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aliciaclarereads's Reviews (1.25k)
This was a rough read. Diane Guerrero came home at age 14 to an empty house because her mother and father had been arrested by ICE. At age 14, she's at the mercy of her friend's mothers because her family is thousands of miles away. I'm 25 years old, and I don't think I could handle having my parents forcibly removed from the country. How Diane deals with it is truly awe inspiring. It's not easy, and she doesn't shy away from how the trauma affected her. She's open about her self-harm and suicidal ideation, as well as her dependence on alcohol and partying. She goes through some real shit, and to see her successful now and using her platform to help immigrants is fucking incredible. Despite discussing some terrible topics, the book is still laced with a light-hearted tone as she goes through her coming of age and find her path to acting. It's clear to see why she's so perfect as Maritza and Lina, because she possesses a fun style and big heart. I could see how her writing might not be everyone's cup of tea since she uses quite a bit of slang and a familiar tone. However, I find it made my connection to the story so much more real. She's not a scholar on immigration, she's just a girl whose family was taken from her.
The truth is Diane's story isn't unique, as her call to action and afterward make very clear. So many kids face the same terror of your parents being taken away all because our immigration enforcement is so wrapped up in xenophobia, racism, and classism. Reading Diane's story definitely inspires me to do what I can to help immigrants in this country.
The truth is Diane's story isn't unique, as her call to action and afterward make very clear. So many kids face the same terror of your parents being taken away all because our immigration enforcement is so wrapped up in xenophobia, racism, and classism. Reading Diane's story definitely inspires me to do what I can to help immigrants in this country.
I listened to this on the LeVar Burton Reads podcast, and it was EXCELLENT. I had goosebumps at the end of the story. I'm really looking forward to picking up her full length novel.
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read for Popsugar 2018 Challenge: a book about feminism
I REALLY liked Jerkins' essay collection. "A Hunger for Men's Eyes" and "A Lotus for Michelle" were definitely my two favorite essays in the book. Jerkins details a lot of her own experience with desiring love and companionship but not receiving it, and it was really heart-wrenching. Especially when she talked about the desire for attention from men, but also her fright in sexual harassment on the street. Her letter to Michelle Obama was so beautiful, I started to tear up at the end. It's so phenomenal the impact Michelle Obama has had on so many women.
I REALLY liked Jerkins' essay collection. "A Hunger for Men's Eyes" and "A Lotus for Michelle" were definitely my two favorite essays in the book. Jerkins details a lot of her own experience with desiring love and companionship but not receiving it, and it was really heart-wrenching. Especially when she talked about the desire for attention from men, but also her fright in sexual harassment on the street. Her letter to Michelle Obama was so beautiful, I started to tear up at the end. It's so phenomenal the impact Michelle Obama has had on so many women.
read for PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge: a book with your favorite color in the title
read for PopSugar 2018 Advanced Reading Challenge: a microhistory
Even though 2018 has ended, I'm trying to finish up the last 3 challenges for the PopSugar Advanced Reading Challenge, because I love to be a completist!
My dad has been talking about this book for so long, and after finishing it, I can see why. Standage gives a very simplified view of human history through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. He guides the reader through the development of each beverage and what they meant as they became popular. So much of the associations with each beverage from the ancient worlds still persist to this day. For example, beer is a drink of the people that all have access to whereas wine is associated with a more elitist and sophisticated atmosphere. The writing is really accessible, and the book is super easy to get through. I've found myself discussing this book with people I'd just met because I was so interested. Food ad beverage is not apolitical and has a far broader implication on society than just simply what was available to put on the table. So this book really hit a sweet spot for me in terms of history and social commentary.
The history is really Western focused, as it moves from ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations to the Greeks to the Romans to the rise of Europe to America. The little insight we get into Eastern cultures is really through the lens of European colonization, which while fascinating, doesn't actually give a great view on how these beverages shaped those cultures. This was the only thing I didn't love about the book. However, while exploring these beverages impact on the modern world, it ultimately delves into the trans Atlantic slave trade and the other effects of colonization, such as the opium drug trade Britain started in China. Standage isn't dismissive of these aspects of history, and does openly discuss them as violent and evil aspects of humanity, while giving a broader understanding to how these societies let this happen. That I really appreciated, as often times I find that people try skip over slavery as "a thing in the past that happened" which isn't the case as the remnants of slavery are still around.
This is a definitely a great book to read if you're looking to pick up some nonfiction.
Even though 2018 has ended, I'm trying to finish up the last 3 challenges for the PopSugar Advanced Reading Challenge, because I love to be a completist!
My dad has been talking about this book for so long, and after finishing it, I can see why. Standage gives a very simplified view of human history through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. He guides the reader through the development of each beverage and what they meant as they became popular. So much of the associations with each beverage from the ancient worlds still persist to this day. For example, beer is a drink of the people that all have access to whereas wine is associated with a more elitist and sophisticated atmosphere. The writing is really accessible, and the book is super easy to get through. I've found myself discussing this book with people I'd just met because I was so interested. Food ad beverage is not apolitical and has a far broader implication on society than just simply what was available to put on the table. So this book really hit a sweet spot for me in terms of history and social commentary.
The history is really Western focused, as it moves from ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations to the Greeks to the Romans to the rise of Europe to America. The little insight we get into Eastern cultures is really through the lens of European colonization, which while fascinating, doesn't actually give a great view on how these beverages shaped those cultures. This was the only thing I didn't love about the book. However, while exploring these beverages impact on the modern world, it ultimately delves into the trans Atlantic slave trade and the other effects of colonization, such as the opium drug trade Britain started in China. Standage isn't dismissive of these aspects of history, and does openly discuss them as violent and evil aspects of humanity, while giving a broader understanding to how these societies let this happen. That I really appreciated, as often times I find that people try skip over slavery as "a thing in the past that happened" which isn't the case as the remnants of slavery are still around.
This is a definitely a great book to read if you're looking to pick up some nonfiction.
read for PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge: a book you meant to read in 2018
This book went down as easily as a chilled glass of rosé. Sure it's dreary and snowing outside, but with this book, it felt like summertime! The Proposal starts similarly to The Wedding Date with a fun and gimmicky meet-cute, but builds into a fun and sexy romance. I thought Nik was an excellent heroine, and she experienced such wonderful character growth throughout the book. Also, she's an only child with difficulty trusting people so... I could relate! When she met Alexa, I squealed; that scene was so cute. Carlos was also a good hero, although he seemed a bit bland at first. However I found myself becoming more and more endeared to him throughout the novel. Plus there were so many wonderful side characters with Nik's friends and Carlos's family. Also Guillory has a real knack for making consent sexy which I am BIG fan of.
My main issue with this was simply how fast-paced the beginning was. The novel hit its stride in the middle, but I felt a bit of whiplash just to get there. The ending had some pay-off for the proposal, but I just felt like the proposal itself was hyped up in promoting the book, when it was over in a blink.
However, I really enjoyed this and I'm very much looking forward to Guillory's next release!
This book went down as easily as a chilled glass of rosé. Sure it's dreary and snowing outside, but with this book, it felt like summertime! The Proposal starts similarly to The Wedding Date with a fun and gimmicky meet-cute, but builds into a fun and sexy romance. I thought Nik was an excellent heroine, and she experienced such wonderful character growth throughout the book. Also, she's an only child with difficulty trusting people so... I could relate! When she met Alexa, I squealed; that scene was so cute. Carlos was also a good hero, although he seemed a bit bland at first. However I found myself becoming more and more endeared to him throughout the novel. Plus there were so many wonderful side characters with Nik's friends and Carlos's family. Also Guillory has a real knack for making consent sexy which I am BIG fan of.
My main issue with this was simply how fast-paced the beginning was. The novel hit its stride in the middle, but I felt a bit of whiplash just to get there. The ending had some pay-off for the proposal, but I just felt like the proposal itself was hyped up in promoting the book, when it was over in a blink.
However, I really enjoyed this and I'm very much looking forward to Guillory's next release!
read for PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge: a debut novel
I really like reading fantasy, but don't read the genre very frequently because it can be so intimidating going into these giant books. I had Children of Blood and Bone sitting on my shelf for nearly a year before I picked it up. The hype and this GORGEOUS cover drove me to buy it, and it looks so beautiful on my shelf! Now I regret how long it took me, because this book was such a delight! Inspired by Nigerian and West African mythology, this book is such a wild ride from start to finish. This book manages an excellent balance of having an intense action heavy plot and really beautiful character development. It's a classic quest narrative as we follow Zélie, her brother Tzain, and princess Amari trying to bring back magic to Orïsha, while simultaneously being chased by prince Inan, who's determined to end magic forever. We travel all across this magical land with so many adventures; this was such a classic definition of page turner!
One of the real highlights for this book was the focus on how trauma shapes us. Zélie grows up severly discriminated against due to being a dîviner or a person with the capabilities to do magic. She tragically lost her mom during a genocide committed by the king. She loses so much throughout the book all while constantly doubting her ability to save magic. She's processing rising up after being oppressed and what the realities will be if she's capable of freeing her people. It's incredibly nuanced and also incredibly appropriate considering everything terrible that's happening in our world. It does manage to avoid being preachy or too obvious about a similarity though, which I appreciated. Also, I cannot stress enough how much I love Amari. She's the daughter of a deeply abusive father who has lead an incredibly sheltered life, and the book explores her coming into her own. Her development was so gorgeous, and honestly I would die for her.
The one issue I had with this book was the romance, which feels very out of character for me. Everything felt too instantaneous and rushed. I was sort of amazed when we hit the romance, and how much I rolled my eyes. I think because I know this is a series, I wanted it to be more drawn out. This book is really long so the quickness of the romance really felt out of balance. However, I look forward to seeing it being developed as the series progresses. I'm not anti the characters falling in love, it just felt like the whole situation happened way too fast. Although I'm not even slightly sold on the secondary romanceAt least Zélie and Inan had crazy chemistry! And the classic enemies to lovers trope!!! Amari and Tzain had no chemistry, and it felt like they were just forced together? I mean you're telling me Amari wasn't in love with Binta??????
All that said, I was really pleased with this book and I'm looking forward to the next one. Also when looking up Tomi Adeyemie, I realized she's less than 3 months older than me, which...... what the hell. (And also explains why she completely misstepped and accused Nora Roberts of plagiarism... we're 25 we do very dumb things).
I really like reading fantasy, but don't read the genre very frequently because it can be so intimidating going into these giant books. I had Children of Blood and Bone sitting on my shelf for nearly a year before I picked it up. The hype and this GORGEOUS cover drove me to buy it, and it looks so beautiful on my shelf! Now I regret how long it took me, because this book was such a delight! Inspired by Nigerian and West African mythology, this book is such a wild ride from start to finish. This book manages an excellent balance of having an intense action heavy plot and really beautiful character development. It's a classic quest narrative as we follow Zélie, her brother Tzain, and princess Amari trying to bring back magic to Orïsha, while simultaneously being chased by prince Inan, who's determined to end magic forever. We travel all across this magical land with so many adventures; this was such a classic definition of page turner!
One of the real highlights for this book was the focus on how trauma shapes us. Zélie grows up severly discriminated against due to being a dîviner or a person with the capabilities to do magic. She tragically lost her mom during a genocide committed by the king. She loses so much throughout the book all while constantly doubting her ability to save magic. She's processing rising up after being oppressed and what the realities will be if she's capable of freeing her people. It's incredibly nuanced and also incredibly appropriate considering everything terrible that's happening in our world. It does manage to avoid being preachy or too obvious about a similarity though, which I appreciated. Also, I cannot stress enough how much I love Amari. She's the daughter of a deeply abusive father who has lead an incredibly sheltered life, and the book explores her coming into her own. Her development was so gorgeous, and honestly I would die for her.
The one issue I had with this book was the romance, which feels very out of character for me. Everything felt too instantaneous and rushed. I was sort of amazed when we hit the romance, and how much I rolled my eyes. I think because I know this is a series, I wanted it to be more drawn out. This book is really long so the quickness of the romance really felt out of balance. However, I look forward to seeing it being developed as the series progresses. I'm not anti the characters falling in love, it just felt like the whole situation happened way too fast. Although I'm not even slightly sold on the secondary romance
All that said, I was really pleased with this book and I'm looking forward to the next one. Also when looking up Tomi Adeyemie, I realized she's less than 3 months older than me, which...... what the hell. (And also explains why she completely misstepped and accused Nora Roberts of plagiarism... we're 25 we do very dumb things).
read for PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge: a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore
This was probably more of a 3.5 star, but I'm rounding up because I think this series has such excellent potential, and I'm excited for the next installment.
Trail of Lightning is a fast paced post apocalyptic adventure in a world where Navajo legends and myths have returned to Earth. It has a lot of Mad Max vibes as our heroine races around a desert landscape in the midst of a drought. After being abandoned by her immortal god mentor, Maggie has finally returned to monster hunting. However, she discovers that these are not run of the mill monsters, but have a darker and more sinister purpose. There's magical clan powers, intense fight sequences, a budding romance, and a deep dive into trauma and its effect on our lives. And honestly, if that's not enough to sell you on this book, I don't what could!
I'm not even slightly familiar with Navajo myths, and Roanhorse is not very explanatory in this book - which I don't think she should have to be! I actually did a really quick read through of the Navajo mythology page on wikipedia just to give myself a very basic overview so that I'd have a better understanding of the myths. It helped to put certain characters into a better perspective which really paid off as the story progressed.
My favorite aspect by far was by far how Roanhorse weaved trauma into the story. Maggie has not recovered from the tragic event that lead to her becoming a monsterslayer nor the abandonment of her mentor. We grieve with her as she attempts to reconcile these moments in her life with her quest of destroying the new batch of monsters. Frankly, it's so beautiful, raw, and honest. The character development of Maggie is splendid! She's not really "likable" because she's basically all rough edges and has trouble letting people in. BUT she's a really dynamic character, so I don't think likability should even be a factor.
My main gripe was how fast the book moved. The end has SO MUCH ACTION, but pieces of it were paced much faster than others. The big fight scene before the final fight scene was... perfect. However the final confrontations felt rushed, and I'm still not sure I understand everything that happened.I have no idea why Kai's other clan power was such a betrayal? I mean i get him being persuasive is manipulative, but why did he think Neizgani was going to kill him? I don't know and I'm so CONFUSED It also takes place over so little time that I felt a bit of whiplash. That said, it doesn't drive me away from wanting to continue this series.
If you're looking for a book derived from mythology that isn't Greek or Western, give this book a try. I definitely have similar vibes that I had from reading the first Percy Jackson book, although this isn't middle grade so it is MUCH, MUCH more mature.
This was probably more of a 3.5 star, but I'm rounding up because I think this series has such excellent potential, and I'm excited for the next installment.
Trail of Lightning is a fast paced post apocalyptic adventure in a world where Navajo legends and myths have returned to Earth. It has a lot of Mad Max vibes as our heroine races around a desert landscape in the midst of a drought. After being abandoned by her immortal god mentor, Maggie has finally returned to monster hunting. However, she discovers that these are not run of the mill monsters, but have a darker and more sinister purpose. There's magical clan powers, intense fight sequences, a budding romance, and a deep dive into trauma and its effect on our lives. And honestly, if that's not enough to sell you on this book, I don't what could!
I'm not even slightly familiar with Navajo myths, and Roanhorse is not very explanatory in this book - which I don't think she should have to be! I actually did a really quick read through of the Navajo mythology page on wikipedia just to give myself a very basic overview so that I'd have a better understanding of the myths. It helped to put certain characters into a better perspective which really paid off as the story progressed.
My favorite aspect by far was by far how Roanhorse weaved trauma into the story. Maggie has not recovered from the tragic event that lead to her becoming a monsterslayer nor the abandonment of her mentor. We grieve with her as she attempts to reconcile these moments in her life with her quest of destroying the new batch of monsters. Frankly, it's so beautiful, raw, and honest. The character development of Maggie is splendid! She's not really "likable" because she's basically all rough edges and has trouble letting people in. BUT she's a really dynamic character, so I don't think likability should even be a factor.
My main gripe was how fast the book moved. The end has SO MUCH ACTION, but pieces of it were paced much faster than others. The big fight scene before the final fight scene was... perfect. However the final confrontations felt rushed, and I'm still not sure I understand everything that happened.
If you're looking for a book derived from mythology that isn't Greek or Western, give this book a try. I definitely have similar vibes that I had from reading the first Percy Jackson book, although this isn't middle grade so it is MUCH, MUCH more mature.
read for PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge: a book with a two word title
I think I'm solidly a 3.5 on this one, but I'm not quite sure if I want to round up or down. There was a lot of I liked, but a decent amount that I felt mediocre towards. I thought Robin was given so much more to do in this novel which I loved. She's struggling with the trauma from the end of the previous novel, which I thought was so excellently portrayed. Her relationship, as always, drove me nuts but Robin gets some beautiful confrontational scenes.OH MY GOD WHY DID SHE MARRY MATT HE'S THE FUCKING WORST AHHHHH There's also quite a bit of suspense in the novel that was written so well, and Robin gets to be a star in a lot of it.
The biggest thing that drove me nuts was how Cormoran and Robin just didn't talk with each other about what was going on in their lives. It was really frustrating because the communication issues could have been solved so quickly if they were just honest. This is one of my biggest issues with romance novels (which this book is obviously not) because it's not a compelling enough reason to have tension between the characters. We keep bouncing back and forth between Robin and Strike making assumptions about one another and it's really dumb.
As for the plot and the mystery, I honestly felt confused for so much of it. There were just plot lines going in every direction, and while they did tie together, if took a lot of to get there. Some of the stakes almost didn't feel high enough eitherit might be a cultural thing but I didn't understand the big deal with the gallows, especially because there are rich people making money off selling weapons to third world countries so it just didn't feel like there was much risk? Another cultural difference was how much of the story relied on class differences. I think those class structures are much more distinct in the UK due to their aristocracy and the US has the "American Dream" of everyone being able to make it (which is very flawed in its own way). So while I get the struggles of the rich vs poor, I think that plays out differently and allowed me to not fully get things. which ties into Charlotte who pops up again for nothing really? Just some angst? i do not understand this relationship or appeal besides the fact that Charlotte is consistently describe as "the most beautiful woman in the world" ok
All in all, I'll still stick with the series because I really enjoy the audiobooks. The narrator, as always, gave a stunning performance and is a delight to listen to!
I think I'm solidly a 3.5 on this one, but I'm not quite sure if I want to round up or down. There was a lot of I liked, but a decent amount that I felt mediocre towards. I thought Robin was given so much more to do in this novel which I loved. She's struggling with the trauma from the end of the previous novel, which I thought was so excellently portrayed. Her relationship, as always, drove me nuts but Robin gets some beautiful confrontational scenes.
The biggest thing that drove me nuts was how Cormoran and Robin just didn't talk with each other about what was going on in their lives. It was really frustrating because the communication issues could have been solved so quickly if they were just honest. This is one of my biggest issues with romance novels (which this book is obviously not) because it's not a compelling enough reason to have tension between the characters. We keep bouncing back and forth between Robin and Strike making assumptions about one another and it's really dumb.
As for the plot and the mystery, I honestly felt confused for so much of it. There were just plot lines going in every direction, and while they did tie together, if took a lot of to get there. Some of the stakes almost didn't feel high enough either
All in all, I'll still stick with the series because I really enjoy the audiobooks. The narrator, as always, gave a stunning performance and is a delight to listen to!