Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love R, and reading more about her only made me love her more. This book probably would have been better in print because I assume there were pictures, etc, but this was a concise look at the wonder that was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She's one of those people that the more you know about her, the more you realize her impact. Her work ethic and impact is extraordinary. My daily life is better because of her efforts. I also really enjoyed learning more about her husband Marty. Their marriage was one of true partnership and something to emulate. I'm only sorry she didn't live even longer. She's the type of woman we need more of.

Happy reading and happy trying to be a little more like RBG--

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Concrete Rose

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved The Hate U Give, so I'm inwardly cringing at giving Concrete Rose only three stars. The thing that is was too much about teen parenthood for me without the same sort of compelling characterization that made me love Thomas' other books. It's still worth reading if you like Angie Thomas, but really it just made me want to reread The Hate U Give.

Happy reading--

Ps. Lisa Carter is still the best part of any story she is in.

Pps. Full disclosure that the audiobook narrator could have been part of my issue. While a decent reader, he was a letdown after the amazing Bahni Turpin, who narrated Thomas' other two books.

Hamnet

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"I wish I was still teaching." That was the thought I had over and over again while I read this book. It adds such depth to Shakespeare's life - not because it actually focuses on him. It's more about his son and his wife, but the fictionalized Stratford home that O'Farrell created is so well done. With its ties to the plague, this book also felt surprisingly relevant as both the illness and grief took center stage.

I've always loved Hamlet. My English major heart can't get enough it sometimes. And I actually loved teaching Shakespeare - even if my most commonly taught play was Romeo & Juliet to ninth graders. I realize though after reading Hamnet that I could have done a better job entrenching them in the struggle of 16th and 17th century England. One of the reasons Shakespeare was such a novelty to the people of that time was the escape his works provided. I see that now more than ever after reading about O'Farrell's version of what it might have been like to have lost Shakespeare's only son and what it might have been like to be his wife, left behind in Stratford, to deal with her grief alone.

I don't think you need love Shakespeare to love this book, but you do need to be ready for literary fiction and a book that is filled with more trials than triumph. I hope you do read it though. It really is so good.

Happy reading--

Ps. It feels worth mentioning that it is not a spoiler to say that Hamnet dies in the story. It's well documented historical fact and entirely what the book is about.

The Trouble with Hating You

The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm not a huge fan of the genre name "chick lit", but it's the quickest way to describe "The Trouble with Hating You". It's a classic hate turned love story with the conflict of traditional Indian cultural norms butting against what the characters want. The story isn't amazing, but it was entertaining. I like Sonali Dev's similarly themed books better, but this was a fun, quick read.

As always, happy reading--

Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my favorite Agatha Christie, but I loved how it wrapped up. None of the characters were very likeable, so it made getting to the "who done it?" moment less compelling. I am proud to say that I guessed the murderer early on. That guess though didn't take away from how well Christie always manages to layer her big reveals. Still, unless you read a high volume, I would stick to other mysteries.

Happy reading--

Beyond Band of Brothers

Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters by Dick Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. It captures one of the most remarkable groups of men and central to that group is Major Dick Winters. This book is an addendum to Stephen Ambrose's book that inspired the miniseries, also called Band of Brothers. I actually haven't read Band of Brothers, but I admire Winters so much and since this book was included in the Audible catalog, I decided to read it. Though sometimes a little dry, the stories Winters shares are insightful and captivating. What Easy Company accomplished in World War II and beyond is incredible. I'm glad to have read this.

Happy reading and happy better living--

American Like Me

American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures by America Ferrera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It's simply stories of American people - their lives, their hopes, their struggles, and their dreams. America Ferrera's commentary adds a profound touch as she opens and closes the book. Some of the names of the contributors, you'll recognize. Others will sound vaguely familiar and others you won't know at all, but it doesn't matter. Each has its own impact and is a strong reminder that we need to value each individual we come across no matter our seeing differences. After all, we're so much more alike than we are different.

Happy reading--

ps. I finished this the day before the inauguration. It was perfect timing as we enter a new stage in American history.

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World by Laura Spinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If we were not in the middle of a pandemic, I never would have picked up this book. That very idea is what fascinates the author - why do we not talk about the Spanish Flu? It affected World War I and changed global society for so many reasons: catastrophic loss of life only being one of them. The book is well written, but often inconclusive. Medical science was not nearly as developed then, nor oftentimes did scientists and the broader population realize they were dealing with Spanish Flu, so our understanding of the disease is limited. That said, reading this book published just three years ago, we knew enough now to have done so much better with Covid. There is no reason why we should have let so many people die. It will be one of the great, unnecessary tragedies of the 21st century.

I'm not sure I would recommend the book only because it's so much to think about on top of Covid living. However, if you're interested, you could learn a lot from it.

Happy reading and if it wasn't clear already, please wear a mask....here's hoping for vaccinations by the summer....

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hollowpox is the third in Townsend's Nevermoor series, and I still have no idea how to describe it to people. Magical realism doesn't go far enough. Fantastically creative doesn't give anything concrete to imagine. A middle grade book that you should read with your kids is the closest I can get. I love Townsend's details and her quirky characters. I love that her stories and settings don't resemble anything I've read before. However this book should be described, the short version is that I love them and am already counting down to the fourth installment.

Happy reading--

ps. Hollowpox is indeed a sort of sickness that is infecting certain citizens of Nevermoor. This book was already written before the pandemic happened, but the timing was uncanny. Even in its magical details, it had strangely real ties to issues we're seeing in our own society.

10 Blind Dates

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Silly but cute. My fifteen-year-old self would have loved this book.

Last Christmas in Paris

Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love books written as a series of letters. In hindsight, I would probably have read this as a physical book instead of an audiobook just because it took some time to sort out the different people and to track the dates. Otherwise, this was a compelling and sweet story set during World War I.

Happy reading-

Admission

Admission by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Admission reads like the juicy gossip you can't help but dive into at lunch with your coworkers. You're sucked in to the book so fast that you don't have time pay attention to the fact that this is not great literature, but it is captivating fiction. Buxbaum based this story on the college admission scandal that was all over the news a couple years ago, and the mother in the story resembles Lori Loughlin's role in that scandal. The main character does not resemble Loughlin's daughters.

I listened to this book in a day. Much the same way that you know Halloween candy is not the same quality as Belgian chocolate, I know that this book is probably undeserving of four stars, but it was exactly what I needed in the moment. I would totally recommend it for when you need something less serious and fast moving.

Happy reading--

The Book of Lost Names

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In a nutshell, a captivating WWII story with less than perfect writing and occasionally frustrating characterization. The book has a great ending though, so it's a 3.5 that I debated rounding up to a four. I also really loved the concept of the book of lost names.

Happy reading and happy remembering--

More Than a Body

More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament by Lexie Kite
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

More Than a Body feels like essential reading in a world that bombards people with messages and definitions of beauty all throughout the day. The Kite sisters attempt to break down those messages and explain why our bodies are so much more than something to be looked at. Even though the flow of the book isn't perfect, the takeaways are so powerful that I will reread this book over and over again in an attempt to remind myself of their core message: your body is is an instrument, not an ornament.

Happy reading and happy living--

The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am always on the fence when it comes to reading books that everyone is talking about. This book wasn't quite as incredible as people made it out to be, but I also have never read another story like it. The conversations about race, sisterhood, and authenticity will stick with me for a long time. This is one of those stories that the less you know the better. Bennett does a great job creating characters that are more than new versions of something you've read before. The pacing was a little off for me and a couple of the details didn't quite connect with the overall story, but I still think this is one of those books people will be talking about for years to come.

Happy reading--

Notes from a Young Black Chef

Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I first discovered Kwame Onwuachi through Top Chef. I was rooting for him to win that season, and so when I heard he had written a book, I was in. This isn't a typical food memoir but rather Kwame's experience in becoming a chef and trying to open his first restaurant in Washington, D.C.. Still, his passion and creativity as a chef are apparent in everything he says. The book is probably a 3.5, but I didn't round up because I wanted more food details alongside the restaurant and work experience details. I admire Kwame's perseverance and candor about his struggles and his experience as a black chef and look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in the future. He has the potential to become a household name in the world of fine dining.

Happy reading and happy eating--

Tell Me More - Round Four

Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a year that packed more than a solid punch, Corrigan's thoughts were a perfect way to start the year. Here's to more hope, less fear, and an announcement that Corrigan has a new book coming out (I'm just hoping for one -- fingers crossed!)

Happy reading and Happy New Year!