SqueakyChu LEAVES the past behind...and moves ahead in 2022! 3rd Quarter

This this thread is continued from here.

I have read some terrific books so far this year. I hope my reading luck and enjoyment continues.



Total pages read this year: = 7,828
Reading rate: increased to 30 pages/day
Books on Mount TBR: increased to 413
Ever onward...

JULY:


Photo by Clyde Robinson - Flickr - CCA

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. Real life BookCrossing Meetup in Park Potomac Shopping Center, Potomac, Maryland - It was lots of fun!
2. Real life visit from @_Zoe_ and _radicarian - It was so great to see you both!

COMPLETED: 2/18 or 11%
26. The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir (ER doctor) - Michele Harper - TIOLI #1: Read a biography, autobiography, or memoir about a person in the medical field (ER doctor) - 235 pages
27. The Echo Maker - Richard Powers - TIOLI #7: Read a book first published this century or where the lead character does adulting (published 2006) - 381 pages

AUGUST:


Photo by Jessica Crabtree - Flickr - CCA

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. BookCrossing meetup at the home of ResQGeek on 08/21/22 - It was rainy, but we had a lovely meetup on ResQGeek's deck under a huge tent. Lots of fun!

COMPLETED: 4/18 or 22%
28. The Girl with the Louding Voice - Abi Daré - TIOLI #4: Read a book that has the last three letters of your city’s name in the title (LLE) - 368 pages
29. Ships in the Desert - Jeff Fearnside - TIOLI #8: Read a book with the name of a real non-European city in the title (Sert, Libya) - 118 pages
30. The Other Wes Moore - Wes Moore - TIOLI #8: Read a book with the name of a real non-European city in the title (Moore, Oklahoma, USA) - 250 pages
31. Seven Japanese Tales - Junichiro Tanizaki - TIOLI #1: Read a book with an uneven number in the title (seven) - 198 pages
32. It's Not Nothing - Courtney Denelle - TIOLI #2: Read a book where the first name of the author has more characters than the last name (8/7) - 166 pages

SEPTEMBER


Photo by Liz West - Flickr - CCA

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. BookCrossing meetup at Park Potomac Shopping Center in Potomac, Maryland, USA, on Saturday 09/17/22.

COMPLETED: 5/19 or 26%
33. Sailor Moon, Volume 1 - Naoko Takeuchi - TIOLI #19: Read a book for the TV Trope Back to School Challenge (Late for School) - 192 pages
34. Clear the Space...Feel the Rush - Connie Lockhart Ellefson - TIOLI #10: Read a book that has part of a college or university's name in the title or author's name (Rush University) - 198 pages
35. You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation - Julissa Arce - TIOLI #2: Read a book (either F or NF) about someone with a long standing major problem who grows either because of or in spite of it (difficulty of a Mexican girl to assimilate in racist white America) - 198 pages
36. The Boy, The Mole, the Fox, and the Horse - Charlie Mackery - TIOLI #17: Read a book that completes the verse “See you in September or lose you to……….” - 132 pages
37. Why Sharks Matter - David Shiffman - TIOLI #14: Read a book With a word beginning or ending with one of the following letters - BETTER WEATHER (W) - 260 pages

Happy new thread, Madeline. x

>5 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Madeline, and may the terrific reads continue!

>7 drneutron: >8 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Jim and Anita.

Happy new thread!

>10 _Zoe_: Thanks, Zoë! See you very soon!

happy new thread - colorful start :)

>12 paulstalder: Thanks, Paul! Just coloring our world a little brighter!

24. The Beauty in Breaking - Michele Harper


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TIOLI #1: Read a biography, autobiography, or memoir about a person in the medical field (ER doctor)
---------------------------------------
The experience of reading this book felt disjointed to me. I could not understand why the author only put in her childhood experience of a father physically abusive to her mother and brother, said she would write nothing about her experiences as an undergraduate at Harvard, talked about her divorce and breaking up with her boyfriend, wrote about her spiritual quest, and then made most of the chapters vignettes about patient experiences she had as an emergency room doctor. It was not until I read the epilogue that I realized the book was about being broken and then resolving that situation. I should have taken the clues from the book title, but I didn’t.

I was annoyed that in the writing they were so many terms that I did not know, even as a retired health professional. I was also annoyed that the author wrote about what she “was not going to write about” despite the reason.

The chapters themselves were good with the author presenting herself as a well qualified and caring emergency room physician. The individual patient stories presented situations of real social concerns. I consider this book good, but not one of the more memorable doctor’s memoirs.

Rating - 4 stars

I marveled at how she had waited, how she had known. I marveled at how she hadn’t left until all her family had arrived. How she had returned to say her last good-byes and only then had taken her final rest.

25. The Echo Maker - Richard Powers


------------------------------
TIOLI #7:Read a book first published this century or where the lead character does adulting (published 2006)
------------------------------
This is the story of a man who develops Capgras Syndrome (a delusional misidentification syndrome in which the main character Mark believes that his sister Karin is an identical imposter) following a near fatal accident. It takes place near Nebraska’s Platte River, a stopping place for migrating sandhill cranes. Environmental, psychological, and identity issues are incorporated into a mystery about a puzzling note left at the young man’s bedside during his hospitalization following the accident.

There were so many ideas introduced into this story narrative that a few times I felt I was in over my head, but I was always pulled back in by my desire to know what was going to happen to the main characters who were all very complex. The characters I found most interesting were Dr. Gerald Weber, a cognitive neurologist and author, and Mark's hospital attendant Barbara Gillespie.

I find reading books by this creative author a bit difficult, but because of his talent I want to put needed work into understanding them. This novel was no exception, and I’m ready to try for even more in the future.

Rating - 4.5 stars

But something in the neuroscientist now sees: responsibility has no limits. The case historíes you appropriate are yours.

I just went back to read your review of The Swimmers after your comment on my thread, and "By the time this book ended, I was devastated." is not quite motivating me to read it immediately... but it does look interesting.
>15 SqueakyChu: I like Richard Powers a lot, but haven't read this one.

>16 qebo: That's precisely why I told you to avoid it, but it is an amazingly well written book. I'm sure it will be winning some prizes.

I am now a diehard Richard Powers fan and can't wait to get my hands on his other works. I've only read two of his books so far. I like Bewildered the better of the two. That also was a devastating book. :(

>17 SqueakyChu: time of our singing A mixed race marriage between a African American womN and a Jewish man who is a Grman refugee in 193? meet when they are both at Marion Andersens performance. They have three children, all who become singers and grow up through the civil rights movement. incredible book.

>18 cindydavid4: Too late, Cindy! I already had that book on my wishlist! :D

Happy new one!

>20 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

>19 SqueakyChu: hee I thought I recommeded that book to someone! enjoy

>22 cindydavid4: I'm sure I'll enjoy it when I get hold of it. The theme sounds fascinating...and I am blown away by the power of Powers' writing. No pun intended, of course! :D

28. The Girl with the Louding Voice - Abi Daré


------------------------------
TIOLI #4: Read a book that has the last three letters of your city’s name in the title (LLE)
-----------------------------------
I had mixed feelings regarding this debut novel about Adunni, a 14-year-old girl in Nigeria whose father marries her off to an older man who already had two wives.

This novel was narrated by Adunni in a variation of pidgin English, indicating that this character was less educated. At first, I found the language distracting, then I accepted it as part of the Adunni herself, but later I once again found it annoying. Asunni's goal throughout the entire story was to find a way to go back to school.

I liked learning about life in Nigeria, albeit this tale was difficult reading due to the incessant verbal and physical abuse received by Adunni. I had not been aware of the prevalence of child marriage and child slavery in Nigeria until I did some reading after finishing this novel. I like that the author uses her novel as a voice for women's rights and education and as backdrop to protest child marriage and child slavery in Nigeria.

There were no surprises in this book, though. I felt as if I knew what was going to happen throughout the story which unfortunately made it seem as if I were reading this novel only to confirm the ending. I found the characters rather disappointing because they were lacking nuance. They seemed extremely good or extremely bad. This took away credibility of the characters to the extent that I thought that Big Madam was telling a lie when she made the “big reveal” at the end of the book.

This book was an okay read, but it did not spark my interest enough to look for other works by this author in the near future.

Rating - 3 stars

I have plenty work to be doing, but this book be like two big hands, full of love, drawing me close, keeping me warm and feeding me food.

>15 SqueakyChu: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Madeline.

>25 alcottacre: I’ll be curious to see how you like it, Stasia. Everyone else seemed to like it more than I did. It reminded me of those books in Oprah’s book club which I refused to read. I hope the author continues to write because I think her writing and story-telling can improve (at least for me) and thetheme of social justice is indeed timely. However, what I wanted to give was my honest reaction to that book. At times it felt like a slog. I was happy when it ended.

I didn’t realize I recommended that book!! Haha. There are better books out there, but it was kind of interesting.

>24 SqueakyChu: SEND HER BACK has no off-language to follow, but plenty of eye=opening moments
covering immigration/deportation/U.S. citizenship for people from Zimbabwe,
as well as the anti-women attitudes and behavior in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

>27 m.belljackson: Noted! I’ll add your recommendation to my wish list. Nigeria particularly interested me because I had quite a few work colleagues (in the health care field) from Nigeria. Reading about Zimbabwe would be interesting, too, though, because a friend of mine traveled there a few years ago. I really want to know more about Africa. I know a lot about the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea (and even traveled in the Sinai peninsula), but I do lack knowledge of most of the other countries. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Trevor Noah’s biography about growing up in South Africa.

I did have a work colleague from Mozambique! What I remember most about her is that her plane tickets to fly home with her daughter were extremely expensive!!

29. Ships in the Desert - Jeff Fearnside


----------------
TIOLI #8: Read a book with the name of a real non-European city in the title (Sert, Libya)
---------------
I was very eager to read this book because I knew it was nonfiction about the author's experiences as a volunteer English teacher in Kazakhstan. I wanted to learn about this country as I knew nothing about it prior to getting my copy of this book.

Each captivating and gorgeous essay started with a situation the author experienced in Kazakhstan and then went on to discuss how it affected him personally. Those ideas dug deep into my heart and soul. He dealt with such things as climate change, religious intolerance, and cultural richness. Reading these essays was like probing deep into myself and trying to discover answers to make the world a better place for everyone. So many times while reading this volume, I just had to sit back and think of my own activities in these areas. This book was an inspiration to live well and always try to live better despite difficult circumstances.

It should be mandatory reading for anyone who ever held a volunteer job in a country and culture other than one’s own. The author’s recollections will take that reader, like me, back in time with his or her beloved memories and bring the reader to tears by finding the parallels in our experiences.

I wrote down so many quotes as I was reading this book, I think I wrote down about half of its text! I guess it spoke to me. :)

I didn’t want this book to end. It was so beautiful in expressing its many ideas. I was moved by the author’s sincerity and love for the people who touched his life in Kazakhstan. I look forward to reading more works by this author.

Rating - 5 stars

We are born of particular places, live in them, love in them, and are otherwise marked by them even as we leave our marks upon them. As they change, we inevitably change with them, if not physically then at least in our hearts and minds. The places in our lives are part of the constantly evolving aggregate of who we are.

30. The Other Wes Moore - Wes Moore


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TIOLI #8: Read a book with the name of a real non-European city in the title (Moore, Oklahoma, USA)
---------------------------------------
This book is a biography of Wes Moore. However, it is a parallel story of two people with the same name--the author himself and another man of the same name whose life paralleled the author's as a youngster, but took a turn for the worse as he grew up. Both are touching stories which made me cry. The book itself was so good that by the time I reached the epilogue, I still wanted to read more about both men.

I read this book mainly to acquaint myself with the author who recently won the Democratic nomination for Governor of Maryland. I basically knew nothing about the author before reading this book. I now feel great respect for him. At the same time, I lament the decisions the "other" Wes Moore made to divert what could have been a productive life into a wasted one. I feel for both of these men.

I felt lots of emotions while reading the stories of both Wes Moores. I found it painful to read about how difficult it was for the author to reconcile life in his poor neighborhood with his student life in a private school. I was frightened as the author described his first parachute jump while he was in the army. At that point, I was glad I was just reading rather than jumping! I felt sad about our prison system which, in lieu of helping prisoners contribute to society, more often contributes to drain our society.

This book also stimulated me to read other sources in my quest to understand it better. One particularly interesting side read related to this book was about the Rhodes Scholarship and about the man Cecil Rhodes himself.

A useful addition to this book is a resource guide, listing various organizations, their services targeting youth, where they are located, and their contact information. It’s an extensive list which is updated on the website www.theotherwesmoore.com.

Rating 4.5 stars

The common bond of humanity and decency that we share is stronger than any conflict, any adversity, any challenge. Fighting for your convictions is important. But finding peace is tantamount. Knowing when to fight and when to seek peace is wisdom.

Great review of The Other Wes Moore, Madeline. I'll move it to a considerably higher position on my wish list.

>30 SqueakyChu: What with all the political excitement in Pennsylvania, I haven't been paying much attention to the adjacent state, and hadn't made a connection to the book, which I'd heard of at the time of its publication but haven't read. Now it's on my radar.

>30 SqueakyChu: I haven't read this yet, but it's lurking somewhere on my radar. I also didn't realize Moore was running for governor of Maryland. Do you think he has a chance?

Today has been a great reading day! I might actually finish two books in one day!

>31 kidzdoc: Darryl, I wasn't sure I'd like this book, but it was so good. I was astounded when Wes Moore won the Democratic primary gubernatorial election recently. I'd never heard of him, and we had some very good nominees with name recognition on the Democratic slate. I've made it my job to learn all I can about Wes Moore, and so far I'm pleased. This situation reminds me of years ago when my friend Barbara was working on Obama's campaign and told me I should vote for Obama instead of Hillary. I'd never heard of Obama at that time either. After I read some of what he wrote, I knew I'd be voting for him which I did.

I saw that you read another book by Wes Moore that you didn't like all that much. I borrowed his Five Days from the public library, but it was due back immediately so I didn't have a chance to read it. The book above I luckily got from a Bookcrossing friend. I'm now going to circulate that book to other members of my local Bookcrossing club. At least it has no due date! :D

>32 qebo: Katherine, it turned out to be a surprisingly good book.

>33 ffortsa: Judy, I do think Moore has a chance here in Maryland because we're still primarily a blue state. Democrats are now eager to get rid of Larry Hogan who cannnot run again because he has already run twice. Now he plans to run for president. Ugh! The only thing that makes me worried about Moore running is that no one knows him. Although...some people must know him because he won the election! Then we also have the eastern shore with its Trumplicans. Another Ugh! Fingers crossed Moore will win. That would be so good for Baltimore as he knows its problems so well.

31. Seven Japanese Tales - Junichiro Tanizaki


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TIOLI 1: #1: Read a book with an uneven number in the title (seven)
-----------------------------------
This is a collection of Japanese short stories, some of which are extraordinarily beautiful. I thought the strongest story in this collection was the first one, "Portrait of Shunkin" about a blind woman who lived her entire life with her boyhood servant yet she always abused him physically and emotionally. I also very much liked a particularly short story called "Terror" about a man's phobia of travelling by train. The weakest story in the collection I found to be "The Blind Man's Tale" which told the story of a blind man who was the masseur of Lady Oichi. I found that story had too many characters whom I could never keep straight. I also could never tell who were friends and who were enemies because that kept changing all the time.

Rating - 4 stars

It has been said that the deaf look like fools and the blind like sages: the dead, in their effort to catch what others are saying, knit their brows, gape their mouths, and goggle their eyes, or cock their heads this way and that, all of which gives them an air of stupidity; while the blind, because they sit calmly with their heads bowed a trifle as if in meditation, appear to be extremely thoughtful. (Portrait of Shunkin)

>34 SqueakyChu: I had forgotten that I had read, and reviewed, The Work: A Search for a Life That Matters by Wes Moore, which I generously gave 3 stars to,

I had also forgotten that Wes Moore is the Democratic candidate for governor in Maryland! Needless to say I hope he wins.

>36 kidzdoc: Darryl, I hope he wins as well...now that I know who he is and understand a little bit about him! :D

It looks as if you were not all that impressed with The Work: A Search for a Life That Matters based on your star rating, but I'd like to read that book as well as his more recent book about Freddie Gray who was murdered in just the part of Baltimore in which I lived as a very young kid (Eutaw Place and North Avenue area). Baltimore is a city which needs so much help. I think Moore being governor would be such a boost for that city.

>29 SqueakyChu: Oh, wow. A 5 star read? I will have to see if my local library has a copy of that one!

>30 SqueakyChu: I have had that one in the BlackHole for a while now. I really must get it read!

>35 SqueakyChu: I just finished Quicksand by Tanizaki, but it did not work for me. I wonder if the Japanese tales would? Hmmm

Have a marvelous Monday, Madeline! Congratulations on the string of good reads you have had lately! You know, I think that TIOLI thing might be working out for you :)

>38 alcottacre: The tales by Tanizkai were all over the place. I loved some of them, some were lukewarm, but I very much disliked the last one. That would not stop me from reading more of his works, though.

Stasia, I'm on a reading roll now and hope that continues.

>37 SqueakyChu: Despite my lukewarm review I would not want to dissuade anyone from reading The Work: A Search for a Life That Matters. As I mentioned in my review I believe that others will get more out of it than I did.

>40 kidzdoc: Noted! :)

32. It's Not Nothing - Courtney Denelle


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TIOLI #2: Read a book where the first name of the author has more characters than the last name (8/7)
------------------------------------------
It took me a while to get into this story. It is told by a young homeless woman, not really concerned about by her mother, often without a job, and who can be found in and out of hospitals, mental health facilities and homeless shelters. It’s not a pretty read, but it is an effective way of looking in on the life of someone who really has next to nothing. Sad. Moving.

This story is written in an interesting way—all in short, choppy sentences. I guess they reflect the “Nobody cares anyway” attitude of our protagonist Rosemary June Candwell, but sometimes it makes for harder reading. There is no nice flow of words. There is also no nice flow of life as Rosemary lives it each day. I understand. I’m so sorry, but she neither wants nor needs pity.

The story made me curious about what was left unsaid—Rosemary’s childhood, her family, friends growing up, her school experience as a child. Basically what led her to the situation she was in? Maybe that’s fodder for another book as Rosemary is an interesting character and one I’d like to get to know better.

This is a hard-hitting book—short on words, but packed with emotional turmoil. Raw. Visceral. A challenging read on several levels.

In addition, I felt compelled to read this book, a novel, because the back of the book said “drawn from the author’s experience of homelessness and trauma recovery”. That simple statement led me to want to read this book to better understand someone in psychological pain…if only to be more understanding to anyone in a similar situation in real life in the future. This was definitely not an easy read, but I think it was an important one.

In this story, I grew to love Elle, Rosemary’s shrink. She was the utter calm in the midst of a tempest.

I found that the best way to read this story was to not try to understand completely all the little parts of it, but to just let the prose carry me along. By the end of the book, I found it did just that.

Rating 4.5 stars

I was calm until you told me to calm down, and now I am far from calm, not even in the same zip code as calm.

>42 SqueakyChu: I was calm until you told me to calm down, and now I am far from calm, not even in the same zip code as calm.

a long time ago in another online bookgroup, we all had tag lines under our names. At times a quote would come up that we knew someone would pick up. So NSTLBSB came along (not a tag lline but should be) If I could have, I would have used that.

re the book. There is a song by the late great Nanci Griffith "down and outter" about a homeless woman describing her plight. Its been on my mind a lot these days while more and more people take to living on the streets

>43 cindydavid4: My younger family recently visited San Francisco and were horrified by the number of people who are homeless and living on the streets there. Once I intended to move to San Francisco which is still such a beautiful city in my mind. The thought of so many of its residents being forced into homelessness now is so sad. I cheered for this author, who lives in Rhode Island, who is probably still trying as hard as she can to make living from day to day less challenging.

About the calm quote...that is something I can see myself *screaming* at anyone who interferes with my excitability! LOL!

What is NSTLBSB?

I put it in parenthesis (not a tag line but should be) :)

I guess you meant NATLBSB! :D

>46 SqueakyChu: oops!

>47 cindydavid4: LOL!

>39 SqueakyChu: Stasia, I'm on a reading roll now and hope that continues.

I hope it continues too, Madeline. Reading rolls are so much better than reading funks!

>42 SqueakyChu: Added to the BlackHole!

>44 SqueakyChu: My brother and sil live in Tiburon, just across the bridge from San Francisco. I love the area, and the city, but their homeless population is definitely out of control. Between the people displaced and the people who came because the weather was good and living there was possible, the homeless population has skyrocketed. With the general housing shortage and the incredible prices of SF's available housing, there doesn't seem to be a solution that isn't harmful. Sigh.

>50 ffortsa: I’m so sorry that San Francisco is not the same wonderful destination I remember from years ago.

I traveled there frequently in the later 80s, early 90s. Spent part of out honeymoon there. We saw many homeless, but the numbers seemed to multiply over the years. Not sure what the city could have done early on, tho more shelters and resources would have helped the needs, but not be able to contain the numbers. It is still a beautiful city, and it is fun to travel there, but you leave rather saddened.

>52 cindydavid4: My younger son had been to San Francisco before, but his reaction to the San Francisco was dampened so much by this recent trip.

Regarding Ships in the Desert by Jeff Fearnside of which my review is up in message 26.

The publisher (sfwp.com/Andrew Gifford) had sent me the advance review copy to read and review. In return, I sent him the Bookcrossing link to the journal entries I and another Bookcrossing friend made after reading the book. The author then quoted parts of our reviews on his Facebook page! :D

Jeff Fearnside is with Andrew Gifford and Monica Prince.

It’s always gratifying to receive good reviews in the trade journals. In many ways it’s even more gratifying when regular people post glowing reviews because they love your work and want to spread the word about it. I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of BookCrossing before. A couple of journalers there had such awesome things to say about my book SHIPS IN THE DESERT! I’ll limit myself to just two quotes:

“Each captivating and gorgeous essay started with a situation the author experienced in Kazakhstan and then went on to discuss how it affected him personally. Those ideas dug deep into my heart and soul. He dealt with such things as climate change, religious intolerance, and cultural richness. Reading these essays was like probing deep into myself and trying to discover answers to make the world a better place for everyone.”

That’s just what I hoped the book would do!

“This book was passed to me to read and review on Sunday afternoon and I finished it before falling asleep on Monday. That is a record for me, but the book came highly recommended and it lived up to the hype. The author is a very talented writer—he creates vivid pictures with an economy of words, he expresses truths and calls to action in clear language for complicated concepts, and he has a gift for capturing the profoundly universal in a small personal moment.”

Thank you very much to these readers!

Needless to say, I was pleased to know that the author knows how much I and a friend of mine loved his book!

The full Bookcrossing link:
https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/16622552

My copy of this book is now circulating among members of my local Bookcrossing club. :D

33. Sailor Moon, Volume 1 - Naoko Takeuchi


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TIOLI #19: Read a book for the TV Trope Back to School Challenge (Late for School)
-----------------------------------
This was my daughter's first manga when she was young. I saved it for many years, and now I took the time to read it. It was a delight. It's about strong women and friendship. It's about keeping evil forces from gaining power. It's about beauty. It's about romance. It's also about a black cat (I love back cats since my daughter has one). The cat's name in the book is Luna, which means moon in Spanish. I speak some Spanish so I also love the cat's name.

The drawings in the book are gorgeous. I would love to color in the pages, but I wouldn't want to ruin the book. I think I'll save it for my granddaughter. I think she'll appreciate it when she gets to be the right age as her older brother is now well indoctrinated into shonen (manga for boys).

I think there's probably nothing like Sailor Moon as it has become such a classic. I would dearly love to read the continuing series if I can get hold of those books. I'd love to know what happens to Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and, of course, Tuxedo Mask and Luna, too. There shall be some fun reading ahead for me.

One thing in this book made me laugh. It talks about a floppy disk. Who even knows what that is any more?!

I also loved the notes from Naoko (the author) to the reader sprinkled throughout the book. The print is so tiny, though. I guess most of the readers of this series have better eyesight and are younger than this seventy-something me.

Rating - 5

If you kick it, extra prizes come out.

34. Clear the Space...Feel the Rush - Connie Lockhart Ellefson


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TIOLI #10: Read a book that has part of a college or university's name in the title or author's name (Rush University)
---------------------------------------

I was a bit disappointed with this book. I'm not sure what I was looking to find, but there were things I both liked and disliked about it.

I found it a bit too chatty and too "new agey" especially with its emphasis on essential oils and its constant pushing of yoga. There were statements with which I didn't agree, and that annoyed me. For example, in the chapter where the author advises readers not to judge others, I would add a caveat. Yes, some people act badly to others because they have experienced some past difficulties, but others do so because they are plainly immoral or mean. Reacting negatively to them also has a negative impact on us, but I am not going to cut people who are innately nasty and disrespectful any slack. The only thing I will do with them is to limit my exposure to them.

I appreciated how the author emphasized that "clutter" is not only about physical objects, but also about our bodies and our emotional states. I liked how she introduced new ideas like the tapping therapy which I will investigate further, although a "new-agey" friend of mine would only be too happy to fill me in on this! I appreciate that the author addressed the issue of hoarding, noted its differences from clutter, and dealt with this issue compassionately though briefly. I liked that this book was less instructional in the “how to” of decluttering and more into the psychology of it and a guide for how to work it into one’s life in a meaningful, yet not overwhelming way.

Ironically, I learned from this book that decluttering decreases anxiety. However, and I mean this seriously, I found that focusing on my *need* to declutter has increased my anxiety so I’m not sure that this book has had a particularly helpful effect on me!

My overall impression of this book was that it was a good guide, but it didn’t really inspire me to do anything differently in my life. Much of the information presented was what I already knew, I already practiced, or just seemed logical.

Rating - 3.5 stars

No matter how OCD it may seem, keeping spices in alphabetical order really saves a boatload of time, not to mention allowing you to learn, belatedly, you have five jars of curry powder, when one at a time is all you really need.

>56 SqueakyChu: I've instituted a long-term project to declutter, long because there's lots to get rid of and it's hard to do. Alphabetical order for the spices is a good thing. I bought a really nice rack for mine, and it came with labels, and I've never used them. Hm. It would help.

I worked on the kitchen this week, finding and deciding to get rid of a number of things I'll never use, and reorganizing to better use the cabinet space. I feel ever so slightly lighter.

>57 ffortsa: I'm trying to declutter, but it's such a slow process. It's not something I like doing. I'm glad you're so successful at it.

I don't use preprinted labels because I'm always making my own spices. I just use masking tape for labeling, but I do arrange the spices in alphabetical order (except for the overstock). :D

Oh, no! I just received this message from LT:

"Your Early Reviewers score is 100%. You're doing great! Keep up the good work!...You can win up to four books per month with your score!"

The LAST thing I need is four more books to review per month. I can't keep up with the books I have now! LOL!

LOL. I was at 25%. I wrote two reviews today and also noted the two books that never arrived. Now I am only two books behind and 75%.

>60 Berly: Haha! I’ll trade percentages with you to keep from getting too many books to review!

You'll just have to restrain yourself and only request one or two...!

>62 Berly: Actually I only choose one if any at all. At least in that way I’ll know for sure which book is coming. I already have too many that I’ve never reviewed. That was in the past. It’s interesting that those don’t count against me now.

I must hang my head in shame. Score of 0. I rarely request a book anymore because I just don't get to them, but I will try my best to get back in the good graces of the statistics.

>64 ffortsa: Hey! Heads up! A score of 0 is good. That gives you the time you need to catch up! :D

35. You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation - Julissa Arce


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TIOLI #2: Read a book (either F or NF) about someone with a long standing major problem who grows either because of or in spite of it (difficulty of a Mexican girl to assimilate in racist white America)
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In this book, the author takes a hard look at racism against Mexicans in the United States both in the past and in the present. What she tells is both eye-opening and deeply sad.

This book reads like a Mexican/Brown version of Ibram X. Kendi’s book How To Be an Antiracist. Books such as these are important in empowering those who most need to confront white racism in all its ugly forms. This is also a look at what it meant for the author, a Mexican Brown girl, to live and interact in white, racist America. No matter her attempts to be what white America wanted, she inevitably felt much failure in so many sad and subtle ways repeatedly, although from outward appearances it looked as if she had fully “assimilated” into the white American culture. Her call is for people who identify as Latinx to be proud of who they are and not to think of white America as a goal to which to aspire.

There is a very interesting chapter in this book about how some Mexicans have been belittled at every racist opportunity due to their inferior command of the English language—despite being American born and Spanish speakers from their earliest childhood. In that chapter, it was also pointed out that schools in the area where Mexicans lived were segregating children based on their English fluency or absence of it and sometimes merely based on Spanish surnames.

I was in awe of the eloquence with which the author described the pain of being on the edge of two cultures and the importance of feeling proud of one’s own culture as well as being outspoken in its defense.

Rating 4.5 stars

Since the moment the first Mexicans became part of the country, the United States has tried to send us back to where we came from—without understanding that where we came from is the very land they stole from our ancestors. Mexicans have been here for centuries, since before it was called the United States, and throughout the confusing, painful, and untold history, our U.S. citizenship has been up for debate, our Americanness a question mark, because race, more than any other factor, has driven immigration and naturalization law.

36. The Boy, The Mole, the Fox, and the Horse - Charlie Mackery


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TIOLI #17: Read a book that completes the verse “See you in September or lose you to………
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This book is so gorgeous. From the drawings to the thoughts, it all made me cry. Like The Little Prince, it used few words and simple pictures to have the reader feel what friendship truly is. There are many quotable thoughts in this book to keep in your heart and soul forever.

Rating - 5 stars

"One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things."

37. Why Sharks Matter - David Shiffman


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TIOLI #14: Read a book With a word beginning or ending with one of the following letters - BETTER WEATHER (W)
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I have always found sharks awesome and enjoy seeing them as well as learning about them. It was therefore delightful to learn from marine biologist David Shiffman measures that can be taken to save the many different species of sharks on earth. This book is so good because it’s thorough with a massive amount of information based on science about shark conservation, yet it is easy to read with its explanations and a sprinkling of the author’s wonderful sense of humor.

Rating - 5 stars

My thread will be moving forward with the last quarter of 2022, but feel free to continue writing either here or in my new thread, as you like.

>67 SqueakyChu: Sounds like fun inspiration - just want to be sure if it is ordered for a child that none of the animals die...?

>70 m.belljackson: No animals die. They just stay together in friendship.

(Message deleted)

>71 SqueakyChu: Thank you - ordered and arrived for Christmas Eve!

>73 m.belljackson: Super! Enjoy!!