I have no idea why The Sweetest Sound was on my library cart. Maybe I impulse picked it up from some random display at the library? Or maybe I saw it on some book list and reserved it? Weird.
It’s a middle grade fiction about a very shy girl and her hidden talent (singing) and overcoming fears and growing up. It was … ok. Not great, not horrible.
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I’m not sure what I expected from a children’s book written by Emma Donoghue but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t The Lotterys Plus One. Oh sure, I expected an LGBTQ family but this family? Not so much, lol.
There are FOUR parents, a lesbian couple and a gay couple. They have quirky names like PopCorn and CardaMom. The kids are all named after trees, except for Briar… she changed her name to Brian, and while she is adamant about NOT being a GIRl, she’s also not saying she’s a BOY. Gender is hard, or really simple — take your pick, both are true.
Besides the fact that there are eight zillion people in this book, all with quirky names, and you have to try to keep track of who is who you also have to deal with the fact that the family has weird names for EVERYTHING. Family meetings are called “fleetings,” the back porch of the house is called the “derriere,” the extra bedroom is called “spare oom,” something isn’t excellent, it’s egg salad… this is all a little overwheling. It’s fun, but on top of the all of the weird family names, it’s messy.
In fact everything about this book is messy, which is why you should absolutely read it.
The family is super messy and quirky and I kind of love them, even if I could do without the weird/cutesy names. The children came to the family in a variety of ways and have a variety of ethnicity, personalities, (and some issues.) Some were biological to some of the parents. One has what’s probably ADHD, one is a shaken baby.
And then there’s the grandfather… the one who has messy problems of his own, the least of which is that he’s an old white conservative dude from a small town in Canada and he things families should be made up of one man, one woman, and hopefully the same race/ethnicity. He also thinks people should behave in more traditional ways. And, there’s more… he is the plus one in this story, and he is what drives the plot line.
Donoghue throws a lot into this one tiny book and in the end, I loved it. I could do with fewer odd names/language choices but I get it. The family is quirky. I’ll take them as they are (and TW says there are or will be more books, so I’ll read them.)
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Gah, just seven. Here I thought I was doing so well, in June. Hah. (Sob.) Remember when I used to read like 250+ books a year? Yea, me either — it’s been so longgggg. Whatever.
1 was YA
1 was LGBTQish.
And… lol… that’s pretty much it for the categories of books I try to pay attention to.
What will happen in July? I don’t think we have any travel plans but the little girls are coming for a visit. And, work is probably going to start getting nutty and we have to do some work around the house to get ready for the foundation repair and… yea. HMPH. I need a #fakereadathon!
Turns out I really liked The Chosen Maiden even though I almost quit it twice. In fact, I meant to quit it and return it on the way to Orlando because it was going to come due while we were gone, and it couldn’t be renewed. But, I forgot to put it in the library bag and didn’t realize it until I was dumping the books into the return bin.
Since I forgot to return it, and it was already late, I thought I should try again to finish it… and that’s when I got hooked. I have no idea why it took more than 100 pages for me to really get into the story, but it did. I stayed up way too late one night reading it and had only about 50 pages left when I realized how late it was and finally put it down. (And now, I kind of want to go to the ballet.)
Awhile back, TW asked me to name some books about women’s journeys — where they go on a trip and find themselves or learn some lesson or bond with other women and I immediately said Kris Radish has written a lot of those books, hasn’t she? Which led me to see if she’s written any books we haven’t read (since we haven’t read any of her books in years, I figured it was likely) and whether any of her books were available in large print for TW’s mom because I wasn’t sure she’d read them…
Which is how Tuesday Night Miracles made it onto our shelf.
Typical Radish — women facing huge issues come together and get their lives together, mostly. It was a nice book to read in between some of the longer or more complex things on my shelf.
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I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about The Second Mrs. Hockaday since it was told through diary entries/letters AND it was set in a somewhat fictional South Carolina.
(When the author talks about Traveler’s Joy, I think Traveler’s Rest… when the author uses some real city names but not all real city names, there’s a confusion in my head that almost ruined the story for me. What was the point of the not real places? I don’t get that… I never understand why writers do this… whatever…)
Turns out I really liked it. The diary entries helped with a feeling of suspense, (though I was pretty sure I knew what happened from the first 20 pages, I didn’t know the details), and the writing was wonderful.
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I stumbled into A Shade of Vampire because I was looking for another series written by this author and realized that there seems to be some sort of “cultish” following of this series so I thought, what the heck… while I’m waiting for the book I really want (that has four holds ahead of me) I’ll grab the first book in this vampire series and see what the fuss is.
The fuss is that it’s exactly the kind of vampire series a Twilight lover would enjoy. Meaning, I ENJOYED IT. I don’t care who rolls their eyes (TW) and judges me for it. I absolutely enjoyed it and I’d read another (though I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t read all 40+ books that may or may not be in this series.)
PS… it looks like this sucker is self-published, too? Or pay to publish? I don’t know but I’m fascinated by the following and the lack of a big name publisher. The power of the internet is at work here. It just is. (Yea, I’m going to go reserve the second book in the series, now. Judge away. I DON’T CARE! lol)
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When will I learn not to start a Joe Hill chunkster on a weeknight? When? When?! Someone remind me of this, please.
The Fireman was exactly what you’d expect from a Joe Hill novel. Brilliant, just brilliant.
A pandemic… spontaneous combustion… global warming… fanaticism… all wrapped up in the feeling that this could actually be happening right now, under the current administration and our current social climate… and of course, I didn’t want to put it down.
(Martha Quinn…which only makes sense if you read the book but I just can’t say that enough. BRILLIANTLY DONE…)
I had no idea Homegoing would be so good. Seriously one of the best books I’ve read in forever.
Two half-sisters born in different villages in Ghana in the mid/late 1700s… the book follows their descendants and good lord it’s painful. Beautifully written, honest, and painful.
Read this and think about how the experiences of the first two women played a role in the lives of those who came later. Every single damn white person should read this.
Well, that took forever and now that I’ve finished I can’t figure out why I didn’t quit Everfair (like TW did.)
It’s an alternate history afro-steampunk story (with a few lesbian/bi characters) which sounds like something I should really enjoy, right? That’s what I kept telling myself. And I did enjoy a line here and there or a page or two every now and then. I wanted to like it. I should have liked it but I really just didn’t.
Great idea. Great topic. Poorly executed.