Category: Read This Book

Read This Book: FESTIVUS: THE HOLIDAY FOR THE REST OF US by Allen Salkin

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date December 22, 2020

Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us by Allen Salkin

Are you ready to take out Santa and throw away the Elf on the Shelf? Then it’s time to add a little bitterness to your holiday season with Festivus. The holiday became a household name thanks to Seinfeld where Frank Costanza celebrated Festivus with a bare aluminum pole, “feats of strength,” and “airing of grievances. Soon, it transcended the show and inspired a global phenomenon. Join journalist Allen Salkin as he tastes Festivus beer, meets Miss Festivus while sharing all the ways Festivus is and can be celebrated.

If you’re wondering what’s the deal with Festivus, then you are probably not much of a Seinfeld fan. No worries, I was right there with you. It was just one of those Seinfeld plots that became part of the cultural zeitgeist. However, if you believe Festivus began in December 1997, then you are in for a rude awakening. People have been celebrating Festivus for centuries! Although not the Festivus as we know it, the raucous bacchanalian Festivus spirit apparently originated with the Romans.

The celebration as we know it began with Daniel O’Keefe. There was no pole, but there was an “Airing of Grievances” into a tape recorder and wrestling matches between younger Daniel O’Keefe and his siblings. The younger Daniel would go on to become a writer on Seinfeld where he adapted that family holiday tradition into the subplot of the now infamous Seinfeld episode “The Strike.” Although the episode was about Kramer’s strike against a bagel shop, it has become known as The Festivus Episode. In addition to the true origin story of Festivus, Festivus includes more insight and anecdotes about the episode, but the majority of Festivus is about how people around the world celebrate the holiday.

No matter your Festivus affiliation, you are sure to find something enjoyable in Festivus. For me, there was the foreword from Jerry Stiller along with the story about the cat named Festivus and her progeny Microfestivus. After reading this book, I have no doubt the future of Festivus is strong! I also predict many 2020 Festivus celebrations being overrun with the Airing of Grievances.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date December 21, 2020

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Sunny is a Nigerian-American girl who has just moved back to Nigeria with her family. She’s also albino, which means that she must stay out of the sun and she looks different from her peers and family. She’s grown used to the bullying because of the way she looks and her American tendencies, but one day a run-in with bullies leads to a tentative new friendship…and that friendship leads to a shocking revelation: Sunny is one of the Leopard People, those who possess magical abilities. But because no one else in her immediate family has magic, she’s known as a “free agent”–and she needs to learn how to get her powers under control quickly.

I really enjoyed the magic system in this book, and how the magical society secretly coexists with the “real world” that Sunny has always known. Sunny and her new friends and fellow students Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha must learn how to maintain secrecy while attending school, going on outings, and dealing with Sunny’s protective parents. Training is essential, which is where Sunny begins to learn more about her abilities and limitations from an instructor who sends the four teens out on increasingly dangerous and eye-opening outings. The stakes always felt high in this book, but they ratchet up even more so when the teens learn that the serial killer known as Black Hat that’s been plaguing their communities and worrying their parents isn’t just a regular murderer–he’s a dangerous magic user who is killing to gain power, and only Sunny, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha can stop him.

This is an imaginative book where the world building is carefully thought out, and many mysteries and secrets (large and small) unfold between the pages. I loved following along as our four main characters learned about their abilities and discover their place in this exciting and confusing magical world–getting up to a bit of mischief along the way–and I thought that Okorafor did such a wonderful job of creating a unique and exciting fantasy world that I felt immersed in from the beginning. I can’t wait to get my hands on Akata Warrior next!

Bonus: I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Yetide Badaki, which was really engaging, and the performance was beautiful!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

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Read This Book: DOCTOR WHO: THE RUNAWAY TARDIS by Rebecca Gyllenhaal and Kim Smith

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date December 17, 2020

Doctor Who: The Runaway TARDIS by Rebecca Gyllenhaal (Author) and Kim Smith (Illustrator)

Join the Doctor and her smallest companion on an adventure through space and time!

Unable to make friends at her new school, Lizzie packs a bag and decides to run away. While trying to find her old neighborhood, Lizzie discovers the TARDIS where she meets the Doctor, a mysterious woman claiming to be a time-traveling space alien. When the TARDIS begins to malfunction, Lizzie and the Doctor are sent through time and space. Along the way, Lizzie learns to make new friends, but will she ever be able to get back home?

This 8th book in the Pop Classics series is a great way to introduce Doctor Who to a young audience. As someone who knows very little about Doctor Who, I will admit this book shot to the top of my list above all the others solely for the cover featuring the latest Doctor (the first woman to hold the title) and a little brown girl. What I enjoyed most about The Runaway TARDIS is how you don’t have to know much about Whovian culture to understand the adventure.

Yes, there are some silly words like “glorp,” “plorp,” and “wibbly wobbly bit,” but the general premise of the story is another imaginative adventure kids will find engaging whether or not they already know and love Doctor Who. In fact, this is a good book for any kid who has recently moved to a new town and had to leave their friends and old life behind. Change like that can be especially hard for a young person, but reading The Runaway TARDIS may help them see the silver lining in their new life.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: EMMA by Jane Austen

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date December 15, 2020

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Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! On this day in 1775, Jane Austen was born in Steventon, Hampshire, England. At the ripe age of 36, Austen published her first novel Sense and Sensibility, but the novel that turned Jane Austen into a literary icon and launched a thousand retellings is the classic Pride and Prejudice. However, I’ve never actually read Pride and Prejudice. In fact, I’ve only recently read my first Jane Austen novel. The only reason why I read said book is because it was the inspiration for one of my all time favorite movies, Clueless.

Emma by Jane Austen

Emma Woodhouse is beautiful and witty, but also spoiled and vain. Emma spends most of her time in a sleepy village town organizing the lives of her fellow inhabitants and playing matchmaker with devastating effect.

I will admit Emma was a roller coaster read for me. There were times when I finished a chapter and wondered what purpose all those words served in the story because nothing significant occurred. Other times, I was devouring this literary rom-com. Unfortunately, the good times were few and far between for me. However, experiencing some of the best parts from Clueless while reading Emma were priceless! Looking for those “Clueless” moments in this story is what kept me turning the page. Tai being Harriet, Elton being Mr. Elton, Josh being Mr. Knightley, and of course Cher being Emma had my inner Clueless heart squealing with delight. Although, I was still way squicked out about the borderline incestuous love between Cher Emma and her “brother” Josh George, and their 17-year age difference did not help the situation.

Despite the literary world claiming Emma as one of Austen’s best novels, it took my obsession with a cult classic teen romantic comedy to finally read it. If you can’t get enough of Clueless either, then it’s time to become familiar with the tome that inspired it. Even if you are not really a Clueless fan (As if?!), I still recommend reading this book on principle alone. Pride and Prejudice is constantly in the spotlight, and it’s time for Emma to get some shine.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: MERRY CHRISTMAS, CURIOUS GEORGE by Cathy Hapka and Mary O’Keefe Young

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date December 14, 2020

Sponsored by Rosewind Books (an imprint of Vesuvian Media).

Abby Nicholson used to love Christmas. Until she didn’t. After leaving Winter Glen, a town famous for Christmas and her family’s greeting card company, Abby is forced to return when her father passes away. Deciding to sell the business, she signs the paperwork with the very pen her father used to create it and wakes to discover her hometown has become a whole new world. One where Christmas has vanished! Determined to set things right but unsure how, Abby discovers some are determined to keep an iron grip on the town and will do anything in their power to stop her.

Happy Monkey Day! That’s right, today is all about celebrating monkeys along with the other simians we know and love. The holiday started as a joke between art students at Michigan State University in 2000, but since has gained worldwide popularity, especially among animal and environmental activists. Traditional celebrations include zoo events, art exhibits, and fundraisers. For book nerds like us, the only way to celebrate is with an epic reading session. What would be better than reading about all the adventures of every book lover’s favorite curious monkey.

Merry Christmas, Curious George by Cathy Hapka (Author) and Mary O’Keefe Young (Illustrator)

It’s Christmastime, and Curious George is full of that Christmas spirit. He is looking forward to helping his best friend, The Man with the Yellow Hat, pick out a Christmas tree. However, at the tree farm, George literally gets carried away among all the excitement of finding the perfect tree. Eventually Curious George finds himself at the local children’s hospital where his antics not only cheer up the children, but they get him front and center with a jolly man in a bright red suit.

I don’t read Curious George books often, but whenever I read them, I always find the story delightful. Merry Christmas, Curious George is no exception. It begins with Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat making a trip to the Christmas tree farm. Obviously, George experiences choice overload because every tree he sees better than the last one! Of course, when Curious George finally finds the perfect tree, it leads him on an adventure he didn’t see coming. That adventure leads to Curious George meeting Santa Claus! Who can say no to meeting Santa?!

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date December 10, 2020

Sponsored by Robyn Harding's sexy and sinister novel, The Arrangement, available from Scout Press.

Natalie is struggling to pay her bills when a friend makes a suggestion: find a sugar daddy—lots of girls do it. All that’s required is to look pretty and hang on his every word, sexual favors optional. Handsome lawyer Gabe seems like the perfect candidate, and soon they are madly in love. At least, Nat is…but Gabe isn’t about to leave his family. So when he abruptly ends things, Nat can’t let go…and what was supposed to be a simple arrangement becomes a nightmare of deception, obsession, and murder.

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 a spotlight on one of the horror novels I read this year! I’ve never been much of a horror reader until this year of weirdness and reading slumps, when scary stuff suddenly sounded appealing. It was then that I realized, duh, the horror genre is varied and interesting and not all horror books are for me, but some of them definitely hit all my buttons…which is the case with today’s pick! This is also my spouse’s favorite book they read this year, and since they don’t read much fiction I was contractually obliged to read it, but I found myself loving it for a lot of the same reasons they did!

Content warning: Kidnapping, action violence, hoarding

The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher

Mouse is a 30-something woman who works as a freelance editor and has just gone through a rough break up. So when her elderly father calls and asks if she’ll clear out her recently deceased grandmother’s house, Mouse agrees even though everyone disliked her grandmother. She packs up her dog and her laptop and drives south, only to find her grandmother’s house is stuffed to the gills with stuff. Turns out Grandma was a hoarder, and no one knew! Mouse gets to work cleaning out the place, but it’s not long before she suspects there’s something in the woods beyond the house…and then she discovers a journal written years ago by her step-grandfather that confirms that suspicion.

I just want to say first and foremost, this is a book in which the dog doesn’t die. I repeat, the DOG DOES NOT DIE. Okay, phew. I just had to get that out of the way, because the dog, Bongo, is really a delightful character and I couldn’t stomach a horror novel with such a lovable idiot of a dog if he came to any harm. What really made this book a winner for me was that it’s creepy and funny in equal measure. Mouse’s voice is wry, sarcastic, a little self-deprecating, but also strangely endearing. What starts as a not-so-fun but doable task turns into a real nightmare as things go bump in the night, and the authenticity of the rural elements had me super freaked out. (Let’s just say that while I’ve never been afraid of the dark and I’ve lived in the middle of the woods before without any problem, this book put a little fear in me!) I also loved all of the supporting characters, from Bongo to Mouse’s neighbors/friends who definitely and completely believe her when things turn scary (which I found refreshing–we didn’t have to go through the rigamarole of questioning anyone’s sanity). I also appreciated that this book doesn’t rely on body horror or lots of gore (two things that I have a low tolerance for before noping out), but instead the tension and fear comes from the unknown, the uncanny, and the suspense of when whatever is going bump in the night will finally step into the light. And when it finally does–oof.

I loved this book, and it made me a fan of T Kingfisher! Bonus: I listened on audio, which was narrated by Hillary Huber and I loved it. I downloaded Kingfisher’s newest book, The Hollow Places, also narrated by Huber, and I can’t wait to read it. Other Rioters have called it the scariest book they read this year, and I am excited? Nervous? Both?

Happy reading!

Tirzah

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Read This Book: A HANUKKAH WITH MAZEL by Joel Edward Stein and Elisa Vavouri

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date December 8, 2020

A Hanukkah with Mazel by Joel Edward Stein (Author) and Elisa Vavouri (Illustrator)

Misha, a poor artist, has no one to celebrate Hanukkah with until he finds a hungry cat in his barn. He names this lucky cat Mazel, and Mazel inspires Misha to turn each night of Hanukkah into something special. Misha may not have money for Hanukkah candles, but he is a talented artist who can use those skills to bring the Festival of Lights to life.

A Hanukkah with Mazel was an incredibly heartwarming story that is perfect for family reading time. Even readers who are not Jewish can relate to the story of a struggling artist who experiences a bit of good fortune during the holidays. It is also possible for those readers to learn something new about Jewish traditions. For me, it was learning about the shammash. While I have heard about the menorah and latkes, shammash was new to me. A quick Google search showed me it is the Hebrew word for servant. In the story, it refers to the ninth candle in the Menorah used to light the other eight candles. I love when a story is both entertaining and educational.

Overall, A Hanukkah with Mazel is a sweet and endearing read that shows one can still have a simple but memorable holiday celebration. Sometimes those are actually the best!

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: MY ÁNTONIA by Willa Cather

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date December 7, 2020

Sponsored by Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen, now available from Algonquin Books.

Majella O’Neill tries to lead a quiet life in her small town in Northern Ireland—working at the chip shop, caring for her mother, and marathoning Dallas (best show on TV). Even though the Troubles supposedly ended years ago, her community continues to be haunted by the lingering divide between Protestants and Catholics. When Majella’s predictable existence is upended by the death of her granny, she comes to realize there may be more to life than the local gossips and the chip shop—in fact, there might be a whole big world outside her small town.

We are celebrating another author’s birthday! Today is Willa Cather’s (born Wiella Sibert Cather on December 7, 1873) birthday. Although she won the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours, a novel set during World War I, Cather is best known for her novels about frontier life on the Great Plains including O Pioneers!, The Song of the Lark, and My Ántonia.

My Ántonia by Willa Cather

Enthusiastically received when it was first published in 1918, My Ántonia placed Willa Cather in the forefront of women writers and is considered her first masterpiece.

Evoking the Nebraska prairie life of Willa Cather’s childhood and commemorating the spirit and courage of America’s immigrant pioneers, this is the story of Ántonia Shimerda who emigrated from Bohemia with her family to the Nebraska frontier. The story is told through the eyes of Jim Burden, a neighbor who befriends Ántoniam, teaches Ántonia English, and follows Ántonia’s remarkable life.

I became familiar with Willa Cather in high school, but I never read any of her work until well into my adult years. My Ántonia was my first choice by circumstance, but my experience with the book made me want to read more of Willa Cather’s work in the future. I prepared myself for a long drag of a story, but I devoured this book! It is not often easy for me to quickly and easily digest books written decades ago, but Cather’s simple yet elegant way with words made this book feel like it was written by a contemporary author.

If someone asked me to describe My Ántonia, I would not be able to meet that challenge. Is this a book about childhood nostalgia? Yes, it is. Is this a book about friendship? Yes, it is. Is this a book about the beautiful landscape of the American West? Yes, it is. Is this book about love? Yes, it is. My Ántonia is one of those books that brings joy and leaves you wanting more, but it may also leave you without the ability to put those feelings into words. I am experiencing it right now. While I heap praise upon My Ántonia, I would be remiss if I did not also issue a trigger warning for xenophobia, racism, and suicide. It might not be surprising to encounter such content in a story taking place in the 1880s, but you should be warned if you’re looking for more of a feel good story to read at the moment.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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Read This Book: Amal Unbound by Aisha Saied

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date December 3, 2020

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Amal is a 12-year-old girl living in a small town in Pakistan. She dreams of one day becoming a teacher, and she loves school more than anything. She’s hopeful that she can continue her education for as long as possible, and her family, though poor, are supportive. But then one day, Amal inadvertently offends a member of the most powerful family in the region while at the market, the Khans, and they decide to call in her father’s debt early. Amal’s parents can’t pay, so they are forced to send Amal into indentured servitude to the Khans.

Amal is alone and far from home, and she’s heartbroken to be missing out on school. And life at the Khan household is not easy. Some of the members of the family are cruel and capricious, although others show kindness. As Amal begins to make friends and learn what’s expected of her, she realizes how hopeless her situation is–it’ll be years before her debt can be paid. But she also begins to learn the Khan family’s secrets…and if she can be brave enough to expose them, then maybe she can find her way home.

Aisha Saeed takes a situation that would be unimaginable for many, and she tells a brilliant and sensitive story of a young girl who has a dream and won’t be easily deterred. The stakes are real, and dangerous, which makes this a hard book to put down, and it borders on a thriller in some ways when Amal’s situation goes from bad to dangerous, but it’s not too dark for middle grade readers to handle. I loved that education–both the love of learning and the burning desire to learn–are central to Amal’s character and her motivation, and her gift for teaching comes across in everything she does and how she thinks. This is a great contemporary novel that explores issues of social justice, unfair labor, sexism, and more in a well-written and engaging story that might be intended for kids, but is great for older readers, too!

Bonus–I also loved Saeed’s YA novel, Written in the Stars!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

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Read This Book: CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC by Sophie Kinsella

Post author By Katisha Smith
Post date December 1, 2020

Sponsored by The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph.

Writing from the perspective of a friend, Frederick Joseph offers candid reflections on his own experiences with racism and conversations with prominent artists and activists about theirs—creating an essential read for white people who are committed anti-racists and those newly come to the cause of racial justice.

How’s your wallet holding up after Black Friday (and Small Business Saturday) and Cyber Monday (and Giving Tuesday)? Mine was on fire over the weekend, but has since simmered. Thanks to some really great deals at all of my favorite stores, I put quite the dent in my credit card. With all my wild spending (and no end in sight), I started to feel like Rebecca Bloomwood, as portrayed by Isla Fisher, because the pretty sparkly things were calling me, and I happily answered the calls.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Rebecca “Becky” Bloomwood lives in a fabulous flat in London’s trendiest neighborhood, hangs with a group of glamorous socialites, and has a closet brimming with designer clothes. The only problem is she can’t actually afford any of it. Not only does her job writing at Successful Savings magazine bore her to tears, it also doesn’t pay well, and lately Becky has been bombarded with letters from her bank she can’t bear to read. Rebecca tries cutting back (and making more money), but none of her efforts succeeds. Then a story arises that Becky actually cares about and her front-page article starts a chain of events that will transform her life and the lives of those around her.

There were so many times I experienced secondhand embarrassment while reading Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rebecca would be on the verge of doing the most cringeworthy thing, and I would just have to put the book down for a minute with a deep sigh. After remembering Rebecca is a fictional character, and it’s above me now, I would eventually return to the story and cringe while watching Bex fork up her finances one more forking time.

While I was often frustrated with Becky and her lack of impulse control when it came to shopping, I also found her predicament quite relatable. I too spent many years in my 20s overspending and paid for it greatly in my 30s. Like Bex, I justified a lot of purchases because of a sale, or it seemed like a one of a kind find. However, the truth of the matter was we both just didn’t have the best handle on our finances.

The other aspect of the book I appreciated was it mostly focused on Rebecca and her shopaholic ways. No punches were held because for the majority of Confessions of a Shopaholic, Becky was a mess. I liked the author not sugar coating the situation or trying to lighten the story with a love story. The “Boy Meets Girl” love story was secondary, and I loved that … even as a rom-com fan.

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha

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