WHEN SHE WOKE by Hillary Jordan [Book Thoughts]

WHEN SHE WOKE by Hillary Jordan [Book Thoughts]

When She Woke Written by Hillary Jordan Published by Algonquin Books on 2012 ISBN: 9781616201937 Genres: Fiction, General, Dystopian Format: ebook Pages: 354 Source: purchased Bellwether Prize winner Hillary Jordan’s provocative new novel, When She Woke, tells the story of a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of a not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned and rehabilitated but chromedÑtheir skin color […]

BURN BABY BURN by Meg Medina [Book Thoughts]

BURN BABY BURN by Meg Medina [Book Thoughts]

Burn Baby Burn Written by Meg Medina Published by Candlewick Press on March 8th 2016 ISBN: 9780763679989 Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, General Format: ebook Pages: 320 Nora Lopez is seventeen during the infamous New York summer of 1977, when the city is besieged by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam who shoots young women on the streets. Nora’s family life isn’t going so well either: her bullying brother, Hector, […]

I See Movies: ROGUE ONE, LA LA LAND, MOANA

I See Movies: ROGUE ONE, LA LA LAND, MOANA

Since my One Word for 2017 is SEE, I thought I’d tell you about a few movies I went to SEE during the holidays. Rogue One As of this writing, I have seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story four times in three weeks. I’ve seen it in four different theaters, with four different (but sometimes overlapping) groups of people. I’m probably done seeing it in theaters now, but you never know. Rogue One is […]

BORN TO RUN by Bruce Springsteen–The Book!

BORN TO RUN by Bruce Springsteen–The Book!

Born to Run Written by Bruce Springsteen Audiobook read by Bruce Springsteen Published by Simon and Schuster on September 27th 2016 ISBN: 9781501141539 Genres: Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs, Music Format: audiobook Pages: 528 Source: purchased “Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” —Bruce Springsteen, from the pages of […]

2017: A Spreadsheet Story? Tell Me All Your Thoughts on Tracking Reading!

2017: A Spreadsheet Story? Tell Me All Your Thoughts on Tracking Reading!

A Spreadsheet Story So, I said this: Actually, tracking my reading has become a little more complicated since adding library books into the mix. Because I use LibraryThing only for “owned” books and ARCs, the count there does not include books borrowed from the public library and reviewed on the blog. This book-blogging accountant may finally have to take the plunge into spreadsheets (shudder). And in reply, Michelle said this: How do you not use […]

Closing the Books on 2016: The Year in (Book) Review

Closing the Books on 2016: The Year in (Book) Review

My recap of 2016 reading follows a survey format similar to several others I’ve seen but was mostly lifted from Marie at Boston Bibliophile. Closing the Books: Bookish Habits in 2016 2016 was not my most productive reading year ever. In part, this is because I took six months off from freelance reviewing for Shelf Awareness and returned with a lower monthly review quota. Another reason is that, especially during the late summer and fall, […]

One Word and First Book 2017: Happy New Year!

One Word and First Book 2017: Happy New Year!

First Things First: First Book of the Year! My friend Sheila is hosting her First Book of the Year event today at Book Journey. “The First Book is a book that maybe you have been wanting to read for a while but have not had time for, a coveted book, an old favorite re-read – whatever you want.  The point is that this is the book that will kick off the year for you.  What […]

The Last Blog Post of 2016

The Last Blog Post of 2016

2016 was my first year blogging on self-hosted WordPress and my all-time worst year of blogging output. I’ve barely cracked 100 posts, and I am officially declaring this one my Last Blog Post of 2016. After nearly ten years of doing this, I don’t feel a need to make excuses or apologies for inconsistency or offer promises to do better. I’m just grateful if you show up when I do! 2016: The Leap Year That […]

Currently: Trying to Get Things DONE

Currently: Trying to Get Things DONE

When Everything On Your List is “In Progress” Currently, I feel like so many things in my life are in a state of partial completion. Surprisingly, compared to some years, we’re a little ahead on our holiday preparations. The gift shopping is almost finished and most of what we’re giving has been wrapped. Paul put up the Christmas tree last weekend, but we didn’t decorate it. (It’s pre-lighted, at least, so it hasn’t been sitting in the […]

THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD by Jade Chang [Audiobook]

THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD by Jade Chang [Audiobook]

The Wangs vs. the World Written by Jade Chang Audiobook read by Nancy Wu Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on October 4th 2016 ISBN: 9780544734203 Genres: Fiction, Literary, Asian American Format: audiobook Pages: 336 Source: purchased THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD is an outrageously funny tale about a wealthy Chinese-American family that “loses it all, then takes a healing, uproarious road trip across the United States” (Entertainment Weekly). Their spectacular fall from riches to rags […]

ANOTHER BROOKLYN by Jacqueline Woodson {Audiobook]

ANOTHER BROOKLYN by Jacqueline Woodson {Audiobook]

Another Brooklyn Written by Jacqueline Woodson Audiobook read by Robin Miles Published by HarperCollins on August 9th 2016 ISBN: 9780062359988 Genres: Fiction, African American, General Format: audiobook Pages: 192 Source: public library via Overdrive National Book Award FinalistNew York Times Bestseller The acclaimed New York Times bestselling and National Book Award–winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming delivers her first adult novel in twenty years. Running into a long-ago friend sets memory from the 1970s in motion […]

TV (THE BOOK) — The Audiobook

TV (THE BOOK) — The Audiobook

TV (The Book) Written by Alan Sepinwall, Matt Zoller Seitz Audiobook read by Alan Sepinwall, Matt Zoller Seitz Published by Grand Central Publishing on September 6th 2016 ISBN: 9781455588206 Genres: Nonfiction, Television, History & Criticism Format: audiobook Pages: 352 Source: purchased Is The Wire better than Breaking Bad? Is Cheers better than Seinfeld? What’s the best high school show ever made? Why did Moonlighting really fall apart? Was the Arrested Development Netflix season brilliant or […]