Review of "This is How It Always Is" by Laurie Frankel

This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Frankel introduces the reader to a young family of five children. When Rosie and Penn are expecting their fifth and youngest child, Rosie is wishing for a girl as she's only had boys prior. She planned on naming her child "Poppy" after her late sister. However, when the fifth child was born, it was a boy and they named him Claude. As Claude grows up, he asks to wear a dress to school and over time asks to be called Poppy. This is the story of how a very young child goes through the trials and errors of defining their gender identity.

I enjoyed the beginning part of the book but as it progressed I liked it less and less. It definitely has a preachy quality for trans-rights and gender queer identities rather than a personal or accurate portrayal of this type of experience. I do not know if Frankel herself has someone in her life that has gone through this type of transition but it does not come across that she has any personal knowledge of what it is like. It felt like it was a rose-colored look into how a young child would experience this self-education of their own identity. I did appreciate that this population is getting featured in literature as it is the first novel I have read with a gender-queer protagonist so props to Frankel for that. For me, the book should have cut out a good portion of the middle. It did feel like she added in a bunch of the same stuff so it got monotonous and tedious to listen to.

If you like stories about families with children who feel or are different than other children and you appreciate happy endings...this book is for you!

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Review of "Hamilton: The Revolution" by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It was difficult to keep listening to the book straight through since it's basically lined up like the show and you'll want to listen to the songs after you read about it. So I was constantly switching between listening to the audiobook and the cast album. I very much enjoyed learning of the background story of the musical and the long process of putting it on stage. I didn't realize how collaborative Lin was with his cast members in composing the music. The last section of the book is read by Lin himself and he's reading his footnotes for the libretto to the musical. It was a little confusing to follow without looking at the book itself but all the little tidbits were fascinating. I do own the print book as well and it's a gorgeous book to gift to lovers of musical theatre. The pictures are fantastic! Highly recommend.

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Review of "Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist" by Eli Saslow

Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Scott Brick. Brick does a wonderful job of emoting the thoughts of each and every character. You could feel the differences between Don Black's thoughts and Allison's.

This work of nonfiction by Saslow tells the story of Derek Black, the son of Don Black, former KKK Grand Wizard and Chloe Black, who was previously married to David Duke. Derek was ultimately White Nationalist royalty and he was treated as such. However, after attending a liberal arts school and actively socializing with people of different cultures and ethnicities, Derek begins to see things a little differently. This book is an example of the best way to handle someone whose beliefs are seen as dangerous or morally wrong. Instead of hating and avoiding Derek at all cost, his friends at New College of Florida welcomed him into their homes and conducted civil debate. His girlfriend at the time would send him reputable articles and scholarly studies to disprove his false statistics and stories. Eventually, he saw the light. They never gave up on him, despite the rest of the campus shunning him. I think this story is such an important one to hear. This is the answer for fusing this divide in our country. We should stop hating those on the other side of the aisle. Let's conduct a dialogue and try to emulate what young Derek Black did and actually listen to others. I highly highly recommend this book for everyone to read. An important story for our generation and it's so timely.

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Review of "The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a fan of Colson Whitehead's last book The Underground Railroad. It was a very difficult read but a very good story. This book echoes that sentiment. It wasn't an easy read due to the subject matter but it was a very good story. Whitehead does an amazing job of developing the main character, Elwood Curtis. For some, they could probably remember the events that took place during the time frame of the book. Elwood's story begins in 1962 and he obsessively listens to a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. record over and over. He admires the civil rights movement leaders and mentions several key events in history. Whitehead does a great job of introducing Jim Crow era experiences to those like myself who could never imagine experiences as such. In my opinion, the best historical fiction is drawn from true stories and this was no exception. In Whitehead's previous novel, he introduces the story of a slave in the south and in this novel, he introduces a segregated reform school and the horrors that ensued within. I would recommend this book to those who were drawn to the writing of Whitehead either in "Underground Railroad" or prior. Fans of historical fiction should definitely read this and honestly, I think most Americans should read this because it is a story that isn't told often at all. Powerful and sticks with you long after finishing this short novel.

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Review of "An American Marriage" by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was chosen for a book discussion group held in my library. This book wouldn't have been something that I would've gravitated to on my own. My co-worker suggested we add it to the list of 2019 titles and upon reading the description of the novel, I was intrigued. I was drawn in from the beginning of the book to Jones's style of writing. This novel was written in the first person from the point of views of three characters; Roy, a husband who after one year of marriage is falsely accused and convicted to 12 years of prison for committing a rape of another woman; Celestial, Roy's wife of one year when he is sentenced to prison and has to grapple with what to do next; and Andre, Celestial's childhood friend and Roy's college roommate who steps into Roy's place in his absence. The novel revolves around this love triangle and how this prison sentence affects each of their lives. The overarching theme of this book is definitely the treatment of black men in law and order in America. This topic is so timely with other books and documentaries such as "The 13th" released within the past few years. We, as the reader, are left to decide what course of action was "right" for these characters. After being exonerated and released from prison 5 years into his sentence, Roy returns to his wife expecting to continue on in his marriage, despite her silence in communication the past 2 years. I think that Jones could've been clearer in Roy and Celestial's marriage prior to the arrest. Also, the trial itself wasn't covered enough in my opinion. Overall, I thought that this book was a glimpse into the impact that racial profiling can have on a young couple and their families.

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