I Read: Mini-Shopaholic

Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella 

I honestly don't know why I continue to read Shopaholic books. Rebecca Bloomwood drives me batty! She's ridiculous. And yet, somehow she's engaging.

I know I'm way behind on these; I picked up the ones I'd missed at a book sale somewhere, so I'm trying to complete the series. I might not have been quite so annoyed by the character had I read them all as they came out. I sincerely hope that Becky isn't modelled on a real person - she would be a complete failure at life. Everyone in Becky's sphere enables her and allows things to turn out smashingly even through all of her insanity. 

I find these entirely unrealistic - no one has that many safety nets, and especially not when she treats them all so badly. I have several more in the series left to read before the series is finished, so I'm sure I'll find something redeeming in the character along the way. 

#25-2021

I Read: The Boy in the Black Suit

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

I finished up my Black History Month reading with this one. It's been sitting on my shelf for a while and is a winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards in 2016. It doesn't feel like there's anything specifically "black" about this book - it could be any teen going through a rough period due to circumstances. Culturally the novel is black-American but that doesn't stop it from being relatable to anyone. The feelings are the thing. And so many people go through what Matt does. 

If you're looking for a simple read with some complicated emotions, this is for you. 

#24-2021

I Read: A Promised Land

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

I'm not sure I can really add to the conversation about this book. Obama has written several books previously, and we know he's a great speaker. He's thoughtful and perceptive. And so is this book. It's long but engaging. It's interesting to get the small backstories on major events and to hear the perspective of events as they happened inside the situation. 

I'm sure I'm not alone in awaiting the second half of this memoir to hear the most recent events in Obama's presidency. 

#23-2021

I Read: The Color Purple

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

This one has been sitting on my shelf for a while waiting for me to read it. I'm not sure what took me so long because, despite the content, it's not a difficult book to read. The content is unpleasant in a lot of spots, but the story is great and written in a unique way that asks a lot of the questions the reader might have. 

I was coming into it completely blind - I haven't even seen the movie because *sigh* Oprah - so I didn't have any expectations except that I did expect it to be a long haul. And it definitely wasn't that. 

Written in a series of "letters", and in a vernacular of the time and culture, Walker took advantage of the reader's senses, and probably stereotypes in order to create a scene that told the story as well as the words on the page. I'm disappointed that I hadn't read this sooner, and I may have to go in search of the movie at this point.

#22-2021

I Read: Snowbound at the Manor

Snowbound at the Manor by Ellie Darkins

My mom gets a Harlequin subscription box monthly. It's actually my fault - I signed up for a many, many, many years ago and then transferred it to her when I realized I wasn't that interested. On occasion, she saves one of the books for me to read, when she thinks it's particularly cute. 

I'll admit this one was a good distraction from what I've been reading lately - the perfect lazy Sunday Valentine's Day read actually. Romance, in a cute little tidy 250 pages. And it took me about the length of a Hallmark movie to read. Which is really what it easily could have been. 

#21-2021

I Read: Concrete Rose

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

It took me a long time to read "The Hate U Give" but when I did I was absolutely a fan of Angie Thomas.  So when I came across this new one, which gives us some back story to Starr's existence I was definitely going to read it. 

I love the way that Thomas creates a character out of the words she uses and the way she puts them together. She doesn't just create the characters but the story is its own character. That might not make sense to anyone but me, but I hope it does. 

She's very good at making the reader feel for the people in the story. Even those of us who really don't (can't?) relate to the specifics of the story. I don't have any similar experiences, but it doesn't matter - she guides us through and is very clear in her descriptions. Adding this book, and Angie Thomas to my favourites list immediately. 

#20-2021

I Read: The Skin We're In

The Skin We're In by Desmond Cole

This book made me very uncomfortable. Not in a bad way, but in a way that makes me rethink things about the place I live. 

I was taught that Canada was a mosaic of cultures - that we are an accepting nation, a multicultural nation. And while we may be that, nowhere in that teaching did I ever learn about how unequal we are. As an adult, I should have been paying more attention but honestly, I'm white and the inequality likely benefits me. I dislike having to admit that, but it's harder to deny it once I see it.

I Read: I'd Rather Be Short

I'd Rather be Short by Becky Murphy

Anyone who knows me in real life knows why I picked this up - I'm short. I saw the cover and knew I needed to add it to my collection. It's a cute five-minute read and lists 100 reasons why it's great to be small. 

I don't necessarily agree with all of the reasons, nor with the assumption that all short folks are teeny, tiny. But I'll take it as the funny commentary it's meant to be, and stick it up on my shelf as a prize. 

#18-2021

I Read: Legacy

Legacy by Waubgeshig Rice

I picked this up because I was researching Canadian indigenous authors and found the review/synopsis intriguing. I couldn't find it available in any store for purchase (it was published in 2014 and somehow is completely out of print?) so I ventured to actually use the local library. (Not the first time, but pretty darn close.  Who borrows books when they have years' worth in their house that they haven't read?)

I'm not disappointed to have read this book. It wasn't what I was expecting from the synopsis I saw, but it kept my attention throughout. I wanted to know where it was going. And I wanted to find out more about these characters

I Read: Keep Sharp

Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta, MD

I've been seeing a lot of Dr. Gupta on CNN over the course of the pandemic, and I feel like he's trustworthy so when I heard about this book I decided it was worth a look. I appreciated all the background information and his perspective as a neurosurgeon on aspects of the brain and how it ages. It's not something that I've spent much time thinking about - I've mostly relied on "common knowledge" about brain ageing before, and based on this book I'm not really sure that's the best way to think about it. 

I've glad I read it - if you have any interest in learning more about how the brain ages, and how to help it age more slowly and how to potentially slow the process of dementia and/or Alzheimer's this is definitely something you want to read. And soon. 

#16-2021