished with this by now, but hopefully in the next couple days I can finish it.  I still have about a third of the book left to read. 

What did you recently finish reading?

Last week, I finished the audiobook, County: Life, Death, and Politics at Chicago's Public Hospital by David A. Ansell.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I plan to pick up the audiobook, Not Dead Yet by Phil Collins and the ARC of Sunrise Canyon by Janet Dailey and a Kindle library book became available Between the World an Me by Te-Nehisi Coates