stormkeeper_lovedoris

Yet another book report. Because I haven't been writing enough fic. And every book on this report gets an 8 or above because they all were awesome.

I Came All This Way to Meet You by Jami Attenberg – I’ve read several books by this novelist and although none of them are historical fiction, I love them. Her fiction is page-turning and insightful and filled with “yes!” and “oh interesting” moments. So here is her memoir. And once again, I can’t pinpoint what exactly makes this so good. I don’t know. She’s very forthcoming. It’s nice to just read about this flawed, creative, real human. Grade: 8

Acceptance by Emi Nietfeld – Another fascinating memoir. The author’s mother – and her only real parent – is neglectful and lives in a “dirty” hoarding house. So Nietfeld needs help and neither her mother nor “the system” is doing much to give her the foundation she needs. She bounces from institutions to foster homes to her mom’s to being homeless to staying with an abusive boyfriend and back. A few things stuck out for me in this memoir. One – and I think this is one of the author’s main points – is that the fault was always considered to be her own. Rarely if ever was she recognized as the victim of neglectful parenting. Instead she was told over and over again to change her mindset, to take responsibility, to aim high. And she’s a child! I remember a college Anthropology teacher who said that in the US we tend to blame individuals, not institutions. Some folks might read of Neitfeld’d childhood and say ‘wow what a bitch that social worker was’ when truly the fault is a culture that has endless money to spend on “defense” while we overwork and underpay the people who are supposed to help kids. Another eye-opener for me was a comment someone made about her foster parents. Unsurprisingly, her foster parents are….not great. They provide food and shelter, but they call Michaelangelo’s David “pornographic”, they don’t want Nietfeld hanging out with artists or aiming for AP classes. But as someone once told her, ‘Boho, open-minded people don’t become foster parents’. Sad but true. And of course another telling moment is when the author tracks down several girls she knew from institutions who were in similar places, and none are really doing ok mentally or financially. Grade: 8

Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth – This is a contemporary, off-kilter novel full of dry wit and heart and pain. A young woman decides to hop on a bus to meet the father she’s never known. She ends up in Iowa and then ends up working at an egg farm, and ultimately gets involved in a plot to free the hens from their misery. I die a little bit at sections like this one, describing the work of an undercover investigator at an egg farm: “12 hour days placing the baby-soft beaks of chicks into hot iron guillotines, searing off the tips while the chicks struggled and their faces smoked. Hens. Sweet little puffs.” But the book doesn’t preach veganism for 300 pages; it is a well-written, ingenious, and even hopeful novel. Grade: 8

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama – You expect any book by either Obama to be good. I went in with high expectations. And man, Obama did not disappoint! I was chatting about this book with someone and she asked what I liked about it. I said I liked that it’s very practical and useful. Obama’s first book was a memoir. This one is more like advise from your very smart and very worldly aunt. (Yes, I know she’s only 9 years older than I). The subtitle is “overcoming in uncertain times”, and if you think you could use some help in that area, then this book is for you. Grade: 8

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin – Holy shit. I read this book in one day. It tore me down and built me back up. I cried at the ending. What’s it about? I will just quote from the front cover. “Meet Gilda. She cannot stop thinking about death. Desperate for relief from her anxious mind and alienated from her repressive family, Gilda responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local Catholic church where Father Jeff assumes she’s there for a job interview. Caught off guard and too embarrassed to correct him, Gilda is abruptly hired…..(even though) she’s queer and atheist.” Simply brilliant and quite a tour through Gilda’s mind and world. Grade: 9

I really need to write more fanfic. Because I'm reading too much - just did a book report and here's another one!

Sapiens : A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari - I’m not sure where I start because the book feels so monumental, other than to say “read it!” (Or listen to it; I actually listened to this one in the car on audio.) Okay, in fact I’m just going to admit that my review will not do it justice, and I’m going to paste in someone else’s words:“One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one - Homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago, with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.”
(Back to me now). The book was endlessly exciting and fascinating and fresh, and I’d read it again someday. Grade: 9

Mindwise by Nicholas Epley – Got this one from a Little Free Library. It’s about how bad we are at trying to figure out what’s going on inside other people’s heads. It covers common mistakes we make and how we can do better. Two techniques that don’t work so well: trying to read body language and “just using empathy”. Rarely is reading body language successful, and for people trained on it, usually the only folks who see any gains are those who were very bad at it to start with. And when we try to just use empathy, we are wrong as often as we are right. Best way to find out what someone wants for their birthday or how they feel about an issue is to just ask them. Also, an insight from earlier in the book: “Your ability to engage with the minds of others is one of your brain’s greatest abilities. You’ll be happier if you actually use it.” I do believe this to be true and have noticed myself following it even since reading this book. Grade: 8

The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams – Man, we can all use some hope now! The legendary Jane Goodall is candid about the trouble that the world is in….as she says, even surviving COVID won’t matter if the planet becomes more uninhabitable. And yet. Goodall finds reasons for hope and she lays all of them out with evidence and examples. There are some great stories in here, like the one about two men in China who plant trees. One is blind and one has no arms, and yet they’ve been at this for years. I also liked the format of the book as most of it is told in the style of conversations between the two authors. There are so many good examples and stories in here. Read it, especially if you are feeling down on the world. (Though I do emphasize that the authors don’t sugarcoat the dire straits were are in either!) Grade: 8

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim – This was a lush, delightful fantasy story about a young woman who is raised in a family of tailors and is the best one, but a girl has limited options to move up in this world. But then some things happen and she is taken to the palace disguised as her brother to compete to become the Imperial Tailor. The author wove a good tale and I enjoyed it, but I don’t know if I liked it enough to read the second book in the series. Grade: 5

Haven by Emma Donoghue – The legendary Emma Donoghue, who has penned some of my favorites like The Pull of the Stars, The Wonder, and the creepy but compelling Room. Oh my goodness this is another incredible novel! In fact, I read it in two days. Picked it up on an afternoon when it was exactly what I needed, and I couldn’t put it down. It was so, so good to be back in the hands of a master storyteller. What is this book about? Three Irish monks circa 700 BCE go set out in a boat to find a desolate island to live out their lives in worship. Could not put it down. Grade: 9

Two long flights equals lots of books read. (As does being sick, and not having much energy to write fic....)

Speaking of writing, onto the first book -

Write for Your Life by Anna Quindlen – This is a short book about the importance of writing, of telling your life story. The author has been around a long time and I admire her; in the 80s and 90s she was one of the only mainstream journalists talking about LGBT rights. She’s written a lot. But this book doesn’t really shed any new light, and it feels a bit pointless, as harsh as that sounds. I sense that her agent or publisher told her that she hadn’t published anything for a while and needed to pull something out of a hat. But hey, if the book inspires one person to work on their memoir, then that’s not bad. Grade: 3

American Prison by Shane Bauer – Not long ago, I read a book that this author cowrote; it was a memoir about several years he and two other Americans spent inside an Iranian prison. In this work of investigative journalism, Bauer goes undercover to work as a guard at a for-profit prison. The book is a compelling page-turner, but like “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson or “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, it makes me want to scream with rage. Every bad thing you can imagine about racism and the criminal justice system and for-profit prisons – it’s 10 times worse than you think. Denial of medical care, of basic rights, of basic humanity inside these prisons which are understaffed and only driving towards the bottom line for shareholders. (And “little” things, like prisons forbid a long list of books by Black authors, while memoirs of KKK leaders like David Duke are allowed). Bauer also covers the history in this country of locking up Black people and forcing them into labor for profit. It’s so horrible to read this and think that none of this has to be this way – such pointless cruelty and destruction of lives (and at taxpayer expense). Grade: 8

Panpocalypse by Carley Moore – A contemporary novel whose protagonist is queer, disabled, and poly. She chronicles her life in NYC as the pandemic hits. It’s fast-moving, sharp, and fun. It’s not my usual genre and it gets a bit weird when she travels through time and space. <smile> But it was still worth a read. Grade: 6

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho – This is a primer on racism. I think it’s a good read and good information, though I’d also say that in the past few years, I read a few other books on racism that were a bit more informative and actionable than this one. If I wanted to nitpick, I need to point out that the author has no understanding of cishet male privilege, as he gives away several times in the book such as during the chapter on “broken” families. I could hit this point several times, but I’ll just leave it and say that there are books on racism that do a much better job understanding the subject (you never forget that this book is written by a cishet male). Grade: 6

The Hacienda by Isabel Canas – Ever read a movel that starts out great, with a gorgeous setting and characters, but then the storyline just fizzles out? This is that book. It’s historical fiction but also a gothic ghost story. The plot and setting: In 1820’s Mexico, young Beatriz gets married to escape a bad family situation but she finds that her new husband and his hacienda have many scary secrets. There was just nothing keep the plot moving or keep me turning the pages, and it was so repetitive. Like ‘I get it, the hacienda is haunted, scary stuff keeps happening, and the husband’s a jerk. Okay.’ What I don’t understand are all the good reviews it got. Grade: 2

Coventry by Helen Humphreys – Happiness is a novel by Helen Humphreys. Years ago, I’d searched for a copy of this one but I swear my library system never had it. And then I found a copy…..inside a Little Free Library! Jackpot! This novel tells two Englishwomen’s stories – they meet during World War I and are quickly separated, only to meet again on a very fateful night during World War II. The novel is this quietly elegant look at human nature and resilience during the worst circumstances. Grade: 8

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner – Like the above book, this one too is historical fiction. But this one is phluff, complete with plot contrivances and things wrapped up too neatly. It held my interest all the way through though, so I have to give it that. The basic plot is that in 1906, Irish immigrant Sophia is eager to leave New York’s slums so she becomes a mail-order bride to a man in San Francisco. And she gets more than she bargained for. Grade: 6

Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher – You ever pick up a book and it’s exactly what you need to read? That was this book. I will re-read it many times. (Also – amazing – just like “Coventry”, I got it from a Little Free Library! I love my city, which is full of people who read and give away good books). So what’s it about? Basically the author shares wisdom and ideas and comforting thoughts about both the perils and the positive aspects of aging. Mary Pipher was 70 when she wrote this; I’m “only” 49 but I felt like this book was like a comforting discussion over tea with a favorite Aunt. It is awesome. Grade: 8

Chasing Me to my Grave by Winfred Rembert – This is both a memoir and a collection of artwork by the late Winfred Rembert. He lived from 1945-2021. Growing up in the South, he lived through some horrific things – he witnessed lynchings and was lynched himself but survived. He spent a year in prison without being charged for any crime. Late in life, he was encouraged to work on his artwork and he became something of a sensation. I was far more interested in his life story. Grade: 7

The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland – I loved one of the author’s other pieces of historical fiction. This one had a great set-up and great setting, but it didn’t really come to anything. Taking place in 14^th century England, the book gives us a community of religious women called Beguines, a gay priest, a young outcast, a rogue band of men who enforce laws on their own….it should’ve added up to something good but it doesn’t. Grade: 5

Wow, okay it has been a long time since I’ve posted a book report. It’s the usual situation: when I’m very into fanfic, I’m not reading too many actual books. I have written over 85,000 words in the past couple months. But I haven't read much.

Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear – This was a very nice book about how to get into good habits and break bad ones. I read something similar not too long ago, but this was a good reminder. Grade: 7

The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree by Nice Leng’ete – A memoir. Leng’ete is of the Maasai people in Kenya. She does not have it easy, as both of her parents die of AIDS and her uncle takes the money that had been set aside for her schooling. And she is determined to avoid undergoing the cut – she and her sister even hid in a fig tree before they make their escape. Leng’ete has to fight with everything she can to stay in school, to scrape together odd jobs to pay for it, and to convince her grandfather to let her avoid the cut and marriage. It was a very inspiring read. One sobering note she reminds us of: the number of women alive today estimated to have gotten the cut is more than all the women in the US, and more than all the women in Western Europe. Grade: 8

Skyhunter by Marie Lu – “In a world broken by war, a team of young warriors is willing to sacrifice everything to save what they love.” God, I wish I could get into books like this. It had it all. (Well, it had some strong points). A female lead who is a fighter in every sense of the word. A great set-up – an evil empire which is taking over the realm, with this team of warriors fighting back. The lead is even an outsider since she is a refugee from one of the lands that the empire took over. There’s even a gay male couple in a small supporting role! But what was lacking was a compelling plot. I just couldn’t stay engaged, or get engaged. I wanted to. I’m sorry. Maybe make this into a TV show? Grade: 3

Imaginable by Jane McGonigal – Wow, this was GOOD! I wish I even had the right words for it. Basically the author is a futurist and she wrote the helpful and brilliant “SuperBetter”. This book talks about imagining the future, and how spending some time thinking of scenarios and the ways you might deal with them can actually help you. She takes you through lots of exercises and scenarios. She even writes about how a game she created 20 years ago included having participants imagine life during a pandemic, and that people who played it years ago coped with COVID better when it hit. I won’t be lazy and paste from another review, so I’ll just say – it’s excellent. Grade: 8

Breaking the Age Code by Becca Levy - My head exploded a bit. Well at least it expanded. The book is all about age and ageism, backed up by research. Bottom line – your attitudes about ageing can impact how well you age. They can have a measurable impact on the quality and length of your life. Cultures where old people are respected find that older people live longer and better. Grade: 8

A Case of Possession by KJ Charles – The second book in a trilogy, with the author’s usual magic formula of historical fiction, M/M romance, and the supernatural. I didn’t warm up to the first book in the trilogy and this one wasn’t a showstopper either, but the sex was on point. <smile> Grade: 6

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby – This was not my usual genre. This is a crime novel, which I normally have no interest in, but the premise here caught my attention. A gay couple has been murdered, and their homophobic dads team up to find the killer. (Does that sound more like a comedy than anything?) Also, one dad is Black and the other is white, so the novel explores racism and homophobia. But it’s still a crime novel at its heart, with plenty of violence and unsavory characters and the like. I think my dislike of the genre won the day, and the book didn’t hold my interest. Grade: 3

As a Woman: What I Learned About Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned by Paula Stone Williams – Ah, the power of a good memoir! I loved this one. The author tells us her life story, and it’s never boring. As was assigned male at birth, she strongly suspected something was off, she got married, she became a big name in evangelical circles and she helped to found several evangelical churches. She came out as trans. People who she’d been friends with for 40 years rejected her, and she lost all of the positions she’d held in the evangelical world. She also had to experience sexism for the first time in her life, and she writes extensively about it. Just an all-around engaging read. Grade: 8

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo – A memoir of healing from C-PTSD. (Complex post traumatic stress syndrome) The author was brutally abused by both parents continuously, as a child. This is her memoir on how she has worked on healing from it. Enjoyed her exploration, though obviously parts of it are hard to read. Grade: 7

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman – There is so much in here that I can’t do the book justice! So I’ll just sum up with a few things, but please if you need an evidence-based book on the theme that humans are actually pretty decent, please read this. So many situations in history did not go down the way you might’ve been told they did, and actually show humans being good. Examples: The murder of Kitty Genovese (there’s more to it than what is usually told – people did call for help but the police ignored it because they thought it was DV), the experiment where students were told to shock people (most pushed back on it a lot and only continued because they truly thought they were helping science), even a real life Lord of the Flies (where the boys all got along and worked together, unlike in the novel which was written by a curmudgeon who hated everyone). Actually, you know what? This book is so good that I am going to quote from another review to do it justice:

“If there is one belief that has united the left and the right, psychologists and philosophers, ancient thinkers and modern ones, it is the tacit assumption that humans are bad. It's a notion that drives newspaper headlines and guides the laws that shape our lives…. Human beings, we're taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest.

But what if it isn't true? International bestseller Rutger Bregman provides new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another.

From the real-life Lord of the Flies to the solidarity in the aftermath of the Blitz, the hidden flaws in the Stanford prison experiment to the true story of twin brothers on opposite sides who helped Mandela end apartheid, Bregman shows us that believing in human generosity and collaboration isn't merely optimistic—it's realistic. Moreover, it has huge implications for how society functions. When we think the worst of people, it brings out the worst in our politics and economics. “

Grade: 9

The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles – This author wrote a trilogy that I loved, historical fiction plus mystery plus a gay lead character. It looks like this book is the first in another trilogy with the same formula, except replace ‘mystery’ with ‘the supernatural’. I’m not sure, though, what to say about this one. It didn’t grip me like the first series, and I question whether or not to read the next one. Maybe I will though. The author has written a lot of other books in this series….and dayum look at this – she’s written a lot, period! https://kjcharleswriter.com/books/

Grade: 6

The Barbizon by Paulina Bren – In the 1920s, a women-only hotel was created in NYC catering to white women who were heading to the Big Apple to work as writers, models, and the like. It had tiny rooms (you could lie in bed and close the door and reach your dresser), bathrooms down the hall for most floors, a strict policy of no men beyond the lobby. It was considered THE place to stay for the young and the up-and-coming white woman, though several women “failed” to marry or move on and lived there for decades. I love that someone researched and wrote a book about this. Some of the chapters get a bit boring, but I liked the section on the outcasts which included the Barbizon’s first Black resident. Today, the Barbizon has been turned into million dollar condos but the original dwellers were and are legally guaranteed the right to live there at the rate established when they first arrived in the 50s and 60s. There are 5 of the originals left, and they’ve all been upgraded to 1 bedroom condos; their legal rights include the same daily maid service as per their terms back when the first moved in. (During one of my NYC trips to see Alaska, my friend Eric and I stayed at another hotel where we were told a few of the units had original residents who’d been there for decades and who were allowed to remain there for low rents. Our room was like a small studio apartment: it had a kitchenette and a bathroom and two beds – but we couldn’t control the heat, and it was too hot in December!) Grade: 6

We Are The Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer – It’s hard to read books about climate change. The author doesn’t hold anything back either, laying out what the future will probably look like, and it sucks. But he’s not without hope. He provides the facts and the info to show that having two out of three meals a day without animal products will make a huge dent in the problem since animal agriculture is the biggest contributor to climate change. I had to grab onto the hopefulness while admitting that the reality of the next few decades….is scary. Grade: 8

(Addendum to the above review. The author points out that the 4 biggest things an individual can do about climate change are eat plant-based, avoid air travel, live car-free and have fewer children. He goes on to point out that many people don’t have a realistic ability to live car-free, most of us are not in the process of deciding whether or not to have children, and that some air travel is likely unavoidable. He also adds that of those 4, only plant-based eating addresses methane and nitrous oxide, the two most urgent greenhouse gasses. He gives other info but that’s in a nutshell how he arrives at his recommendation to avoid animal products in two of three meals each day).

Unthinkable by Jamie Raskin – The author is a Congressman from Maryland who suffered two horrible blows within a week: his son died by suicide and then January 6, 2020 happened. This is his memoir. Full disclosure: I did not read every word of this. There was too much. Too much about January 6, too much about the (second) impeachment vote and trial, and the fact that most Republicans continue to just do the wrong thing over and over and over again no matter what the evidence or logic or empathy would say. Yet the parts I could read were well-written and tragic and somehow readable. I loved hearing about his son’s life – his son was passionate, committed, brilliant. He’d worked as a staff member of Mercy for Animals. It’s such a tragedy that he’s gone. At one point, Raskin is going through thousands of condolence letters while preparing evidence and arguments for impeachment. How Raskin managed to weather all of this ….man, some people are a lot more resilient than I am! Grade: 7

Into The Forest by Rebecca Frankel – Reading a book about the Holocaust while reading the above book was not a good idea; you know, too much fascism. But putting emotions aside, this was an intriguing read. It’s the real life story of a Jewish family who hid in the Polish forest during Hitler’s reign. And there is a shocking reunion later on. Like any memoir about this subject, it’s heartbreaking and terrifying. Grade: 8

No fiction this time. I started one but it was too boring to finish, so it's not on here.

Youth to Power by Jamie Margolin – I love a good how-to book, and I love a book that gives practical advice on the age-old question of how to be an activist. So this book knocks it out of the park. Written by a young woman, the book explains how you (especially teenagers) can get involved and make a difference in the world. Grade: 8

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke – This is a graphic reflection and study on the topic of loneliness. Some of the author’s images and sections are heartbreaking, such as the part illustrating the studies done to primates in the name of researching human social needs. I liked the book best when the author shared snippets of other people’s stories, each one telling of a time they felt most lonely. The book is the kind that gives lots of ‘food for thought’ though there aren’t any neatly-wrapped conclusions here. Grade: 6

Project Girl by Janet McDonald – In this memoir, the author shares her life story. She has found herself in many different situations…born in the projects, successful in school when most of her siblings are struggling with drugs and other matters, declining like the projects themselves. McDonald goes from a specially-funded college prep program to Vassar to a commune to France to law school to being sexually assaulted to committing arson to spending a night in jail to being falsely accused of plotting against a presidential candidate to the ROTC to lots of therapy and lots of nightmares and then back to school first for journalism and then for law again and finally back to France. Whew! None of McDonald’s life was easy and the rape haunted her for years and years afterwards. As for the memoir itself, it is always good to get a look at someone else’s life, and she certainly has been through a lot. Grade: 6

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B Rosenberg – I got this at a Little Free Library and I am definitely keeping it! I need to re-read it and really learn these methods. Since I can’t quite do this justice, here’s a bit about the methods it teaches: “Nonviolent Communication is the integration of four things: • Consciousness: a set of principles that support living a life of compassion, collaboration, courage, and authenticity
• Language: understanding how words contribute to connection or distance
• Communication: knowing how to ask for what we want, how to hear others even in disagreement, and how to move toward solutions that work for all
• Means of influence: sharing “power with others” rather than using “power over others”

I’ve likely never communicated this way and will need a lot of practice to learn it, but I think it could benefit me a lot. The author talks about understanding and verbalizing what you want and need, and relating to others, knowing that you need to connect with them and their feelings and needs before they can get your viewpoint. Grade: 8

The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot by Blaine Harden – “Not another North Korea!” From the author of “Escape from Camp 14”, we get the story of two men. One is the horrible Kim Il Sung. The other is a North Korean named No Kum Sok who was born into some degree of wealth before Communism came to North Korea, became a fighter pilot, pretended to be a devout follower of Kim, and managed to defect in the 1950s (by “simply” flying his fighter plane into South Korea and landing). It’s fascinating and depressing, all of it. It is good to see how No Kum Sok was able to find a better life, but devastating for all those who can’t get out of that hellhole. (Spoiler alert: years later, he learns that his best friend was executed after he defected). I had less interest in the dictator Kim Il Sung but this book is very readable. Crazy to think that Kim was basically not much more than a Korean soldier fighting in China, working his way up, turning on and executing rivals, bungling a war, pleading to Stalin and Mao to get him out of every mess he gets into, bungling the management of a small country, and ruling ruthlessly as a dictator then dynasty (and his grandson is the idiot in charge today). Grade: 8

Interesting note: only one book by a female author in this crop!

The Places In Between by Rory Stewart – The author has walked through many countries – India, Nepal, Iran. In this memoir, he tells of his walk through Afghanistan in 2002, just after the Taliban fell. Reading the book in 2022, it’s easy to see why the Taliban rose again so swiftly. It would seem that outside of Kabul, the country is uneducated, hungry, poor, and tired of war. But Stewart’s account is riveting. Most villages he visits consist of shabby houses (or huts) and maybe a mosque. No restaurants, hospitals, or schools. And although Stewart runs into some shady characters, most of the people open their homes to him, house him for a night and feed him (even though the meal is usually not much more than dry bread and beans). Can you imagine the reverse? If a Muslim went on foot through the US and requested to be put up in people’s homes for free. Grade: 7

Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor – I’m not the biggest fan of short stories, so I’m not sure why I started this book. It did say that many of the stories were related to each other though. Anyway, the author’s writing was very descriptive and visceral (at times I kinda went “eww”) and each character certainly felt real and human. If you like short stories, you might enjoy this as it certainly was well-written, but I just couldn’t stay interested. Grade: 4

Better To Have Gone by Akash Kapur – An interesting book, part memoir but mostly an excavation of two lives. John and Diane were the author’s in-laws, and they were also two members of an intentional community in India called Auroville. They both died young and in somewhat mysterious circumstances. So the author examines what he can about their lives, and the founding of Auroville and its leaders. It was a nice look at something I hadn’t known much about, but I wasn’t truly hooked either. Grade: 5

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow - I tend to prefer non-fiction, and I tend to be very harsh when judging fiction, immediately putting a novel aside if it doesn’t capture my attention. But when I find a good piece of fiction that I can sink my teeth into, I am really, really happy. This book made me happy. J It tells the story of the middle Bennet sister of “Pride and Prejudice”. Mary is the one who isn’t beautiful, and she doesn’t have social skills either – she’s basically a bookish nerd, and she looks likely to remain a “spinster” much to the dismay of her shallow mother. But Mary is determined to carve out her own path and live life on her own terms. This was a remarkable work of storytelling; I read all 470 pages in three days. Grade: 8

Still Just A Geek by Wil Wheaton – Here is Wil Wheaton’s annotated – I mean really really annotated – memoir. He takes his older memoir (“Just a Geek”) and annotates the living hell out of it. The TLDR version of this report? I love Wil. I loved this book and mostly read all of its nearly-500 pages in 3 days, though I did skip some of the gaming stuff. Grade: 8

But….here’s the longer version, if anyone cares about my history with the subject matter. I never liked Wesley Crusher and never really thought about him despite the fact that I used to record Star Trek Next Gen onto VHS tapes and watch each ep more than once. I also never considered myself all that fannish over Next Gen, despite the aforementioned episode taping and re-watching. In any case, Next Gen ended, many years went by, and somewhere along the way, someone said to me something like, “Hey did you know that Wil Wheaton is cool now? He’s a geek like us, he loves sci fi. He’s got this blog that everyone’s reading.” (I don’t know who said this to me. Tina? Ben and Val? Ann? A friend from fandom and not real life?) Wheaton got back onto my radar that way. I listed to his reading of the audiobook Ready Player One. At some point I started to follow him on social media. He had suffered abuse from his parents and now he struggled with mental health. For a cishet white male, he seemed to be doing what he could to speak up for others and own his own privilege, and call out racism and other isms when he sees it. The book takes us through all of this, along with his struggles with money and not booking gigs, going on endless auditions and not landing roles. I loved hearing his behind-the-scenes looks at conventions too.

Another aside, about all the auditions Wheaton goes on and never hears back regarding. I know that it’s a terrible struggle for most actors. I gotta point out though….go to Wheaton’s IMDB page and he has a fuckton of credits. 140 acting credits as of right now. If you want a comparison, my favorite actor from The 100 has 37 and my favorite from Spartacus (who is older than Wheaton) has 22. Yes, many of Wheaton’s are B-grade productions or podcasts or voice-only but I’d say Wheaton’s acting career has been not just respectable but enviable! Of course I do understand that if you started your career with Stand By Me and Star Trek, you might not feel that way.

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland – Brilliant historical fiction! The setting is England, 1348 as a plague ravages the land. The main character is a traveling salesman and he is soon joined by 8 others as they try to outrun the plague and just survive. It starts out slow but soon becomes absolutely riveting. There are lies, secrets, murder, and intrigue. Some of the secrets are heavily telegraphed and you see them coming, but I still couldn’t put the book down. Grade: 8

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn – The author and her husband have just lost a prolonged court battle over their house, and they are getting evicted. And now they’ve just received his terminal diagnosis, and his days are numbered. So the two decide to set out and walk Wales’ version of the Appalachian Trail (AT). Quite a set-up for this memoir! The author and her husband are homeless, and he is going to die. I do enjoy reading of people’s treks through places like the AT or the Pacific Crest Trail, and this one was pretty good too, though the authors are constantly hungry, tired, broke, and wet. This is not a feel-good book, LOL! It was engaging though. Grade: 7

Simple Living by Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska - I got this from a Little Free Library. It’s a memoir by a couple who decides to get out of the rat race, leave LA, and live on his parents’ farm in North Carolina. The book was first published in 1982, so a lot of the ideas presented here are really old hat to me. Nothing surprising or particularly useful. (Get rid of stuff you’re not using. Move to a smaller, cheaper residence. Cook more, use restaurants less). The writing was also a bit cloying and cutesy at times too. On the other hand, maybe I am being a bit harsh. It is nice when someone opens their door and allows you to take a look into their lives, and the ways they are trying to live a bit more gently upon the earth. Grade: 5

To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins – Oh wow, this one was awesome! The author decides to ride his bike from Oregon all the way down to Patagonia. What makes a top-notch travel memoir? I don’t know, but this one was never remotely boring. I was enthralled at reading what happens, especially when he gets south of the US border. He rides through small towns, through big towns, through deserts, sometimes using an app that connects him with people who open their homes to travelers. Jenkins gives us just a bit of his background, and it is really interesting too. His parents are Bible-thumpers who, in the 1970s, walked across the US and were featured in National Geographic. Jenkins is gay and his mom doesn’t accept him for that, though they are close in other ways. Loved this book and probably finished it in 2 days. It almost made me want to visit Latin America, as Jenkins points out that the big cities there look like old-world European cities, and you can visit without changing time zones, unlike Europe. (His mom flies down to meet him at one, and they take in an Italian restaurant and an opera). Grade: 8

Camgirl by Isa Mazzei – Another book that I finished off in a couple of days. I always wondered what it’s like for someone who makes their living from webcams. The author tells her story, giving a detailed behind-the-scenes look at how the whole system works. That part I found enthralling. The early part of the book about her childhood was a bit boring to me though. (Very wealthy parents, but one is depressed and the other alcoholic. Mazzei learns at a young age that she can get power over boys by dating them and doing all sorts of manipulation of them. She also finds she doesn’t particularly like sex with either men or women. She tries several different jobs. Then she realizes she may as well make money in the sex industry, and she first works as a sugar baby and then a camgirl). Towards the end of the book, she realizes why she has always behaved in certain ways (preferring cam-ing to a real relationship) and she says farewell to the camgirl world. Grade: 7

I just did a book report! So here's another. The past week or so, I haven't written much fanfic, so I have read a lot of books. All non-fiction this time, but I currently am reading a really good novel so that'll be on the next one. And all of these books were fantastic....

Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni – I went into this book not expecting to enjoy it that much. Let’s admit it: books about the Middle East can be depressing and infuriating, and sometimes filled with an endless stream of religious and ethnic tensions going back centuries that are hard for a Westerner to grasp. But this book was remarkable. I couldn’t put it down. The author profiles 13 women who did the unthinkable: joined ISIS. Their stories are so diverse and enthralling. Some grew up in Syria in poverty and without a way out. Some grew up in England or Germany but had terrible or just frustrating home lives that they sought to escape. The author herself says at the end of the day, no one fully knows why people join terrorist sects, and so there are no easy answers here. The author captures the complexity of these women’s lives and backgrounds, and presents just enough of the historical and cultural backdrop that each story is grounded. Grade: 8

12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World: An Abolitionist’s Handbook by Patrisse Cullors – The author is one of the founders of BLM and a prison abolitionist. This book is an activist survival kit. Cullors gives all sorts of tips and ideas and strategies for taking care of yourself so you can bring about the world you want to see. From learning how to have courageous conversations to tapping into your imagination and creativity to building community. It’s all in here, and any organizer could benefit from this book. Grade: 8

You Can’t Be Serious by Kal Penn – WOW! I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard of it. I’d learned that the actor Kal Penn (from Harold and Kumar, House, and Designated Survivor) had also worked in the Obama White House and recently come out as gay, so yeah I was on board. And I read the book in just about two days. There were so many aspects of it that I loved. He talked about his struggles as an Indian-American actor. (He gets an agent to review his auditions. The agent says his acting truly is great, but that Penn will never land anything other than one or two gigs playing taxi drivers, and so the agent can’t waste his time with a client like that). He talked about volunteering for Obama in 2008, even going so far as to spend months in Iowa campaigning. And then he later lands a job and works at the actual White House. I did want more about his coming out though. He drops about two quick mentions in earlier chapters that he’s into guys, and later on he gives us a whole chapter on his fiancé Josh and how they met (and how Josh got him into….NASCAR. Of all things). But we never do get Kal’s experience coming out, like to himself or to his family or the broader world. I would’ve really liked that. In any case, the book was still wonderful. Grade: 8

Wine to Water by Doc Hendley – The author grew up in North Carolina and is a self-described redneck bartender. He’s pretty directionless in his life until he reads some articles and gets the idea to host fundraisers to support clean water in Sudan. Hendley teams up with a nonprofit (a Christian Evangelical one, but he doesn’t focus too much on that aspect of the organization). He soon is on an airplane to Darfur, working with survivors of the brutal Janjaweed, repairing wells, and nearly getting killed more than once. One thing I liked about the book was the author grappling with how to make a difference. Like he’s had to bargain with Janjaweed warlords, he has seen wells that he repaired get blown up a month later – I liked reading his candid struggle with how one person and one organization tries to improve the world but often feels like 'one step forward, two steps back'. Is there a bit of a ‘white savior’ complex going on here and would I probably find plenty to disagree with Hendley on? Yes. But I gotta admire his work, and his story is compelling too. Grade: 7

Cuz: An American Tragedy by Danielle Allen – The author looks back at her cousin Michael’s death. He was arrested at age 15 for an attempted carjacking, tried as an adult, served 11 years, and was dead within three years of his release. I mentioned that one day Doris looked at what I was reading and said, “Not another North Korea!” I guess one could look at my books and say “Not another prison industrial complex!” But regardless of the fact that I’ve read a lot on this topic, this book was intriguing. I was sucked into Michael’s life as well as the recent history that I wish every American knew of – the prison machine which began growing like a monster in the 1970s and has eaten up Black and brown lives ever since. (Never forget that the US houses about 5% of the world’s population – but 20% of its prisoners). Grade: 8

Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Ahmed – I normally prefer historical fiction. But there was something awesome about this novel set in current times, with so many key plot points taking place against a backdrop of recent history. (One of the main characters is undergoing a pivot point in her marriage as Obama is elected to his first term and Proposition 8 passes in California. Two years later she is working on Kamala Harris’ campaign for Attorney General). And the author did seem to capture a lot of timeless themes, like sibling rivalry and human failings and love. It never quite gripped me but it was good. Grade: 7

An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski – So many thoughts ran through my mind as I read this memoir. First, a bit about its subject matter. In 1980s NYC, Laura Schroff is a successful ad executive. (And is white). A Black teenage boy named Maurice asks her for money, she keeps walking by until something compels her to turn around. She takes him to McDonald’s, they soon go on to meet every week, and they remain in each other’s lives. Despite nearly insurmountable odds (a drug addicted mother, absent father, dire poverty), Maurice goes on to have a stable and happy adulthood. So yeah, there’s a lot to unpack here. Is this just another “white savior” story? Is it also similar to books like The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Pearce or The Lost Daughter? (White person interacts with Black person and gets to see glimpses of their world! Decides to help them!) With this book, I will say that Laura Schroff is aware of her economic privilege, though sadly there is not one mention of racism in it. And Schroff’s coauthor is a writer, making me wonder why Maurice’s voice is mostly absent until a note at the end. (Did he intend to write his own memoir someday? Was he just not that interested in this project?) All of those questions and concerns swirled around for me. But the book as a book is fantastic, a gripping page turner – I mostly read it on one afternoon I had off, accompanied by a pot of tea. Grade: 8

Level Up by Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson – A business book that is a page-turner? Co-written by THE Stacey Abrams? OMG yes. Why is Abrams such a great writer? This is perhaps the 3rd book by her that I’ve read, and they are all good. In this book, she and her business partner talk about what it’s like to own a small business today. The pitfalls they face, how much the world of small business ownership has changed even in the last 10 years (this book is hot off the presses, from 2022. The copy from the library I held, it felt like I was the first person to touch the brand-new pages), how to be flexible and navigate them. I wish my wife would read this, as it seems she could learn from this; like she’s had trouble with cash flow, and they talk about that here. Grade: 8

Spirit Run by Noe Alvarez – In this memoir, the author talks about a run he went on. A group of folks with Indigenous heritage ran for peace and justice, from Canada to Mexico. It was a grueling experience, with bad behaviors from many group leaders and shortages of food and water. Alvarez takes many detours in this book to talk about his family and his life growing up. I don’t know….for whatever reason, this book just like never took off or never got gripping. Grade: 5

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon – A work of fiction. So, I’ve had a long day and am struggling to describe the book; I’m going to start by just pasting something from Amazon. (Weak, I know): “Vern - seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised - flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world. But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes.” (Back to me now). I wanted to love this book. I should love this book. There are WLW and racism is a major theme with all the main characters being POC, and fighting back against oppression is also a theme. Idk, I just didn’t connect with it. Am I in a ‘not connecting’ mood? Because see below….. (Grade for this one? I will go with a 6, I guess)

Books I started reading but didn’t finish:

I’ve stopped doing this section. If I listed every book I started but chose not to finish, it would be longer than each book report. But The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck has me stumped. I loved the setting (a castle in post WWII Germany, lived in by women and children), the plot should have been good enough, and the characters were alright (including one with the same first name as I, and she is awesome). But I couldn’t finish the damn book. The only decent explanation I have is that the narrative did move backwards and forwards in tine, and the old skip-around technique usually doesn’t work for me. I still think my coldness towards the book was odd. Maybe it just lacked the hard-to-grasp element that makes a book compelling?

Please Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson – The author has written a few other books, she’s funny, she’s occasionally insightful. This book was a bit uneven for me. Like she spends a loooong time talking about her decision not to have children, and maybe I’m the wrong audience for that because I’m like ‘Yeah, I get it, I made the same choice….now please don’t spend another 80 pages on this?’ But some of the other sections are better and I found myself making notes on pages where she talks about performative allyship. And laughing when she talks about her reclusive, vegan parents who never leave the house and had to be coaxed to go meet Michelle Obama. Grade: 6

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg – I purchased this book circa 1987, shortly after it came out, from Anderson’s Bookstore in the town I grew up. I pulled it from a bookshelf in my basement. It’s slightly yellowed with age. Before the internet, I would re-read this book often. It’s a collection of short essays, each with different advice on writing and how to be a writer. Although I probably read it a dozen times in the 80’s, it’s been oh a few decades since I’ve picked it up, so I decided to do it once more. In summary, despite some flaws, it holds up really well. Goldberg is a poet and her advice on everything from writing more colorfully to the practice and the habits that make a successful writer still all ring true. I’d say the main flaws in the book are small things: Goldberg talks a lot about herself (this gets worse in her later books, which I don’t intend to re-read) and she has been known to go on about things that various Buddhist teachers have told her over the years, some of which apply to the craft of writing more than others. Still, I’d say after 40 years this deserves to be regarded as a classic. Grade: 8

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong – This is a very poetic, literary novel told in the format of the protagonist’s letters to his mother. The mother, and her own mother, fled Vietnam for the US. The protagonist has never fit in, and is also a gay man. There isn’t much of a plot but it is a beautiful and sad read, especially when he describes his mother’s endless labors in nail salons, and his own doomed romance with a guy who identifies as straight. Grade: 7

Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir – A memoir by a woman who grew up in a very wealthy and powerful family in 1970’s Morocco. But her father led a failed coup attempt, and thus she was imprisoned by the king for more than 20 years – along with her mother, siblings (one of whom is as young as three), and two servants/friends of the family. Without a doubt, it is a captivating read especially once they get to the prison – and once they start to plan an escape. But I have to quibble with one thing. At one point, Oufkir is upset because she feels the world has forgotten her. Yet earlier in the book, she writes of the “slaves” who live in the palace, glossing over their lives and their plight. What about the world forgetting them?? (Does Morocco still have slavery? Did anyone know or care that in 1970s Morocco there were hundreds of enslaved people in the palace? Oufkir spent her first 20 years living in the lap of luxury before she was unfairly imprisoned. I mean I get it, no one is perfect, none of us fully see our own privilege. Still I have to say that contrast in this book doesn’t sit well with me). Grade: 7

We Do This Till We Free Us by Mariame Kuba – Do you ever read a book that pushes your thinking and challenges it? The author is an author and organizer, active in the movements for prison abolition and transformative justice. I opened the book with some trepidation, worried it would be a chronicle of one miscarriage of justice after another. And yes, without a doubt, those stories are in here, as they need to be. And yet it’s also a digestible read, full of practical ideas and philosophy and hope and new ways of looking at these issues. It falls into the “I really wish more people would read and consider this!” category. Grade: 7

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh – A dark novel in which three sisters are raised on a remote island. Their parents treat the family like a cult, forcing the girls into rituals to ostensibly protect them from the outside world and its toxins and its men. Their world is shattered when their dad disappears, and then later three men appear on their island. I guess I can kind of step back and admire that for some folks this book might have been awesome, but it really just wasn’t for me. I didn’t see the point of it, and I left it feeling kinda empty. Grade: 3

Heart of Fire by Mazie K Hirono - Fascinating memoir by the US Senator from Hawaii. Loved it. She tells her whole story. She immigrated as a very young child from Japan, as her mom fled a terrible marriage. They were really, really poor for a while. Hirono lived for many years with her mother and brother in a 1 room tenement, with a shared bathroom and kitchen down the hall - all three family members slept on 1 bed. Her mom eventually gets some better jobs, and Hirono does well in school, and eventually gets involved in political campaigns. She then runs for Hawaii’s House of Reps and later for Lieutenant Governor. Interestingly that when she ran for Governor, her opponent was also a woman, and it was only the second time in US history that both major parties had a female candidate for governor. (Looks like Nebraska was the first in the 1980s). There are so many great tidbits in here. Hirono says that she read feminist literature in the 1960s and it convinced her that she was not meant to devote her life to marriage and motherhood. She shares that for decades, she had an on-again-off-again with this guy but he was kind of a jerk, and she turned down his marriage proposal. (She does eventually marry a great guy. He’s got a daughter from his previous marriage). Hirono’s mom and grandma were really her anchors and inspirations. Anyway, it’s a solid read all the way through and it ends with the Trump years and the hopefulness of the 2020 election. Grade: 8

Transforming Stress: The HeartMath Solution for Relieving Worry, Fatigue, and Tension by Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman – I read this book many years ago, and wanted to re-read it now. The long and the short of it is that it does exactly what the title suggests. I find the method the authors teach is way easier and fits me way better than meditation. It helps a lot. Grade: 8

All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg – Attenberg is one of the rare novelists who I enjoy not for her plots – her plots are never anything exceptional – but more for the way she writes and especially how she writes human behavior. She’s just so good at capturing characters and moments and getting to the core of what makes us human. Each person and each scenario felt real. As for this novel, the plot is basically that an old man dies, and he was a white-collar criminal and a jerk, and we see the reactions of his adult children and other family members. Grade: 8

This is How We Come Back Stronger edited by Feminist Book Society – I was looking forward to delving into this one, since it was published during the pandemic and the tagline is “feminist writers on turning crisis into change”. I’ve read lots of essay collections. Some have mostly awesome essays, some have mostly crummy essays, some have a mixed bag. I think this one is a mixed bag? Nothing in here grabbed me that much, but there were a few that I nodded along to or thought were reasonably insightful. Grade: 5

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker – First off I have to admit that I’m confused as to whether or not this is a sequel to something else Barker wrote, but let me just put that aside. This novel is historical fiction, focusing on the women of Troy after it falls to the Greeks. You know, as much as I love this genre, I gotta pause for a moment and reflect on how much of history is one group of men invading and overtaking another, killing all the men and enslaving all the women. Because that is what has happened here. The main character, Breseis, has it a bit better because she was a VIP beforehand and ends up married to Achilles. But most of the women she hangs with and visits are enslaved. I have to marvel at the author. She very gently but unmistakably shows us the banality of evil in the ways these women are treated – all the while, weaving together a solid storyline. But at the end of the day, as much as I appreciated the book, I didn’t think it came to a fully satisfying conclusion and I was never really swept away by it either. (And it pales in comparison to the next book here) Grade: 7 (or 6?)

White Houses by Amy Bloom – Do you ever have a book on your ‘to read’ list that you dread reading and put off forever? Then one day it comes up when you pick at random and you decide to go for it, even though you think you won’t like it? And then you are shocked to find yourself utterly captivated by it. This book was like that for me. It’s a novel about the real relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and reporter Lorena “Hick” Hickok. I didn’t think I’d like it very much, mostly because I’d already read a non-fiction account of their relationship. But this novel was EXTRAORDINARY. I could not put it down. Everything from Amy Bloom’s prose (which was stunning, sophisticated, detailed) to the plot just utterly drew me in. It was just wondrous. I could kick myself for putting this book off for so long. Grade: 9

What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon – This book could be a primer for people experienced with fat activism as well a good introduction for people new to the concept. Just when I’d been hoping that things were getting a little better on this front, Gordon reminds us that weight prejudice is everywhere and by any decent measures, seems to be getting worse. She covers a good range of topics in the 170 pages, including the idea of moving from body positivity to body justice and how weight discrimination is often coupled with racism and transphobia too. The book gets a bit repetitive at times, but still I wish everyone would read it. In fact, speaking of that….I actually purchased this book from a local bookstore instead of borrowing it from a library. I wanted to keep it, but thought it better if I disseminated it, so I took it to a Little Free Library. I was also thrilled to see a recent issue of Veg News magazine devote 3 entire pages to this book and its ideas (and it was all positive). Grade: 8

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller – A novel taking place in modern day Ireland. Jeanie and Julius are 51 year-old twins, living in a remote cottage with their mother. They have very little contact with the outside world, apart from the handyman jobs Julius takes and the veggies Jeanie and her mom sell from their garden. Then the mom dies suddenly, and old secrets are revealed, and the twins look like they might soon be homeless and destitute. It was an engaging story, well-written. Grade: 7

Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language by Amanda Montell – Brilliant, enlightening, enraging and yet fun book that does exactly what the title says. I’ve thought a lot about language and sexism over the years, and even still I learned a ton from this self-proclaimed ‘word nerd’. She even changed my mind a bit about some things (like hey, vocal fry isn’t that bad and young women often lead the way in evolving language). Grade: 7

Another book report already? Unfortunately it means I haven't written a lot of fanfic in the past 2 weeks. But at least these books were good!

Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette – I need to find the right words to describe this novel. Quirky. Sweet. Sad. Insightful. Real. Poignant. Filled with little details and moments that show that all the characters are fully-realized. The story takes place in modern times, and Agatha is a nun in a small order. The Catholic church is facing serious financial woes, and the woman who is like their Mother Superior is getting old and moving to a retirement home where they can take more care of her. So Agatha and her three sisters take a position at a live-in rehab place. Agatha is also asked to teach geometry at a local all-girls’ school, and she starts learning more about herself and realizing she has changed. Lovely, easy read and I think the book will stay with me for a bit. Grade: 8

Carville’s Cure: Leprosy, Stigma, and the Fight for Justice by Pam Fessler – I’ve never thought much about the topic of leprosy before. I remember it mentioned in the Bible a lot, and as a kid I once asked a teacher about it and she said the disease was pretty much eliminated in modern times. It is now called Hansen’s disease (and needless to say, the term ‘leper’ is not cool and not to be used). This book is a very intriguing, well-documented history of a place in Louisiana where many people with the diseases were taken to against their will and warehoused for the rest of their lives. It starts out as a horrible, run-down institution, but it gradually improves. The Catholic nuns who run it get better at treating people with the disease, and the conditions improve somewhat, and it becomes like a family for many. People of all races lived and worked together here at a time when that was very uncommon. This was the best sort of journalistic book; the author tells the stories of individuals who were touched by Hansen’s and how they were treated by society at large. She’s a great storyteller who has documented and researched everything. Grade: 7

Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Results by Rebecca Bell. Illustrated by Hugo Martinez. – This is a graphic memoir. The author researches woman-led slave revolts, not an easy undertaking as so much of the history is buried. She visits libraries from New York to London to try to get her hands on tidbits of information. Like this company in England, which is still in business today, profited from the slave trade so she tries to get at their records – but is thwarted. She also covers how mentally agonizing it is to research this, being the descendant herself of enslaved people. And she imagines the stories of these fighters, best as she can. Fascinating note: slave ships that had more women on them had more revolts than those that had fewer. Sad topic but well done here. Grade: 8

A Song of Flight by Juliet Marillier – This is the third and last book in a series by the historical fantasy writer who I love. I won’t go into the details since I’ve gushed about this author enough already in here! And this one is overall similar in theme to her others (taking place in ancient Ireland…there are beings that we might call ‘fey’ who interact with the main characters, though they never dominate events, there is action and mystery and romance). I am sad that the series is over. In fact, this trilogy is actually a continuation of another trilogy she wrote (two of the major characters are children of the main characters from the last one…..Oh man I’ve gotten attached to these people!!) Extra shout-out for there being a same-sex couple in this book. The author hinted back in the first book that these two were more than friends, and confirmed it here – though they didn’t get much “camera time” here, they did still play a good role. And I always say this but Juliet Marillier is in her 70’s and I just hope she keeps writing (if she wants to!) Grade: 8

Just Ash by Sol Santana – This was a great, fast-paced novel taking place in modern times. Ash is intersex and identifies as male. His parents are jerks who don’t accept him, especially now that he’s started to menstruate and grow breasts. A quick, gripping read by an author who is also intersex. Grade: 7

I haven't posted in almost a month? And my last report was another book report? Probably wouldn't hurt if I did a non-book report post at some point. But here's the usual...

Also - interesting - some of the lowest overall grades I've given in a while.

Feeding the Soul by Tabitha Brown – Basically I’d sum this one up with “I love you Tabitha, but your book is meh.” Tabitha Brown is someone I follow on social media; she posts vegan recipes and words of wisdom and inspiration, and has always seemed like a lovely person. So I knew I’d read her book as soon as it dropped. Sorry to say that the book isn’t much more than platitudes about continuing to follow your dreams and not paying attention to haters – nothing all that new or useful. I sure wanted to like it though! Grade: 4

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good written and compiled by adrienne maree brown – This is an interesting one to describe! First, I will cheat by taking a few lines from the book’s own back cover to describe the book. “How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Editor adrienne maree brown finds the answer in something she calls “pleasure activism,” a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work.” I give brown credit –I’ve never really read a book like this one before and it’s innovative. It’s also such an expansive topic that one book can’t really capture. Unfortunately, despite how brown defines pleasure at the outset, most of the essays and examples do revolve around sex. I wanted more of the tie-in to activism, to the healing and world-changing I was promised. J The book is a mix of essays and interviews, and I didn’t read every word of this book; a lot of it didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t have much interest on the section on drug use as a form of pleasure, but then the interview with someone struggling with cancer and all the side-effects of her treatments and how is she to experience pleasure now – that was illuminating. But many of the interviews just went on too long. The short essays on topics from porn to consent, along with ideas at the end for improving your own experiences, were good. So yeah, the book is pretty uneven in terms of quality. I guess at the end of the day I’d say that the book is….a good start to a conversation that needs to be had. Grade: 5

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer – This is the 3^rd book in a series….you know the drill, an asteroid hits the moon, floods and volcanoes happen everywhere, everything goes to shit. I appreciated that in this book the characters from the first two come together (previously their storylines had been separate). There’s plenty to not like in this series too (sloppy writing, questions on how realistic any of this is, etc) but there is a 4^th book in the series and I’m engaged enough that I guess I’ll read it. Grade: 5

Beyond the Last Village by Alan Rabinowitz – The author is a specialist in wildlife conservation, and in the 1990s he goes to some of the most remote areas of Burma (Myanmar) to learn about its wildlife. I love reading stories of how people get to really remote places and such, and this aspect did not disappoint here. He also included enough interesting details about his personal life, his team and the people he meets along the way. Grade: 6

Stars Between the Sun and Moon by Lucia Jang – Doris looked at this book on the sofa and sighed, “Not another North Korea.” So yes, this is a memoir from a woman who grew up in North Korea, travelled to and from China many times just to get food during North Korea’s famine in the 1990s, was imprisoned several times, and eventually makes it to Mongolia and then Canada. It is true…many North Korean memoirs are the same story of deprivation and lack of human rights over and over again. But as always, I was glued to the page and could only marvel at the things people endure and survive. Grade: 7

Kin by Shawna Kay Rodenberg – A memoir. The author has lived in an off-the-grid uber-religious group as a child, left it, gone to college but washed out, got pregnant by a way older man, and dealt with a father who is abusive often but sometimes loving. The book itself is uneven and choppy, skipping all over the place in terms of time. Some parts really dragged, like a whole chapter of her dad’s letters to his family when he was in Vietnam or the detailed section on her parents’ childhoods. I was fascinated by the parts taking place in the religious cult and the author’s attempt at college. The opening of the book is good too – it’s right after the 2016 election, and a camera crew is with her as she visits her family in Kentucky; the reporter wants more info on low-income whites who voted for Trump. The author tells us her parents actually voted for Clinton and Obama, and one of the New York cameramen whispers that he actually voted for Trump. In any case, the good parts of the book didn’t, in the end, make up for the boring parts and the choppy structure and I really believe this book was a missed opportunity. Grade: 4

This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon - I wish I watched cable; apparently the author is a CNN host. He also is brilliant and insightful, shining a lens on the US in 2021, where we are and how we got here – especially when it comes to racism. Just to take a minute to compare this book to the one above. Lemon captured the mood of much of the country at a certain time, gave insightful anecdotes, kept it crisp and interesting, and touched my heart a few times. Rodenberg just kinda wandered all over the place and went on far too long - and I think her book missed a chance to be a great one. In any case, with Lemon’s book – he lays bare the brutality of racism, and he does find some hope in economics and numbers, the fact that the US is soon to be a majority-minority country and that things that used to spark outrage a few short years ago (like an ad featuring an interracial couple) now doesn’t even raise an eyebrow. Grade: 8

The Dead and the Dying by Susan Beth Pfeffer – This is the second book in the series that started out with “Life As We Knew It”. An asteroid hits the moon, which causes flooding, volcanoes, reduced sunlight so fewer crops and way colder temperatures, etc, etc. This novel takes place at the same time as the first one, but in a different location with different protagonists. In this case, the setting is NYC and the protagonist is a hard-working teenage boy who attends Catholic school. I suppose this book is once again like a train wreck; I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I had to know if and how Alex and his family would survive. I do have one complaint. The protagonist in this one is a teenage boy. Not once does he mention sex or girls or wanting to have sex or wanting to have a boy/girlfriend. I get that the genre here is YA and I get that the protagonist is very religious and he’s also, like everyone in post-apocalyptic land, hungry most of the time which would dampen the old sex drive. Still I thought that was odd? He just never seems interested at all in anything pertaining to love or sex or romance. Maybe the writer meant for him to be asexual/aromantic, but that is never mentioned once either. Just ignoring the whole topic seems like a glaring omission. Grade: 6

Useful Delusions by Shankar Vedantam with Bell Mesler – Our brains trick us in so many ways, and sometimes it can be useful. The book has all sorts of insights from science and philosophy and really interesting examples. Grade: 7

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue – OMG. I love this book. Heck, I love this writer (she wrote “Room” and lots of other really good novels; some of her works I thought were just okay but she has a lot of great ones too). This book completely captivated me. It takes place over a 3-day period, and I think I read it in less than 2. The basic storyline follows a nurse named Julia Powers who is trying to keep her patients alive during the 1918 flu epidemic in Ireland. A volunteer named Bridie shows up to help (the hospital is desperate for help, since there’s also a war going on), and the two women forge an immediate bond. I won’t spoil anything else but the book had me in tears and I was awe-struck. My power went out when I was reading this, and I finished it with a flashlight as I was not going to put it down. Grade: 9

The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina – Really interesting stuff. Ian Urbina is an investigative journalist, and it looks to me like he is one of the highest order. He spent years looking at life at sea for lots of different people, and the fact that so much of what happens on the oceans is completely unregulated. He looks at men from Vietnam and other countries who are basically enslaved on fishing boats (after reading his look at their lives, I swear I should never complain about anything in my life, ever), cruise ships, activist organizations like Women on Waves (providing reproductive health care to women in places where abortion is illegal), The Sea Shepherd (they fight illegal whaling – it is incredibly hard to catch or prosecute those doing illegal whaling or fishing), Greenpeace and more. I could hardly put the book down – this guy knows how to give you just the right amount of info and it’s never boring. All I could say was wow. There’s like this whole world and whole economy out there that most of us never touch. Grade: 8

Trans Power by Juno Roche – Essays and interviews by the trans activist Juno Roche. I enjoyed reading their take on a range of issues regarding trans life, bodies, and experiences. Grade: 6

The Ex-Girlfriend of my Ex-Girlfriend is my Girlfriend by Maddy Court – I love a good advice book. This is a great advice book aimed at queer women. I didn’t have many epiphanies while reading it but it was still a ton of fun, with solid advice. Grade: 7

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah – I kinda feel like I needed this novel. It’s been too long since I’ve just been engrossed in a novel and eagerly turning its pages, and this story just fit the bill of what I needed. It’s historical fiction. The protagonist Elsa is born to a wealthy family in 1896, Texas. But she’s not pretty and not cool and her family treats her like a pariah. Her life goes on to take many turns, and when the Great Depression hits, she is tested in all sorts of new ways. Grade: 8

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer – A YA novel about the collapse of the world as we know it, brought on by an asteroid crashing into the moon. Worldwide tidal waves and volcanic eruptions soon follow, and we watch it unfold through the eyes of young Miranda, who lives with her mom and brothers. The postal service still works for some reason though - clearly Louis DeJoy is not head postmaster in the apocalypse. So in all seriousness, there are far better novels about society collapsing (like “Into the Forest” and “Station Eleven”). But I did end up turning the pages on this one too, and I went on to request the sequel from my library. Even though an actual review on the back cover of the book said: “It was kind of like a car crash I couldn’t stop looking at.” Grade: 6

All I Ever Wanted by Kathy Valentine – Memoir by one of the Go-Go’s. I gotta say that I loved it. I was never a big Go-Go’s fan though I did like a lot of their songs. When I was growing up, they were so big and I’d thought at one point they’d be big forever. In any case, Kathy Valentine does share quite a bit about her early life (she had a single mom, lots of freedom, started drinking and drugs early, but she always loved music). She gets to the good stuff soon enough though, focusing on her life in the Go-Go’s. I loved that Valentine takes a moment to appreciate each milestone in the band’s career (the cover of Rolling Stone, the opening act for The Police, playing on SNL, etc.) It is interesting…playing in the band meant the world to her and she was pretty crushed when Jane left and then Belinda and Charlotte announce the band is over so they can start Belinda’s solo career. Also interesting – the book ends around 1991 or so when the band reunites for a benefit. Then Valentine just spends a paragraph or two saying the Go-Go’s have gotten back together and split up several times since then, including once when she herself was kicked out. (A google search seems to indicate they are officially all back together – and they also made it into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame). It definitely feels like there’s a whole story there, and I can’t decide if ending the memoir at the point she did was a good decision or not. But anyone who likes 80’s music or women in rock might enjoy this as much as I did. Grade: 8

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb – This was a quite enjoyable memoir. The author is a therapist, and she falls into depression when her long-term boyfriend and fiancé dumps her. She decides to go into therapy herself, not an uncommon practice for therapists. In between telling her own story, she shares some stories from her own clients – one who seems to be the most arrogant jerk, a 30-something woman dying of cancer, a 79 year old women who plans to kill herself when she is 80 unless she makes some connections in life. (Gottlieb assures us that she has taken pains to change identifying details). It was nice to get a look behind the curtain and think about what a therapist must do, as well as to read her own story of dealing with such a major loss. Grade: 6

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London – In this novel, Bea Schumacher is a fashion blogger with tons of followers. She also happens to be plus-sized and nursing a broken heart over Ray, who for years has been clearly attracted to her but keeps backing away. Then she is approached to be the star in a Bachelorette-type reality show, and she decides to go for it despite worries over the fact that every other woman on the show so far has been a size 6. So yeah, the book is phluff – despite its admirable handling of size-prejudice and other prejudices too. But I really liked it; it moved at a brisk pace and was never remotely boring. Couldn’t help but to cheer for Bea, even though the outcome in terms of her love life was predictable from pretty much right after she starts the show. Grade: 6

Getting Off: One Woman’s Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction by Erica Garza – Just as the title says. Erica Garza’s childhood was…okay, nothing remarkable but at some point she gets addicted to sex and porn. Her journey was interesting to read about. There’s so much to ruminate on here too. As Garza points out, porn is so different now than it was a few decades ago. You can switch to something else every 30 seconds if you’re bored. Hell, I remember porn on VHS tapes – it wasn’t as easy to move around, so sometimes I just stuck with watching something for a while. Porn is a whole ‘nother beast now, in so many ways. I did get a bad taste in my mouth when Garza goes to Thailand to partake in the sex industry. There was not word of the fact that so many of the people in it are underage and/or enslaved. Girl, where is your conscience? Well I guess being an addict mostly takes it away? In any case, it was still good to read her book and learn about her experiences. Grade: 6

Subtle Blood by K.J. Charles – This is the third in a trilogy about Will Darling, who fought in World War !, came home to an old bookstore left to him by an uncle, and a handsome stranger who seems to be involved in trouble. I’ve really loved this trilogy, and the author sticks the landing with this final peace. The plot might not have captured me as much as the two previous ones, but she handles Will and Kim’s relationship beautifully and realistically. She’s got other books out and I can’t wait to read them! Grade: 8

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