A Bite-Size ARC Review- Shortlisted: Women in the Shadow of the Supreme Court

“Women, and especially female minorities, regularly find themselves equally or more qualified than the white men on the shortlist, but they are far less likely to be selected. Shortlists thus project a façade of diversity with their inclusion of women and minorities but function to preserve the status quo.”

Hi readers! I’m back with another ARC review this week. Thank you to netgalley and NYU press for the ARC of Shortlisted: Women in the Shadow of the Supreme Court by Renee Knake Jefferson and Hannah Brenner Johnson.

Synopsis:

“The inspiring and previously untold history of the women considered–but not selected–for the US Supreme Court

In 1981, after almost two centuries of exclusively male appointments, Sandra Day O’Connor became the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States, a significant historical moment and a symbolic triumph for supporters of women’s rights. Most do not know, however, about the remarkable women shortlisted for the Supreme Court in the decades before O’Connor’s success.

Shortlisted gives nine women formally considered but ultimately passed over for a seat on the Supreme Court going back to the 1930s the recognition they deserve. Award-winning scholars Renee Knake Jefferson and Hannah Brenner Johnson rely on previously unpublished materials to illustrate the professional and personal lives of these accomplished women. From Florence Allen, the first woman judge in Ohio, and the first to appear on a president’s list for the Court, to Cornelia Kennedy, the first woman to serve as chief judge of a US district court, shortlisted by Ford and Reagan, Shortlisted shares the often overlooked stories of those who paved the way for women’s representation throughout the legal profession and beyond.

In addition to filling a notable historical gap, the book exposes the harms of shortlisting–it reveals how adding qualified female candidates to a list but passing over them ultimately creates the appearance of diversity while preserving the status quo. This phenomenon often occurs with any pursuit of professional advancement, whether the judge in the courtroom, the CEO in the corner office, or the coach on the playing field. Women, and especially female minorities, while as qualified as others on the shortlist (if not more so), find themselves far less likely to be chosen. With the stories of these nine exemplary women as a framework, Shortlisted offers all women a valuable set of strategies for upending the injustices that still endure. It is a must-read for those vying for positions of power as well as for those who select them.”

The first part of the book looks at the women shortlisted throughout history, specifically focusing on 11 women who were considered before the nomination of the first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor. This section was informative given that I had never heard of any of the women mentioned and the authors give a short background of feminist history to put the shortlistings into context. But it was a slow start and felt more like I was reading through Wikipedia pages for each woman, and I didn’t enjoy the book until part 2.

The second part of the book was a lot more interesting with evaluating how qualified women are tokens that are put on lists for leadership roles but ultimately passed over to maintain the status quo. The authors evaluate each woman’s experience being shortlisted and how they were portrayed in the media with regards to age, relationship status, motherhood, and physical looks.

It was also inspiring that they pointed out that although these women were in the legal profession, the issues of women and especially minority women being put into leadership roles and the criticism from the media spans across all professions. The authors also discuss how we need to do better with our feminism by including all women, not just heterosexual, cis gendered, able bodied, white women. Their calls to action were inspiring and just what I needed after what’s been happening in US politics lately.

Although the first half wasn’t the most exciting, I’m still happy to have learned about these lesser known, important women who were sadly passed over for men to serve on the Supreme Court. In the words of the authors, Just think where we would be in terms of equality if we had put women on the Court sooner?

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

Looking Back at My Most-Anticipated Reads of 2019

We are almost at the end of the year bookworms! 2019 has been a great reading year for me with discovering new authors and reading old favorites. I also set a new reading record with 62 books! I wanted to take a look back at the books I was most excited about being published this year and you can find the full lists below.

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June to August
• September
• October

With this post, I’ll look at which books I read and if they met my expectations, which ones I own but haven’t read yet, which ones are on my TBR, and which ones I may no longer be interested in.

Read

• The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff – the book was unlike most WWII books I’ve read and I loved it! I definitely want to read more books by her and was glad to be able to read this one thanks to my local library.
• Parkland by Dave Cullen – one of my non-fiction reads this year and it was fantastic! I learned more about the movement and how amazing these kids were at organizing. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the gun control movement and the Parkland students.
• Give, a novel by Erica C. Witsell – this debut novel was an amazing, heartbreaking story. It ended up being one of my top favorites of the year!
• Yale Needs Women: How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant by Anne Gardiner Perkins – another non-fiction read for the year and probably one of the most important ones! Perkins told the unheard of stories of brave women fighting for their right to a higher education.
• The Testaments by Margaret Atwood – one of the Booker prize winners for the year and one of the only books I pre-ordered. It was all I hoped it would be and more
• The Girl I Left Behind by Andie Newton – Another debut novel and WWII story. Newton wrote a beautiful spy story that captured my attention right away

Owned but not read

• Naturally Tan by Tan France – I bought this one in an airport and started to read it but got distracted by other books. This one is at the top of my list for 2020!

Still on my TBR

• We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
• When All is Said by Anne Griffin
• The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
• Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
• On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
• The Night Olivia Fell by Christina MacDonald
• I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
• The Other Americans by Laila Lalami
• Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Era of Ignition by Amber Tamblyn
• If, Then by Kate Hope Day
• Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
• Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
• The Peacock Emporium by JoJo Moyes
• Women Talking by Miriam Toews
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn
• Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness
• Dear Girls by Ali Wong
• The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes
• Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

No Longer on my TBR

• The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson – I’ve lost interest in this book especially since its not the usual genre I read.

Conclusion: I still have a lot of books on my TBR not including the books that are backlisted and those being published in 2020. Overall, I read mostly quality books this year and was happy to read both new books as well as older books. Let me know below how your 2019 reading went!

 

Anticipated October 2019 Book Releases

Happy October book lovers! I’m ready to start having cooler weather and get cozy with tea and books this month. Do you have any books you’re planning on reading for October? Since it is the season to be spooky, I’m hoping to read a couple of thrillers and a witchy historical fiction novel, Her Kind, so keep an eye out for those reviews throughout the month! For now, let’s take a look at some of the most anticipated book releases of October (or at least the ones I’m most excited about).

1. The Girl I Left Behind by Andie Newton

This is a World War 2 historical fiction spy novel! The Girl I Left Behind is the debut novel from Andie Newton and I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy to check out. I fell in love with the writing and the characters, it was beautifully told and it wasn’t a typical WW2 novel where its focused on the concentration camps. Instead, Newton writes about Germans who were part of the Nazi party and tells the story of their perspective, depicting them as average people rather than monsters (which I think makes them scarier).  People usually wonder why Germans didn’t do something sooner to stop the atrocities or if they even knew, well this novel gives us a clearer picture of that. I think if you liked Tattooist of Auschwitz or WW2 novels in general, you’ll fall in love with Andie Newton’s novel as well!

Here’s the synopsis:

“What would you risk to save your best-friend?
As a young girl, Ella never considered that those around her weren’t as they appeared. But when her childhood best friend shows Ella that you can’t always believe what you see, Ella finds herself thrown into the world of the German Resistance.

On a dark night in 1941, Claudia is taken by the Gestapo, likely never to be seen again, unless Ella can save her. With the help of the man she loves, Ella must undertake her most dangerous mission yet and infiltrate the Nazi Party.

Selling secrets isn’t an easy job. In order to find Claudia, Ella must risk not only her life, but the lives of those she cares about.

Will Ella be able to leave behind the girl of her youth and step into the shoes of another?”

You can check out my review here.

Release date: October 3rd

2. Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

Speaking of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and WW2 novels, Heather Morris’ sequel to The Tattooist, Cilka’s Journey, is also being released this month! If you haven’t read her first novel yet, Cilka is a character we see in The Tattooist and get bits of her story from Lale but we never fully know about her. Well now Morris is telling us how Cilka made it into Auschwitz, what happened to her during her time in the camp, and what happens to her afterwards when she is sent to Siberia for being a collaborator to the Nazis. I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz in August and I’m very excited to learn more about Cilka and experience Morris’ gift for writing once more.

Synopsis:

“Her beauty saved her life – and condemned her.

Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.

After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia. But what choice did she have? And where did the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was sent to Auschwitz when still a child?

In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she makes an impression on a woman doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing. Cilka begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.

Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she daily confronts death and faces terror. And when she nurses a man called Ivan, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.”

Release Date: October 3rd

3. The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes

Wow it is a month for historical fiction! Obviously I’m excited about this one because of the genre but also I love JoJo Moyes’ writing. I first fell in love with her books with the Me Before You trilogy and now I hope to read all of her other work. To find out that my favorite author was writing a historical fiction novel, I couldn’t resist! Oh and it’s going to be made into a movie so if you like to read the book before seeing the movie, then I recommend not waiting too long to pick up a copy.

Synopsis:

“Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond, from the author of Me Before You and The Peacock Emporium

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes a classic drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers, they’re committed to their job–bringing books to people who have never had any, sharing the gift of learning that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope. At times funny, at others heartbreaking, this is a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.”

Release Date: October 8th

4. How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones

I’ve heard about this book from one of my favorite podcasts, Pod Save the People, and I don’t read memoirs very often but I’m trying to read more of them. I don’t know how to truly describe this book other than saying, based on the synopsis, it’s going to be an emotional, powerful book. I’ll let the synopsis provide you with the details and maybe you’ll want to read it too.

“From award-winning poet Saeed Jones, How We Fight for Our Lives is a stunning coming-of-age memoir written at the crossroads of sex, race, and power.

“People don’t just happen,” writes Saeed Jones. “We sacrifice former versions of ourselves. We sacrifice the people who dared to raise us. The ‘I’ it seems doesn’t exist until we are able to say, ‘I am no longer yours.’ ”

Haunted and haunting, Jones’s memoir tells the story of a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears. Through a series of vignettes that chart a course across the American landscape, Jones draws readers into his boyhood and adolescence—into tumultuous relationships with his mother and grandmother, into passing flings with lovers, friends and strangers. Each piece builds into a larger examination of race and queerness, power and vulnerability, love and grief: a portrait of what we all do for one another—and to one another—as we fight to become ourselves.

Blending poetry and prose, Jones has developed a style that is equal parts sensual, beautiful, and powerful—a voice that’s by turns a river, a blues, and a nightscape set ablaze. How We Fight for Our Lives is a one of a kind memoir and a book that cements Saeed Jones as an essential writer for our time.”

Release Date: October 8th

5. Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong

Another memoir that I’m really looking forward to, and probably the non-fiction book I’m most excited about for the entire year! I have loved Ali Wong’s comedy specials and roles in popular media like American Housewife and Always Be My Maybe. She is hilarious and honest making her one of my favorite comedians. When I heard she was writing a book, all I could think was “hell yes!” and instantly pre-order it. If you have been living under a rock and don’t know the name Ali Wong, please do yourself a favor and watch Baby Cobra or Hard Knock Wife on Netflix and prepare to laugh until you cry.

Synopsis:

“Ali Wong’s heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters (the two she put to work while they were still in utero), covering everything they need to know in life, like the unpleasant details of dating, how to be a working mom in a male-dominated profession, and how she trapped their dad.

In her hit Netflix comedy special Baby Cobra, an eight-month pregnant Ali Wong resonated so heavily that she became a popular Halloween costume. Wong told the world her remarkably unfiltered thoughts on marriage, sex, Asian culture, working women, and why you never see new mom comics on stage but you sure see plenty of new dads.

The sharp insights and humor are even more personal in this completely original collection. She shares the wisdom she’s learned from a life in comedy and reveals stories from her life off stage, including the brutal singles life in New York (i.e. the inevitable confrontation with erectile dysfunction), reconnecting with her roots (and drinking snake blood) in Vietnam, tales of being a wild child growing up in San Francisco, and parenting war stories. Though addressed to her daughters, Ali Wong’s letters are absurdly funny, surprisingly moving, and enlightening (and disgusting) for all.”

Release Date: October 15th

Yale Needs Women: An ARC Book Review

Hello again everyone! I hope your September reading has been going well. This week I finished a newly released book, Yale Needs Women by Anne Gardiner Perkins, which I received as an ARC from NetGalley and Source Books in exchange for an honest review. Let’s jump in!

Synopsis:
“In the winter of 1969, from big cities to small towns, young women across the country sent in applications to Yale University for the first time. The Ivy League institution dedicated to graduating “one thousand male leaders” each year had finally decided to open its doors to the nation’s top female students. The landmark decision was a huge step forward for women’s equality in education.Or was it?
The experience the first undergraduate women found when they stepped onto Yale’s imposing campus was not the same one their male peers enjoyed. Isolated from one another, singled out as oddities and sexual objects, and barred from many of the privileges an elite education was supposed to offer, many of the first girls found themselves immersed in an overwhelmingly male culture they were unprepared to face. Yale Needs Women is the story of how these young women fought against the backward-leaning traditions of a centuries-old institution and created the opportunities that would carry them into the future. Anne Gardiner Perkins’s unflinching account of a group of young women striving for change is an inspiring story of strength, resilience, and courage that continues to resonate today.”

I loved this book so much! It may be non fiction and based on the authors PhD dissertation but it read like a novel. We see the lives of 5 women who become the first undergrads to attend Yale. Perkins writes about their lives before, during, and after Yale which I think helped me connect with the women and kept me interested. It was an eye opening read as I learned new facts not just about Yale and the brave women who fought to change the University, but also pop culture events happening at the time that affected the fight for gender equality. For example, she talked about the rising Black Panther Movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, fight for reproductive rights, and Stonewall.

I was also glad to see that the author didn’t just focus on white women but she also focused on the issues facing black women and their fight for equality against sexism and racism. She ended the book pointing to how strong these women were and how much they achieved, but the fight still isn’t over. We still see inequality between men and women but we are still fighting to change that, just like the Yale ‘superwomen.’ Overall I give this book a glowing 5 out of 5 stars because it was eye opening, intriguing and a forgotten piece of history that everyone should learn about. I’ll definitely be purchasing my own physical copy!

I hope you have a good rest of your September and find some enjoyable, cozy reads! Yale Needs Women was released September 10; if you’re looking for other new releases for this month check out my last blog post about other September Releases! As always, please feel free to leave a comment about your thoughts and any exciting books you’ve been reading. I’m always happy to chat about books!

A Bite-Size Review: Feminism for the 99%

Hello Readers! I’m back with another bite-size review. This time I’m reviewing Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto by Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya, and Nancy Fraser. I hope you enjoy and please leave your thoughts in the comments below!

 

Synopsis:

“This is a manifesto for the 99 percent.

Unaffordable housing, poverty wages, inadequate healthcare, border policing, climate change—these are not what you ordinarily hear feminists talking about. But aren’t they the biggest issues for the vast majority of women around the globe?

Taking as its inspiration the new wave of feminist militancy that has erupted globally, this manifesto makes a simple but powerful case: feminism shouldn’t start—or stop—with the drive to have women represented at the top of their professions. It must focus on those at the bottom, and fight for the world they deserve. And that means targeting capitalism. Feminism must be anti capitalist, Eco-socialist and anti racist” (synopsis courtesy of Amazon).

This book was a learning experience for me. I enjoyed the ideas they discussed about how we can make feminism more inclusive and issues linked to feminism like class struggles and racism. One thing I didn’t like though was for a book that’s about the 99% it’s not written as such. The terms and language used could be confusing at times and unless you’re an economics or gender studies person, you will need a dictionary to help you through this book. I also found it off putting that the writers would refer to liberal, white feminists as “financiers in skirts” or “warmongers in skirts” like is wearing a skirt not feminist? Maybe I just took it the wrong way but overall it’s a book I felt taught me a lot about how I can be more inclusive in my feminism!

Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars because the ideas were interesting and I learned new things, but the language made it a less enjoyable read.

Read Around the World: Haiti

Hey readers! This week I’ve finally been able to get back to my read around the world challenge that I started last year. I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of Twelve Unending Summers by Cholet Kelly Josue, M.D. from NetGalley and Authority Publishing. Kelly Josue was born in the Bahamas to Haitian parents, but as a teenager he was sent to live in America. Twelve Unending Summers is his memoir documenting his immigrant experience in the United States and trying to find his identity among three different cultures.

The author struggled with figuring out who he was and which culture he belonged to. He felt torn between three cultures; as he was living in America he was seen as not being American enough, but he had been living in the U.S. so long that he also didn’t feel Haitian enough at times. We hear about his experiences living in the U.S. and feeling like an outsider there, and missing his Haitian friends back home. He also talks about his childhood growing up in Haiti and his dreams of playing soccer.

I enjoyed Kelly Josue’s memoir because I learned about Haitian culture and pieces of the country’s history. I also learned about the Bahamas from the short time Josue was living there. I think it’s an important book for everyone to read and learn about what immigrants go through in the U.S. You can also read it to learn about how the U.S. affected Haiti’s history as well as how strong the Haitian people are after being put through so many changes throughout their history.

I’m happy to be back to my read around the world challenge and have the chance to explore authors from different cultures! I haven’t decided which country to travel to next in my readings. Give your thoughts on Josue’s memoir or let me know any recommendations you have for which country I should read from next in the comments below!

Exciting Summer Releases

Hey readers! I hope your June has been off to a good start. There are some fantastic books being released this month ranging from fiction to non-fiction (mostly fiction though), and focusing on a variety of topics. Hopefully you will discover a new book you want to read!

1. Give, a novel by Erica C. Witsell

Give is the debut novel for Erica Witsell focusing on one family from the 1970’s until the early 2000’s. Witsell’s novel is one of those books that is better when you don’t know the full synopsis, because it allows the story to unfold without giving away too many details. Here are a few words to describe the novel: family saga; drama; loyalty; mother-daughter relationships; sisterhood; identity; complex relationships and emotions.

I love family sagas and complex characters, which made, Give, the perfect book for me. I enjoyed how Witsell wrote the relationships and inner struggles of each character, making them messy but overall more human. Her writing style is beautiful and poignant, drawing you into this family’s tale from the first page. If you love family sagas, drama, or complex characters then this book may be a good pick for you! You can read more of my spoiler-free thoughts on Witsell’s novel in another post, Give: a novel review.

Release Date: June 1

2. Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

Patsy is the latest novel from award winning novelist, Nicole Dennis-Benn. Her novel looks at topics like motherhood, immigration, and sacrifices we make in life.

We meet Patsy, a Jamaican woman in her twenties living in Pennyfield, her impoverished hometown. However, she longs to live in America, specifically New York, where her friend Cicely lives. After years of wanting to leave, Patsy finally gets a visa to America. Patsy wishes to be reunited with Cicely, whose letters arrive from New York with the promise of a happier life, and the possible rekindling of their young love. But Patsy’s plans don’t include her overzealous, evangelical mother―or even her five-year-old daughter, Tru.

“Beating with the pulse of a long-witheld confession, Patsy gives voice to a woman who looks to America for the opportunity to choose herself first―not to give a better life to her family back home. Patsy leaves Tru behind in a defiant act of self-preservation, hoping for a new start where she can be, and love, whomever she wants. But when Patsy arrives in Brooklyn, America is not as Cicely’s treasured letters described; to survive as an undocumented immigrant, she is forced to work as a bathroom attendant and nanny. Meanwhile, Tru builds a faltering relationship with her father back in Jamaica, grappling with her own questions of identity and sexuality, and trying desperately to empathize with her mother’s decision.” (Goodreads)

I have been enjoying reading about immigrant experiences and the complex relationships between mothers and daughters lately. Dennis-Benn’s newest novel brings these two topics together to bring us Patsy. I’ve heard rave reviews about this book from other book bloggers, making me even more excited to check out this book!

Release date: June 4

3. Naturally Tan by Tan France

Tan France, star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, gives us this funny, touching memoir about his life. Tan reveals what life was like in Doncaster, England as a gay man from a traditional Muslim family, as well as growing up with few people of color in his hometown. “With his trademark wit, humor, and radical compassion, he illuminates his winding journey of coming of age, finding his voice (and style!), and how he finally came out to his family at the age of 34, revealing that he was happily married to the love of his life–a Mormon cowboy from Salt Lake City.”

In Tan’s own words, “The book is meant to spread joy, personal acceptance, and most of all understanding. Each of us is living our own private journey, and the more we know about each other, the healthier and happier the world will be.” (Goodreads)

I love Queer Eye and the message the Fab 5 sends to people! Of course when I heard Tan was coming out with a book, I hit that pre-order button. He and the other Fab 5 members have inspired me to be more confident and love myself more. The show and their books are essential for everyone to learn to accept and love themselves in a society that tells you you’re not good enough until you have this gadget, this look, follow this trend, etc. I have been hearing great things about Tan’s book and I can’t wait to read it!

Release date: June 4

4. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

“Life is both fleeting and dangerous, and there is no point in denying yourself pleasure, or being anything other than what you are.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, City of Girls)

Elizabeth Gilbert returns to writing fiction with a unique love story set in the theater world of New York City during the 1940’s. Told from the perspective of Vivian Morris, an older woman (now in her nineties), as she looks back on her youth.

“In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves-and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest.

Now ninety-five years old and telling her story at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life – and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it. At some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time, she muses. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is. Written with a powerful wisdom about human desire and connection, City of Girls is a love story like no other.” (Goodreads)

Historical fiction is my go to genre of books, especially ones set in the 1940’s. I have never read a book by Elizabeth Gilbert but I have heard she’s a wonderful writer and have several of her books on my TBR list. I’m excited to read a book about the 1940’s that won’t focus on World War II but will instead look at the theater world (which I know nothing about), and the glamour of New York.

Release Date: June 4

Maybe one of these four books will make it onto your TBR! Tell me what other books you’re looking forward to this month or this year in general. I don’t think I’ll be doing a July release post because I don’t know about any books being released in July. If there are any books being released next month that you’re excited about, comment them below and maybe I’ll do a post using those books! Enjoy reading in the sunshine!

The Beekeeper of Sinjar: A Review

Hello fellow book lovers! This month I’ve been focusing on non-fiction reads especially focusing on the Middle East. I recently finished The Beekeeper of Sinjar by Dunya Mikhail as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I hope the review is useful!

“In The Beekeeper of Sinjar, the acclaimed poet and journalist Dunya Mikhail tells the harrowing stories of women from across Iraq who have managed to escape the clutches of ISIS. Since 2014, ISIS has been persecuting the Yazidi people, killing or enslaving those who won’t convert to Islam. These women have lost their families and loved ones, along with everything they’ve ever known. Dunya Mikhail weaves together the women’s tales of endurance and near-impossible escape with the story of her own exile and her dreams for the future of Iraq.
In the midst of ISIS’s reign of terror and hatred, an unlikely hero has emerged: the Beekeeper. Once a trader selling his mountain honey across the region, when ISIS came to Sinjar he turned his knowledge of the local terrain to another, more dangerous use. Along with a secret network of transporters, helpers, and former bootleggers, Abdullah Shrem smuggles brutalised Yazidi women to safety through the war-torn landscapes of Iraq, Syria, and Western Turkey.
This powerful work of literary nonfiction offers a counterpoint to ISIS’s genocidal extremism: hope, as ordinary people risk torture and death to save the lives of others.”

This is the synopsis of the book (as provided from NetGalley) and it sounds intriguing, which is what attracted me to the book. It had a lot of potential and it was an important story for everyone to learn about and understand what happened to the Yazidi people under ISIS (or what they were called during this time period, Daesh). However, the author did a very poor job of presenting the book. The writing is very fragmented and it reads as if she typed up the conversations with Abdullah word for word. I couldn’t get into the story because it was all over the place and not put together very well.

She also throws in her poetry or bits about her present life with her students. There’;s also a section in the middle about her grandmother and the Iran-Iraq war. It all could’ve gone very well to explain how Daesh took over in Iraq but she fails to link the two ideas together. Her poetry also didn’t make any sense in connection to the story and sounded pretentious when placed in the middle of a survivor’s story. She also didn’t talk about the background of the Yazidi people or how important Mount Sinjar was to them which would have added to the story and been useful to understanding the significance of their oppression under Daesh.

I read the entire book hoping it would get better but it never did. Despite this book being terrible, the story of the Yazidi people is important and one that everyone should learn about. Hopefully there’s news articles or other books about this heinous piece of history because Mikhail is not the best person to tell this story; this book is about as interesting as a news report and does not read like a captivating investigative piece at all.

I did enjoy hearing the stories from these brave women but the author could’ve done a better job presenting the stories and spent more time talking about Abdullah and giving background on him too. It’s called The Beekeeper of Sinjar, and I felt like I knew more about the author’s personal life and not much about the beekeeper, Abdullah. For a journalist, Mikhail puts too much of herself into the story and should’ve put more focus on the great work Abdullah was doing and the brave men and women fighting to survive under Daesh.

Overall, I rate this book with 2 out of 5 stars and was hoping it would be better. I would only recommend this book if there are no other books written about this part of history. If that’s the case, skip over Mikhail’s personal life and poems and it will save you about an hour of your life.

Botanical Baking: A Cookbook Review

Hey readers! This is a book I received from NetGalley and F+W Media in exchange for an honest review.

I have been seeing this new trend in cooking and baking where you use edible plants and flowers. The pictures of these earthly creations are gorgeous and surprisingly accessible to make! Juliet Shear, supplies readers with tips and tools for how to get into botanical baking. The recipes are very well written and clear, especially in terms of giving you the exact baking tools you need to create her cakes and desserts. Shear gives photos and text information about different plants and flowers to look for when choosing something edible. With each plant, she describes the flavors and how to effortlessly pair them with other foods. Shear also gives tips on how to find these edible flowers, and the obvious warning that just because it’s found in nature does not mean it is edible! She also provides tips on various ways you can preserve the flowers to keep them tasting and looking fresh.

Some of the recipes seem daunting to make but the book has step by step pictures to help you through the creation process! You can see exactly how it is supposed to be made which helped me a lot when I didn’t recognize some of the tools she was saying to use (cake shapers and ribbon cutters for example). I also appreciated how she gives measurements in both grams and ounces! As someone who moved from a country  using ounces to one of the gram-using countries, converting can be a pain when baking. Shear made it so much easier for me by providing both (the international/expat community thanks you).

I’m most excited to make the ice lollies (pictured left), as well as her macaroons (they’re my favorite dessert of all time). The one negative thing I’d say about this book is that the celebration cakes get very complicated and I’d be nervous to try them since most ‘normies’ can’t make a three tier cake with ribbon cutters, marzipan, and dowels (or maybe it’s just me.)

I loved seeing the process and final pictures of the delicious cakes, ice lollies, and loafs in a creative baking style. This book peaked my interest in trying my hand in botanical baking and learning more about how everyday flowers can be made edible (not the ones in the park though-don’t eat those).

The one negative thing I’d say about this book is that the celebration cakes get very complicated and I’d be nervous to try them since most ‘normies’ can’t make a three tier cake with ribbon cutters, marzipan, and dowels (or maybe it’s just me.)

Overall, I give this cookbook four out of five stars! If you’re interested in baking, check out this new book coming out in June 2019 to see if botanical baking is something for you.

 

 

Hottest May Book Releases

Hey there readers! I hope April was a good reading month for you, full of wonderful books. Did you finally pick up that book that you have been meaning to read? Or was there a new release that had you counting down the days until it was in your hands? I was still in a bit of a reading slump that carried itself from March into April. I have been so busy and stressed applying to jobs that even reading didn’t sound appealing most days.  If April wasn’t your best month (it sure wasn’t very bookish for me), hopefully these hot new releases inspire you for this month!

1. The Guest book by Sarah Blake

“An unforgettable love story, a novel about past mistakes and betrayals that ripple throughout generations, The Guest Book examines not just a privileged American family, but a privileged America. It is a literary triumph.” (Goodreads)

Blke’s novel, The Guest Book,  follows three generations of a powerful American family. The novel begins in 1935, where the family “runs the world,” so to speak. Kitty and Ogden Milton appear to have a perfect life together, until tragedy strikes. Ogden purchases an island in Maine to try and bring normalcy and happiness into their lives again.  That island, and its house, come to define the Milton family,  and it is there that Kitty gives a refusal that will haunt her until her dying day. *Queue mystery music*

The novel fast forwards to 1959, where we meet a new character, Len Levy. Len is a young Jewish man, who gets a job in Ogden’s bank and earns the admiration of some but scorn from most. We also see racial tension from this time period as we meet Len’s best friend, Reg Pauling. Reg has always been the only black man in the room—at Harvard, at work, and finally at the Miltons’ island in Maine.

Blake moves the novel forward in time once again to the island at the dawn of the 21st century. The new generation of Miltons, don’t have enough money to keep the island that has been owned by their family for generations. Blake brings more mystery surrounding the family as Kitty’s granddaughter realizes they may have to sell the island. Meanwhile her husband finds troubling evidence about her grandfather’s past. The granddaughter begins to discover family secrets and the silent tension that has hung over the family for decades.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, especially family sagas, which is why I’m looking forward to Sarah Blake’s novel. She goes through time, following generations of one family to explore America’s past and present. Blake also explores racism and power, and how it can affect a single family for generations to come. If you’re a fan of family sagas, historical fiction, mystery, and drama with a side of social criticism, then you may have to add this to your TBR list!

Release Date: May 7

2. How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper

Roper’s novel focuses on the life of Andrew. His day-to-day is a little grim, as his job is to search for next of kin for those who die alone. Luckily, he has a loving family waiting for him at home to ease the hard days at work. Well….that’s what his coworkers think.

There was some misunderstanding at his office and Andrew’s white lie got out of control. The fantasy of his wife and kids has become a pleasant escape from his lonely one bedroom, but everything changes when a new employee comes into his life. Peggy helps Andrew change his routine and climb out of his comfort zone. Their friendship builds but Andrew is faced with a choice:

Does he tell everyone the truth about his fake family and start really living his life, risking his friendship with Peggy? Or will he stay alone, trapped in his white lie, but keeping his friendship alive?

This is a story I wouldn’t normally choose for myself because it is a bit quirky. I have heard great things from the early reviews though that make me want to give it a chance. It’s a heartfelt story with complex emotions and tough choices. While Andrew grows out of his comfort zone with Peggy, I will be growing out of my book comfort zone!

Release Date: May 28

3. Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come: An Introvert’s Year of Living Dangerously by Jessica Pan

Pan’s book explores what happens when a shy introvert lives like a sociable extrovert for one year. She knowingly and willingly puts herself into social situations that would normally be avoided at all costs.

Jessica Pan finds herself jobless and friendless, sitting in the familiar crease on her sofa.
She wonders what her life might have looked like if she had been a little more open to new experiences and new people, and less attached to staying home.

She decides to experiment with the idea and makes a vow to push herself to live the life of an extrovert for one year. She creates a list of extrovert-type activities such as improv, a solo holiday and talking to strangers on the tube. Her book, “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come” follows Pan’s hilarious and also painful year of misadventures in being an extrovert, reporting back for all the introverts out there (who may be like me, shaking their heads at the idea of doing improv).

She tries to answer the questions: is life actually better or easier for the extroverts? Or is it the nightmare she always thought it would be?

I’m a huge introvert so this book sounds part interesting and inspiring while other parts terrifying. Since living abroad, I have felt lonely with not many friends and being jobless on/off again. I had this book  pre-ordered the minute I heard about it in hopes that Jessica Pan will inspire me to be more adventurous. Also the cover is just fantastic! I have been trying on my own to make more friends and live more out of my introvert comfort zone (and semi succeeding). So if you’re an introvert as well, maybe this book can help you grow and learn to be a little more extroverted (at least for some of the time, obviously you will need to recharge as is the nature of introverting).

Release Date: May 28 (not soon enough if you ask me)

4. The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri

“What is it like to be a refugee? It is a question many of us do not give much thought to, and yet there are more than 25 million refugees in the world. To be a refugee is to grapple with your place in society, attempting to reconcile the life you have known with a new, unfamiliar home. All this while bearing the burden of gratitude in your host nation: the expectation that you should be forever thankful for the space you have been allowed.” (Goodreads)

At the young age of eight, Dina Nayeri fled Iran with her mother and brother. after fleeing, they lived in the “crumbling shell of an Italian hotel-turned–refugee camp.” Eventually, Nayeri was granted asylum in America, where she settled in Oklahoma, before making her way to Princeton. In her book, Nayeri weaves together her own story with the stories of other refugees and asylum seekers in more recent years. She brings the readers inside the daily lives of refugees and takes us through the varying stages of their journeys, from escape to asylum to resettlement.

We witness a colourful array of characters from a couple falling in love over the phone, women gathering to prepare the noodles that remind them of home, a closeted queer man trying to make his case as he seeks asylum, and a translator attempting to help new asylum seekers present their stories to officials in the hopes that they can live in America.

Nayeri brings our attention to the harmful ways in which Western governments privilege certain dangers over others, especially with the term “good” immigrants. The book changes the conversation around the refugee experience, and gives those of us who have not had to endure such hardship, a glance into what it’s really like.

This is probably the second book I’m most excited about for this month because I’m interested in this topic. Nayeri gives us real human stories in hopes to help people better understand the experiences of refugees and asylum speakers. I’m looking forward to reading this book and gaining a better perspective on this “hot button topic” in our society and politics today. No matter what your political beliefs are, I hope you pick up this book to understand experiences that are different from your own, and maybe grow your knowledge on the subject!

Release Date: May 30 (also not soon enough)

Thank you for reading and I hope this inspired you to add one (or all) of these books to your TBR list! Let me know in the comments below which book you’re looking forward to this month and subscribe to the blog to get updates on new posts with more book ideas 🙂

Photo Credit to Goodreads for the book covers!