It's Monday 5/8! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

Happy Monday! I am catching up on real life (and resting) after another fabulous Booktopia weekend in beautiful Manchester, Vermont, at the Northshire Bookstore.

 

Booktopia is a very unique book event held every year on the first weekend in May. This year, it included 83 attendees (readers), 9 authors, and a bunch of Northshire booksellers. The weekend began Friday morning with recommendations from the booksellers that expanded everyone's TBR lists! Author sessions ran Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. Lots of the attendees try to read some of the books ahead of time, so these author talks are more like book group discussions with the author than your typical author reading. We heard all about what was behind each book, how the author created it, and we asked lots of questions! The authors are always amazed--and thrilled--by the depth of the questions Booktopians ask.

 

Me with author Annie Hartnett

Author Richard Mirabella

Friday evening included a big dinner for the whole crowd (authors and readers) with a Yankee Book Swap and some fun rounds of book trivia. My team (The Lit Ladies) started out hot, but the questions got a lot more difficult!

Our team's book trivia answers

My mom and I & two good friends with our swap books!

 

And Saturday evening, each author gives a quick 10-minute talk to the entire group--that session is open to the public.

Author Brianna Holt

Plus, there was delicious food and amazing conversations with so many great people! This was the sixth year that my mom and I attended Booktopia. Some people have been going every year since the first one, in 2011, and there are always new people there who soon become fans. It was so wonderful to reconnect with old friends and to meet new ones. Book people are the best!

Mom and I at our 6th Booktopia!

 

The 10-hour travel days there and back were a lot for me (traffic was horrible around NYC last night), but it's worth it. Every author who attends says, "This is such a unique and wonderful event!" I will be putting together my Booktopia Wrap-Up Vlog tomorrow, so look for that on my YouTube channel, with more photos, lots of video clips, and an overview of the books & authors featured.

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On the Blog

I managed to get two posts up before I left last week:

TV Tuesday: Somebody Somewhere - this fabulous show that its cast calls "quietly subversive" is hilariously funny and full of heart.

Teen/YA Review: This Is Our Place by Vitor Martins - I loved this unique YA novel on audio set in Brazil about 3 different teens in 3 decades, each living in the same house.  

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On Video

Just one video posted before my trip, but I also learned how to make video shorts (under 1 min) and posted a couple of pre-Booktopia shorts:

Video: April Reading Wrap-Up

Short: Preparing for Booktopia (traveling with chronic illness)

Short: Booktopia 2023: Vermont or Bust!

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What We're Reading

I finished my last Booktopia selection, The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson. Alice and Gabby have been best friends since they were young and love to write letters to each other. When Gabby is struggling after a bad break-up, Alice sits down to write to her and has a sudden vision of a red hummingbird. A beautiful short story pours out of her that she gives to her friend. While Gabby is reading the story in a bar, she meets a wonderful man. Gabby passes the story onto her sister and some friends, and the same thing happens to them: they each fall in love. It seems that Alice may have a special gift, as she stumbles onto a new calling as a love scribe. I'm not usually into magical realism, but I ended up enjoying this. I liked it better as things began to go wrong, and the story became more complex. I both listened on audio and read it in print, so I could finish it in time for Booktopia!

 

With a book group meeting quickly approaching on Wednesday, I'm doing the same thing (audio and print) with another novel, The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. My book group previously read--and loved--Wingate's novel Before We Were Yours. This is another historical fiction book that spans both past and present. In Louisiana in 1875, a former slave named Hannie is now 18 years old and wants to find her family. Her mother, aunt, and eight siblings were each sold off separately in Louisiana and Texas during the war, when Hannie was just six years old. She's the only one that ended up back on their home plantation. In 1987, Bennie Silva is a first-year high school English teacher in that same town, struggling to engage the kids in her classes, who are distracted by extreme poverty, family members in prison, and other daily struggles. These stories in two different time periods are gradually coming together. The "lost friends" of the title were real-life letters published in a southern church newspaper from enslaved people searching for their families, and Wingate has included these real (and very moving) letters throughout the narrative. I'm completely engrossed in this excellent book.

 

My husband, Ken, is still reading the book I gave him for Easter, Armada by Ernest Cline (author of the fabulous Ready Player One and its sequel, Ready Player Two). This is an earlier novel, where a teen obsessed with video games witnesses a real alien invasion--sounds like a lot of fun, with Cline's trademark humor woven in. 

Our son, 28, might still be reading book 4, The Tunnels Beneath, of The Aldoran Chronicles by Michael Wiseheart. I didn't get a chance to talk to him this weekend, but I know his new job is keeping him very busy. We'll be seeing him next weekend!

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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?

Teen/YA Review: This Is Our Place

In April, I was looking for a YA audio book and something set in another country (I'm trying to read more globally for my Travel the World in Books Challenge this year). I found just the book in This Is Our Place by Vitor Martins, a unique novel set in Brazil about three different gay teens who each lived in the same house, in three different decades.

One of the unique aspects of this original novel is that the house narrates the story. In 2000, a teen girl named Ana celebrates the new millennium (and the absence of any real Y2K problems) with her father. On New Year's Day, though, Ana's dad breaks the news to her that they have to move to Rio de Janeiro for his job. Ana is devastated. Not only is this the only house she's ever lived in, but she will also have to leave behind her girlfriend (that her father doesn't know about).

In 2010, Greg moves into that same house to live with his aunt temporarily. He knows his parents are probably getting divorced, but they never talk to him about it and have sent him to his aunt's house while they figure things out. Greg's aunt is a film buff who runs a video rental store out of the garage, so Greg helps her out with the shop and with her dog, Keanu Reeves. Clearly, video is on the way out, so Greg also helps her brainstorm how she can continue to share her love of movies. The boy who delivers his lunch every day is really cute and they talk more and more each day, so Greg wonders if he might get his first kiss here. His parents don't know he's gay, but maybe he can tell his aunt.

March 2020 marks the beginning of the pandemic, and Brazil is in lockdown. Beto and his mother are stuck in the house together, and soon, his older sister joins them, as the isolation of her single apartment in the city becomes too much for her. As they each struggle to deal with the pandemic, individually and together, Beto misses being able to go outside with his camera to take photos, so he starts taking photos from his window. He's been texting and interacting with a boy online that he likes, but they can't meet in person, so he's not sure it's mutual.

The narrative moves back and forth between these three main characters in three different time periods, cleverly telling their individual stories while also telling the story of the house itself. Though a bit quirky, the house actually makes a great narrator, seeing and hearing everything that happens within its walls. The details and differences in the three decades adds another layer to this intriguing novel. Each of the three teens is gay and struggling with different issues personally and with their families. The three warm and thoughtful stories come together in a wonderful way toward the end. I was completely engrossed in this delightful novel about life, love, and family.

320 pages, PUSH

Scholastic Audio

This book fits in the following 2023 Reading Challenges:

 

Diversity Challenge

Travel the World in Books - Brazil

 

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

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

 

Or order this audiobook from Libro.fm to support local bookstores.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

  

TV Tuesday: Somebody Somewhere

As I've mentioned here before, my husband is not generally a fan of comedies, so when we find one we both like, it's usually something pretty special. Our recent find is Somebody Somewhere, a hilarious show with a lot of heart.

Samantha, aka Sam, (played by Bridget Everett) returned to her hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, to care for her sister who had cancer. Now that Holly is gone, Sam feels stuck. She's part of a seriously dysfunctional family, and she feels like she personally has failed at her life. She doesn't know how to move forward. Sam gets a job at the local test center, grading student essays. Her sister, Tricia, is bugging Sam to find some purpose in her life; she runs a successful boutique shop downtown and is married with a daughter. One day at the test center, when Sam breaks into tears, another grader named Joel, played by Jeff Hiller, approaches her and tells her he's sorry about Holly. It's clear from what he says that he and Sam went to high school together, though Sam doesn't remember him. They were both in show choir together, and Sam was a swimming star as well. She never even noticed Joel back then. But now, the two misfits gradually become friends. Knowing what an amazing singer she is, Joel invites Sam to "choir practice" at his church, though it turns out to be, as he whispers to her after she arrives, "not officially sanctioned." Choir practice is a place for everyone to be themselves and to express joy, and with Joel's urging, Sam begins to sing again, rediscovering an old passion. Challenges continue to pop up--with Sam's parents, with Tricia, in Joel's life--but the two of them become very close friends and support each other, as they each grow and learn more about themselves.

This show has an intriguing, twisty plot, with all kinds of surprises along the way for Sam and Joel, but that is only a small piece of what makes it so special. It is hilariously, laugh-out-loud funny but with a deep emotional heart. If you are offended by language, sexual references, toilet humor, or--well, just about anything--this is probably not the show for you. Nothing is off-limits here! But this very funny show is not afraid to wade deep into difficult topics, from alcoholism to grief to infidelity. Through it all, Sam and Joel's friendship grows stronger, and they help each other to become their true selves and rediscover joy.

Somebody Somewhere is an HBO original, so it airs on HBO Max. We were delighted to find that we discovered it just before the premier of season two, so we were able to start the second season right after finishing the first one. We look forward to every episode, though we have to be careful if we watch during lunch--those sudden belly laughs can be hazardous while eating!

 

It's Monday, May 1! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

How did it get to be May? And why does it still feel like March? Still only in the 50's this week, though we briefly saw the sun this morning after four days of constant dark, overcast skies and rain (more on the way). Before all that wet stuff, I enjoyed seeing more flowers blooming in my gardens. The daffodils are gone now, but the phlox came in beautifully - one of many native plants I planted two years ago after being inspired by the book Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy. I love blue flowers!

And my beloved lilac tree was covered with beautiful flowers this week, too. My hometown, Rochester NY, is nicknamed Flower City and holds a lilac festival every May. I've always loved lilacs, and these look and smell wonderful!  

And I managed two evenings of social activity last week! After several years of struggling with relapses of my chronic illness, it's been nice to be more active again (though by the weekend, I didn't want to leave the house). I was happy to be able to accompany my husband to a dinner with some old work colleagues, and the next night, my three closest friends and I got together for a game night. We ended up only playing one game, but we enjoyed good food, great conversation, and a lot of laughs!

And this week ... is Booktopia 2023! It's a wonderful book event held in Vermont the first weekend in May that I attend with my mother most years (this will be our 6th year). At Booktopia, readers and authors hang out together and do all kinds of fun bookish stuff--tickets are still available! (Click Events and scroll down to the bottom.) Here's my summary from Booktopia 2022. I'll be leaving Thursday morning--so excited!

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On the Blog

Just one review last week:

 Fiction Review: We Love to Entertain by Sarah Strohmeyer - this thriller about a reality TV home renovation show is a Booktopia selection.

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On Video

Vacation Vlog - Virginia: Travel, Outdoors, Camping & Reading - beautiful, peaceful nature videos and photos, plus updates on what I was reading.

Friday Reads 4-28-23 - my weekly reading update.

Living with ME/CFS - Meet Sue Jackson - my interview on the My Invisible Disease podcast was posted last week, for those interested in chronic illness. I enjoyed meeting and chatting with these two wonderful young mothers struggling with their own health issues.

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What We're Reading

 

I finished reading another Booktopia selection, Brother and Sister Enter the Forest by Richard Mirabella, an intimate novel about family relationships. Willa lives a quiet life on her own and works as a nurse. One day, her brother, Justin, appears on her doorstep, after being absent from her life for years. He's homeless and looks unhealthy, and Willa reluctantly lets him in to stay with her. The novel moves back and forth between the present and their childhoods, slowly filling in the blanks of what happened to both of them. The focus here is mainly on Justin, his coming-of-age story as a gay teen, and the horrible trauma he suffered that affected the whole family. He is clearly still suffering from severe anxiety and perhaps additional mental illness--but the relationship between brother and sister is at the heart of the story. The ending was different than I expected, so I'm looking forward to talking to the author this weekend!

 

 

Now, I'm reading another Booktopia selection, The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson. Alice and Gabby have been best friends since they were young and love to write letters to each others. When Gabby is struggling after a bad break-up, Alice sits down to write to her and has a sudden vision of a red hummingbird. A beautiful short story pours out of her that she gives to her friend. While Gabby is reading the story in a bar, she meets a wonderful man. Gabby passes the story onto her sister and some friends, and the same thing happens to them: they each fall in love. It seems that Alice may have a special gift, as she stumbles onto a new calling as a love scribe. I'm not usually into magical realism, but I'm giving this a chance, since the Northshire booksellers always choose great books! I'm enjoying it more as things start to go wrong, and the story becomes more complex.

 

 

I'm doing something I've never done before--both reading The Love Scribe on my iPad and also listening to it on audio, narrated by Julia Whelan. This should allow me to finish it more quickly and either start another Booktopia book or get started on my book group pick for next week (I'm waiting to see what becomes available at the library first!). I learned how to use Libby!

 

 

 

My husband, Ken, finished reading Great Expectations, my favorite Dickens novel, and he seemed to enjoy it as much I did! He was often laughing out loud or reading me passages. Now, he's moved onto the book I gave him for Easter, Armada by Ernest Cline (author of the fabulous Ready Player One and its sequel, Ready Player Two). This is an earlier novel, where a teen obsessed with video games witnesses a real alien invasion--sounds like a lot of fun, with Cline's trademark humor woven in.

 

 

Our son, 28, might still be reading book 4, The Tunnels Beneath, of The Aldoran Chronicles by Michael Wiseheart. I forgot to ask him last night if he's still reading it, but I know his new job is keeping him very busy.

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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?

 

Fiction Review: We Love to Entertain

I have been reading new releases to prepare for Booktopia 2023! That's a fabulous annual book event held in Vermont the first weekend in May (next week!!), where readers and authors hang out together--tickets are still available! (Click Events and scroll down to the bottom.) Here's my summary from Booktopia 2022.The first book I read for Booktopia back in March is now available: We Love to Entertain by Sarah Strohmeyer. I enjoyed this tense thriller set, appropriately, in Vermont.

Holly and Robert are the "it" couple on a new house renovation reality show, To the Manor Build. Robert's father is a famous real-estate mogul, and following in his footsteps, Robert buys 80 acres of beautiful Vermont wilderness super-cheap when its owner fails to pay his taxes. He and Holly, who has the opposite background and was homeless as a teen, are working together to build a luxury home on the property. This reality show is a contest, and Robert and Holly are competing with two other pairs. Each contestant needs a hook for their build, so Robert and Holly's house will be super eco-friendly without giving up any luxuries (think geothermal heating for the fancy outdoor patio and pool). The winners, determined by viewers, will get their entire build paid for. During the renovation, Robert and Holly fall in love and livestream their wedding with the beautiful Vermont autumn as a backdrop. But, after the wedding, the couple goes missing. Are they really off on an impromptu honeymoon in Quebec the week before the final reveal? Or did something more sinister happen to them? Robert told their assistant, Erika, a young local woman, they were leaving on a quick honeymoon, but as the days go by, and the producers get more and more upset, the press and their followers begin to wonder if something happened to the beautiful couple ... and the police begin looking at Erika.

Besides being a twisty mystery, this novel is all about our modern world of reality TV, instant celebrities, social media, and the never-ending pursuit of more followers. The tension here grows the longer that Robert and Holly are missing. Police and Holly's mom, who works for the town, are looking into the property's previous owner and following other leads. There is plenty of suspense in this thoughtful and fast-paced thriller that kept me engrossed right through the last pages.

338 pages, Harper Paperbacks

HarperAudio 

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.

This book fits in the following 2023 Reading Challenges:

 

Alphabet Soup Challenge - W

Literary Escapes Challenge - Vermont

 

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

Listen to a sample of the full-cast audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. The multiple narrators sound great.

Or get this audiobook from Libro.fm and support local bookstores.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!