Jana Says

I don’t even know where to begin. Literally. I’ve started this post 6 times.

I feel kind of ridiculous not addressing all that’s going on in this country and around the world but I also feel like it needs its own post rather than burying it in one about books. There’s just too much to say and process and I’m trying to listen rather than talk right now. But let me say this.

Black lives matter. And if that bothers you or you don’t agree, you’re entitled to your opinion. I just don’t have to agree with it. I’m not going to debate you or argue with you because as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing to debate or discuss.

Okay, now that we know where I stand, let’s talk a little bit about books. I read 10 of them since we last met and when I started revisiting them on my Goodreads list, I realized that only one -ONE- was written by a black author. And of the 39 books I’ve finished this year, just four have been written by black authors. That’s roughly 10% and honestly, it’s low. Too low.

And while it’s hard to know exactly what to do right now, there are two actionable steps I can take to remedy that:

1. Read, discuss, and promote more books written by black authors and other authors of color
2. Buy from black-owned bookstores

Easy enough, and steps I’ve taken this week. I’m aiming for more diverse reads next month.

That said, I’m not fully recapping all the books I read because I want to draw attention to some books by black authors instead but here’s what I read and whether or not I think you should read them:

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. So good, wanted to punch one character in the face, very relevant, definitely read.

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum. Cute, YA but a little more depth than you usually find, would recommend.

The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, made some good points, cute story, do recommend.

More Better Deals by Joe R. Lansdale. Netgalley book, it was fine, made some good points about race but a mostly predictable mystery, maybe recommend.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Netgalley book, emotional even for someone dead inside like me, hated the mom character, definitely recommend.

The Mall by Megan McCafferty. Netgalley book, A+ for nostalgia, C- for everything else, VERY YA, don’t recommend so much.

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson. Perhaps better in its original language, the dad is a quality asshole, kept reading to find out what happened with the daughter, don’t recommend that much.

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. Netgalley book. Read more like a crash course in Egyptology, the ending made me angry, not her best work, recommend with caution.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. Weird, intriguing, felt like I read it 15 years ago and can’t describe it more than that but do recommend.

The Holdout by Graham Moore. Not sure how I only read this a month ago, fast read, interestingly written, creative plot, do recommend.

TL; DR: Add The Sun Down Motel, The Holdout, Such a Fun Age, and Brave Girl, Quiet Girl to your TBR. The others are take them or leave them, depending on your taste.

Currently reading as of this writing but it may change by morning: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.

There’s no smooth way to transition from that so I’m giving up and going in.

Part of understanding why BLM is so important is reading books that explain it from a systemic perspective but also ones that explain it from a personal one. If you’ve lived in a predominantly white area your entire life, it might be difficult to comprehend. The whitewashing of our history doesn’t help either but that’s another post.

Books, fiction and nonfiction, expose us to people, places, experiences, and information that we might not otherwise have. They make us more empathetic, sympathetic, and helps us gain perspective. All of which are crucial and critical.

Some books that do just that include:

• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
• The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
• Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay
• The Mothers by Brit Bennett
• An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke

And that’s just a small list. There are so many books that confront race head-on. And when picking books, branch out. Get uncomfortable. Yes, The Help is great but maybe add The Color Purple to your list, too.

In order to keep all of our recommendations in one place, Steph and I have opened our own “bookstore”, cleverly titled SUYBookstore and in it, you’ll find fiction and nonfiction books not only dealing with racism and feminism head-on, but almost all of them are written by black authors.

We’ll be adding to the store as time goes on, and if you purchase from our little shop, all the proceeds will go towards charity.

The store is definitely a work in progress, but you can see what we’ve started adding to it here and if you have recommendations, let us know.

Okay. I think that’s it for this month. Mark down July 14 for the next one, and don’t forget to visit Steph and some of our reader crew. Now it’s your turn to link up and show us your books!

Today would have been Barkley’s 16th birthday and I miss my reading buddy more than I have the words for. But you know what else I miss? Leaving the house. Like, REALLY REALLY miss leaving the house.

We’re god knows how many weeks into this and even though here in Delaware, we’re planning on starting to reopen on June 1, it still feels like it’s forever away. At the same time, it’s getting more and more difficult to remember a time before we lived like this. I mean, I *do* I remember but it feels like a lifetime ago.

Kind of want that lifetime back. For so many reasons, including the option to go to the library and bookstores. Weekly library visits are part of my routine and I’m dying for that part of my normal to resume. It’s not that I have nothing to read, I have plenty, but it’s the option and the ability to go to the library that I’m aching to have back.

Soon enough, I guess.

This past month, I read less than I normally do, only five books, but at least there weren’t any DNFs. So that was nice. I also read one NetGalley book but I requested more so I’m still three years behind in reading what’s on my shelf. I supposed my goal of cleaning up my queue during quarantine is not going to happen.

Oh, well.

The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry. I liked the writing and the epistolary nature of the book but Roxy was so fucking insufferable it made the book hard to read. I hated her. SO MUCH. And her evolution wasn’t so much an evolution as the chips falling into place for a horrible person and that was upsetting. Still, it was a relatively quick, pass the time read. Thanks, NetGalley.

The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton by Richard Fifield. This is his follow-up to The Flood Girls, which I loved, and it had some similar themes but was also a completely different book. This one was YA but didn’t feel YA most of the time, and her mom was borderline abusive and the bullying that went on was difficult as well, but at the same time, it felt real and valid. And unlike Roxy, Tiffany’s letters showed depth and real change.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris. I waited months for this book and while I don’t know that it was worth waiting four months, I’m glad I read it. And I don’t like historical fiction generally. The writing is solid, the characters feel real and uncontrived, and the plot will keep you wanting to read.

Button Man by Andrew Gross. Another historical fiction book and I fucking loved it. The fact that it’s based on his grandfather’s story makes it even that much more interesting. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before, with a focus on the Jewish mafia, and I love how it doesn’t play into stereotypes of Jews. I loved his writing, I loved the whole story, and I definitely plan to read more of his books.

Three Women by Linda Taddeo. The fuck did I just read? I kept reading because I wanted to know how each woman’s story ended up, but the writing was like she wanted to write porn but was ashamed to put her name on it so put it in the context of nonfiction instead. The graphic – VERY GRAPHIC – descriptions of sex were not necessary in any way. I like how she tapped into the trauma that caused some of their actions and behaviors but the presentation could have been less smutty romance and more reporting.

TL;DR: The Roxy Letters and Three Women are fine but I don’t know that I’d recommend them. Button Man, Sold on a Monday, and The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton are all excellent and you should definitely consider reading them.

Currently reading The Holdout by Graham Moore (and there is a good chance I will finish it midway through today).

Now it’s your turn! Link up and show us your books! And mark your calendars for June 9th for the next one. Don’t forget to visit Steph and some of the other bloggers who joined us.

Never did I ever think we’d have a quarantined edition of Show Us Your Books yet here we are. I hope you’re all doing okay, and most importantly, taking care of your mental health in whatever form that takes. For some, it’s binge-watching Netflix, for others it’s obsessively baking, and for others, it’s trying to keep as normal of a schedule as possible.

And none of it is wrong.

I fall somewhere in that latter category. I’m still able to work full-time since I did that remotely before this all started and I’m so grateful to still have work not only for the paycheck but because having a full workday keeps me sane. My weekdays are predictable and mostly unchanged except for monitoring the child’s distance learning which, if I’m being honest, is a giant shit show. But that’s a separate post.

I’m also attempting to still exercise because that’s a huge priority for my mental health and getting outside for a walk whenever the weather permits helps me sleep, too. Which is nice.

And I’m also able to read. A lot of people are struggling with that right now and that’s fine. It’s hard to concentrate when everything is so uncertain and weird and inconsistent and messy. So don’t be too hard on yourself if concentrating on a book is too difficult. Just do whatever you need to in order to get through each day.

That said, and trust when I say I have more to say on that topic and I feel a long overdue rant on the horizon, I read a fair amount of books since the last time we all got together and fortunately for me, almost all of them were really good. One was outstanding. One was terrible and a big fat DNF.

This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick. If The Happiness Project took place in a town instead of Gretchen Rubin’s house, it would be this book. It had some good advice and interesting things to think about but most of it is common sense stuff. There’s some stuff it doesn’t touch on, like what if you’re a liberal feminist living in a predominantly conservative, traditional town, and I get that but glossing over it doesn’t help much, either. Overall, it’s a decent read.

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. This was one of the last books I was able to get before my library closed for quarantine and I’m so glad I got it. I loved it. It was exactly what I needed, even if it feels like I read it 4 million years ago. I know he has some more books and I plan to check them out. I need someone to fill the Paul Cleave void.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. NetGalley ARC. I’m a huge fan of her books; I’ve yet to read one I don’t like. This one was a little different from her usual domestic thrillers but I thought it was creative and done really well. Even if you didn’t like her last one, consider giving her another try.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center. Another NetGalley ARC. Katherine Center and Abbi Waxman are pretty much the only two “chick lit” writers I will consistently read. I enjoy their books a lot, and I flew threw this one in a day. It was sadder than some of her usual writing, and the domestic violence storyline was a little too casual, but it was a solid book.

The Choke by Sofie Laguna. The writing in this book is fantastic and the plot is also fantastic. It’s hard to read at times, mostly due to the subject matter (if rape, child abuse and neglect, and teen pregnancy upset you, do not read this book), but you could see little glimpses of optimism and beauty in this heartwrenching story.T

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The mystical/supernatural elements of the Underground Railroad reminded me of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad but that’s where the similarities ended (except the fact that it’s narrated by slaves). This book is something else. It’s slow and tedious at times but absolutely worth it. It’s painful to read, but sometimes we need to read the hard topics, especially when they really happened.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal. Read this book. It is magnificent. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Yet another NetGalley book. That’s three since our last link-up. WHO AM I? Anyway, I think her writing is phenomenal and this book focuses on mental health and suicide and the impact we can have on someone without realizing it and it’s so many important themes all rolled into one. I did not love the ending/epilogue but that’s okay.

The Topeka School by Ben Lerner. I waiting almost four months for this book. Not worth it. You know those books that you read and you know you’re supposed to get something from it but it winds up making you feel stupid instead? That’s this book. What it did do is make me realize I’d rather read a book with a mediocre writing and good plot than one with smart, literary writing that goes nowhere.

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell. DNF. Couldn’t do it. Found it tedious and absolutely rambling and pointless. We don’t link to DNFs around here but feel free to check it out for yourself. I might have hated it but you might like it more.

TL; DR: When We Believed in Mermaids is a must-read, How to Do Nothing is a hard pass and all the ones in between were in no way a waste of my time and I’m glad I read them, too, except for The Topeka School which is probably not as bad as I think it is but is definitely not for me.

Currently reading: The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry. Another NetGalley. Trying hard to work through the whole list.

So that’s all I read. Now it’s your turn! Link up below and let us know what you read, and remember to visit my co-host Steph and some other bloggers joining us today. Also, mark your calendars (if you have one still because time has ceased to exist) for May 12 for the next linkup. Don’t forget that there’s a readathon this weekend and you can follow along on Instagram.

This was the month of novellas. Seven, to be exact. Six were part of a science fiction collection and one was by Herman Melville so that’s a weird combination but wait until you see the rest of my reads. One of my more eclectic lists and that says a lot.

What’s exciting is that I have it on good authority that all of these books count as their own, bringing my Goodreads total to five higher than it actually says (primarily because I’m too lazy to fix it). So that’s nice.

Forward Collection by Blake Crouch. This series of six disconnected stories that I really wanted to be connected didn’t really do it for me as much as I’d hoped. I don’t generally enjoy science fiction but I do like Andy Weir and Blake Crouch, and the one book by Paul Tremblay I read was good, but this was meh. Uneven. if you like science fiction, maybe you’ll have a different opinion.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson. This book is amazing, everyone should read it, the end.

One of Us is Next by Karen McManus. This is the sequel to One of Us is Lying and it is a true sequel. However, I found it marginally better. I liked the characters and the plot more. It felt less YA than the first, despite the fact that it is still definitely YA. It’s a quick engaging read. Do recommend.

On the Clock by Emily Guendelsberger. I know a lot of people claim that a book is the new Nickel and Dimed, but this one comes quite close. She used similar methodologies, conducted some serious research, and it’s a fascinating look at the conditions of low-wage workers and how workplaces got there (and why they remain that way). It will make you think, it will make you frustrated, and it’ll make you reconsider using two-day shipping from Amazon.

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker. I loved the message and themes behind this book, but I despised the characters to the point that it affected my ability to enjoy the rest of the book at times. They are fucking insufferable. However, if you can get beyond that, it’s a fairly good, timely, and relevant book.

Opioid, Indiana by Brian Allen Carr. This is a weird, sad look at the life of an orphaned teenager (not orphaned because of drugs. That happened because of a car accident and suicide) suspended from school and looking for his opioid-addicted uncle/guardian during one winter week in Indiana. I liked this book, but I wanted…more, I think. It was short and YA so I was able to read it over the course of a couple of days.

Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville. What starts as a rallying cry against his boss (“I would prefer not to”) descended, for me, into a nervous breakdown/severe depression that left me feeling all kinds of ways. I’m having a hard time writing my thoughts and opinions on this novella. It’s complicated.

TL; DR: Just Mercy is phenomenal, One of Us is Next is a fun read, and On the Clock will make you think a lot. Use your own personal taste for the rest.

Currently reading: Broke: Hardship and Resilience in a City of Broken Promises by Jodie Adams Kirshner

Now it’s your turn! Link up and show us your books. Don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some other bloggers, and mark your calendars for March 11 for the next one.