I was absolutely blown away by Rebecca Traister's 2016 book All the Single Ladies. Even so, when I saw the title of today's focus, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger, I was both excited and apprehensive. I was excited because this is something I had been thinking about for years now and knew that the anger of women was something that could create significant and lasting change. But of course, I was also apprehensive because I knew what Traister would be discussing on the pages would not only cause me to be angry, but also feel a bit hopeless and afraid. Also, I knew Traister would approach the subject with unabated intensity and honesty, which is why she is the perfect person for the job.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Traister explores the complicated and intricate history of how women have been able to enact significant change simply by allowing themselves to be angry, and to show it. While pulling examples from history, Traister also looks at the 2016 presidential election and the wave of rage, coupled with disbelief and despair, that took hold of women across the country. But the history lesson does not stop there; in fact, Traister continues into 2018, with much of what she talks about still going on now that the year is almost to a close, and 2019 is less than four days away. With chapters titles such as "The Circle of Entrapment: The Heavy Price of Rage," "How Minority Rules," "Trust No One," "Sympathy for the Devils," and "The Exhilaration of Activism," the book is not simply a collection of events, followed by women getting angry and protesting. Traister looks at why women expressing their anger can be a complicated and tricky thing; how race plays a huge part in who gets listened to and why; who women are getting angry at (and how it often includes other women); why men are so uncomfortable with a woman's anger; and of course, the powerful force that is the #metoo movement. With information backed up by facts and figures, as well as personal interviews and examples, it is a comprehensive account of why women in this country are so angry, and the change that can come from it.
My Verdict: With unflinching honesty, Traister lays it all out there, whether people like it or not, and the timing could not be more perfect. What I especially love is that Traister is mindful to acknowledge that black women have long been outraged about the injustices in this country, and that the majority of white women are pretty late to the party. As pointed out by Andre Johnson, the lead character in ABC's family comedy Blackish - and in the episode that dealt specifically with the 2016 presidential election - black people in America are used to being disappointed with a system that continually lets us down. There is information in this book that is hard to read, and even harder to acknowledge. But unless we move forward, and ultimately continue to be angry as well intent on creating change, the things women are so angry about will continue to happen, and those who are responsible will continue on their course unchallenged. Incredibly informative, but ultimately inspiring, it is the kind of book I want to recommend to everyone, knowing that very few have the stomach for it.
Favorite Historical Figure: Former Governor of Texas Ann Richards campaigned on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. Like many marriages at the time, hers ended in the early 1980s, during the tumult and changes around women's roles.
Favorite Quotes: "Black women have long been the backbone of our political and progressive past...Yet they've been only barely represented in leadership of the political parties they've bolstered; their participation has long been taken for granted. And when white women have caught up to where black women have been for a long time, the work of black women has often been appropriated, ignored, and uncredited by those with greater economic, cultural, and racial advantage." - from the chapter "How Minority Rules."
"Women who are willing to defend white patriarchy and its abuses - usually women with proximity to powerful men and the chance to gain from it, and who are therefore themselves often white - have historically found reward from those powerful men, in the form of sexual or romantic attention, marital alliances, as well as jobs and stature, in exchange for their defense of the very power structure from which they benefit." - from the chapter "Collateral Damage."
"What [Martin Luther] King commanded we too must command: that this not get written off as a summer storm, an aberration or fad or period of hysteria until our demands are met. We must insist on our discontent, not permit it to be muffled or put behind us swiftly." - from the chapter "Conclusion."
Recommended Reading: All the Single Ladies, also by Traister, explores the fascinating trend of women in the U.S. deciding to marry later in life, if at all, and how it has changed and shaped this country.
My first introduction into the YA novels of Courtney Summers was with her zombie thriller This is Not a Test, back in 2012. Since I am not into most things zombie-related, my enjoyment of the book came as a surprise, and also spoke to Summers' storytelling, as well as her ability to keep me reading when I was not at all excited to know what was coming next. Almost the exact same thing happened with All the Rage in 2015, though without the zombies, so that brings me here. Sadie also promised to be tense and intriguing as it starts, as many stories do, with the body of a dead girl.
The Situation: Radio personality West McCray gets a phone call about a missing girl. Sadie Hunter is a 19 year-old girl from Cold Creek, Colorado, the kind of declining small town that West covers on his show. At first, West blows the call off. Girls go missing all of the time. But when his boss presses him to take the assignment, West begins a journey through several small towns in Colorado, all in various states of economic health, looking for the girl who disappeared after the death of her sister. Thirteen year-old Mattie Southern's body was found in an orchard just outside of Cold Creek. With the cause of death being blunt-force trauma to the head, and with witnesses saying the last time they say her she was getting into a truck with an unseen driver, Sadie is sure she knows what happened to her sister. With only a few clues, little money, and the essentials in her trusty green canvas backpack, Sadie sets out to seek her own justice against the man who took her sister's life.
The Problem: West's primary source of information is May Beth, the woman who owns and lives in the trailer park where Sadie and Mattie grew up. But even with May Beth able to supply the sisters' history - how Sadie basically raised Mattie; how Mattie was Sadie's entire world; how their mother abandoned them, and when she was there it was clear she favored Mattie - West is still a few too many steps behind Sadie. Through the podcast he has created specifically for this heartbreaking case, West chronicles his journey through Colorado, the people he meets, the places Sadie goes, and who she is looking for. May Beth fears they may already have another dead girl on their hands, but Sadie is not interested in dying. She is determined to find the man she knows killed her sister, and who is also responsible for one of the worst years of her life. As determined as she is, Sadie may be in over her head, and West may be too many steps behind to find her in time.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel with two mysteries to solve. The first is the matter of who killed Mattie, and will Sadie be able to find him. The second is where exactly Sadie has run off to, and will West be able to find her. In alternating chapters, the story is told through both the transcripts from West's podcast, simple titled "The Girls," and Sadie's adventures as she hunts down one of her mother's many former boyfriends. Even without what happened to her sister, Sadie's life has not been easy. Born with a stutter that has earned her mostly stares, winces, and taunting, she struggles to communicate. Add her mother's troubled history of alcoholism, drug abuse, and neglect, as well as her tendency to bring home men that were not the kind to have around her young daughters, and Sadie also has a hard time trusting, feeling like she needs to be constantly on her guard. She is beyond determined to find the man she is looking for, but she also lacks resources and forethought, often running into dangerous situations without thinking them through. West's difficulties are different, as many people are not interested in speaking with him, and it could be that he is too late. It is a novel about what can happen when someone is forced to grow up too soon, with little support, and only for everything to be taken from them.
My Verdict: One thing Summers has never done, at least in the three books of hers I have read, is hold back, or shy away from the hard stuff. This book is full of the kind of thing we are all sick of seeing on the news. What is nice is Summers' ability to approach these topics honestly, but without gratuitous details that would turn the reader off completely. Some of it is still hard to read, but with well-rounded characters, vivid small-town settings, and Sadie's determination moving everything forward, the difficult parts are well-supported, and if anything, add to a desire for justice, if not full-on revenge. With the switching timelines and narrations, the story could become confusing and hard to follow, especially as there are some things we know for sure because of Sadie, while West is trailing behind and has not made certain connections yet. Also, with a mystery this good, readers can end up unsatisfied with the ending we're given. And I initially thought the podcast format was going to be problematic, but it turned out to be a creative and different way to unravel a mystery. Fans who have been following Summers' work will appreciate this latest addition.
Favorite Moment: When one of the towns Sadie visits receives long deserved justice.
Favorite Character: Javi is a young man Sadie meets in the small but prosperous town of Montgomery, Colorado. He is somewhat shy, but manages to earn Sadie's trust, and even makes a difficult decision despite the problems it will cause.
Recommended Reading: Of the two previous books I have read by Summers, I recommend This is Not a Test. But I will also recommend The Collector series by Dot Hutchison.
I need to read more Latina writers, and Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras is a great addition to DSN. I actually had the opportunity to visit Bogotá, Colombia in 2006 on a mission trip, and while we were given a brief rundown of how dangerous the city is, a 10-day stay is no comparison to someone having lived and grown up in such a place. Plus, the book is set during the years of Pablo Escobar, and chronicles the many horrific crimes committed by the guerrillas. I knew there was a possibility I would have a hard time reading this, but I forged ahead anyway.
The Situation: Young Chula lives with her mother and her older sister Cassandra in early 1990s Bogotá, Colombia. For the most part, Chula and Cassandra's childhoods are typical for any little girls. They go to school, they play, they watch TV, and they look forward to when their father is able to come home from the oil site. Meanwhile, their mother stays busy running the house, which includes making sure the new maid, Petrona, knows her place and knows her duties. When Petrona first arrives at the house, she is a bit shy and reserved, and never seems to answer or respond to anything said to her in more or less than six syllables. This girl from the city's guerrilla-occupied slums becomes an object of fascination for Chula, and the two of them will form an unlikely bond that will complicate both of their lives.
The Problem: Chula's fairly typical and carefree childhood plays out in a time when drug lord Pablo Escobar seemed unstoppable. Whether you supported the guerrillas or not, everyone was in danger as there were near-constant threats of kidnappings, car bombs, shootings, and assassinations of those who dared promise to make everything better. While the dangers were more pronounced in the slums where Petrona and her family lived, it did not necessarily mean Chula was safe in her comfortable and guarded neighborhood in Bogotá. As Chula learns more about Petrona, it also means there is more she must keep secret from her sister and mother if she wants to keep her friend employed, and out of trouble. But what she does not know is that Petrona may already be in trouble, as the situation in the slums is seemingly hopeless and endlessly dangerous.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that I decided to place under historical fiction due to the events taking place in Colombia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Contreras notes that while the book is a work of fiction, it was inspired by real events she experienced growing up in Colombia. Plus, the terrifying and seemingly endless reign of Pablo Escobar, as well as some of the car bombings and assassinations carried out by his followers, were also real events that killed many and put people on edge. Most chapters are told from Chula's point of view, which is very much that of a child who is vaguely aware of the danger outside of her neighborhood, but cannot imagine or consider the full reality of it until it affects someone close to her. The remaining chapters are told by Petrona, and this is where the reader gets a vivid picture of a life that is under threat of being taken over by guerrillas. It is a story of impossible choices, often made out of utter desperation, and the seemingly unlivable consequences that follow.
My Verdict: This is a story. Contreras managed to capture the feeling of being a child in a dangerous world, but those dangers are minimized due to either their distance, or the feeling of safety provided by a home and an attentive family. But opposite Chula's limited view is that of Petrona, who has no choice but to acknowledge the dangers of her world because they almost constantly show up at her front door. The descriptions of even the smallest movements and motions were able to put me on edge. And any journey Chula and her sister made outside of her home felt risky, even if they were going to the residence of a family member. However, probably what put me on edge the most was how connected Chula was becoming to Petrona. Contreras portrayed all of the dangers masterfully, showing the situation for what it was, without getting lost in the details or overwhelming the reader with brutality.
Favorite Moment: When Cassandra and Chula were able to find two girls in the neighborhood to play with. For the most part, the other kids avoid them because of who their mother is.
Favorite Character: I did not have an older sister, but if I did, I would want her to be like Cassandra.
Recommended Reading: Star of the North by D.B. John is another book that deals with a dangerous country where the citizens are under near-constant threat of violence.
I am always thrilled as well as incredibly humbled to be asked, either directly by the author or their publicist, to review a novel, as opposed to picking one out on my own. I will always do the latter, no matter how many requests I get, because I want to read what I want to read. Also, I can't say yes to everyone. But I did say yes to reading and reviewing An Authentic Experience by Kelly Wittmann. It is no secret to anyone who even halfway follows this blog that I love YA books. And not only does An Authentic Experience fall into that category, but it is about the daughter of two ex-musicians who is trying to find her own way, and that was enough for me to be interested.
The Situation: Silvera "Silver" Abelli is a 15 year-old girl living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With both parents being ex-musicians from the punk rock era, Silver's music education is well-rounded, if a little biased. Silver's mother, Nicola, has worked hard to make sure her regular education is also well-rounded and complete, as she has always home schooled her, despite Silver wanting more than anything than to attend a "normal" school. Silver's divorced parents do not agree on much, but they do both agree that home schooling is the way to go. Even Nicola's surgery to remove a brain tumor does not derail this idea, though it does mean Silver has to temporarily move in with her father, Renz. Neither parent is currently a performing musician, but Renz still pines for his glory days, as well as the musician's lifestyle. Until Nicola is better, Silver will have to manage a somewhat chaotic existence under Renz's roof.
The Problem: It will be trying living with Renz, and dealing with Nicola's recovery will be no picnic either, though some things make everything better. There is Silver's cousin and best friend Natalie; her grandparents, whose bakery she often works at; and then there is Jake. Football star and all-around popular guy at the local high school, Jake is someone everyone knows. So when it he actually notices Silver at a party and the two begin hanging out, Silver cannot believe her luck. She has only been wanting this exact thing for forever. But even the attention of the most popular boy in class is not enough to ward of the pain and effects of an incredibly traumatic experience. Afraid to upset her mother, and thinking her father does not care, Silver attempts to keep it all together on her own, only for everything to keep falling apart.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel set in and around present day Milwaukee. With Nicola and Renz as Silver's parents, there is much discussion regarding music and music appreciation. Renz even has his own podcast with a faithful following, though it is not as large a following as he would like. Silver herself sings and plays the guitar, but her main focus is on being as "normal" a teenager as she can possibly be, given her circumstances. Not only are her mother and father former musicians (with band names Lift and Separate, and Wide Swath, respectively), but they insist on home schooling her. Also, they divorced when Silver was very young. She may live with her mother, but her father is only a few blocks away on the same street. After Nicola's surgery, Silver's grandparents move Nicola in with them in order to aid in her recovery, but this means Silver has to live with Renz for awhile, which is a less than ideal situation. It ends up being a summer where Silver has to deal with her obnoxious father, her sick mother, and an incident that would leave anyone, much less a teenage girl, question who they are and what in their past led them to here.
My Verdict: The characters in this book are solid. Silver is interesting, and complicated, but still very much a teenage girl. Her parents drive her crazy in the way parents always do, and Nicola's illness simply makes matters even more complicated. Even the grandparents are well thought-out, as are the other teenagers in the book, such as Natalie and Jake, and the exchange students Luis and Monique. I do wish that the general pace of the book was a bit slower and not so hurried. Maybe it is the world of teenagers that I am so far removed from, but everything in the story unfolds at an incredible speed, allowing little room for reflection. Also, it becomes obvious in certain areas that there are specific issues Wittmann wanted to tackle and points she wanted to make. Some scenes seem shoe-horned into the plot if only to bring up a current societal problem, while others are handled in such a way that make it clear where the author stands, which can feel like a cheat. At some points it becomes an issue of showing versus telling. Overall, Silver's story is one worth getting invested in and following through to the end.
Favorite Moment: When Nicola proved more than capable to be there for her daughter when she needed her.
Favorite Characters: Gramps and Dita are Nicola's parents and they own Tomasino's Bakery where Silver sometimes works. They are arguably the most stable force in their granddaughter's life and are willing to do anything for her.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride, another YA novel involving the effects of divorce, and how teenagers often have to act like the adults in the family.
So it has come to this.
The voting is over, and the ballots have been counted. The winners of the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards have been selected by you, the readers. Sure, some hearts will be broken, and there is always at least one upset, but the utmost congratulations goes to all winners, as well as the nominees. And of course, my question is always whether or not any of the DSNs that were nominated made it through to the end.
I am sure it comes as a surprise to very few readers that Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone has managed to triumph in the Best Historical Fiction category. Hannah did the same thing with The Nightingale back in 2015, and clearly has not lost her touch. In my opinion, both were well-deserving of the honor, and it makes me excited to see what she comes up with next.
Another DSN to get the win, this time for Best Nonfiction, is I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, the late wife of comedian Patton Oswalt. This book is a must for any lover of true crime, and is a testament to McNamara's devotion to her research and her work.
Tara Westover's Educated is one of those painfully honest memoirs that would be hard to read for some, but incredibly worth the struggle in the end. I am pleased to see it win Best Memoir & Autobiography, and hope that the recognition it has received spurs more people to bravely tell their stories.
For the third year in a row, Sarah Andersen has taken the win for Best Graphic Novels & Comics, this time with Herding Cats, her third installment in her Sarah Scribbles collection. Clearly, Andersen has found her rhythm, and her audience. There is something about her timing and her humor that resonates with many of people.
While I am not surprised, seeing Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone in the winner's spot for Best Debut Author made me want to jump around and scream...which would have been awkward given that I am at the office right now, and not by myself. If there was any one book in any particular category that I was pulling for the most, it would be this one. And while it may not have been able to snag the top spot for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, it came incredibly close, coming in second behind Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas. Well done indeed.
And finally, I have saved the Best of the Best category for last, and I could not be more delighted to announce that The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas has taken home the highest honor. Well over a year after its release, this young adult novel remains on the New York Times Bestsellers list, and a favorite of many. Clearly, this is an instant classic that has resonated with readers everywhere.
It may be hard to believe, but another year is done for the Goodreads Choice Awards. As always, it has been fun watching which novels got nominated, which ones made it to the finals, and of course, which ones came out on top. Out of the 21 DSNs that were nominated, 17 made it to the finals, and six came off as winners. I will spending a ridiculous amount of time going through many of the categories and discovering new books to help me start 2019 off right. I hope you do too, and I cannot wait to see what the new years brings.
I was absolutely blown away by Rebecca Traister's 2016 book All the Single Ladies. Even so, when I saw the title of today's focus, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger, I was both excited and apprehensive. I was excited because this is something I had been thinking about for years now and knew that the anger of women was something that could create significant and lasting change. But of course, I was also apprehensive because I knew what Traister would be discussing on the pages would not only cause me to be angry, but also feel a bit hopeless and afraid. Also, I knew Traister would approach the subject with unabated intensity and honesty, which is why she is the perfect person for the job.
