On books of letters

Would reading your texts tell a story? How about your emails? With some of these modern technologies giving us such direct and fast communication, we lose the narrative-ness of extended exchanges. However, in the following books, you can clearly see the story through the letters our characters exchange:

• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - When Juliet begins a correspondence with the people living on Guernsey Island, she has no idea how much her life will change. This adorable piece of historical fiction is a must-read.

• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis - This collection of letters between Lucifer and a devil servant reveal how to tempt man - and perhaps, how to avoid vices.

• Lady Susan by Jane Austen - Through letters, Austen tells the story of the witty and selfish Lady Susan as she hunts for a husband.

• The Letters of Virginia Woolf by Virginia Woolf - This six volume collection of the writer’s letters span her entire lifetime and reveal the inner workings of one of the greatest writers of her time.

What books would you add to this list? Do you feel that your modern-day communication would yield similarly interesting books if compiled?

On recently released or upcoming books you should check out

It's been a couple months since I've written about this! And, to be fair, there haven't been many brand new or upcoming books that I've read that deserve to make the list. But luckily, there have been a few here and there and I'm excited to talk about them more here!

• The Sisters Mederos by Patrice Sarath (April 3rd) - This fun fantasy book about a pair of sister who must save their family will be a hit with YA readers. It's clean, hilarious, and full of brave and daring young women who will stop at nothing to help their family. It's a fun read and the cover is astounding.

• Sheets by Breanna Thummler (August 28th) - After her mother's death, it's up to Marjorie to run her family's laundry business and care for her brother and dad. Enter a ghost to change everything. This graphic novel is bittersweet and adorable. The characters are memorable, the artwork is AMAZING, and the story is touching. This is a great middle grade or YA read.

• Lost Gods by Micah Yongo (July 3rd) - A young and newly graduated group of assassins have their world completely change when one of their number is unexpectedly murdered. This new fantasy series is exciting and has a beautifully built world that I'm excited to learn more about.

• Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras (July 31st) - Two sisters' lives are about to change when their mother hires a new house servant. Taking place in Columbia during Pablo Escobar's reign, this story will teach you about Columbian history and also about sticking together as a family in the midst of turmoil. This is a beautiful and surprising book that I highly recommend.

What upcoming books have you been excited about? Have you read any of these? Do you plan on getting any of these books?

Do-over #2: On books for a calm summer evening

This is the beginning of The Bibliotaph's blog meme and link-up: Do-over. To participate, go through your blog posts from the past years (post must be at least a year old) and do the post over - either update it to fit your current perspectives or add new material to make it more application currently. Our next Do-over linkup will be on July 10th.

You can read the original blog post here.

When I first started blogging, I was so excited to get started - so I quickly queued up several months of quickly written posts and didn't include pictures or even much information about my thoughts on each book. In this post, I was really good at summing up each book, but didn't include any commentary on my opinions or experiences with the book - or even why I chose to include it on this list. I also was great at making longer lists of books - these days, I often only add a few books to lists, but this is a pretty sizeable one. Today, I'm going to alter things a bit by adding the pictures and adding in some thoughts on why each book made it onto the list. I'll also be adding real bullet points and adding questions to the end.

There’s a park behind my apartment with a set of perfect hammock trees. On warm (but not too warm) evenings, it’s the perfect place to enjoy nature. Or ignore nature and escape into a book.

Here are some slow, thoughtful books to compliment that calm moment.

• The Muse by Jessie Burton - Odelle Bastien lives in 1960’s London and has just been employed at the Skeleton Art Gallery. Odelle strives to uncover the secrets of her employer while balancing the changes in her personal life. Olive Schloss is a refugee living in 1930’s Spain. While the story bounces between these two heroines, the leader slowly learns how they connect. This book is somewhat slow-paced, but a lot of fun and you spend most of the time getting to know the characters instead of being in the midst of insane action.

• Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson - Newly-orphaned Sophie Petheram has just moved to Wyndriven Abbey and begins piecing together the past of her mysterious guardian. This Bluebeard retelling isn't entirely slow, but what little action it includes happens quickly and has a slow build-up. It's at the more exciting end of books on this list, but it's still a somewhat calming book most of the time.

• Remembering Isaac: The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp by Ben Behunin - Niederbipp needs a new potter. But Jake Kimball didn’t know what he was signing up for when he agreed to take the position. His predecessor, Isaac, left some big shoes to fill, but maybe with some peppermint tea and a good listening ear, Jake can adjust to his new surroundings. Everything about this book is slow and sweet. Most of the story is filled with people talking about their lives over cups of tea.

• Breakfast At Tiffany’s by Truman Capote - Holly Golightly is anything but quiet - on the surface. Underneath, complex feelings and deep hurt and a distorted sense of wanderlust live and guide her strange decision making. This slow (and strange) book tell of the people who love her - and how she struggles to love them back. Most of the drama happens in small spurts between people.

• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer - Shortly after WWII, acclaimed author Juliet Ashton begins corresponding with the residents of Guernsey, a small island she’s never visited. Through Juliet’s letters, the reader sees how the events in Guernsey have changed the lives of all who live there, and how Juliet’s life is changed by meeting these people. Since this story is told through letters, you only hear about the conflict - there's very little of it that you see directly. This book is also great at making you fall in love with characters - they're so fun and wonderful.

• Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith - Four people meet on a train ride and share their stories - often being reminded of their own heartaches by their companions. The entire book takes place on a train and every story that is shared is about love and loss. It's a very quiet (and quick) book to read.

• Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card - Pastwatch is a futuristic company that observes the past. But after many years of study, the question arises - what if Pastwatch researchers are affecting the past much more than they realize? This book takes awhile to get into the real action, and even when it gets exciting, it's still slow and thoughtful and philosophical. Definitely a great read when you need some quiet time to think.

What books would you add to this list? What genres of books do you read on quiet summer evenings? Have you read anything on this list? What blog posts would you like to do-over?

On my mystery picks

Mystery is a genre I honestly haven't read a lot of. My mum is a hardcore mystery reader - when I was a kid, she read little else. I didn't take after her. While I read mysteries now and then, it definitely isn't my bread-and-butter. Which is one reason I was kind of excited to write this post - it was a great opportunity to take a good look at the mysteries that I've loved and what makes a good mystery. Writing this post made it even clearer that I'm not a mystery reader - it took a lot of digging through my "read" shelf to find a bunch that I liked. But it was fun to remember why some of these books were wonderful. And if you're looking for a good mystery, now you have a few suggestions:

• Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski - I haven't blogged about this book enough. It's one of the better mysteries I've ever read, but I don't get many chances to talk about it. It was so unlike anything else I've read that it's hard to blog about it without specifically thinking about this book. An old cold case is brought to public attention again when the death of Tom Jeffries becomes the focus of a new podcast - and everyone involved is suddenly thrust back into the events of many years ago. This was one of the better books I read in 2017 and it needs more attention than it's getting.

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - As a kid, this book rocked my world - and the ending shocked me beyond anything else I'd read up to that point. This story about solving clues to win a bunch of money is hilarious and perfect for any middle grade reader.

• Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket - I've read few authors that make me chuckle as much as Lemony Snicket. This is another delightful children's mystery - though it may end up leaving you with more questions than answers.

• Crooked House by Agatha Christie - It wouldn't be a mystery list without Agatha Christie and I hadn't read this mystery story of hers until recently. As always, Agatha Christie leaves you guessing who the murderer is until the very end and makes you suspect everyone. This story is no different and she does a better job than usual of ensuring that you feel you can't trust a single character.

What mystery books would add to this list? Are there any good mystery book blogs you can recommend to me (so I can expand my mystery book collection)? Have you read anything from this list?

4 types of diversity we need more of in books

I recently read The Pixie Chronicles' post 8 types of diversity books need more of and was so inspired by it. It's an excellent list and highlights the good and the bad of bookish diversity - and shows some pretty obvious holes in bookish inclusion. With that post in mind, I'd like to expand by adding my own thoughts on additional diversity we need in the bookish community - and offer a couple books in each category that do this well.

Mental illness besides anxiety and depression 

I have loved the good publicity mental health issues have been getting in recent years, but there's still a lot of work to be done. I've enjoyed reading book after book about depression and anxiety, but I think the bookish community (especially YA bookish people) could benefit a lot from seeing more mental illness and how it can affect people - and how people deal with it. 

Books that handle it well

    

Wheelchairs

This is one diverse category that I've only seen once or twice in books and I'd love to see more. I didn't realize how difficult being a wheelchair could be until I became friends with a few people in wheelchairs and realized how difficult just going to see a friend can be if their home isn't accessible enough. I want to see more of this in media in general - and especially in books.

Books that handle it well

 

Religion

I partly got thinking about this because The Pixie Chronicles mentioned this one, so I am including this to put an emphasis on this. In recent years, religion has become something that people don't really talk about - and especially in books, people often don't view religion as being an important piece of diversity. I personally really think that religion is part of diversity -people all over the world believe in different things and it colors their culture and traditions. I love reading about character for whom religion is important while they also deal with their other conflicts.

Books that handle it well

    

Polynesian characters

I've been so impressed with all the racial diversity that I've been seeing recently in media (especially books), but we very rarely see polynesian characters in books or movies. While Pacific Islanders are a somewhat smaller group of people, it's still important that they get included in literature, as they have a rich culture that's often overlooked.

Books that handle it well

    

Want to help promote disabled diversity and help real-life people in addition to reading books with diversity? Creative Souls is a company that gives disabled people a chance to use artwork to stay employed. The company provides disabled individuals with the supplies to decorate shoes and then sells the shoes while giving the artist a profit. They're also currently working towards buying a printer so that they can print artists' designs on shoes instead of having to paint them by hand (and so they can sell multiple copies of the same shoes in different sizes). This will help artists make much more money off the same piece of artwork (aka making fair wages for their work). If you know someone who could benefit from this job (or who would love a hand-painted pair of shoes), spread the word!

Have you read any of these books? What kinds of diversity would you like to see more of in books? What books would you add to these lists? How do you help real-life diverse people?

On optimistic books

I love happy, joyful books and spring is the perfect time for beginning to delve into some lighter, more bright reads. So today, here are a few books that are cheery, optimistic, and that give you a good feeling about being alive.

• The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe - This is one of the more ridiculous books I've ever read and also one of the most upbeat. The daring Pirate Captain and his crew join up with Charles Darwin to encourage scientific progress in London - and also to attend a very important pirate convention. It's a delightful book that will keep you giggling the whole time you're reading. Plus, it's a pretty quick read, so you'll be through it in no time.

• Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - I was shocked at how much I loved this book and how happy it made me. This whimsical story about cursed Sophie and her adventures with the wizard Howl is so much fun and so sweet and wonderful - and so much lighter than the film. 

• Remembering Isaac: The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp by Ben Behunin - This sweet, quiet, and slow-paced book about a young potter taking the place of the quiet (and somewhat therapeutic) town potter who just passed away is a happy and overwhelmingly upbeat (though quietly so) read. If you want to smile a little through your happy tears, this is the book for you. (Heads up - this also my grandmother's favorite book, so it's a great gift idea for grandparents!)

• Giant Days: Volume 1 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar - I've really enjoyed this graphic novel about three best friends starting off at college. While there are some sad parts, it's an overwhelmingly positive story about people learning to be adults. Plus, it's just a lot of fun. This book would make a great gift for your high school senior relative.

What books do you think of as "optimistic"? What makes a book optimistic in your mind? Have you read any of the books on this list?

On books regarding sexual assault

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I've been wondering what I could do to help promote healthy sexual relationships and helping survivors and I think that literature is a great way to spread awareness and to bring more empathy. With this in mind, I'm going to highlight some books dealing with this topic. This post is based off of the Goodreads list Breaking the Silence: Talking about Violence Against Women.

TOP BOOK

• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. 
  In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

This is a book that I've actually never read, but that I was surprised to see a HUGE amount of my Goodreads friends have. Apparently I'm the last person to hear about this book - it was highly rated by everyone I know who's read it and it was near the top of every sexual assault Goodreads list I looked through. If you're looking to understand more about rape or sexual assault, this is the perfect place to start - especially if you want to know how school can play a part in perpetuating or stopping sexual violence.

BOOKS I'VE READ

I've read 7 of the top 100 books on this list and I was kind of surprised that I'd read so few. I read a lot and I try to read a lot about women's issues and social work issues. Sexual violence fits into both categories - so why have I read so little from this list? I have two theories about this: 1) The books on this list are mostly fictional and I may have read more non-fiction on this subject and 2) Most of the books on this list are books that are widely known and regarded, so it may just be that I haven't gotten around to them OR that I've read less known books on the same topic. I'd be really interested in how this list would change if it had more attention - 188 have added books or voted on books on this list, but only 22 people voted for the top book. 

Anyway - I'll be talking about the top 3 books that I've read here today and looking at how much each book can help us understand how to help survivors and to spread accurate messages regarding sexual violence.

• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (#10) - Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

It's been years since I read this book - probably 8 or 9 years at least. So it's a little difficult for me to remember all the details. However, this book very clearly deals with non-consensual sex and is upfront about how harmful this can be to survivors. It also makes interesting comparisons between healthy and unhealthy sexual relationships. A reread of this would probably benefit me greatly.

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (#11) - Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:
  Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
  Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
  Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
  Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
  In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women — mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends — view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

This book captivated me from the beginning and I read it in two days. I couldn't put it down. The story of poor Minny is especially encouraging - Minny is outwardly a loudspoken and sassy woman, but she's being beaten by her husband at home. While the violence described all sounds like domestic violence, there could be sexual assault that Minny doesn't reveal and this book serves as an important reminder that it often isn't clear outwardly if someone you know is suffering.

• Room by Emma Donoghue (#12) - To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world....
  Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience - and a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.
  To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. 
  Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work. 
  Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

This book centers around the repeated rape of Jack's mother and the consequences of her imprisonment. While so much of the story is told through Jack's perspective, it's still obvious to adult readers what is happening and how much his mother has suffered. It becomes more clear as they begin to navigate the world outside Room and start seeing what it takes to begin making life normal again. 

What books from this Goodreads list have you read? What other books would you recommend to gain more understanding about sexual assault and violence? What are you doing to spread awareness during SAAM this year?

On books about realistic moms

Moms are often given a bad rap in books - especially YA books. The mom is mean and evil or nonexistent or (at best) can't understand their child. Books about parents of adult children are even more confusing as that relationship becomes more nuanced and distant. Here are a few books that represent moms realistically and might give some power and strength to moms out there:

• Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb - Ronica Vestrit is a mom who is trying her hardest. She's spent years managing the family business while her husband sails around trading, while still trying to raise her two daughters well. Once her husband passes, Ronica is tasked with making some tough decisions, especially regarding her daughters. She makes plenty of mistakes and has a lot of learning to do about her children, but she's willing to admit to her mistakes and to give her daughters opportunities to make their own mistakes and learn their own lessons. Ronica is the kind of mom so many people have (or should have)- tough, no nonsense, and independent, but still humble enough to admit her shortcomings. Ronica's story arc throughout the series helps you (and her kids) see her as an active member of the family, not just as the mom.

• Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki - Told from the viewpoints of a wealthy mother struggling to connect with her children and a young artist trying to emulate her own mother, this story is all about motherhood. Lady Daniels is trying to write a memoir about raising her selectively mute teenage son while struggling to connect with him and tolerate her other toddler son. Esther has just graduated from college and been hired as a nanny by the Daniels, all for the purpose of spending the summer on her most ambitious art project ever - becoming her mother for the summer to better understand the woman who helped raise her. This story tells all about motherhood and learning about yourself, with all it's complexities and difficulties.

Pieces of Happiness: A Novel of Friendship, Hope and Chocolate by Anne Østby - Five friends retire together to Fiji and work to support each other, especially as they all go through the growing pains of growing old. Most relateable is Sina, whose relationship with her adult son is struggling as he continues to mooch off her and she struggles to set boundaries. This story shows some of the difficulties of being a good mom while sometimes having to play the bad guy in order to help your child grow.

• My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck - This lovely and delightful picture book helps children to identify ways that they can tell their mom loves them - and is still an adorable read for adults.

Have you read any of these books? What realistic moms do you enjoy reading about? What books give you a positive look at parenting? What books can you relate to as a parent?

On books to read if you enjoyed "Wild Bird" by Wendelin Van Draanen

If you enjoy realistic contemporary YA about character overcoming shortcomings and learning from their mistakes, this is the blog post for you. If you're just someone who recently loved Wild Bird, you're also in luck - there are actually some similar books out there! 

3:47 a.m. That's when they come for Wren Clemens. She's hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who've gone so far off the rails, their parents don't know what to do with them any more. This is wilderness therapy camp. 

The Wren who arrives in the Utah desert is angry and bitter, and blaming everyone but herself. But angry can't put up a tent. And bitter won't start a fire. Wren's going to have to admit she needs help if she's going to survive. 

In her most incisive and insightful book yet, beloved author Wendelin Van Draanen's offers a remarkable portrait of a girl who too a wrong turn and got lost--but who may be able to find her way back again in the vast, harsh desert.

• Bad by Jean Ferris - After getting caught robbing a convenience store, young Dallas is sent to a residential treatment center where she'll learn to confront the darkest parts of herself - and the decisions that led to her going to treatment. Both books are about girls who enter treatment because of their bad behavior - and their parents being unsure about how to deal with them.

• Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman - After a mental breakdown, Caden is sent to a psych ward to get his head back together. Caden encounters all sorts of characters on the psych unit, but he's also left to battle the demons in his head - all of which take the forms of a vicious sea captain and his heartless crew. This book differs from Wild Bird slightly - while it's still about a teen in treatment, Caden's reasons for entering treatment differ greatly from Wren's.

• The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin - Matt is a teenager who essentially acts as a parent to his little sisters - and also as protector from their cruel and abusive mother. When their mom gets a new boyfriend who seems like he might be able to help the kids, Matt is stuck with a difficult decision - does he need to handle this on his own or is it time to get adults involved in protecting his sisters? Matt's situation is very different from the situation in Wild Bird, but it is still about a teenager dealing with problematic living situations and unhappy circumstances and having to decide to change and overcome those circumstances.

What other books would you add to this list? Have you read any of the books on this list?

Best and Strangest: March

This month has been busy - school, work, family, trips out of town. With all that, I haven't had time to do nearly all the reading I've wanted to do (though let's be honest, I never get to do all the reading I want to do). However, I was still able to finish 11 books this month, which isn't a new record or anything, but is still pretty solid. Below are my picks for the best and strangest of the month, followed by all the other books I read in March:

BEST

• Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank - This is a book that I can't believe I'd never heard of until now. It was recommended to me by a friend who grew up in Florida, where the novel is set (she actually grew up 20 or so miles from the town that the story focuses on). I wasn't sure what to expect of it, but I absolutely loved this book. The stories of survival after a nuclear apocalypse made me wonder how I'd survive in such a situation and prompted many interesting discussions with friends who had read it about what would be different today and what benefits we could get from our location. I've had this on my mind for weeks after reading it and that doesn't often happen to me with books. The Cellist of Sarajevo was a fascinating follow-up read.

STRANGEST

• Puckoon by Spike Milligan - Oh how I love David Bowie. I was delighted at the prospect of #BowieBookClub and I still am thoroughly enjoying, but Bowie and I have wildly different taste in books. Puckoon is full of British/Irish humor and would be bizarre just based on the wild plot (a town is accidentally divided down the middle in the midst of a war), but there are so many small additions that make it worth reading. My favorite part is Dan Milligan, who spends most of the novel being propelled into action by the author and complaining that the author made his legs look weird. If you want a bizarre read, look no further than this.

THE REST OF MARCH'S BOOKS

★★★

★★

★★★

★★★

★★★

★★★★

★★★

★★★★

★★★

What have you read this month? What was your best read? Your strangest read? Have you read any of my March books?