TTT: 10 Recs for Enraged People Who Want to Support Authors with Marginalized Identities

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature at The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic: Ten book recommendations for X!

Hello! (I know it’s barely Tuesday anymore, but better late than never!)

I’m not going to apologize for the words I say in this post, because they are going to be ranty. I will however give you fair warning that I am writing this post with a migraine after working a 10-hour day. But I mean. Every. Word. Well, last weekend (if you live in the US) was pretty awful. I don’t think I’ve ever refreshed my news feed so many times in one weekend. The volatility of the political and social atmosphere at the moment (as well as Clara from Lost in My Library’s post) really inspired me to speak out today. It’s been so hard to watch everything going on around me, and I’m tired of using my privilege as a white relatively well-off female as an excuse to remain uninformed and silent. So, I’m speaking out today. I’m going to say how upset, angry, disappointed, and just exhausted I am.

Another thing that inspired me to do this post is the author Laura Silverman (who will make and appearance later in this post) who created the hashtag #PunchNazisReadBooks, which I feel is thoroughly appropriate at this moment and time in the world. So, this list is filled with books written by marginalized authors that you can read while you go out and punch those Nazis! It’s important now more than ever to show people with marginalized identities that we are here, we support them, and they are people who are worthy, deserve every right of any other person (yes person – not just citizen – as stated in the constitution) , and have valid experiences.

If you have a voice. If you have money. If you have a platform. USE IT. NOW is the time. 

                                     

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: First of all, we need more Native American narratives. Please. Someone give them to me. Sherman Alexie’s writing is funny, witty, and also incredibly raw and true. This book is such an interesting insight into the “modern” Native American, and how their lives have been so drastically affected since the creation of our nation.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: An Indian author writing an adorable romance about an intelligent, tech-savvy Indian girl who knows exactly what she wants in life and will stop at nothing to get it? YES PLEASE. I knew I was going to love this book going into it, and it did not disappoint.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: This book is chalk full of unapologetically Jewish and queer characters, and it’s definitely one of my favorite books I read this year. Becky Albertalli herself is Jewish, so her books (like most of the others on this list) are #ownvoices.

                                     

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: This is the only work by Adichie, and even though it’s just a transcript of one of her speeches, it’s one of the most powerful things I’ve ever read. Her arguments are succinct, persuasive, and perfect. I really want to read more of her work in the future.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo: This book takes #ownvoices to a whole new level. Meredith Russo, a trans woman, wrote this beautiful book about a trans girl. The book features a trans girl on the cover, and the audiobook made is read by a trans girl. How much more perfect could it get?

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon: Not only is Nicola Yoon a woman of color (she is Jamaican), but she also tackles incredibly relevant topics in her book like: immigration, American vs immigrant culture, family expectations, and interracial relationships.

                                     

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera: Adam Silvera is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He’s a super tall gay man who writes books that will utterly destroy your emotions, and you should read his books.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: This book is so powerful, not least because it was inspired by the #blacklivesmatter movement. Now more than ever we need to be supporting people of color and work to validate their experiences. They need to be heard, and we need to be the ones to listen.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: Benjamin Alire Sáenz is Latino and gay, and his books are absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. I think everyone can find something to enjoy in his books, just because there is so much to enjoy.

Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman: And finally, the woman that inspired this post. A Jewish and disabled author who has completely stolen my heart with this debut, which features a disabled main love interest. I can’t wait for her next release, which is going to feature a Jewish main character and just generally be very Jewish.

 

I hope you enjoyed this somewhat ranty, but honest post from me. What are some of your favorite books by authors with marginalized identities? Tell me in the comments!

-Sky

 

 

Sense8 Book Tag [Original]

Hello!

Welcome to my first ever ORIGINAL tag. I’ve looked around on the Internet and I haven’t come across any tags based on this amazing show, but if I missed one please let me know. I’m not trying to steal credit from anyone. Since the announcement after the release of season 2 that Sense8 was being cancelled, I’ve wanted to create this tag. Now that we’re getting some closure, I’m even more excited to spread my love for this show.

So, let’s get on with the tag!

1) Will – a character who has a complicated relationship with their family. 

Natasha, from The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Natasha loves her family, and she does everything she can to take care of them, but she has a very complicated relationship with her father, just like Will. Natasha blames her father for her family’s impending deportation, and isn’t quite sure how to deal with how much he’s changed from the man she worshipped as a child. Throughout the book she explores how her relationship with her father has evolved, and why they’ve grown so apart over the years.

2) Riley – a character haunted by their past. 

Kaz Brekker, from the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. Kaz had a rough childhood to say the least. He grew up in the slums, with hardly anyone to take care of him, or to help him get by. He’s a fighter, but he’s haunted by the past he shared with his brother, and the memories associated with his brother left him scarred, and unable to handle human touch.

3) Kala – a character that must choose between following their heart, and doing the “practical” thing. 

Dimple, from When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. Dimple’s family wants her to be happy, but their idea of happy is her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband”, not going to school and becoming an independent, educated woman (who don’t need no man). Throughout the story, Dimple struggles with satisfying her family, following her dreams, and determining where a boyfriend or husband fits into this equation. She reminds me a lot of Kala, who struggles in a very similar situation.

4) Wolfgang – a rebel/fighter with a heart of gold. 

Elias, from the An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir. Elias isn’t a rebel from the get-go, but early on in the first book, he realizes he can’t ignore what his heart is telling him – that everything he has been raised to believe is wrong. He has a heart of gold, and he very soon realizes that he must change who he has become, in order to become a better person, no matter the consequences.

5) Lito – an over-the-top drama queen. 

Monty, from The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. I think about 90% of Monty’s interactions with his sister are her telling him to get over himself, grow up, and stop being a baby. To be honest, though, I can totally relate to Monty’s incredibly low pain tolerance and hypochondriacal tendencies.

6) Nomi – a tech-savvy character. 

Cress, from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Cress is one of my favorite characters from the Lunar Chronicles, not least because she is so good with technology. I’m always very jealous of characters that are tech-savvy, because electronics seem to break any time I enter the same room as them. Seriously, it’s uncanny how bad I am with technology (though my mom is worse).

7) Sun – a badass female character. 

Vika, from The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye. Vika is an enchanter, and she’s definitely badass. During her competition with Nikolai, to become the royal enchanter, she is vicious and fearless, never backing down or going easy on him. Each time it is her turn, she does her very best to one-up him, and prove that she is better. She will do anything to stay alive, no matter the consequences.

8) Capheus – a cinnamon role who tries to make the best of a bad situation. 

Percy, from The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. I won’t go into too many details here, but Percy doesn’t have the greatest life. Despite this, he’s hopeful, upbeat, and happy. He never lets anyone see his pain, and does his best to be their for Monty, without putting his burdens on anyone else. Basically he is the sweetest of all the cinnamon rolls.

9) Sensate – your favorite band of renegades. 

The whole crew from The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken. All of the characters in this trilogy are so perfect, and I love how much they all care for each other, even though they don’t have to. They’re an eclectic group, but that doesn’t stop them from being a tight-knit family over the course of the books. They’d all do anything to protect each other, and they love each other deeply.

10) Whispers – the most terrifying villain. 

The visitors/aliens from The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. The thing that makes these villains so terrifying is no one understands who they are, or what they want. They could like like anyone, so you can’t trust anyone, sometimes not even yourself.

11) Season 3 – a book or series that you wish would go on forever. 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I could read a thousand books following these characters. Can each individual character get their own spin-off series, please? It’s so good. All the characters are beautiful and amazing and I can’t even describe how much I love it.

12) Blockers – a book you wish you could just block from your mind. 

The Last Battle by CS Lewis. This book completely destroyed my love for this series. The tone shift was so unnecessary and disconcerting, and I really didn’t appreciate the racism, misogyny, and just general awfulness that got put into this conclusion. I wish I could erase my memory of this book and retain the innocence of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

I’m not going to tag anyone in this, since I’m not sure who’s seen the show. However, if you love Sense8 like I do, feel free to do this tag! I’d love to see some other people do it 🙂 

Have you seen Sense8? Who is your favorite character? Are you excited for the new movie? Tell me in the comments! 

-Sky

 

 

 

Review: The Inconceivable Life of Quinn

The Inconceivable Life of Quinn by Marianna Baer

Release Date: April 4, 2017 (Yes, I am very behind on my ARCS. No, I will not be judged by you.)

Publisher: Abrams/Amulet

Themes: teen pregnancy, religion, magical realism, media

My Rating: ★★ (1.5 stars rounded up)

Goodreads Summary: Quinn Cutler is sixteen and the daughter of a high-profile Brooklyn politician. She’s also pregnant, a crisis made infinitely more shocking by the fact that she has no memory of ever having sex. Before Quinn can solve this deeply troubling mystery, her story becomes public. Rumors spread, jeopardizing her reputation, her relationship with a boyfriend she adores, and her father’s campaign for Congress. Religious fanatics gather at the Cutlers’ home, believing Quinn is a virgin, pregnant with the next messiah. Quinn’s desperate search for answers uncovers lies and family secrets—strange, possibly supernatural ones. Might she, in fact, be a virgin?

My Review

I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Where to start with this book? I can’t say that I had really high expectations for this one. But I had hope, I think? I could see the potential? Unfortunately, this book was a massive disappointment. I can find hardly any redeemable qualities, other than the fact that Quinn’s story is, in fact, inconceivable. So kudos to whoever came up with the name, it was spot on.

First of all, the writing was an unfortunate combination of boring, confusing, and just generally mediocre. I spent literally the first 40% of the book just trying to figure out who  half the characters were, because it kept changing how it would refer to each character. When we were reading from Quinn’s perspective, she would have thoughts about “her dad” or “her mom”, but then whenever one of them spoke, they were always referred to as “Gabe” and “Katherine”. For a huge chunk of the book I thought Gabe was her brother. In addition, there were so many POVs that it ended up just leaving me confused and irritated. The writing itself was also incredibly dry and boring. There was very little “show” and WAY too much “tell”. The pacing was weird, as the first 3/4 of the book is basically her just trying to figure out how she got pregnant, all the while never actually talking about the pregnancy itself, then the last 1/4 introduces this ridiculous magical realism system that makes absolutely no sense. Then, the resolution happens and sooo many loose ends were left untouched. It was actually really frustrating.

Top it all off with the fact that I didn’t like ANY of the characters. Quinn was meant to be the rational solver of the huge mystery, and I ended up being really annoyed with her whole personality, and honestly I think she was madder than the Mad Hatter. Her family was dramatic, and the communication between all of them was entirely unrealistic and discombobulated. Her father and her sister were AWFUL. Her father was a horrible and abusive human being, and I ended up almost siding with him because is daughter has completely lost it. Her sister was immature, pouty, and obnoxious. Plus, all of the side characters that we got glimpses of in different POV didn’t add to the story at all, and just made it harder to keep track of who was who.

This book had so much potential. It could have been such an interesting exploration of mental health, teenage pregnancy, and family relationships in the public eye (her father is a government….something? Senator? I don’t even know), and the last-minute introduction of the magical realism just felt like a cop-out.

The only reason this book got rounded up from 1.5 stars is, up until the big reveal, I was actually kind of interested in the whole mystery. I was curious to see what had really happened. And then I found out. Nope. Why? *sighs* I honestly haven’t read a book this disappointing in a REALLY long time.

-Sky

Put that in your quote book! #1 (and Twitter Giveaway!)

Hello!

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this on this blog before, but I keep a quote book. I’ve kept it for about two years now, and it is made up of quotes that I’ve read, seen on tv or in movies, and quotes that I’ve heard in my everyday life. It’s almost like my way of keeping a diary, a way to look back on little moments in my life where I heard or saw something that was funny or important to me.

So, I thought I’d try out sharing some of my favorite quotes with you all! I put a poll up over on my Twitter,  to judge how many people would be interested in a series of these quote-based posts, so please head over and vote! In addition, while you’re over there, I’m currently hosting a GIVEAWAY that will be open until 9/1/17, if you’d like to enter! I’ll be picking 2 winners, who will receive a 2017 release of their choice. Retweet the announcement Tweet and follow me to enter!

Without further ado, here are 10 of my favorite quotes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this little experiment of mine! Don’t forget to go vote on my Twitter poll, and enter the Giveaway for a chance to win a 2017 release of your choice. What are your favorite quotes? Do you keep a quote book? 

-Sky

Booktube-a-thon/July Wrap-up!

Hello!

As you all know, I participated in my first Booktube-a-thon this year. It was an incredible week, and I’m thoroughly proud of myself. July is always my best reading month of the year, and this July was no exception. Including the books I read for BTAT, I managed to read a whopping 21 books this month!

First off – BOOKTUBE-A-THON! 

So, were 7 challenges for BTAT, and I completed all 7, though my initial TBR got a bit shuffled around. For the sake of brevity, I’m going to just list the books that completed each challenge, and then I’ll do my mini-reviews in the actual July wrap-up below.

1. Read a book with a person on the cover – 

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour (307 pages)

2. Read a hyped book – 

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab (398 pages)

3. Read a book in one day – 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews (295 pages)

4. Read a book with a character who is very different from yourself – 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (378 pages)

5. Read a book completely outside – 

Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor (100 pages)

6. Read a cover-buy book – 

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (344 pages)

7. Read 7 books – 

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (374 pages), Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (I only finished this one, reading the last 217 pages) , When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (234 pages)

Final Stats

Books read: 9 (Yes, nine. I have never been more proud of myself)

Pages Read: 2,361

Challenges completed: 7/7

July Wrap-Up

                                      

The Diviners by Libba Bray: ★★★★ This book was really good. I loved all the characters, though the plot was a little slow. I can’t wait to continue on with this series. 

How to Be Happy by David Burton: ★★ I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t relate and connect to Burton’s story. You can read my full review here.

The Odyssey by Homer: ★★ I liked The Iliad, but this one had almost no redeeming qualities. Odysseus was such an awful human, and I spent the entire book feeling terrible for his wife, who was so loyal to such a bastard of a man. 

                                     

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman: ★★★★ This book wasn’t really what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it all the more for that. The weird anti-religion vibe wasn’t all that appealing, though. 

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson: ★★★★★ This one is definitely a new favorite. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a contemporary, plus dogs. Could it get any better than that? 

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman: ★★★★ I didn’t like this one quite as much as the first, but at the same time, I loved how the series was progressing. The world-building got much more interesting, and I loved all the new characters. 

                                     

Style by Chelsea M Cameron:  ★★★★ This book was the perfect f/f contemporary. It was cute and sweet, but I also loved that it was a bit more of a slow-burn romance. I also LOVE that the title is the ship name (Stella/Kyle) of our main characters. 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee:  ★★★★★ If I could give this book all the stars I would. I knew I was going to love it, but OH MY WORD did I love this book. I don’t actually have words. 

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens:  ★★★★ I wasn’t expecting this book to give me so many emotions. While it took me a while to actually figure out what was going on, once I figured it out, I really enjoyed it. 

                                     

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: ★★★★ I absolutely loved listening to this one on audiobook. Alexie’s deadpan delivery of Junior’s narration was hilarious, and I think I liked this book a lot more because of it. 

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate: ★★★★★ Another new favorite. This book was so relatable, and I loved the diversity. You can read my full review here. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews: ★★★★ This book has been on my TBR for literal years. YEARS. I’m so glad I finally read it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, but I ended up really appreciating that this wasn’t the typical *teen cancer* book. 

                                     

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: ★★★★ This book was so cute, and I loved reading about an Indian character. Perfect for the BTAT challenge. I wish there had been a little more focus on the technological aspects, though. 

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon: ★★★★ Ok. I was not expecting this book to be as emotional as it was. I can tell I’m going to be thinking about this one for a LONG time. The only reason I took off a star is it took me about 100 pages to really get invested in the story and characters. 

Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor: ★★★★★ I knew this was going to be cute, and it was EXACTLY what I needed. The perfect break after reading the emotional disaster that was Sun is Also a Star. Why can’t all books be this adorable? 

                                     

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: ★★★★ Sarah Dessen’s books are always the perfect blend of light-fluffy contemporary and more emotional drama. I loved the exploration of grief and familial relationships. Plus, the romance was so cute. 

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour: ★★★★ I have a cousin that works in the film industry, and I loved reading about the intricacies that go into making films. I also loved the slow-burn romance. It’s refreshing to read a contemporary that doesn’t feature an insta-love story. 

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld: ★★★ I really wanted to like this one more, but I found it really hard to become attached to Lizzie and Darcy. There stories felt extremely shallow and surface-level for a 600-page book. I feel like their characters could have been explored much more thoroughly, and this book ended up being very meh as a result. 

                                     

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab: ★★★★★ My first ever VE Schwab book was amazing. I read this book in 2 sittings, and absolutely flew through it. While it is a little more like 4.5 stars, I decided to round up because I didn’t have any major problems with this book. 

Dracula by Bram Stoker: ★★★★ I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did, but after the first few chapters, I ended up getting sucked into the story. It’s incredible to think that this was written over 100 years ago. It felt far ahead of its time. 

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi: ★★★ I feel really bad for not loving this book, but honestly it just wasn’t all that amazing to me. The writing didn’t feel particularly original or special, and it really bothered me that there weren’t chapters. It made the book feel like it was dragging on forever. 

 

What books did you read this month? Did you participate in Booktube-a-thon? Let me know in the comments! 

-Sky

Discussion: Beautiful Book Covers

Hello!

One of the challenges for this year’s Booktube-a-thon is “Read a book you bought because of the cover”. I never cover-buy books; I’ll always read the description or some reviews first. So this challenge was a pretty difficult one for me. The good part of this is that it got me thinking about some of my favorite book covers, and I wanted to share a few with you all today!

                                     

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – this book is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. I love the blue and the turquoise colors blending together to depict the war-time city scape.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton – I have to say this picture doesn’t really do the book justice. The cover in real life is metallic, and made of a stationery-type paper that’s got almost like a fabric texture to it, with little threads weaving together in a cross-hatch. When I first read this book, I borrowed it from a friend, but I knew I had to buy my own copy because of the gorgeous cover.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo – Are we noticing a pattern here? I like blue ok? It’s my favorite color. I love all the covers in this trilogy, because there’s little easter-eggs hidden if you pay attention. And each little detail is relevant to the story.

                       

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken –  It was really hard for me to choose between this one and passenger, but I ended up going with this one, just because I love the idea of a tree growing under a glass dome like that. A whole little world inside, with the cityscape mirrored below.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick – Again, the picture doesn’t entirely do justice for this cover. The gold is beautiful and metallic, like it was gold-leafed. The indigo behind provides such a gorgeous contrast; it’s the perfect cover for one of my favorite books.

A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray: This whole series has some of the most amazing covers I’ve ever seen. This one has to be my favorite though. Space isn’t the most interesting visually, but I loved how they made it this rich, royal purple, rather just black or gray and boring. Plus, the stark scarlet against the purple is just stunning.

 

What are some of your favorite book covers? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Tell me in the comments!

-Sky

 

Review: Noteworthy

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate

Release Date: May 2, 2017 (YES this review is super late. I am SORRY)

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Themes: arts school, gender, sexuality, music, singing (a cappella), class relations, disability

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Summary: Jordan Sun is embarking on her junior year at the Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing Arts, hopeful that this will be her time: the year she finally gets cast in the school musical. But when her low Alto 2 voice gets her shut out for the third straight year—threatening her future at Kensington-Blaine and jeopardizing her college applications—she’s forced to consider nontraditional options. In Jordan’s case, really nontraditional. A spot has opened up in the Sharpshooters, Kensington’s elite a cappella octet. Worshipped…revered…all male. Desperate to prove herself, Jordan auditions in her most convincing drag, and it turns out that Jordan Sun, Tenor 1, is exactly what the Sharps are looking for. Jordan finds herself enmeshed in a precarious juggling act: making friends, alienating friends, crushing on a guy, crushing on a girl, and navigating decades-old rivalries. With her secret growing heavier every day, Jordan pushes beyond gender norms to confront what it means to be a girl (and a guy) in a male-dominated society, and—most importantly—what it means to be herself.

My Review

I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is definitely a new all-time-favorite of mine. I knew going into this book that I would love it, but I ended up loving it so much more. This book was everything I want in a light-fluffy contemporary, with the added bonus of being set at an arts school – relating to my own particular brand of nerd.

Noteworthy is incredibly diverse, which is something that I wasn’t expecting. Our main character is Asian-American, as well as bisexual. She also has a Sikh friend who wears a turban, and there are several other characters of color and varying sexualities. While I can’t truly speak for any of the representation, I personally felt that it was all handled very well, and respectfully.

As a person who went to an arts high school, this book was so incredibly relatable. Although I can’t necessarily relate to one of the character’s obsessions with classical and baroque composers (I much prefer Shostakovich), I can definitely relate to the obsession with nerdy classical music. I loved watching all the characters go through rehearsals together. It really made me miss all of my friends and the antics we used to get into during orchestra rehearsals (benefits of being in the brass section – you sit in the back out of earshot of the conductor). Plus, Riley Redgate made a playlist of the music the Sharpshooters sing throughout the book, and I still haven’t recovered. I really want this book to be a movie so I can listen to this music for the rest of my life. Seriously, go listen to it. It’s amazing.

Another thing I really appreciated about this book was that, even though it’s a pretty fluffy contemporary, it still tackles some pretty hard topics. Amongst sexuality and gender role discussions, there are conversations about class relations, disability, and money. None of these topics are treated flippantly, and I really liked that not every issue had a magical solution that could be solved overnight.

Bonus points for the beautiful writing. Redgate’s writing style is gorgeous, and this book has one of my new favorite quotes:

“His expression was written in uncertainty, and signed in curiosity.”

I’m so glad I ended up loving this book so much; we need more books about music nerds in the world.

-Sky