And all the rest...2023 edition

Here we are...for those of y'all that have lost track of the days, today is the last day of 2023. Once again, I have decided to briefly discuss the books that I read over the past 12 months that did not, for one reason or another, have their own dedicated post on this blog. Reasons vary, but for the most part, I either picked up these books on a whim, or simply decided to read the book purely for pleasure, and not take time to dissect it. I suppose there is a chance that there will be a full blog post on one of these in the future...I never really know.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: The first book I read by Reid was 2019's Daisy Jones & The Six, and I have managed to keep up with her new novels ever since. So I decided to go back to one that I missed, but I know is loved by many. Readers hear the life story of famous and mysterious Evelyn Hugo as she tells the tale of her seven husbands, and the real love of her life. Reid once again presents a headstrong female protagonist who does things her way, for better or for worse. Anyone who has enjoyed Reid's writing will most likely enjoy this one as well. I also recommend it for those who love a juicy story about old Hollywood. 

Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon: Since I read Blackout, written by the same six authors, when it came out in 2021, I had to follow it up with Whiteout. When a snowstorm hits Atlanta, a rare event for the big city, it adds another layer to the holiday chaos, and the teens that are attempting to navigate the city, and their love lives. With 11 interconnected stories, and all events taking place in one day, the six different authors each present a story detailing the complexities of relationships. And while it is not explicitly stated which author wrote which story, there are clues offered in the author's note at the end. 

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: I was fortunate to be able to hear Nicola Yoon (along with her husband David) speak at LibraryPalooza back in February, as well as have her sign a few books. I also went ahead and picked up Everything, Everything, the one book I had not read of hers, and it is as delightful as I had always heard. Due to a rare illness that basically means she is allergic to leaving her house, Madeline is kept indoors, with mainly her mother and her nurse for company. When a new family moves in next door, Madeline becomes semi-obsessed with watching them, and even manages to get the attention of the son, Olly. While it would be incredibly dangerous - and nearly impossible - for the two of them to ever meet in person, Madeline holds out hope anyway, which leads to other hopes, some she never dared to hope for before.

Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott: In this nonfiction science graphic novel, readers can expect to learn about the systems we use every day, but may not know much about. Through simple, but delightful and beautiful illustrations, Nott carefully and thoughtfully explains the mysteries of the internet, and how drinkable water reaches a neighborhood. Naturally, there is more to it than most people know, and this book will help remove some of the mystery and confusion.

Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman: It may end up being a personal journey of mine to read at least one Fredrik Backman book a year, and for 2023 it was Britt-Marie Was Here. With the same humor and wit that I found in 2019's Anxious People, Backman tells the story of Britt-Marie, a woman who finds herself in the small-town of Borg, where she ends up working as the caretaker of a neglected recreation center, and the unwilling coach of a terrible children's soccer team. The only thing stranger than the situation is Britt-Marie herself, whose social awkwardness allows for more than a few hilarious interactions with the locals. 

Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century by Roseanne Montillo: Part true crime, part biography, this book begins by first going into the background of both Truman Capote, and socialite Ann Woodward, a woman who would eventually shoot her husband. The question of whether it was an accident or not is still debated, but Montillo looks at the relationship between Capote and Woodward; the story the former would write based on the latter; and their own separate downfalls. I opted to borrow the audiobook from the library, and it did make for the perfect listening material on the commute to and from work. My only wish was for more of the true crime element to the story, though it is still an interesting book.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: This was another audiobook borrowed from the library, and I am glad to have listened to it before Netflix came out with the series. I had been meaning to pick this one up since it received so much positive attention when it came out 2014. During World War II, the lives of Marie-Laure in France, and Werner in Germany, will each take twists and turns they never imagined, while also somehow remaining centered around a valuable jewel that may also bring hidden dangers. This book is as delightful and haunting as people said. It is also incredibly long, but I believe it to be well-worth the journey.

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain: Quiet is one of those books that I cannot recommend enough, to both introverts and extroverts (and of course, the often elusive ambiverts). While I did not necessarily expect Bittersweet to be as intriguing and illuminating, it was still incredibly informative and allowed me to look at melancholy and sorrow in a different way. Linking the bittersweet with creativity, and compassion, and even leadership, spirituality, and love, Cain looks deeper at something many humans wish to ignore and move quickly away from. 

So there they are: eight books, ranging from nonfiction to young adult. Honestly, I am always surprised by just how many books make it onto this list every year. I am sure 2024 will be another interesting year in publishing, and as long as I have the time, there will be another post just like this 12 months from now. 

Historical Fiction: The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende

Somehow, and I am not entirely sure how this happened, but I have completely missed out on reading even a single book by Isabel Allende. For whatever reason, I decided to jump right in with the well-known author's most recent offering, The Wind Knows My Name. I do plan on visiting some of the older, well-loved works, such as The House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune. And who knows, maybe it will become a yearly tradition for me to pick up and discover a book by Allende.

The Situation: It is 1938, and Rudolph Adler is incredibly distraught by what he sees happening in Vienna, and the rest of Austria. As Hitler continues to gain power and followers, Rudolph knows that things are only going to get worse before they get better, and he does not know what will become of the Jews in Austria. In 2019, Selena Durán works tirelessly for the children who have been separated from their parents at the U.S. border. Her latest case involves an eight year-old blind girl named Anita. While very bright, polite, and attentive, Anita's case will prove difficult unless they can find her mother, with whom everyone seems to have lost contact.

The Problem: Though it is far from the most desired solution, the decision is made to send five year-old Samuel Adler to a family in England, away from the threat of deportation to a concentration camp. Still clutching his violin, Samuel arrives safely in England, but will grow up with the pain and memories of what happened back home, even as he relocated to the U.S, marries, and has a family. For Anita, handling the stress of strange foster homes and bullying children, and what she knows of what happened in El Salvador, comes easier with her little doll close by, and the conversations she has with her little sister. Though their stories are different, both Samuel and Anita find their way to the U.S, on paths full of sacrifice and heartache.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction that is most often categorized as historical fiction. Starting with the early life of Samuel and what was happening in late 1930s Vienna, the story spends just enough time in Austria's capital to give a sense of what it was like right before war fully broke out. While the reader will eventually get the full story on the next 80 years of Samuel's life, they will also get to Selena, and the little girl from El Salvador that she is determined to help. Both Anita and Samuel's stories are given in pieces, while other key characters are briefly explored, before it is revealed how they all fit into the larger picture. Allende researched the practice of separating children from their parents, one that has been employed throughout history in various ways. While some kids find a warm welcome by loving families, many do not, and the results can be devastating. 

My Verdict: A book that deals with both the rise of Nazi sympathies in Austria and the separation of children from their parents at the U.S. border? Yeah...you have been warned. But while the topics are heavy, the narrative and storytelling is not. In fact, I would say this was a relatively easy read despite the subject matter. This could be because of the decision to tell two stories at once (as well as a couple others), or the wide array of characters there are available, and how so many of them are given full backgrounds and reasons for why they are who they are. As I mentioned, this is my first Allende book, but it will not be the last...The House of the Spirits is on my desk next to the other TBR books as I write this. Lovers of Allende will most likely adore this one too, and as far as an introductory book to the author's work, this one worked out well. 

Favorite Moment: Anita may be visually impaired, but she is far from helpless. Despite being separated from her mother and never being completely sure of her environment, she manages to keep physical danger at bay while staying in a foster home, and gets herself out of a harmful situation. 

Favorite Character: Leticia has her own story of how she came to live in the U.S, full of danger and sorrow, but she has managed to create for herself a life she enjoys, and becomes key to assisting young Anita.

Recommended Reading: I recommend the nonfiction memoir Solito by Javier Zamora. 

Graphic Novel: Courage to Dream by Neal Shusterman

Hearing that Neal Shusterman was coming out with a graphic novel full of stories about the Holocaust was a welcome surprise. If anyone could convey engaging and interesting stories about one of the darkest moments in human history, Shusterman certainly could. So I did not hesitate to grab a copy of Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust, with illustrations by Andres Vera Martinez.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a graphic novel containing five fully illustrated stories about the Holocaust. While the stories in the book are fictionalized, they are based on real events in history that took place during World War II, when the Nazis regime attempted to eliminate all Jewish people in Europe. In one story, a window tends to disappear from a house, while also occasionally offering a view of an entirely different world or universe. In another, a young girl receives a strange gift from her dying grandmother, one that allows her to see what might have been if the war had ended differently. And in yet another, a rabbi calls upon a golem to free prisoners from a concentration camp. In between the stories are brief lessons and tales of hope from what actually happened during WWII, allowing for a book that both educates and entertains.

My Verdict: I think I will always lament how graphic novels can be read so quickly and easily. What Shusterman and Martinez have provided are five wondrous stories that are indeed full of hope, while also portraying one of the greatest tragedies to ever happen. It is an interesting feeling to root for the heroes in the these fantastical stories, while also knowing what really happened. I wanted the walking house from the third story to overtake the Nazis soldiers that were attempting to stop the resistance. And my heart hurt for the little girl who simply wanted to look out of window and into a strange universe, though doing so could alert the Nazis to her and her family's presence as they hid. Both kids and adults alike would benefit from these stories.

Favorite Story: I loved the third story, "Spirits of Resistance," in which a group from the resistance is aided by fairy tale and mythical characters such as Baba Yaga, The Great Ziz, and the Chelmites.

Recommended Reading: I recommend The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland, as well as Dry, also by Neal Shusterman. 

Contemporary Fiction: Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

With its captivating cover and interesting premise, Etaf Rum's Evil Eye caught my attention as well as a place on this blog. Following a young wife, mother, and art instructor, the book explores generational and childhood trauma, as well as the inescapable feeling that something is wrong, even though on the surface, everything should be fine.

The Situation: Yara Murad has done everything she can to build the life she has. Desperate to not become like her mother, Yara married young, and now lives away from her childhood home of Brooklyn. With two young girls of her own, Yara also teaches part-time at a local college, and loves having her own career, even if it does not pay much, and she does not care for many of her colleagues. She finds solace in her daily routine, which always ends with putting the girls to bed, taking a shower, and eating dinner with her husband, Fadi. But while everything looks normal, Yara cannot understand her sudden bursts of anger, or why she cannot shake a near-constant heavy feeling of sadness.

The Problem: When Yara has an intense exchange with a fellow instructor, it puts her job in jeopardy, and seemingly everything else in her life that she has been trying to maintain, including how she has dealt with her childhood, her feelings about her mother, and how she feels about her own marriage. Her attempts to talk to Fadi often end in an argument, and her own father is certainly not any help, as he believes she should be happy with what she has, and that her only concerns should be keeping Fadi happy and taking care of the kids. But soon, her life that everyone else seems to think is perfectly fine is not enough for Yara, and she cannot help but go back to her mother's belief that they are cursed. If she hopes to find the happiness she has found to be so elusive, she must confront what happened in her past, and find who she really wants to be.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction, set in the modern-day U.S. in the Carolinas. As a Palestinian-American woman raised in Brooklyn, Yara left the home she grew up in when she married Fadi. Intent on not following in her mother's footsteps, Yara insisted on being able to finish school and work after marriage, resulting in a part-time faculty position at a local college. While most chapters follow Yara as she moves through her days - taking care of her daughters, cooking, cleaning, teaching, navigating social interactions with her coworkers, preparing herself mentally for interactions with her mother-in-law - the book also diverts to entries in Yara's journal, which she is encouraged to make use of after a confrontation at work. The entries allow Yara to confront her past and how it has shaped her future, before hopefully moving forward with her healing.

My Verdict: The descriptions are what absorbed me with this one, and not necessarily of the places and things, but of the feelings and events. My life experiences are nothing like what Yara has gone through, and yet, somehow, Rum is able to translate the fear, frustration, anger, and sense of loss that the protagonist is experiencing. If it is not her colleagues making assumptions about her, then it is her supervisor telling her she is not social enough. And when her husband minimizes her feelings, her father makes everything worse by doing the same. It is a heart-breaking journey of someone who has endured immense trauma, while also struggling to make sense of it, while surrounded by people who seemingly are not making an effort to understand. This is a hard read, but an eye-opening one.  

Favorite Moment: Although the circumstances leading up to it are tough, Yara decides to begin painting in earnest, and much like the journaling, it becomes its own form of therapy. 

Favorite Character: Josephine is the mother of one of Yara's new friends, Silas. The relationship starts with a simple invitation to lunch at her house during a work day, and proves to be one that helps Yara as she makes difficult decisions that will shape the rest of her life. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta, as well as Maame by Jessica George. 

Science Fiction: In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

Seeing that T.J. Klune's In the Lives of Puppets was nominated in the Best Science Fiction category in the Goodreads Choice Awards made me wish that I had read it earlier. The premise is certainly interesting enough: Any story that involves someone making a home and a life in an actual treehouse will always make me curious. And an adventure throughout a futuristic landscape means a look at a different kind of world, this one mostly inhabited by robots.

The Situation: Victor Lawson and his family live a safe and quiet existence in their home in the trees. As the only human, Victor is aware that he is not like the rest of his family. His inventor father, Gio, is an android; Nurse Ratchet is indeed a nurse robot, even though she also has a dark sense of humor and a strange desire to use her drill; and Rambo is a vacuum obsessed with cleaning, as well as approval. One of Victor's favorite things to do is visit the scrap yard, though he knows that it is against the rules, and dangerous, even though that is how he finds his next robot to salvage and repair, just as he did with Nurse Ratchet and Rambo. But when Victor does the same for Hap, it changes everything, and suddenly, his home in the forest is not so safe anymore.

The Problem: Victor could not have known that fixing Hap would lead to his father being taken lead away by robot authorities. Perhaps if Gio had told his son the truth about what happened a long time ago, and also about his connection to Hap, this could have been avoided. But the remaining group, including Hap, will now have to make their way out of the forest, and travel farther than Victor ever thought he would go, if they hope to save Gio from a possible reprogramming. Victor also must deal with his conflicting feelings regarding Hap, and whether or not he can trust this newest addition to his small family.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a novel that I have chosen to place under the category of science fiction. This is also the category in which it was nominated for the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards, although many readers have placed it under the category of fantasy. Victor is at the center of the story, with Gio is the real leader, though his disappearance is what leads the rest of the group to take on the adventure. And while Gio is not human, Victor still refers to him as his father, while Nurse Ratchet and Rambo are his best friends and part of the 'family.' It is clear that something big went down between the humans and robots many years ago, and in order for the adventure to be successful, the group will have to be careful.

My Verdict: The book starts at the beginning, when Gio finds himself with a young human in his care, at a time when it looks like a conflict between humans and machines is at its peak. From there, a strange world is built full of treehouses, talking vacuums, and scrap yards full of threats, despite the hidden treasures that can also be found there. And when the adventure begins, Klune shows readers a world that is both recognizable and unfamiliar. Nearly each different type of robot or machine is also given its own personality, and Victor must rely on his own robot friends in order to navigate a world he has only known a small part of. It is imaginative and creative, while also being thought-provoking and insightful, with a great amount of humor. 

Favorite Moment: For the most part, Rambo is annoying. To everyone. But he is the character that made me laugh the most, and his moments of redemption are the most satisfying. 

Favorite Character: It is a tie between Nurse Ratchet and Rambo. Their relationship certainly feels like a big sister/annoying little brother type of dynamic, and the contrast between Nurse Ratchet's brutal sense of humor, and Rambo's desperation for attention and validation, only adds to the humor. Nurse Ratchet is also clearly the smartest of the group of adventurers, while Rambo is the one most likely to get them all killed.

Favorite Quote: "Your flaws is what makes you superior, in all ways. No matter what machines do, no matter how powerful we become, it is the absence of flaws that will be our undoing. How can this existence survive when all machine-made things are perfect down to a microscopic detail? When all machine-made music is empty of rage and joy? Our only flaw is that we've condemned ourselves to spend eternity mimicking that which we deemed unfit to exist...We can never be you. Instead, we became your ghosts, and we'll haunt this world until there is nothing left."

Recommended Reading: I recommend Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. 

Winners of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards

After nearly six million votes, the winners have been announced for the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards.

The winner by a large margin in the Best Fiction category was Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, and it is not at all surprising. Though I may not have voted for it, this book deserves all of the attention it has gotten. And T.J. Klune's In the Lives of Puppets took home the prize for Best Science Fiction, which is also well-deserved. And finally, Matthew Desmond's Poverty, by America received the most votes and was crowned the winner in the Best Nonfiction category. 

So all in all, three DSNs were voted #1 in their respective categories. Personally, I am always pleased when any DSN is nominated, much less if one of them wins. But this has once again been an interesting year in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and I am sure there will be more surprises ahead in 2024.

Young Adult Fiction: Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz

YA mystery and suspense novels can be a lot of fun. They typically move quicker, and teenagers have the extra barrier of their young age working against them as they are trying to solve a case. In Lauren Muñoz's book, Suddenly a Murder, six high school students are also stuck on an island where a murder happened, and they are all suspects. 

The Situation: When Isadora 'Izzy' Morales heads out to Ashwood Manor, an old and magnificent mansion that was rented out by her best friend Kassidy, it is to celebrate the end of high school. It will be a 1920s themed party, an era that Izzy and Kassidy both love as it is the time of some of their favorite old silent movies. And since Kassidy is nothing if not committed and thorough, there will be no cell phones allowed, and every piece of clothing must be period appropriate. Kassidy's boyfriend Blaine is hesitant, but ultimately supportive, and his good friends Ellison and Ferguson decide to play along. The brooding and aloof Marlowe joins in too, though it is hard to say why, and valedictorian Chloe is glad to be included. There is no real reason to think anything will go terribly wrong when seven teenagers are partying alone on an island, until it does.

The Problem: It is the screams that makes everyone race to Blaine's room, where his body is found bloody after having been stabbed several times. Kassidy is naturally inconsolable, while Izzy can only think about her next move, and she is not the only one with tracks to cover. Things may have been somewhat tense before Blaine's death, as everyone has their secrets, issues, and grievances, but when two investigators arrive to find out what really happened, things start to fall apart even more. Izzy would do anything to secure her future and that of her disabled little sister, but if she does not make it through the investigation, all of her hard work will be for nothing. She only has to make sure no one finds out that she is the one who brought the knife.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult murder mystery that follows seven teenagers to a mansion on a small island for an end-of-high-school celebration. Ashwood Manor is old, big, full of history, and also secret passageways, making it perfect for a 1920s themed party, but also treacherous for a bunch of kids with secrets to keep and grudges to bear. If it were not for Kassidy, Izzy would not feel like she was part of the group, as she is the only one who does not come from a wealthy family. She attends Marian Academy because her mom is a teacher there, but being best friends with Kassidy since freshman year has helped her get through. For the majority of the book, Izzy is the main narrator, while there are chapters in between that go back in time, revealing history and motive for every character. 

My Verdict: What the book does well is provide an intriguing setting, a colorful cast of characters, and even two investigators that do more than simply show up on the scene and interrogate the suspects. Even the jumps back in time to events that already happened are not confusing, and certainly add more color to the situation. Where things begin to fall apart for me is in the details and the reveals. Also, things slow down quite a bit once the investigators arrive. It is rare for me to say that a book would have benefited from being longer, but I feel like this one would have, if only to allow for everything to come together without the feeling of being rushed. Certain aspects of the story feel awkward and out of place, and the final conclusion had elements that just did not quite fit.

Favorite Moment: Everything is revealed in a rush by the end, but it is nice to get an answer to some questions, including one about Izzy's father. 

Favorite Character: Pilar de León is one of the investigators, and from the moment she arrives, she manages to keep to group slightly off balance. It is clear she knows more than what the kids are admitting to, and she plays her cards right to be able to get the information she wants.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Five Survive by Holly Jackson. 

Goodreads Choice Awards 2023 Final Round

The day that the final round of voting opens for the Goodreads Choice Awards can often contain its own surprises as the nominees for each category are cut in half, from 20 down to ten. In past years, it has been interesting to see which books move forward, and which ones are no longer in consideration, and 2023 is no exception.

There are no changes to report in Best Fiction, but only two of the four DSNs that were originally nominated in the Best Historical Fiction category have made it through. It seems neither River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer nor Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward made the cut. 

There is one change in the Best Science Fiction category, but instead of a book being removed, there is a new DSN to be considered. I recently finished reading In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune (review will be posted on December 8), and enjoyed it so much that it will now receive my vote. 

With Best Horror Fiction remaining the same as far as the one DSN that was nominated, Best Young Adult Fiction has lost two nominees, with both Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz and Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis not getting enough votes. And it seems River Sing Me Home suffered the same fate in Best Debut Novel as it did in Best Historical Fiction, and will not be moving on into the top ten. 

As for Best Nonfiction, Best Memoir & Autobiography, and Best History & Biography, which each had one DSN nominated, only Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond remains. They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta and When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey have both been eliminated in their respective categories.

With six DSNs not making it into the finals, that still leaves 14 books still in consideration. The final round of voting closes on Sunday, December 3, with the winners being announced on Thursday, December 7. As always, I am excited and curious to see the results, as there is always at least one upset. In the meantime, I am happy to continue researching all of the nominees I failed to take notice of before and schedule them for a spot on this blog in early 2024. 

Graphic Memoir: In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee

Picking up a graphic novel or memoir is always incredibly exciting for me. Every artist has their own style, and the experience can differ so much from reading a traditional book of only words. I was curious about Deb JJ Lee's In Limbo, which chronicles their high school years as someone who emigrated from Korea as a child, and struggles to fit in as a teenager in New Jersey.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a graphic memoir that is told in five parts, and starts with Lee's freshman year of high school. While often feeling invisible, Lee also feels they stand out too much. If it isn't their Korean name, Jung-Jin (which teachers struggle to pronounce before Lee tells them to simply use 'Deborah'), then it is their looks, specifically the eyelids. High school is difficult enough without the tense and strained relationship Lee has with their mother, and after trading in orchestra for art classes, things do seem to get better, before they end up getting worse. The sense of belonging that many teenagers crave is what Lee hopes to find. With a focus on identity and mental health, Lee's four-year journey through high school is told in 300+ pages of carefully drawn illustrations and text.

My Verdict: Most of us do not need further evidence and proof that high school is hard, but Lee's unique perspective and story adds another dimension to what teenagers often go through during those four years. Feeling different enough from the other kids to feel isolated at school, but also not feel safe at home because of a volatile parent, Deborah seems to have nowhere to go. And the struggle of working through changing friendships and social dynamics felt all too real, as every situation is beautifully depicted through Lee's artwork. The pages without text still tell the story just fine, carrying with them all of the weight and emotion that comes with being a frustrated high schooler, and everyday seems harder than the last. It is honest and engaging and worth picking up.

Favorite Moment: I appreciated Lee's choice of placing the words that are spoken in Korean in angle brackets (< >), and leaving the words they did not understand as they would appear if written using the Korean alphabet. 

Recommended Reading: Robin Ha's Almost American Girl is still one of my favorites. 

Nonfiction: They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta

Confession: I struggled with the decision to read They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us by Prachi Gupta as the next nonfiction book to write about. There are many options out there, as there always is, and I was not sure if I was up for the challenge that I knew this book would present. The extremely positive buzz and reviews did help make the decision easier, but it still took me longer than usual to get there. Gupta's book was promised to be 'searingly honest,' a commonly used phrased to describe a lot of things that often makes me both curious and scared. But of course, there are many things I have done that I was scared to do that I am glad for, and reading difficult books has often brought delightful surprises.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Gupta tells the story of her life as the oldest child and only daughter in an Indian-American household. While her father was born in Canada, her mother is originally from India and moved to the U.S. to be with her husband. Prachi and her younger brother Yush moved around with the family as their father pursued a career as a medical doctor, believing that to be one of the best and most prestigious routes to success in this country. While telling the story of what it was like to grow up in a family whose constant aim was to project a picture of American success, Gupta addresses her mother, relaying the pressure she felt to be a high-achieving student and perfect daughter, while the perfect image of the family that the outside world was seeing was the opposite of the truth. It would take years for Gupta to assess the truth about what was happening with her family, which meant exploring and confronting issues of mental health, the immigrant experience, postcolonial theory, and even feminism.

My Verdict: I will go ahead and acknowledge this one thing: this book is stressful. And yes, 'searingly honest' is an accurate description. As Gupta addresses her mother and tells her story of what it was like growing up with a father who routinely made her feel small and wanted his daughter to fit into the kind of life he felt was best, the reader is brought along on a journey filled with tension and unease, as well as discomfort and pain. Even the positive moments that do not involve conflict or abuse are tough to navigate and appreciate, especially as Gupta gets older, and the family relationships become more strained. The author's insights into what she has realized when it comes to her experiences are invaluable, as are the stories themselves. And the overall journey may be difficult for many, but hopefully worth it.

Favorite Moment: Closer to the end of the book, Gupta will have a conversation with her grandfather that is not only incredibly touching and sweet, but gave me an immense feeling of hope and comfort that I did not see coming, which can only pale in comparison to what the author may have felt.

Recommended Reading: Both Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett and Ducks by Kate Beaton are difficult reads, but are also two of my favorite memoirs of all time. 

Goodreads Choice Awards 2023

It is November, which for this book dragon means three things: the Thanksgiving holiday, National Novel Writing Month, and the Goodreads Choice Awards. 

The voting has once again opened for readers to select and vote for their favorite books of the year. As always, I expect the competition to be close in more than a few categories, and I am always hopeful that a DSN or two will grab the final win.

For the Best Fiction category, both Maame by Jessica George and Yellowface by R.F. Kuang are up for consideration, and honestly, both of these books blew me away with their raw honesty while confronting tough subjects. I will personally vote for Maame, but I can see Yellowface making a strong showing. 

The Best Historical Fiction category includes four DSN's from 2023, starting off with the book that was named the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, and I believe it is certainly worthy of the honor. The other three books are River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer, The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende (for which a review is coming in December), and Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. My vote goes to McBride, but it will be tough going up against both Allende and Ward in the same category.

Only one DSN made it into the Best Science Fiction category, though I am in the middle of reading one of the other nominees. I hope to complete T.J. Klune's In the Lives of Puppets soon, but until then, I am content to vote for Lily Brooks-Dalton's The Light Pirate, which looks at what the future could be should our infrastructure fail, while following a young girl with an extraordinary and unexplained gift. 

While it is an often neglected category on this blog, I managed to read one novel that has been nominated in the Best Horror category, and that is Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Silver Nitrate. Lovers of old Hollywood and the history behind cult classics will most likely enjoy this novel set in Mexico. 

Oh boy...well, I knew this was coming. I usually have the most DSNs show up as nominees in the Best Young Adult Fiction category, but somehow I am always surprised. For 2023, there are seven total, and (deep breath in) here they are: Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz (review coming in early December), Immortality by Dana Schwartz, Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis, Five Survive by Holly Jackson, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert, One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus, and finally, Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. My vote goes to Warrior Girl Unearthed, though this is far from being an easy decision. 

Three DSNs have been nominated as the Best Debut of 2023, including two books that have already appeared in other categories. Both Maame and River Sing Me Home made the cut, along with The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. I will once again be voting for George's Maame, and I am so pleased to see it gain enough recognition to make it into two categories.

The Best Nonfiction category contains one DSN, and I believe it is one that could absolutely win. Matthew Desmond's Poverty, By America does not pull any punches, while still being short, to the point, and with incredible insight. I am not at all surprised by its appearance in the awards. 

Prachi Gupta's They Called Us Exceptional is one of those books that took me by surprise, and also one I almost did not read. I am glad I did (the review will be published this Friday), and its inclusion in the Best Memoir & Autobiography category is more than fitting. 

And for Best History & Biography, When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey has gained a spot, and rightfully so. It is a creative, but still honest look at the crack epidemic, following four individuals and their own experiences during an interesting time in U.S. history. 

The voting is open and will close on Sunday, November 26, with the final round of voting opening on Tuesday, November 28. There have been a few times in the past years when the numbers were extremely close between first and second place, so be sure to make your voice heard. 

Young Adult Fiction: Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

When searching for new books, seeing that a title is the first in a new series can often make me hesitate. If I read the first book and love it, then I am locked in and eagerly waiting for the follow-up, which is great. But if I end up less than interested in what the book offered and where the story is heading, it can feel weird to stop there with no intention of finishing the series. It is a gamble, but I took the chance of Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis. An elite competition between some of the world's best thieves sounds like a lot of fun, and the promise of more books to follow allows for a wide range of possibilities.

The Situation: Right now, 17 year-old Rosalyn Quest only wants one thing, and that is to save her mother. Before this, she wanted nothing more than to escape from her mother's grasp and live her own life, but that was before things went terribly wrong in the middle of a job. The Quests are legendary and are known for being the best thieves in North America. But that legacy may fall apart if Ross cannot come up with the insane ransom her mother's kidnappers are demanding. There is only one hope, and that it the Thieves' Gambit: a competition where the winner is granted one wish, for literally anything they want. Ross knows that winning will not be easy, but she has to try. What other choice does she have?

The Problem: Before the competition even begins, it is clear to Ross that the mysterious organizers of the Gambit are in complete control, with access to money, resources, and information. That was to be expected, but what Ross did not expect was to have to go up against her longtime rival, Noelia Boschert. The other competitors are from all over the word, and include a tech-genius from Japan, an impulsive gambling trickster from Las Vegas, and a charming boy named Devroe who may be fun to look at, but Ross is still hesitant to trust him. Each challenge proves to be more intense, and seemingly impossible, than the last, but the cost of losing is simply too high.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult thriller/adventure novel that takes place in various locations all over the world. While the Quest family is mostly known for pulling jobs in North America, and the Boschert's seem to have cornered the market in Europe, the competitors are from all over. Every participant of the Gambit was chosen for a reason, and each one has skills and advantages that are unique to them. And while trusting people is usually not something thieves are used to doing, Ross finds herself having to do just that if she wants to win, while also questioning what she has always been told by the people who raised her.

My Verdict: This book is definitely for those of us who love stories that feature intense, if unconventional, competitions between an ensemble cast of characters, but are not necessarily too interested in watching it all go down in yet another post-apocalyptic or dystopian landscape. The Gambit takes their competitors to places like Egypt and Paris, and in style. But just because private planes are featured, it does not mean that things are more comfortable, less tense, or that the stakes are not still incredibly high. Questions of who to trust, who to believe, and and what is really going on are a constant, and little gets answered until the very last page. I am certainly excited for this series to continue. Anyone else looking for globe-trotting adventure and high-stakes heists with magnetic characters will love it.

Favorite Moment: It has been drilled into Ross that she cannot trust anyone unless they are family, and that she must be ruthless if she wants to survive. There is a moment early on when she decides to go against these lessons, which makes her character admirable and endearing.

Favorite Character: Kyung-soon is a competitor from South Korea who makes a habit of swiping silverware, and then selling it back to people when they need it to eat their meals. 

Recommended Reading: For some reason, I feel like recommending The Reader by Traci Chee. It is a completely different kind of book, but it has a similar fast-paced intensity and colorful cast of characters that was found in today's book. 

Historical Fiction: Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

Two-time winner of the National Book Award, Jesmyn Ward, has come out with her first fiction novel since 2017's Sing, Unburied, Sing. This time, Ward moves to the past and reimagines American slavery, referencing Dante Alighieri's Inferno as the protagonist makes her journey from one plantation to another.

The Situation: Born into slavery, young Annis is taught how to survive by her mother, as she works in the house of the man who is her father. Occasionally, she is able to hear parts of the lessons that are taught to the master's twin girls - Annis' half-sisters - which include Alighieri's Inferno. After her master sells her and it is time for Annis to make her own journey, she becomes a different kind of guide downward, navigating the difficult journey from the Carolinas, all the way down to New Orleans. It is a difficult trek full of more than just rough terrain and turbulent rivers.

The Problem: As Annis gazes back into her history, to her mother and grandmother, what she often finds is not necessarily relief, answers, or even comfort. And while the long journey to New Orleans is hard, surviving at her new home of the sugar plantation proves to be even tougher. Being owned by a miserly and stingy woman is difficult enough, and when harvest season comes, things only get worse. And despite often being disappointed and frustrated with the world she seeks beyond this one, the one full of myth, history, and spirits, Annis continues to both seek and defy it in the search for real, true freedom.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel with Annis as the first-person narrator. With many references and callbacks to Alighieri's Inferno, Annis becomes the reader's guide not only on the journey to Louisiana, but also through her time at both plantations. It is the stories of her mother and warrior grandmother that will help move Annis forward, even as she learns of the hardships and betrayals they had to endure, only to become slaves themselves. It is a search for freedom and joy that moves through grief and despair, with the long journey through the southern U.S. feeling like a real descent to a darker place.

My Verdict: No matter how it is approached, the subject of slavery is going to be a tough one to tackle, most likely for both the author and the reader. There is no shying away from the horrors Annis has to endure as a slave on a rice plantation, forced to daily face the reality that her father is her master, and her half-sisters know a life of luxury and education that she may never get to enjoy. Add in the grueling journey south, and the harsh reality of the sugar plantation, and what Ward offers is the kind of portrayal many may want to avoid, but becomes worth exploring due to the language and characters. Ward's work has been critically acclaimed for a reason, and it is easy to see why her writing has endured. 

Favorite Moment: After arriving in New Orleans, Annis learns of a group of slaves that managed to live free in the swamps. It is a story full of hope and tragedy, giving more depth to Annis' new home, rather than making it a new location with same (or worse) problems.

Favorite Character: Mary does not speak, but she works hard at the sugar plantation, and she contains more depth and layers for those that know to look.

Recommended Reading: I recommend The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. 

Contemporary Fiction: Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Many readers know the name of today's author from her young adult fiction novels, but Family Lore is Elizabeth Acevedo's first offering for adults. I enjoyed all three of Acevedo's previous books and looked forward to the story of a family of women who each have a unique gift, and their preparations for a loved ones living wake.

The Situation: When Ona hears that her mother wants to have a living wake, she fears the worst is about to happen. Flor may be 70 years-old, but it is not her age that is making Ona and the rest of the family believe that the woman may be dying. The thing is, Flor has always been able to know when someone is going to die. This information comes to her in dreams and she has yet to be wrong. It is her gift, just like her youngest sister, Camila, can mix and match herbs into a cure for anything, and Pastora knows the truth about people (which many find unnerving). Matilde does not seem to have a gift, but she is and has always been an incredible dancer, whenever she gets a chance to do it. With only three days until the wake, everyone is doing their best to have the event come together, as they also attempt to find out what Flor knows.

The Problem: Ona is naturally suspicious, and terrified, of the reason why Flor would want a living wake. And why she would need to have it so soon. She does her best to find out if her mother has seen her own death, with both direct and indirect questions. But Flor continues to not give anything anyway, and only sometimes gives cryptic answers. Even Pastora, the sister who can divine the truth, is seemingly at a loss. As the day of the wake approaches, the past is slowly revealed, and Flor, Matilde, Pastora, Camila, Ona, and Ona's younger cousin Yadi, all reveal their secrets, and the anxieties that are plaguing them. The stories come together to present the rich history of the six women, who eagerly await the day of the wake and whatever is to come.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction that is set in and around modern-day New York City, while also jumping back through time to when the four sisters were younger and living in the Dominican Republic. While Ona is the primary narrator, the reader also hears from her aunts Matilde, Pastora, and Camila; her mother Flor, and her cousin Yadi, all from the first person perspective. Ona has decided to interview her family members as part of a personal project, and the product is full of revelations, while also hiding some of the information that Ona most wants to know. At the beginning of the book, following a quote from poet Lucille Clifton, the reader is given a list of the family members that are mentioned, as well as their primary traits. Each chapter moves the story towards the inevitable wake, while also presenting more from the characters' paths.

My Verdict: Of course, I was aware of the pitfalls that can come from expecting a novelist to be successful in a certain area or genre, simply because they have proven successful in another area. I was excited to see what a novel for adults would look like coming from Acevedo, but I was also apprehensive, and that caution was not completely unmerited. What remains is Acevedo's command of language and her ability to put together settings and characters and situations in a way that brings the reader into a world that feels both close and real. And while the characters are interesting, and their stories and histories even more so, the lack of plot movement makes for an almost frustrating experience. The slice of life approach allows for great background, but with little payoff. 

Favorite Moment: There is a moment when Pastora sees the truth about someone who has entered the shop where she works, but she decides not to speak it in that moment, and it is everything. Such a small and subtle moment was made incredibly powerful with just the smallest of observations. 

Favorite Character: I can understand why many would be wary of Pastora, including her own youngest sister, Camila. But honestly, people being unnerved by Pastora and her ability to know the truth really says more about them than it does about her.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Clap When You Land, Acevedo's third YA novel, as well as Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera. 

Science Fiction: The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love

As part of my ongoing effort to read more science fiction, I picked up The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love. When a new mother is obsessed with what could have been, she also cannot help but think that maybe it is. Maybe the alternate reality she cannot seem to stop thinking about is out there, and not entirely out of reach.

The Situation: Hannah is having a bit of a day. Right now she has realized that she has forgotten her car keys in her therapist's office, so she must make the distasteful decision between lugging her eight month-old son back up the parking garage stairs, or taking a chance to leave him briefly so this detour will go faster. Hannah's husband, Adam, has accused her of being over-protective, bordering on obsessive, but since Jack was born, she cannot shake a strange memory from his birth. But can it be called a memory when it did not actually happen? Hannah remembers Jack not surviving the birth, and yet here he is. She relishes his smell, the curls of his hair, even his stubborn inability to sleep through the night. So when Jack vanishes when Hannah is on her way to retrieve her keys, she is understandably shaken, even after he just as mysteriously reappears.

The Problem: Hannah's therapist is quick to explain away what she witnessed as a symptom of part of a larger problem. Hannah is a new and anxious mother after all, and the lack of sleep certainly is not helping matters. Then there is the issue of Adam announcing he is leaving her. And also, there are the brief and confusing visions she has of other versions of her own life. But it is when Jack disappears from his crib, seemingly into thin air, that Hannah begins to seriously consider her 'memory' from the hospital eight months ago, as well as the mystery surrounding her own mother's unraveling. To get her son back, Hannah may have to reach out to the different versions of herself, while maintaining a tenuous hold on her own reality.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set in an around modern day San Francisco. Hannah and Adam are new parents of an eight month-old son named Jack, and while they would not trade parenthood for anything else in the world, raising him has taken a toll on them and their marriage. From the time of his birth, Hannah has become aware of an alternate version of events, and unfortunately, in this one, Jack did not survive. The idea of alternate realities is a central theme here, with many of them splitting off seemingly on the day Jack was born. Maternal love is also explored, as well as the uncertainty of the postpartum period. 

My Verdict: What works for this book is the exploration of the idea of alternative realities and timelines; how a major event like giving birth can cause such a thing to happen on a large scale; and its honest look at motherhood, grief, anxiety, and even insecurity. What does not work is the pacing, as there are moments that are incredibly slow, mostly the parts with the explanations of what Hannah is experiencing, and how such a thing could be possible. I would not categorize this book as a thriller as the pacing is not quick enough for that. Also, while the idea of losing a child is naturally devastating, something about either Hannah's situation, or the way she is dealing with it, or maybe just her character in general, made it not that interesting to me. 

Favorite Moment: There are moments when the reader is given brief glimpses into the kind of books Hannah used to write. These kind of moments always intrigue me in stories. I love when characters play a fictional game and the readers are given a short (but ultimately incomplete) picture of it. Or when, like in this case, a character is an author and describes the books they write. Or a character that is an avid reader talks about their favorite fictional series. 

Favorite Character: Given how complex the idea of alternate realities can get, I enjoyed the straight-forward nature of Hannah's therapist, Dr. Goodman. She may seem initially cold and standoffish, even a bit judgmental, but she turns out to be both helpful and supportive.

Recommended Reading: Perhaps a book the explores the idea of alternate realities a bit more successfully is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.  

Door Stop: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Perhaps I should make a yearly adventure into the work of Margaret Atwood, who has such an extensive catalogue of novels that it is almost intimidating, and which I have read surprisingly little. The Blind Assassin caught my attention due to its length, and because it was the recipient of the Man Booker Prize in the year 2000. In it, a woman in her 80s decides it is time for her to tell the story - the real story - of her life, and what happened between her and famous novelist sister.

The Situation: It is 1999, and 83 year-old Iris Griffen would more or less like to be left alone, but Myra, the daughter of an old friend, has taken it upon herself to make sure Iris stays fed, her house stays clean, and the laundry is always done, among other things. What Myra does not know is that Iris has decided to write down the events of her life. The story may begin with the day Laura, Iris' sister, drove a car off a bridge, just ten days after World War II ended, but this is also where the story will takes its wildest eventual turn. Before this, there is their childhood, a charmed existence eventually marred by a turning economy, tragedy, and decisions made for the greater good.

The Problem: Whether Laura's death was a suicide as opposed to an accident is the question, and after posing it, Iris starts at the beginning, when the two of them are young, both parents are alive, and the future holds nothing but promise. But as the two sisters grow up, death will claim loved ones, and the family button factory will cease to be profitable as conflict overseas continues. When Iris is married off as more of a business transaction than anything else, it is supposed to signal a positive turning point for everyone, but ends up not helping anyone. As Iris tells her story, she also shares chapters from her sister's book, The Blind Assassin. Both stories eventually come together to reveal everything, changing the history of Iris and Laura that everyone thought they knew. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that moves back and forth through time, though mostly stays in the mid-20th century, before, during, and after WWII. Otherwise, Iris talks about her life in the year 1999, and lets the story of when she was younger eventually catch up to the present, revealing exactly how she got to be where she is, and every secret along the way. When she is not talking about the past or the present, the reader is treated to chapter's of Laura's book, which, much like Laura's sudden death, upset everything for everyone involved, including Iris, her husband Richard, his sister Winnifred, and Iris' daughter Aimee. The book is a love story, a mystery, and even historical fiction, with some science fiction thrown in.

My Verdict: In the beginning, I had a hard time finding a rhythm with this book. I think the moving through time, with the chapters of Laura's book in between, was all a little hard to follow at first. However, once I got the hang of it, I found the three different stories refreshing, when usually in books like this at least one of them would not have been as interesting to me. Though technically, there are four different stories at work here, as Laura's book has two (the story of the two lovers, as well as the story the man is telling the woman), and then Iris is talking about her past, as well as the present. In other words, there is quite a bit going on here, but it is not cumbersome, and the reveals of the final twists do not feel cheap or unnecessary.

Favorite Moment: *spoiler alert* Call me cruel (I certainly would) but I did love the fact that marrying Iris off to a business friend did not result in the benefits her father was expecting. In fact, the whole thing could not have ended worse for him.

Favorite Character: Most of the characters in this book are tiresome, including Iris and her sister Laura. I did enjoy the brief encounters the reader got with Walter, Myra's husband, who has joined his wife in making sure Iris is taken care of, despite her protests.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Alias Grace, again by Atwood, which is also a limited series on Netflix. 

Horror Fiction: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Today's entry will be the fourth book by author Silvia Moreno-Garcia to receive attention on this blog. Silver Nitrate was described as a horror mystery novel set in early 1990s Mexico that involved an unfinished classic horror film, as well as a secret hidden magic. 

The Situation: Montserrat is a gifted and dedicated sound editor, but lately it seems her boss is intent on pushing her out, favoring a younger male colleague to her, in a job that already does not pay all that well, even when she does have a fair amount of shifts. Her best friend from childhood, Tristán, could be a source of comfort if he was not so preoccupied with his own problems. Having moved out on his own after a breakup, he is also attempting to revive his acting career, while dodging questions from journalists who wish to ask about a tragedy from his past. They both see an opportunity when Tristán discovers that his new neighbor is cult horror film director Abel Urueta. The man insists he is cursed, and Montserrat and Tristán may be able to help him.

The Problem: Abel insists that the only way to lift the curse is to shoot the missing scene of an unfinished film. After learning the intricate and troubled history of not only the film, but the people surrounding the production, Montserrat and Tristán agree to help Abel, but this is when strange things begin happening. The pair may have been dubious when hearing stories of the Nazi occultist that Abel worked with, and the supposed magic that the dangerous silver nitrate film holds. But Montserrat insists that something is following her, and Tristán is more than a little unnerved when he begins to see the figure of his dead girlfriend. It seems that helping Abel remove the curse was only the beginning of their adventure, and both must be willing to put their skepticism aside if they hope to survive.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a horror novel set in late 1993-early 1994 in Mexico. Montserrat is a plain woman (by her own admission) who is fine with having few friends, and spending hours at her job as a sound editor. She has long been in love with her friend Tristán, but she knows he has never truly seen her, and is more than a little self-absorbed. Together, the two of them find themselves involved in a mystery of magic, curses, and a cult whose leader was a Nazi who pieced together his own system of magic in his search for unimaginable power, and as a way to push his own racist concepts. Wilhelm Friedrich Ewers may not have been a real person, but he is a composite of several Nazi occultists. And the same is true for Abel Urueta, who is a combination of Mexican film director Chano Urueta, and actor Abel Salazar. 

My Verdict: While the plot of this book is interesting, and it made me curious enough to continue reading through to the end, I cannot say that I found it all that scary. And at various points, I wondered if the narrative would have been better served if it focused solely on Montserrat, or solely on Tristán, as opposed to splitting the attention between the two of them. With that being said, both Montserrat and Tristán are fully realized characters with rich histories, as well as different approaches to the situation in which they find themselves. The introduction of a cult horror film director certainly added to the story, while also making it complicated to the point of it almost becoming uninteresting. A few intense scenes make for a compelling conclusion, but I am not sure if horror story lovers will find this one to be terrible engaging.

Favorite Moment: While Montserrat remains loyal to Tristán, this does not mean that she pulls punches with him. There are many moments when she refuses to put up with his nonsense, no matter how angry or desperate he gets. 

Favorite Character: Montserrat has her issues, but she is no fool. She knows when someone is attempting to get the best of her, and has no problem with being direct and getting to the point.

Recommended Reading: I thought The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero was a hidden gem of a book that did not get nearly enough attention. 

Nonfiction: When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey

The title of today's book is what first caught my attention. What motivated me to actually pick it up and buy it was the description, which promised to tell the histories and experiences of four different individuals during the crack epidemic, alongside the drug's varied and intense history in this country. Donovan X. Ramsey's When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era explores exactly what happened, gives detailed accounts of the people who suffered the most, while also looking at who is responsible, and how we can stop something like this from happening again.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that starts in the 1960s, during the Civil Rights Era, and when the Nixon administration made the decision to focus on how best to deal with two of its biggest enemies, which were those that were antiwar, and Black people. The book continues to move through the 70s and 80s, which saw the emergence of crack, a cheaply made and cheap to obtain drug that would tear apart many communities of color across the country. Alongside the facts, figures, and history, are the stories of four people: Elgin from Yonkers, Lennie from Los Angeles, Kurt from Baltimore, and Shawn from Newark. Not all of them were crack users, or crack dealers, but they all have intimate knowledge of how the epidemic affected their respective communities, with many of those effects hitting incredibly close to home.

My Verdict: Sure, a history lesson on the crack epidemic has the potential to be a tough (and upsetting) read. And while the addition of the personal stories makes for a nice break, while also offering much appreciated and fascinating insight, these stories also have the potential of adding to the overall distress, and despair, over such a subject. With that being said, I do not regret having chosen this book as one of my nonfiction selections for the year. Though it is a tough subject, it is also important to acknowledge what happened, how it happened, and to whom it happened. Well-researched and well-organized, this book is a thorough history of one of the nation's roughest moments, one that could easily be forgotten, and then tragically repeated.

Favorite Moment: In 1994, John Ehrlichman, counsel and assistant to the president for domestic affairs under Nixon, admitted in an interview with Harper's Magazine that they used drugs as a way to vilify Black people and disrupt their communities. Feels weird to put this down as a 'favorite' moment, but it feels oddly validating to see it printed out (again) in black and white.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond. 

Young Adult Fiction: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

During my undergraduate years, I took American Sign Language as my foreign language. One of the requirements for both ASL I and ASL II was that the students spend a certain number of hours interacting with the Deaf community in the city. I learned a lot, about both the language and the culture, but just as with any other language, it was a 'use it or lose it' situation, something that is briefly discussed in Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino. In this young adult novel, 17 year-old Lilah will get the opportunity to return to a summer camp for the deaf and blind that she used to attend as a kid. It will certainly be a summer to remember as she will do much more than simply brush up on her ASL.

The Situation: It is the end of junior year of high school, and Lilah is not exactly pleased with the direction her life has currently taken. Her grades have taken a serious dive, much to her mother's displeasure, so now there is talk of summer school, as well as more unpleasant discussions regarding Lilah's hearing loss and how she needs to advocate for herself in the classroom. Even at the end of an outing with her hearing friends, Lilah experiences listening fatigue, and getting her teachers to use the accommodations she needs is another issue she is simply sick of dealing with. There is somewhere where Lilah never felt out of place, a summer camp for the deaf and blind that she has not been to in years. So she decides to reach out and see if there is a spot for her as a junior counselor, and when she is accepted, she has no idea just how much she is going to learn.

The Problem: Lilah has a hard time fitting into the hearing world. But because she is not completely deaf, she has often experienced feelings of insecurity (as well as moments of discrimination) from the Deaf community for not being 'deaf enough.' At Camp Gray Wolf, Lilah will meet campers and counselors who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing, visually impaired, as well as counselors who are hearing and not visually impaired. She will also meet Isaac, a cute deaf counselor who seems to like Lilah as much as she likes him, but she is not sure. She is uncomfortable about her lack of knowledge of ASL, as she feels she slows conversations down, and that more than a few of the counselors are annoyed with her because of it. Lilah is glad to be at Gray Wolf, but it will be a summer of discovery, and some lessons will have to come the hard way.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set mostly at Camp Gray Wolf, a summer camp for the deaf and blind. Written from Lilah's point of view, the reader follows her around as she navigates her summer as the new junior counselor. Because of her hearing loss, Lilah sometimes misses what is being spoken in conversation, and therefore, so does the reader. Lilah's hearing aids do help, but they do not catch everything. Her ability to read lips also helps, but again, it is not a solution to catching 100% of what people say to her. She would love to use ASL more, but does not know it as well as she would like. Miscommunication is a common occurrence as Lilah attempts to form her own identity within the Deaf community, which is incredibly complex. 

My Verdict: From the first page, Lilah's frustration over the current situation can be clearly felt. The struggle to make sure teachers do what they are supposed to do; the difficult conversations with her mom; the stressful appointments with her audiologist - all of these things, along with a myriad of others, are a regular part of her life. Deaf culture is complex, and no one book is going to be able to spell everything out, but this book can be a start. And a fun one at that. Ultimately, Lilah is a teenage girl working at a summer camp, glad to be away from home and school for a bit, hoping to maybe have a summer romance and learn a little bit about who she is. Having hearing loss does complicate matters, but the book makes it clear that there are options, and the choice is hers, and those close to her will respect what she decides and what she needs. 

Favorite Moment: Lilah's little brother Max, who is also hard of hearing, arrives at the camp midway through the summer, and she is able to use what she has learned so far to guide him to make his own decisions. 

Favorite Character: Bobby is a senior counselor at Camp Gray Wolf and is also blind. I got excited every time he showed up on the page because of his humor and generally bright demeanor. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Chaos Theory by Nic Stone, as well as Kids of Appetite by David Arnold.