Category: Read This Book

Read This Book: THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE by Gloria Naylor

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 25, 2021

Sponsored by You Have A Match by Emma Lord.

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. But she shockingly discovers she’s a sister to shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully. It’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents. They make a plan to meet up at summer camp and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But things never go as planned, do they?

Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!

Born January 25, 1950, today would be Gloria Naylor’s 71st birthday. Naylor was born in New York City to sharecroppers who escaped the segregated South and migrated north to Harlem in search of better opportunities. She took to writing at an early age and kept notebooks full of short stories and poems. Although she initially majored in nursing while attending Brooklyn College, after reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Naylor changed her major to English and went on to earn an M.A. in African American Studies from Yale University. Her thesis eventually inspired her second book Linden Hills. However, Gloria Naylor is best known for her debut novel, The Women of Brewster Place.

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor

This novel in seven stories explores how these women came to reside at Brewster Place. As these women forge lives in a bleak inner city neighborhood, their romances, friendships, hopes, and struggles show the inner working on what it means to be a Black woman in America.

The Women of Brewster Place won the 1983 National Book Award in the First Novel category and was adapted into a television miniseries of the same name by Oprah Winfrey.

I can easily say my reading life is better because of The Women of Brewster Place. It is always a pleasure to read stories centered around Black women, but along with the pleasure of seeing myself and my kin reflected in The Women of Brewster Place came the pain that often goes along with being a Black woman in America. Naylor masterfully shows what lies at the intersection of class, race, sexuality, and gender through the lives of Mattie, Etta, Theresa, and the other women of Brewster Place who represent the many Black women who continue to make a way out of no way in every redlined neighborhood across America.

Although The Women of Brewster Place is a must-read book, it is my duty to forewarn you. This probably won’t be a light beach read. The story includes violence and sexual assault against women, the death of a child, homophobia, and sporadic use of the n-word. Despite those warnings, this is a book you’ll want to add to that ever growing TBR.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: Re Jane by Patricia Park

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date January 21, 2021

Sponsored by Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen

His name is synonymous with high-stakes wilderness survival stories. Now, living literary legend Gary Paulsen portrays a series of life-altering moments from his turbulent childhood as his own original survival story.

A moving and enthralling memoir of grit and growing up in the wild, Gone to the Woods is perfect for new readers and lifelong fans alike, from the acclaimed author at his rawest and realest.

Welcome to Read This Book, a weekly newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is one of my favorite contemporary classics retellings!

Re Jane by Patricia Park

Jane Re is a Korean-American orphan who has been brought up by her demanding and judgmental Korean aunt and uncle in Queens, New York. Lately she’s been her time working in their Korean grocery, despite having a college degree, because the economy tanked and she lost the job she had lined up after graduation. Desperate to get out, she takes a job as a live-in nanny to a wealthy Brooklyn family, the Mazer-Farleys. They consist of two white professors and their adopted Chinese daughter, and Jane is annoyed that they expect her, a Korean-American woman, to teach their Chinese daughter about Asian culture, but she loves the freedom of being away from her family and being surrounded by the quiet affluence of her new Brooklyn neighborhood. She finds the mother rather odd, as she spends all her time in her attic study when she’s not lecturing Jane about feminism, but Jane is drawn to the father, and it’s not long before a dangerous affair sparks between the two of them.

But just as Jane crosses a line, she spooks and seizes the first opportunity to flee New York and travel to Seoul. There, she reconnects with her extended family, digs deeper into her mother’s past, and starts building a new life for herself. But is Korea truly home?

I thought this was a really clever and interesting retelling of Jane Eyre. It’s set during the turn of the millennium, and it’s really full of lush and vibrant setting details that really made the story come alive. Jane’s naivety may make some readers cringe, but this is a coming of age story that looks closely at what it means to be biracial and grow up entrenched in two very different cultures, and I both learned a lot and felt myself identifying with Jane’s aimlessness and desperate hope for a purpose. Park addresses a lot of the problematic bits of the source material in really interesting and surprising ways, and I found myself flipping the pages not because I wanted to know if the romance would play out, but because I wanted to see what life would look like for Jane when she finally reclaimed her life and found her strength. I was definitely not disappointed!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

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Read This Book

Read This Book: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT FIRST LADIES by Ruby Shamir

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 19, 2021

Sponsored by Algonquin Books, publishers of At the Edge of the Haight.

Maddy Donaldo, homeless at twenty, has made a family of sorts in the dangerous spaces of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. When she unwittingly witnesses the murder of a young homeless boy and is seen by the perpetrator, her relatively stable life is upended. Suddenly, everyone from the police to the dead boy’s parents want to talk to Maddy about what she saw. As adults pressure her to give up her secrets and reunite with her own family before she meets a similar fate, Maddy must decide whether she wants to stay lost or be found.

Today, we are ushering in a new (and hopefully more positive) political era in America with the inauguration of our 46th President, Joseph Robinette Biden. Of course, a new president means we also have a new First Lady. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will make history as the first to keep her day job while serving as First Lady.

What's the Big Deal About First Ladies Book Cover

What’s the Big Deal About First Ladies by Ruby Shamir, Illustrated by Matt Faulkner

First Ladies are more than just the wives of U.S. presidents. This children’s book provides fun and kid-friendly trivia and history that shows the many ways, both big and small, they influenced America. In addition to being hostesses, ambassadors, advocates, and role models, each First Lady leaves her mark on the White House and the country.

This book is perfect for introducing elections, inaugurations, and other aspects of the White House to children.

The main job of First Lady began as official hostess of the White House because women weren’t allowed to attend parties hosted by men unless there was a woman hostess. However, their roles quickly evolved to do more than hosting dignitaries at the White House. In their own way, each First Lady left an indelible mark on the White House and American culture.

For example, Nellie Taft was the first First Lady to ride with her husband after he took the oath of office. She is also the reason Washington, D.C. enjoys cherry blossoms each spring. Julia Grant was the first to issue press releases and invite reporters to White House events. Florence Harding was the first to vote for her husband and get Secret Service protection. Most recently, Hillary Clinton made history by being the first First Lady to run for president after also being the first First Lady to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Overall, I enjoyed reading What’s the Big Deal about First Ladies because I learned so many interesting facts about America’s First Ladies. If you are not familiar with the role of First Lady, this book is great to read and to share with children who might one day become a First Lady (or First Gentleman) themselves.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book

Read This Book: DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 18, 2021

Sponsored by The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly.

Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But that won’t be enough to save them from the mad emperor of the Roven Empire, who has unleashed a horde of invading soldiers. As the enemy advances, she turns to Emperor Armaan of Vishir for help. But in his glittering court, where secrets are worth more than gold, Askia fears one false step with expose her true nature. For Askia is a witch gifted with magical abilities, knowledge that in the wrong hands would not only destroy her life, but her people as well.

In the United States, we are honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today. Whether you are reading this in your office or in the comfort of your home, please remember to take the time to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King by becoming a more engaged member of your community today and every day. If you are looking to read more about the Civil Rights icon and the good trouble he encouraged, then look no further than these books written by, about, and inspired by the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is top of his class at Braselton Preparatory Academy and bound for the Ivy League. However, none of that matters to the police officer who just put Justyce in handcuffs. To find answers to his many questions, Justyce turns to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He starts a journal to find out if they still hold in today’s world.

Before reading Dear Martin, I was worried about this book feeling too similar to The Hate U Give since this story also centers around a Black teen from a poor neighborhood attending an expensive private school who experiences a traumatic event involving a police officer. Although the basis of the stories are similar, the vibe of Dear Martin is very different from The Hate U Give. If you’ve been avoiding Dear Martin because you think you’ve already read this story, then think again, friend. This story is worth reading, and it’s worth reading Dear Martin and The Hate U Give as companion pieces.

One of the aspects of Dear Martin I appreciated most was Justyce not being the only Black kid in his class or the only Black person at his school. With his best friend Manny along with Justyce’s teacher Dr. Dray. (Did that make you chuckle, too?), the book presented different lived experiences of Black Americans because we are not a monolith. Another aspect of Dear Martin that makes it a must-read is the way the story handles anti-Black racism. It does an excellent job of not only presenting overt racism Black people experience, but also the covert microaggressions, which tend to occur most often.

Above all else, I like that this book did not leave me devastated and in tears. Dear Martin is by no means a feel good story, but it did leave me feeling more hopeful, which is all I can ask for on MLK Day.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date January 14, 2021

Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner

In this YA novel, Raina is happy with her senior year goals and plans until her boyfriend dumps her out of the blue. Millie has a plan to finally shine in mock trial…until Raina’s ex and his male teammates use her knowledge and research to push her off the team. In a moment of heartbreak and anger, Raina and Millie connect and decide to form an all-girls mock trial team to take on the boys, much to the alarm of some in their school administration. But never ones to shy from a challenge, Millie and Raina work their contacts to assemble a crack team of girls who take the mock trial scene by storm, because hell hath no fury like six angry teenage girls. But they’ll face more than a little stiff competition on their journey all the way to the National Championships.

I feel like I should warn you all and say that if you don’t like to be righteously angry, then maybe this isn’t the book for you because there were so many times while reading that I gasped, “Oh no he DIDN’T!” This is a very savvy and timely political comedy about six girls deciding that they’re fed up with casual sexism and racism, and they’re not going to let anyone tell them what they can and can’t do, or even how they define what it means to be a girl. It’s a dual narrative novel that jumps from Raina to Millie and takes readers through the final semester of senior year as the girls tackle injustice at school, and slowly grow more aware of the sexism in their personal lives and in their communities. As they find success in their mock trial courts, they also gain the confidence to speak up at home. The sense of camaraderie is something I truly enjoyed in this book, both in the team that is assembled, but also in the allies they discover in their wider community: a legal mentor, the school librarian, and the women of a very opinionated and politically active knitting group. This is a novel that shows that fighting for equality is not something that can be done alone, and that while teens are more than capable of changing the world, they can also learn a lot from community mentors and the women who came before them.

The ending isn’t neat or pretty, but it’s realistic. I won’t say too much about it, other than I was happy to see where Kisner left things for these characters–triumphant, but not perfect. It’s a good reminder that although you’re very likely to lose some battles, progress can be gained gradually, and that seeing small changes in your personal lives can amount to big change later down the road.

Bonus: I also highly recommend Kisner’s two previous YA novels, which meld personal and political issues brilliantly: Dear Rachel Maddow and The Confusion of Laurel Graham.

Happy reading!
Tirzah

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Read This Book

Read This Book: YEAR OF YES by Shonda Rhimes

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 12, 2021

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

In this funny, profound, and intimate memoir, one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, Shonda Rhimes, reveals how saying “YES!” changed her life and how it can change your life as well.

With three hit television shows and three children at home, Shonda Rhimes has plenty of reasons to say no to Hollywood parties, speaking engagements, and all media appearances. Then the six words her sister Delorse muttered during Thanksgiving 2013: “You never say yes to anything,” changed everything and actually saved Shonda’s life.

Year of Yes was the best book to read during the final days of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. It was a little self help mixed with some biography, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Although I am a fan of Shonda’s work, I never knew much about her. I thought she was married. Through the book I learned not only is she not married, Shonda doesn’t plan to ever marry. I didn’t know she had kids. Shonda has three daughters and has always wanted to be a mother.

Despite not knowing her intimately, I still felt a kindred spirit in Ms. Rhimes as a fellow introverted F.O.D. who loves some Beyoncé and is perfectly content with not being the center of attention. Although I don’t have the same reservations about saying “Yes!” to new opportunities, I understood how Shonda could get herself into a seemingly insurmountable rut.

What I loved most about Year of Yes was how it felt more like a conversation than a book. I felt like Shonda and I were chatting over brunch and she was sharing all these anecdotes and lessons learned during the year she challenged herself to stop saying no to everything. There were plenty of lessons to be learned like ending the Mommy Wars, letting go of toxic people, and embracing the Ride or Dies. Truer words have never been spoken.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: ALEXANDER HAMILTON: THE GRAPHIC HISTORY OF AN AMERICAN FOUNDING FATHER by Jonathan Hennessey

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 11, 2021

Alexander Hamilton: The Graphic History of an American Founding Father by Jonathan Hennessey, Illustrated by Justin Greenwood

Alexander Hamilton was one of the most influential figures in United States history. He fought in the Revolutionary War, helped create the Constitution, and served as the country’s first Secretary of the Treasury. However, his life along with his political ambitions were cut short during a duel with political rival Aaron Burr. This fully-illustrated biography highlights this improbable American hero who inspired a Broadway musical.

Since I haven’t seen Hamilton, and the only fact I knew about Alexander Hamilton was learned from a “Got Milk?” commercial. Reading this Alexander Hamilton graphic novel gave me the history lesson that I never received in school. The biggest takeaway I got from this book was the Founding Fathers were petty with a capital “P.” While we are taught these great minds came together to form a more perfect union, what really seemed to happen was a group of rich, white men came with their big egos, hidden agendas, and unlikely alliances to cobble together laws for a newly birthed country that sounded good to them based on their privileged life experience. Alexander Hamilton was on top of the list for implementing laws based on what sounded good in theory since he just wanted to make a name for himself.

This is the perfect read for anyone who wants an overview of Alexander Hamilton’s life and his role in the founding of America including the American Revolution and Continental Congress. However, I must warn you the story is choppy and slightly disjointed. Chapters jump from one event to another without much of a transition. Overall, I was able to overlook that because of all the history I was learning. I also appreciated being able to get a lot of information in less than 200 pages. Unfortunately, in the end, I felt underwhelmed about Alexander Hamilton in general. I still don’t get the hype. Hopefully, you fare better, dear reader.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: The Story of More by Hope Jahren

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date January 7, 2021

The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go From Here by Hope Jahren

Hope Jahren is scientist and writer who studies geochemistry and geobiology, and in this very accessible and interesting little book she gives readers a short history on how we got to climate change. (Spoiler alert: The answer is capitalism.) As someone who gets very anxious when thinking about how we are destroying the planet, because OH MY GOD THIS IS OUR ONLY PLANET, I was afraid this book would make me even more anxious, but it actually reassured me. Knowledge is power, and Jahren writes in a measured tone. She confronts the facts, talking about the history of farming in the U.S., the sixth extinction, salmon fishing in Scandinavia, the history of the auto industry, and how just because something is electric doesn’t mean it’s energy efficient, just to name a few things. She also touches on politics, and the (seemingly insurmountable) challenge of getting governments from all over the world to make actual progress with climate change.

All of this context and history is important, because it serves to enforce Jahren’s underlying message, which is don’t panic. Scared people make bad decisions, Jahren wisely points out. But it’s time to get very, very serious. The good news is that there’s a lot that normal people can do to start counteracting the effects of climate change on a personal and local level, and it all starts with using less stuff. This isn’t any one person or industry or entity’s responsibility to fix, but it is our human moral imperative to take action. But Jahren doesn’t shame anyone because she understands the complexities of living in a global age–she’s a Minnesotan by birth who lives in Oslo, so she’s not giving up plane rides any time soon–but she asks questions, offers alternatives, and makes suggestions. The back of the book also provides a step-by-step guide to becoming more aware of your consumption, and offers advice for reducing your energy use. Even if you’re not scientifically minded, if you know that you ought to know more about climate change and what we can do, this is an excellent book that empowers you to become more knowledgeable!

As for me, after reading this book my household has committed to eating less meat and I’ve started meal planning more so that it’s an intentional choice and not an afterthought. I’ve also spent a lot of time looking up greener household swaps in the past, and I’m going to take time re-commit to finding more green solutions for my home this year. But my biggest resolution of 2021 after reading this book is to find ways to repair things rather than replace them…even if replacement seems like the easier option!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

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Read This Book: A GREAT BIG CUDDLE: POEMS FOR THE VERY YOUNG by Michael Rosen

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 5, 2021

A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young by Michael Rosen, Illustrated by Chris Riddell

Curl up with this playful collection of 36 poems that invite children to celebrate sounds and the infinite possibilities of language. Their imaginations will go wild with these verses full of nonsense words and vivid illustrations featuring characters both big and small. These poems don’t just focus on cuddles, these poems explore various aspects of a child’s world, like expressing emotions and observing the world around them.

Before I share the reasons why you should add A Great Big Cuddle to your reading list, I must express disappointment in the lack of diversity in this book. It is beyond a shame that a children’s book published in 2015 has less than a handful of children of color and exponentially more animals. Despite that criticism, I did enjoy A Great Big Cuddle. It is full of silly and funny poems with accompanying illustrations that will certainly delight children. They might even make a few adult readers chuckle because I let out a few laughs myself.

One of the standout poems for me was Lunchtime with a child and an alligator (or crocodile because I can’t tell the difference) chomping down on corn on the cob. The other poem I really got a kick out of was Are You Listening? where a kid is chastising a T-Rex eating pasta. It’s hilarious, and my description does it no justice. Surprisingly, for a book called A Great Big Cuddle, there is only one poem about cuddling, and it’s also one of the shortest poems. Nevertheless, that shouldn’t keep you from reading A Great Big Cuddle because it’s still an excellent book to read cuddled up with your favorite tiny humans.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: MONDAY MORNINGS by Sanjay Gupta, MD

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date January 4, 2021

Sponsored by The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict.

December 1926: England unleashes the largest manhunt in its history. The object of the search is not an escaped convict or a war criminal, but the missing wife of a WWI hero, up-and-coming mystery author Agatha Christie. When her car is found wrecked, empty, and abandoned near a natural spring, the country is in a frenzy. Eleven days later, Agatha reappears, claiming amnesia. She provides no answers for her disappearance. Was Christie’s greatest mystery one that involved her own disappearance?

Welcome to the first Monday of 2021! Today is officially known as TGIM. Thank God It’s Monday Day encourages us to celebrate the first Monday of the new year with enthusiasm and vigor with the hope that the TGIM spirit will continue through the rest of our Mondays. It’s time to stop dreading Mondays and embrace the new beginnings they represent. For the doctors of Chelsea General, Mondays are the chance to learn from previous mistakes and become better healers.

Monday Mornings by Sanjay Gupta, MD

Each time a surgeon operates, they are betting on their operating skills, but sometimes they are wrong. When the surgeons at Chelsea General Hospital bet wrong, they must confront their failings in the operating room in front of their peers on Monday morning at the Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conference. These meetings provide a rare opportunity for reflection and introspection. If they’re lucky, on Monday mornings, these doctors have a chance at redemption.

Although Monday Mornings wouldn’t be considered award-winning material, I found the story engaging despite the clichés, typos, and seemingly dated references. Who is even using Mapquest in 2012?! For me, it was easy to forgive such faux pas because I was interested in both the medicine and the drama unfolding before my eyes.

This is a straightforward story about the lives of these top-notch doctors at Chelsea General from Dr. Jorge Villanueva, the ex-football player turned ER doctor, and Dr. Tyler Wilson, the rock star surgeon who seems to have lost his mojo to Dr. Sung Park, the neurosurgeon who had to restart his medical training when he emigrated to the United States from Korea, and Dr. Michelle Robidaux who is a first-generation college graduate currently struggling as a resident.

Coming from the mind of Dr. Sanjay Gupta, yes that Sanjay Gupta, Monday Mornings is a story that reads like an episode of Grey’s Anatomy and ER rolled into one, which is probably why it became a beloved, but short-lived TNT drama. If you need a dose of doctor drama while waiting for your favorite shows to return, then pick up Monday Mornings, STAT!

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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