Nonfiction Review: White Trash

One of my book groups discussed White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg back in October. I ended up setting the book aside halfway through and finishing it for #NonfictionNovember, but that's not a reflection of the book. I learned a lot that was never taught in school and was riveted by this unique look at the history of poor whites in America.

The book begins by busting the myths of the U.S.'s original colonies that we all learned in history class: the staid, hard-working Pilgrims who came here seeking religious freedom and established a successful, class-less society. Instead, the author cites a wide variety of historical documents that show that the first settlers brought England's strict class society with them, with landed gentry given access to the property here and ships full of vagrants, criminals, homeless children, and other poor people sent here to provide labor for building and planting. Even before Africans were brought here in slave ships, the colonists had indentured servants (whose children were often also owned by the wealthy) and other kinds of unpaid labor--lots of different ways to have slaves without using the word. The book goes through each period of U.S. history, revealing what life was really like for poor whites and what leaders' attitudes were toward the lower class. It covers Revolutionary times and the Founding Fathers through the Civil War and the popularity of eugenics in the post-war years to modern times, when being a redneck became cool ala Mayberry, The Dukes of Hazzard, Honey Boo-Boo, and Duck Dynasty. I was put-off by the book's title at first, but I was shocked to learn that the term "white trash" was used as early as the 1600's (and quite literally), with even worse epitaphs in use in each era. Another surprise was that some of the more horrifying aspects of today's politics were evident as far back as Reconstruction. Comparing wealthy planters' self-interests and the role of poor whites in the Civil War era to today's politics, the author notes, "Today as well we have a large unbalanced electorate that is regularly convinced to vote against its collective self-interest."

Every chapter of this book was absolutely fascinating to me! I kept interrupting my husband's reading to tell him random, crazy facts I'd never heard before. I was an engaged student in school who hated my Social Studies/History classes; I found them so boring! But this history was captivating through every page. Her research was extensive, with more than 100 pages of notes and references at the back of the book to back up what she writes about and drawing upon historical documents, politics, media, popular culture, and more. Understanding this historical perspective in such depth not only helps us to understand what's come before but also what is happening right now, and the challenges facing the poor in the United States today. Whether politicians want to admit it or not, we are definitely not a class-less society. I was riveted by every page of this absorbing historical summary that should be required reading for today's Americans. Highly recommended and excellent discussion fodder for book groups.

460 pages, Viking

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. The sample is from the preface, connecting modern pop culture to oldest United States history - give it a listen & you'll be hooked!

 

You can purchase White Trash from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

 

Or you can order White Trash from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

TV Tuesday: Dash and Lily

Are you in need of some holiday spirit? Perhaps some light fun to make your season merry and bright? I was last week, and I wanted a light TV show to watch while I sorted through thousands of old photos spread all over our family room floor! So, I chose Dash and Lily, a unique TV rom-com series on Netflix that takes place over the Christmas/New Year's season and all over New York City. It was fun and sweet and just what I needed!

One day, a young man named Dash, played by Austin Abrams, is browsing through the shelves at The Strand bookstore when he comes across a red journal tucked in among the books. On the front cover is written "Do You Dare?" Yes, he does. Inside Dash finds clues to a sort of New York-centric, Christmas-themed scavenger hunt, written by a mysterious girl who says he needs to earn the right to get to know her. The notebook was planted there by Lily, an exuberant and quirky young woman played by Midori Francis. Without knowing each other, Dash and Lily trade the notebook back and forth, leaving it in various places for the other to find, with clues and dares to each other that take them all over the city and discovering new places, people, and things. The catch? They seem seriously mismatched. Dash is a bit of a cynic who hates Christmas, while Lily embraces it with her full enthusiastic, spirited being. They are each assisted and encouraged by Dash's best friend, Boomer (played by Dante Brown), and Lily's older brother, Langston (played by Troy Iwata).

This 8-episode show is just pure seasonal fun! Filled with eccentricities, bold dares, and lots of only-in-New-York people, events, and places, it's a joyous holiday romp. It's not all fun and games, though. Dash and Lily both have some issues and problems to work through (absent families, a distant father, an overbearing grandfather, and a middle-school bully who did some serious emotional damage) that provide a balance of challenges and fun, all wrapped up in warmth and good humor. The visuals are dazzling, and the two main actors are great in their roles, with excellent supporting actors as well. And, of course, there is a happy ending. All in all, it was a very satisfying and entertaining experience.

Dash and Lily is a Netflix original show, so it is available exclusively on Netflix.

Movie Monday: Holidate

Today's movie review is pure fun--no greater purpose or meaning! On a sick day two weeks ago (luckily, becoming rare again), my husband was out golfing, and I decided to treat myself to a silly rom-com. I saw Holidate on Netflix and thought, "Hey, why not a silly rom-com with some seasonal fun?" I don't normally watch typical holiday movies on Lifetime or Hallmark, but this was different, with plenty of laughs and a nice dose of snark. Besides, it's not just about Christmas; it's about ALL the holidays!

Sloane, played by Emma Roberts (niece of Julia Roberts), suffers through another frustrating Christmas with her family. Her younger brother gets engaged that evening, leaving Sloane as the last single person in her family ... and they don't let her forget it! Her sister is happily married, her mother (played by Frances Fisher) keeps trying to set up her with people, and even her young niece has a boyfriend. Her wild Aunt Susan, played by Kristin Chenoweth, is single, but she is known for showing up at family gatherings drunk with a man she barely knows. This year, her Christmas "date" is dressed as Santa, and she just met him at the mall. Susan advises Sloane to do what she does and bring a "holidate" to family holidays, someone she doesn't have a strong connection with, just to get her family off her back. Meanwhile, Jackson, played by Luke Bracey, is having his own Christmas problems. A girl he's only dated a few times brings him home to her parents, and the three of them act like Jackson is already part of the family, giving him expensive gifts, dressing him in a matching ugly sweater, and acting like they're engaged. Sloane and Jackson have both sworn off holidays, when a few days later, they meet by chance at the mall. They trade their respective holiday horror stories, and Sloane tells him of her aunt's strategy. They agree to be each other's holidate for New Year's Eve, and their partnership continues for every holiday throughout the year. As you might have guessed, their agreement to keep it casual eventually begins to falter, especially since Sloane's family really comes to like Jackson.

In some ways, this is a typical rom-com, but it felt fresh and original to me, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a unique premise, with lots of chances for humor that result in plenty of laughs. Jumping from one holiday to the next makes it extra-fun. The two main actors are great to watch with good chemistry, and the supporting actors are excellent, too, with many familiar faces. This was the perfect movie for me at the time, to allow me to just relax and laugh and enjoy a little time to myself. Check out the trailer below and you'll see what I mean!

Holidate is a Netflix original, so it is available exclusively on Netflix.

It's Monday 12/14! What Are You Reading?

Whew! Another hectic, chaotic week. 'Tis the season, right? I had one more customized gift to finish designing last week--a photo book of memories for my 95-year-old father-in-law. All I had to do was sort through some old photos, scan them, upload them to Snapfish (we love their calendars, ornaments, cards, and photo books), and design the book. Simple, right? Yes, except that I underestimated it all, of course. We brought a huge suitcase here from Oklahoma when we moved him here six years ago, and it was FULL of loose photos: just piles and piles of random photos, from 1925 through recent years! It took me all week (cramped up on our family room floor) to sort through them, pick some out for the book, and then a full day to scan them all (by the way, my 500 GB MacBook Pro has only 7 GB of space left on it!). Finally, on Saturday, I was able to sit down with the Snapfish website and design his book. It turned out great, but it was a lot of work, and nothing else got done last week!

 

On the health front, I am feeling the best I have felt all year; my 9-month-long mysterious downturn finally seems to have ended, though I also found out that I need to continue my Lyme treatment for now. But, my husband had some mild stomach virus symptoms last weekend, so we quarantined all week while he got a COVID test, just to be sure (since he normally visits his dad every day). It took three days to get an appointment and another three days to get the results back, but they were negative--hurray! So, this weekend was a flurry of catch-up activity--getting groceries, having an outdoor visit with his dad, finally getting our Christmas tree into the house with our son's help (still not decorated, though), and more. Oh, and since we only had one egg left in the house Sunday morning, we treated ourselves to breakfast out--it was nice enough yesterday to sit outside at our favorite cafe! This morning, I cleared two weeks' of mail off our kitchen counter and finally did our filing.

This week, I need to get our out-of-town gifts wrapped and shipped, but it should be slightly less crazed, so I promise to get back to visiting blogs!

With all of the seasonal, thematic reading challenges I participate in, I usually try to focus on really great books in December and January to end/start the year right! This means the highly acclaimed books that have been on my shelf for too long. So far, that definitely applies--I've been reading some outstanding books and really enjoying my reading time. Here's what we've all been reading this week:

I finished National Book Award finalist Plainsong by Kent Haruf, a novel that's been on my TBR bookshelf for far too long. Last year, I read Haruf's Our Souls at Night (his last novel but the first I read from him) and loved it, so I was eager to read this first novel of his loosely-connected series (four books) that takes place in the small, rural town of Holt, Colorado. Haruf has a unique way of telling a story, with short chapters, straightforward prose, and a mild placidity that matches his characters' simple, honest lives. Tom Guthrie teaches high school history and is raising two young boys on his own, as his wife, who seems seriously depressed, grows more distant both mentally and physically. Raymond and Harold McPheron are isolated, older, bachelor farmers who have always lived together, since they were boys and their parents died. Victoria, a teen girl in Tom's school, is kicked out of her house by her alcoholic mother when she becomes pregnant, so she is taken in by Maggie Jones, another teacher. These are mostly kind people, doing their best, living intertwined lives in this small town. The novel was completely immersive and very satisfying.

I am currently reading Dear Edward by Lisa Napolitano, a novel that has appeared on many Best Books of 2020 lists. My neighborhood book group will be discussing it on Wednesday (via Zoom, of course). Twelve-year-old Edward Adler is on a plane from New York to California with his parents and his older brother, Jordan. The family is moving to California and leaving NYC behind for the first time in the boys' lives. Then the plane crashes in Colorado, killing all of its crew and passengers, except one: Edward. After recovering enough from his multiple, serious injuries to leave the hospital, Edward moves in with his aunt and uncle in New Jersey, but he is a very long way from healed. Chapters alternate between what happened on the flight, allowing the reader to get to know many of the characters who died, to Edward's very long and difficult journey to a new normal after the accident. It is a powerful, moving, and riveting story, and I've been staying up much too late each night reading it!

On audio, I am still listening to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, a new release I have been dying to read/listen to! I've read one other book by the author, City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, a middle-grade novel that I loved. Plus this new adult novel is being compared to The Time Traveler's Wife and Life After Life, two of my all-time favorite Top 10 books! In 1714, a young woman about to be forced into marriage makes a deal with a dark spirit to live forever in a life where no one ever controls her. The catch is that no one ever remembers her, either; she is immediately forgotten by anyone she meets, from her own parents to shopkeepers to men she falls in love with. So far, the action jumps back and forth between the 1700's, before and after her dark deal, and the present day in 2014, where she has lived for over 300 years but can never leave an impression on the world or even a single person. It's excellent so far, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

My husband, Ken, finished reading the second Jane Harper book, Force of Nature. He and I both enjoyed her first novel, The Dry, earlier this year, and I gave him this one for his birthday this fall. It's about five women who go on a corporate retreat, backpacking in Australia ... but only four of them return. Each of the remaining survivors tells a different story about what happened, and Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk (from The Dry) must figure out what the truth is, untangling lies, secrets, and betrayals. Sounds like another great thriller from Harper! He said he liked it even better than the first novel, so now I want to read it, too.

Now, Ken is taking a break from his steady diet of thrillers to read something different, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin, a prequel to the A Game of Thrones series. This one book compiles the first three prequel novellas that Martin wrote, which take place a century before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, the first book in A Game of Thrones series. It's about a young, inexperienced knight named Ser Duncan (Dunk, for short), and his small squire, a boy named Egg. The book includes illustrations, but my husband was disappointed there was no map, a standard feature of most of Martin's books! He's enjoying it so far.

Our son, 26, finished book 4, Temple of the Winds, of the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. It sounds like the series is filled with murder, swords, treachery, and a unique magical world--yup, that ticks all his boxes! He has been powering through each long book, so they must be really compelling. 

He texted me this morning before work that he has now switched his attention to a different series and is reading Age of Swords, book two of The Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan. We gave him this one for his birthday this summer. He loves this author, and is enjoying this series very much. He also loves The Riyyria Chronicles series by that same author. A fellow book blogger, Beth Fish Reads, told me about these series and this author originally, so thanks to her!

Blog posts last week:

TV Tuesday: The Queen's Gambit - an outstanding show we loved & just as good (or better) than everyone's been telling you - try it!

Middle-Grade Review: Follow Me by K.R. Alexander - a spooky ghost story

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

Middle-Grade Review: Follow Me

My very last creepy read for the fall was a middle-grade novel, Follow Me by K.R. Alexander, that I listened to on audio. It was a spooky ghost story, and the perfect way to finish the dark reading season!

Tamal has just moved into a big house on a hill overlooking a small mill town. He and his parents moved from NYC and are happy to have more room and a quieter place to live. The house comes with rumors of ghosts, but don't all old houses? Anyway, Tamal's father loves those "ghost catching" shows on TV and thinks it is all good fun. Tamal's two new friends from school, Max and Lela, are eager to come to his house. During dinner, they fill Tamal and his parents in on all the spooky stories they've heard about the house: that the wealthy mill owner built the house on top of the town graveyard, that ghosts of children haunt the house, and more. His dad loves hearing the stories, but before they've even unpacked, Tamal sees a ghost: a little girl dressed in old-fashioned clothes, holding a teddy bear. Paranormal events quickly ramp up, as Tamal digs into the house's history, searches the house and the graveyard, and tries to keep his two new friends safe (and himself, too). 

The tension increases quickly, as Tamal learns more of the house's history and encounters more ghostly apparitions. The story is suspenseful and delightfully creepy. My one problem was with the audio production. They chose an adult narrator (I think perhaps because his accent matched what they were looking for for Tamal) whose overdone little kid voices were like nails on a chalkboard to me. Maybe that's just me, but you can listen to the audio sample and make up your own mind. I still listened all the way through because the story was compelling, but personally, in this case I'd go for the print book. It's a wonderfully spooky ghost story, not for 'fraidy cat kids but perfect for middle-graders who enjoy a little scary stuff. It looks like the author has written a bunch of paranormal ghost stories, so if you have horror-loving kids who like to get spooked, check him out.

224 pages, Scholastic

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can purchase Follow Me from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order Follow Me from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

TV Tuesday: The Queen's Gambit

I kept hearing my friends on Facebook rave about the new Netflix show The Queen's Gambit, but I thought that a show about chess would be boring. I finally gave in to the buzz and began watching the TV show, based on a 1983 novel of the same name, with my husband. Everyone was right! We loved this unique, suspenseful, and mesmerizing drama about a young orphan chess prodigy; we were hooked right from the first episode.

In the early 1960's, nine-year-old Beth Harmon, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, walks away from a car accident that kills her mother, the only family she knows. She is sent to an orphanage, a silent and somber old building housing dozens of girls of all ages, dressed in bland unflattering jumpers and blouses with identical haircuts. Beth, still grieving her mother's death and feeling very alone, falls into line with the other girls, eating, sleeping, doing schoolwork, singing hymns, and attending church. Most of the girls don't even talk to her, except for one Black girl named Jolene, played by Moses Ingram, who is always getting into trouble for mouthing off. Beth welcomes the sedatives the orphanage hands out daily to its charges, to "even out your mood." One day, bored, she wanders down to the basement and finds the janitor, Mr. Shaibel (played by Bill Camp), quietly playing both sides in a game of chess on a small table. Beth is immediately entranced by the game, its movements, and its strategies, and she begs Mr. Shaibel to teach her how to play. He's a very good player, but Beth is soon winning games against him and spending all of her spare time in the basement. At night, unable to sleep and half-drugged, she watches the lights and shadows reflected on the ceiling and imagines a giant chess board up there, playing out games in her mind and trying out new approaches. In her teens, Beth is adopted by a well-off suburban couple, the Wheatleys. Beth feels out of place in their beautiful home and discovers that her adoptive father is often away and her adoptive mother, played by Marielle Heller, is distant and drinks a lot. Gradually, though, she and Beth warm up to each other, as Beth begins to compete in chess, launching an early career as a chess champion.

Despite my lack of interest in chess itself, both my husband and I found this entire show fascinating and compelling. It is a coming-of-age story, a family drama, a suspenseful competition saga, and more. At its center is unique, beautiful, brilliant Beth and Anya Taylor-Joy who fully inhabits the captivating character. The supporting actors are all excellent, too, especially those playing Jolene, Beth's adoptive mother, and some of the male chess players Beth gets to know along the way. Far from boring, the show is filled with tension, not only during the chess games--in which Beth is always seen as the underdog (at least at first)--but also with respect to poor Beth's life, her drug abuse, and her loneliness. Plus, once Beth leaves the orphanage and starts winning some money in chess competitions, she becomes obsessed with fashion, and her 60's outfits, hair, and regal bearing are entrancing (I see Beth Harmon costumes on Amazon!). The whole package is an absorbing, gripping, bingeable story and a visual treat. We loved every minute of it, and I'm ready to watch it all over again!

The Queen's Gambit is a Netflix original program, so you can watch its seven episodes exclusively on Netflix. You can also read the novel the show is adapted from.

It's Monday 12/7! What Are You Reading?

Very late post today - our son came home for a set of out-of-state medical appointments, about an hour's drive from our house, so it's been a bit of a marathon day for the two of us. We just got back late this afternoon and finally had lunch! He's getting ready to head back now; this was a very short visit, unfortunately.

Last week started out productive: I wrote three posts for this blog and one for my chronic illness blog and was starting to feel like I was catching up. Then, I realized that I was running out of time to order a few more customized Christmas gifts (I realized this when I ordered several gifts and was told they wouldn't arrive until after Christmas). So, I put everything else on hold and spent several days straight working non-stop to get some custom gifts ready and ordered (I still had to pay extra for shipping). And that was my weekend!

We were supposed to put up our tree and decorate it this weekend while our son was home, but things went awry in several ways! Our younger son was worried he might have been exposed to COVID-19 through a friend, so he wanted to stay away from us until he tested negative. And my husband felt poorly starting early Saturday morning. He's doing better now, and we think it was "just" a mild stomach virus, but he's getting tested to be sure. So, he was in no shape to carry the tree into the house or wrestle with it to get it in the stand. Bottom line ... our tree is still in a bucket in the garage, and most of our decorations and lights are still in the basement. I did manage a trip to Trader Joe's last week for wreaths, so we at least got those up with stockings and one string of lights indoors!

Here's what we've all been reading this week:

I finished both the print and audio versions of Educated by Tara Westover. This highly-acclaimed memoir is the December choice for one of my book groups, and I alternated between the two formats. Of course, I have heard all about this best-selling book since its release almost three years ago, so I was thrilled to finally be reading/listening to it. The author describes her unusual (and often horrifying) childhood growing up isolated in the mountains of Idaho with her survivalist father. She and her siblings did not attend school, were not homeschooled, and were made to work in their father's scrap business, which was extremely dangerous. They also did not receive any medical care, except from their mother's herbs, even when horrible accidents occurred while scrapping. At seventeen, Tara left to attend college, which was a stunning experience for her. She'd never written an essay, taught herself algebra and trig, and had never heard of the Holocaust. It was a fascinating, engrossing story that was excellent in both forms--perfect for #NonfictionNovember--but it was also a very difficult book to read at times, as Tara and her siblings suffered mental, emotional, and physical abuse from multiple sources. Ultimately, though, it is a story of healing and growth.

After that, plus some upsetting things in my personal life, I was in search of a gentler read, so I settled on National Book Award finalist Plainsong by Kent Haruf, a novel that's been on my TBR bookshelf for far too long. After all my seasonal reading, in December and January I like to tackle some of the books on my shelf with a focus on acclaimed books I have wanted to get to for a while. Last year, I read Haruf's Our Souls at Night (his last novel but the first I read from him) and loved it, so I was eager to read this first novel of his trilogy (four books, if you count Our Souls) that takes place in the small, rural town of Holt, Colorado. Haruf has a unique way of telling a story, with short chapters, straightforward prose, and a mild placidity that matches his characters' simple, honest lives. Tom Guthrie teaches high school history and is raising two young boys on his own, as his wife, who seems seriously depressed, grows more distant both mentally and physically. Raymond and Harold McPheron are isolated, older, bachelor farmers who have always lived together, since they were boys and their parents died. Victoria, a teen girl in Tom's school, is kicked out of her house by her alcoholic mother when she becomes pregnant, so she is taken in by Maggie Jones, another teacher. These are mostly kind people, doing their best, living intertwined lives in this small town. I'm enjoying it very much so far.

On audio, I took a break from audiobooks most of the week to catch up on podcasts, but now I am listening to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, a new release I have been dying to read/listen to! I've read one other book by the author, City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, a middle-grade novel that I loved. Plus this new adult novel is being compared to The Time Traveler's Wife and Life After Life, two of my all-time favorite Top 10 books! In 1714, a young woman about to be forced into marriage makes a deal with a dark spirit to live forever in a life where no one ever controls her. The catch is that no one ever remembers her, either; she is immediately forgotten by anyone she meets, from her own parents to shopkeepers to men she falls in love with. So far, the action jumps back and forth between the 1700's, before and after her dark deal, and the present day in 2014, where she has lived for over 300 years but can never leave an impression on the world or even a single person. It's excellent so far, and I can't wait to see what happens!

My husband, Ken, finished reading one of my top books of 2020 (maybe THE top one), Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (review at the link). He loved it, too,  though it is quite sad at times (it's an epic time travel story, covering intertwining pandemics in the 1300's and in the near future, as Oxford time travelers go back in time). Now, he has started the second Jane Harper book, Force of Nature. He and I both enjoyed her first novel, The Dry, earlier this year, and I gave him this one for his birthday this fall. It's about five women who go on a corporate retreat, backpacking in Australia ... but only four of them return. Each of the remaining survivors tells a different story about what happened, and Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk (from The Dry) must figure out what the truth is, untangling lies, secrets, and betrayals. Sounds like another great thriller from Harper!

Oh, shoot. I forgot to ask our son what he's been reading this week, but between work and traveling back and forth here, I suspect he is still on the same book as last week. He had moved back to the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind with book 4, Temple of the Winds. It sounds like the series is filled with murder, swords, treachery, and a unique magical world--yup, that ticks all his boxes! He has been powering through each long book, so they must be really compelling. He loves this kind of stuff. One of the things I put off last week was visiting my local indie bookstore, so I need to finish my book gift list this week and get those books ordered--I can't wait to choose some awesome fantasy novels for our son! Let me know if you have any suggestions.

 

My blog posts last week:

Movie Monday: Hunt for the Wilderpeople: Need a pick-me-up? We loved this warm, hilarious movie!

Fiction Review: When All Is Said by Anne Griffin: Irish novel about an elderly man toasting the five people who most impacted his life

Middle-Grade Review: Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald: I absolutely loved this warm time travel adventure, about family, love, and loss

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

 

Middle-Grade Review: Back to Blackbrick

Just before the end of October, I tried to fit in one last book for the #RIP XV Challenge, so I chose a thin middle-grade novel, Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald. I didn't finish it until November, but I was so glad to have read this warm story of love, family, and loss (with a bit of time travel woven in).

Cosmo lives with his beloved Granddad and Gran, but things are getting more and more difficult as his Granddad succumbs to dementia. Social workers come to the house to evaluate him and say he needs to be in a facility. In a moment of clarity, Granddad gives Cosmo a key and tells him he must go immediately to Blackbrick Abbey. Hoping to find something to help save his grandfather, Cosmo sneaks off that night and unlocks the padlock on the old gates with the key. When he steps through, he is suddenly in the past: his Granddad's past! He spends some time there with Kevin, his Granddad's sixteen-year-old self, helping out as a servant and helping Kevin care for the horses. Kevin has a crush on the beautiful Maggie, but Cosmo knows that's not his Gran. He worries about what he's supposed to do in the past and how he can make sure his future happens while also saving his Granddad. Past and present intertwine, as Cosmo helps his friends in the past and worries about his family in his own present, until he is finally able to return.

I loved everything about this novel! Of course, I always love a story that incorporates time travel, and here, it is extra clever, since Cosmo gets to know his own Granddad as a teen. But this novel is also beautifully written, not only transporting the reader back in time but also portraying the kind and loving relationship Cosmo has with his grandparents. The author deals with some difficult topics here--like aging and dementia, plus some incidences of abuse in the past--but she does it in a way that is honest but gentle, from a kid's perspective. Back to Blackbrick is wonderfully written, filled with warmth and love, dealing with issues of loss, all wrapped in a time travel adventure and a great sense of humor. I loved every moment of it.

200 pages, Margaret K. McElderry Books

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

(As you can see from the Amazon listing, this is one of those older books that is sometimes cheaper in hardcover than in paperback in certain places, so I included the cheaper version in each of the following links.)

 

You can purchase Back to Blackbrick from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

 

Or you can order Back to Blackbrick from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

 

Fiction Review: When All Is Said

I took a break from #NonfictionNovember last month to read a novel chosen by one of my book groups: When All Is Said by Anne Griffin. It's an Irish novel that uses a unique framework to tell the story of a man's life, and we all enjoyed it.

Eighty-four-year-old Maurice Hannigan is sitting at the bar of the fancy local hotel in his small town in Ireland. He's alone, but he has a plan for this special night. He will sit here at the bar and have five special drinks and raise five toasts to the people who have meant the most in his life. The novel consists of the stories he tells to honor each of those people, and--along the way--tell the story of his life. Though he is talking to himself, in his head, he is addressing his son. There are hints right from the first pages that this evening is his swan song, though the reader doesn't know exactly what he has planned. He raises a toast to his older brother, to his son, to his wife, Sadie, who died a few years earlier, and to two other people who affected his life. In doing so, he narrates his own life, from childhood to young man to father to old man. It's not a straightforward story; there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns (and some secrets), both in his own life and in the lives of those around him.

This is a unique way to tell a life story (though its structure reminded me vaguely of The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom), but it is also beautifully written, filled not only with tales of what happened but also with how various events affected Maurice and how he feels (something he wouldn't talk about with anyone). In this passage about his brother, he muses about his loss, in a way that touched me and reminded me of the loss of my father:

"But it's his living presence I've missed the most since your mother left. And no amount of talking to him in my head can take the place of being able to see the man, to touch the skin and bone of him, to hear him sup a pint in Hartigan's. What I wouldn't give for just one hour of his company. No need for much conversation at all. Our elbows on the counter. A bottle of stout each in front of us. Half empty glasses. Looking out at the town. Tapping our feet to the music on the radio or laughing at the madness of the world. The company of the trusted, what? Being understood without having to explain and not having to pretend all is fine. Being allowed to be a feckin' mess. The feeling of his pat on my back as he passes behind me to go to the jax. Is it too much to ask for a simple resurrection?"

Maurice is not a well-educated man, but the author gives him a resonant voice, full of truth and love and sometimes regret. The language is very Irish, and there were a few turns of phrase I wasn't familiar with or didn't understand, but mostly, Maurice is speaking about universal things like love and loss. This original novel was very thoughtful and moving, and most of our book group rated it between 7 and 9 (out of 10).

323 pages, Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press)

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, with Maurice's Irish lilt narrated by Niall Buggy, and/or download it from Audible. This sample is from the beginning of the novel, as Maurice looks at himself in the mirror and begins his internal discussion with his son.

 

You can purchase When All Is Said from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

<a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250251336?aff=suzanjackson"><img src="https://images.booksense.com/images/books/336/251/FC9781250251336.JPG" alt="Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org"></a>

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

 

 

Or you can order When All Is Said from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Movie Monday: Hunt for the Wilderpeople

We were scrolling through Netflix and Amazon this weekend, as one does, searching for a movie we both wanted to see. There were plenty I was interested in that my husband wasn't, neither of us wanted anything too dark, and it seemed like we'd already seen all "the good ones." Then my husband suggested Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which I had scrolled right past earlier; he'd read about it online and thought it sounded good. What a great choice! We both loved this funny, warm-hearted adventure set in New Zealand.

As the movie opens, a social worker named Paula, played by Rachel House, is delivering an overweight young teen boy named Ricky, played by Julian Dennison, to a new home in a remote, rural area. Bella, played by Rima de Wiata, welcomes Ricky warmly, in spite of the long string of previous problems that Paula recites to her. Hec, played by Sam Neill, also lives there, and Bella tells Ricky he can call them Auntie and Uncle, if he wants to. After being shuffled around for years and generally unwanted, Ricky is understandably doubting and distrustful. He even tries to run away, but Bella's warmth and kindness eventually win him over. Then tragedy hits, and through a series of events, Ricky ends up in the bush (wilderness) with Hec, who's been injured. The two of them work together to make a camp for themselves until Hec's ankle heals enough that they can walk back home. When they're on the move again, though, six weeks later, they discover that there is a national manhunt going on ... to find the two of them! As the authorities have completely misunderstood their absence and want to take them both into custody, the pair decide to just stay out there. Many adventures follow!

We loved absolutely everything about this unique movie! The pairing of a difficult teen and a grumpy old man might seem a bit trite, but it is wholly original here, with the actors playing Hec and Ricky both doing an outstanding job in their roles. The more time they spend together alone, the closer the two misfits become, as they help each other to heal. This is truly an adventure movie, action-packed with plenty of suspense, but there is wonderful humor woven into every scene and a warmth that made us both smile throughout the film. I think this is my favorite movie of the year! We both laughed and enjoyed every moment of this uplifting movie. I think we could all use a little Ricky and Hec right now.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is currently available on Netflix or to rent on Amazon, starting at $2.99 (or $6.99 to own) - definitely worth it!

It's Monday 11/30! What Are You Reading?

Tomorrow is December! How did that happen??

I hope that everyone in the U.S. enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving, even if it was different than usual. We had both of our sons home for a socially-distanced dinner with the windows open and masks on when not eating! And we had a nice Zoom gathering with extended family in the morning--we miss them all very much, and it was lovely to see their smiling faces.

Happy Socially Distanced Thanksgiving!

 

Unfortunately, the smallest turkey I could find was 20 pounds ... for just 5 of us (and it was the second dinner for my son and his girlfriend). So, we had leftovers for two days after Thanksgiving, and yesterday, I made a big pot of Turkey Wild Rice Soup (my recipe at the link). 

Turkey Day 4 - Turkey Wild Rice Soup

 

On Thanksgiving Day, everyone left before dessert, so we were left with two and a half pies for just my husband and I! Our older son helped the next day, thank goodness, but I've pretty much been stuffed since Thursday and am looking forward to getting back to a more normal diet!

It was a busy, busy, busy week with all that shopping, cooking, and cleaning. We went to a local tree farm to pick out our tree on Saturday. We usually wait until the first weekend in December (at least), but the past two years, they were sold out by then! With everyone so eager to start the holiday season early this year, we figured we better go early. It was different than usual, of course, with no hayride or popcorn and cocoa, but we found a great, freshly-cut tree (nice and fat, the way we like!), and our older son will be back in town next weekend so we can all decorate it together. It's our favorite part of the holiday season!

We found our tree!

 

Amidst all that crazy, hectic activity, we managed to enjoy our books, too (always!). Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I finished H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, an unusual memoir about how she dealt with her father's sudden death by getting and training a goshawk, known to be one of the more difficult hawks to train. Helen was already an experienced falconer, but training a goshawk was a different experience for her. The memoir follows the parallel paths of her grief over the loss of her father and her training of Mabel, her new goshawk. It also weaves in all kinds of history of hawks and falconry, including the experiences and writings of T.H. White, author of The Once and Future King, and other acclaimed books, who also trained a goshawk--and wrote a book about it--while dealing with personal emotional pain. It was a slow read for me (or maybe I was just too tired at night and at naptime to read much!), but it was very interesting and moving. I know nothing at all about hawks, so I learned a lot, but, like Helen, I did lose my father about five years ago, so I could certainly relate to her grief.

I have also been enjoying another nonfiction middle-grade graphic "novel" in the History Comics series, The Great Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes by Kate Hannigan and Alex Graudins. I absolutely loved The Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery in the same series, so I've been looking forward to this one. It's about the famous Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that burned for two days and destroyed a huge portion of the city. The narrators are a young sister and brother who get separated from their parents and spend two days running from the fire with crowds of people and trying to find their family, which puts the disaster in perspective for kids reading the book. It ends with a section on the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the Columbian Exposition, in which the city was able to celebrate its rebirth. As with the Roanoke book, I am learning a lot (like the fact that Mrs. O'Leary's cow did not start the fire!) and am enjoying reading it.

My current print book is also my current audiobook! I don't usually do this, but I got both the print and audio versions of Educated by Tara Westover from the library. This highly-acclaimed memoir is the December choice for one of my book groups. Of course, I have heard all about this best-selling book since its release almost three years ago, so I am thrilled to finally be reading/listening to it. The author describes her unusual (and often horrifying) childhood growing up isolated in the mountains of Idaho with her survivalist father. She and her siblings did not attend school, were not homeschooled, and were made to work in their father's scrap business, which was extremely dangerous. They also did not receive any medical care, except from their mother's herbs, even when horrible accidents occurred while scrapping. At seventeen, Tara left to attend college, which was a stunning experience for her. She'd never written an essay, taught herself algebra and trig, and had never heard of the Holocaust. So far, it's a fascinating, engrossing story that I am enjoying in both forms--perfect for #NonfictionNovember!

My husband, Ken, is reading one of my top reads of 2020 (maybe THE top one), Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. I'll let my Monday update from August speak for itself here: "I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was amazing, and I just want to tell everyone to read it! I always enjoy time travel plots, and this book is part of her Oxford Time Travel series, which also includes To Say Nothing of the Dog, which I also enjoyed (they are loosely related and don't have to be read in order). This time, in 2155, a young female student, Kivrin, has traveled back in time all the way to the 1300's, in England's Middle Ages. It's the first time they've sent anyone back that far, and there are all sorts of concerns since so little was recorded about that era. Hours after Kivrin leaves, though, a contemporary emergency occurs when one of the techs working on the project comes down with a devastating virus, and says that something went wrong with the time travel, just before he passes out. This shouldn't happen, given the high-tech medical precautions used in this future (no one even gets colds), so there is a scramble to figure out what the virus is and where it came from. Meanwhile, the team at Oxford doesn't realize it, but the reader knows that Kivrin arrived in the Middle Ages with the same debilitating symptoms. What a premise--a contemporary woman horribly sick in the Middle Ages and all alone. The action goes back and forth between the present-day and the past, and the suspense is incredibly compelling. The mystery in the present and the happenings in the past continue to evolve and intertwine, and I came to care about the characters so much that I can't stop thinking about them, a week later. Ok, yes, there are two epidemics involved in this novel, and some similarities to our present situation (the book was written in 1992) are a bit unnerving, but the story, characters, and suspense are so great that I didn't care.  I loved every minute of it! (My review is at the link above)." Ken is loving it, too, especially the humor, and is almost finished.

Our son, 26, had to set aside The Demon Cycle series by Peter V. Brett after finishing book 2, The Desert Spear, because he didn't have book 3! He was going to stop at his favorite used bookstore on the way out of town yesterday. So, he has moved back to the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind with book 4, Temple of the Winds. It sounds like the series is filled with murder, swords, treachery, and a unique magical world--yup, that ticks all his boxes! He has been powering through each long book, so they must be really compelling. He loves this kind of stuff. And hopefully, his stop at the bookstore yesterday was a fruitful one. I'm going to finish my book gift list this week--can't wait to choose some awesome fantasy novels for our son!

 

Blog posts last week:

Middle-Grade Graphic Novel: One Year at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks - boarding school drama with a touch of fantasy

Summary of Books Read in October - an excellent, spooky reading month for me!

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?