Thursday, April 26, 2018

Spring Reading 2018 How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation

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Full of stories that try to shed light in a world that some feel is slipping into a dark period, How I Resist will make readers laugh, or cry, or stop and think. All of those are good things. But if these stories, songs, poems, and essays do their jobs - then readers will do more than think and feel. They will Get Woke. Stand Up. Represent. and Change the World!

Whether it is a quick to-do list from Rosie O'Donnell, a poem from Daniel J.  Watts, or an interview with Jason Reynolds, each entry shares pieces of the creator's past, their struggles with discrimination and lack of acceptance today, and their hopes for a better tomorrow. Malinda Lo shares how she felt as she watched the news after the election. "I was digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole of political despair," she writes. Lauren Duca points out that "Angry energy without purpose will only turn into despair. Pick something and then do something." And Rebecca Roanhorse reminds readers that, "you being you is the most powerful kind of resistance of all."

Young people looking for others who have articulated their sadness and discouragement with the recent political climate will find them in this volume. In a variety of formats and from diverse individuals, there are pointers on participating in politics, standing your ground, and speaking out for the truth. This could be something read privately to explore how others are reacting to current events, or read together with other who are looking for pointers on how to get involved. Classes seeking short pieces to read and discuss, or debate, would find this a very handy title.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through edelweiss.

About the book:

"An all-star collection of essays about activism and hope, edited by bestselling YA author Maureen Johnson.

Now, more than ever, young people are motivated to make a difference in a world they're bound to inherit. They're ready to stand up and be heard - but with much to shout about, where they do they begin? What can I do? How can I help?

How I Resist is the response, and a way to start the conversation. To show readers that they are not helpless, and that anyone can be the change. A collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope, How I Resist features an all-star group of contributors, including, John Paul Brammer, Libba Bray, Lauren Duca, Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband Justin Mikita, Alex Gino, Hebh Jamal, Malinda Lo, Dylan Marron, Hamilton star Javier Muñoz, Rosie O'Donnell, Junauda Petrus, Jodi Picoult, Jason Reynolds, Karuna Riazi, Maya Rupert, Dana Schwartz, Dan Sinker, Ali Stroker, Jonny Sun (aka @jonnysun), Sabaa Tahir, Shaina Taub, Daniel Watts, Jennifer Weiner, Jacqueline Woodson, and more, all edited and compiled by New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson." (from Amazon.com description)

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Giveaway: Girl with a Camera

This story of the amazing life of photographer Margaret Bourke-White is a great read for those who enjoy biographies and the adventures of women pursuing their dreams. Please enter to win and good luck!



Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Spring Reading 2018 Bulwark



Can you imagine werewolves, vampires, trolls, witches, and gingerbread houses in small town Georgia? Neither can Sheriff Clay Finnes, even when people around town start reporting such things. A seeming domestic dispute with a wife stabbing her husband in the neck with a fork turns out to be rather perplexing when the M.E. says that all the blood had been drained from the body. A deputy is sent out to look into reports of a pack of wolves in the woods, although there are no wolves in the area. A couple from out of town maroon their car in an unlikely puddle and hysterically babble about a gingerbread house and a witch that has stolen their children.

The sheriff has his own problems to deal with. He and his wife are in the process of a divorce following the unexplained disappearance of their infant daughter last year. A local reporter is trying to pursue him, while a handsome doctor working at the hospital with Mrs. Finnes is trying to make their relationship more than professional. But Clay doggedly pursues all the reports and even tracks down some town history in an effort to find out what is causing all the disturbances.

Can a small town peace officer with only a few deputies track down a supernatural disturbance that seems intent on touching everyone in the area? The suspense of the investigation is counterbalanced by the prickly push & pull between Clay and Jenna Finnes. The addition of the other possible love interests - the reporter and the doctor - ratchets up the tension on the personal level. 

And to put the icing on the cake, at the end of all the nerve-wracking experiences personal and professional, the author offers two possible endings. How can readers go to bed feeling that all is well with the world when they do not have a definite finale? The suspense will most likely continue to keep them awake for quite a while.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes.