My head continues to be buried in a book. It’s just who I am at this point. Most people associate me with reading. Eh. It could be worse, right? That being said, I always set out to share my latest reads in this space. I have fallen off in that regard. Why, you ask? Well, I think life has sped up a bit over here. I’ve been reading but I hadn’t been following up with the shares at the same time. That’s why I’m just getting around to sharing books I read… in August! We are speeding into the holidays but I’m hitting you with some beach reads. If it’s snowing where you are, these are still good books to cozy up to. Take a look and hopefully find your next great read.
This book is the last in a series. I’ve read all three and they have all been such good reads. The Brown sisters are such a fun bunch and each uniquely interesting. This book focuses on Eve. She’s seen as the hot mess of the sisters. She’s the only one that has yet to narrow down a career and get serious about it. After blowing her last job (she freed the doves at a wedding she planned), her parents have had it and decide to give her an ultimatum. She needs to get a job and keep it or she’ll be cut off from their bankroll. She manages to land an interview, albeit accidentally, at a bed and breakfast. The owner, who expects perfection isn’t interested in hiring this walking tornado. Some events happen that make it virtually impossible to say no. One other thing, since she’s running from her parents, she has no place to live. A friend of the owner, offers the spare bedroom of the owner – without his knowledge. At one point, she hits him with her car – accidentally – breaking his arm. Now he needs her more than he could have ever expected. They are polar opposites which makes for a really fun ride. I love too how the book explores the spectrum of autism in a real way. It’s something the characters address and talk through without stigma.
This book pulls from a real life kidnapping that happened in Cleveland. In the novel, three teenage girls are kidnapped and held captive for 10 years in Queens, New York. The book tells a grim story that was hard to read at times. You can see in so many scenarios, the girls were failed by the people around them. The girls are repeatedly raped and tortured by they captor who is referred to as Boss Man. One of the girls eventually has a child by him. The baby and two of the captured girls escape. The fate of the baby’s mother remains a mystery through the end of the book. The girls are basically starved and eat pictures of food. This was such a hard read. The writing is so vivid that you can picture the girls and the horrific situation that they are in.
I couldn’t wait for this book to come out. I had read the previous book by Charles Blow and I just knew this one would deliver. He had talked about this being a Black Manifesto and I was intrigued. The book breaks down this idea of a reverse migration for Black Americans. He lays out all the reasons it’s in our best interest to head back to the South. Blow grew up in Louisiana and is no stranger to the South. He even recently left his home in New York and moved to Atlanta. He gives a pretty convincing argument too. There are political implication that work in our favor as well as the community aspects of the South that don’t really exist in the North. I thought the book presents a compelling argument. By the end, I was ready to move.
Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come
My friend sent me a text asking me if I’d read this book. I hadn’t heard of it but quickly added it to my TBR list. I’m happy I did! If you’re an introvert, this will hit home in the most hilarious way. My friend that suggested this book is an introvert and she said it was spot on for her. I’m a bit of an ambivert and I could relate too. It’s a memoir about what it’s like to step WAY out of your comfort zone. The author takes you through her life starting at her big move to another country. She’s originally from Texas but had lived abroad before. This move was a big shift, since she didn’t have a friend group there. She sets out on this journey to put herself out there over the course of one year. She’s chosen to do all the things she’d usually avoid at all costs! Her goals are ambitious! I mean, I’d never challenge myself to do a stand up comedy routine. Each one of her challenges for herself are brave and she describes them in a way that had me laughing out loud, for real. One of her adventures was to be a speaker on a podcast. I’m now subscribed to that podcast because it seemed like it would be a good listen based on her story. This was such a good, fun read.
Oh, that podcast is called the Moth.
Buy Yourself the F**king Lilies
Tara Schuster is a Vice President at Comedy Central and her book is part memoir and part guide to all things self care. The title gives is your first self care command – Buy Yourself the F**king Lilies! I’m here for it! In the book she talks about her parents splitting up and deciding to split she and her sister up as well. Each parent chose a child to keep. He mother was pretty harsh toward her and preferred to keep her sister instead. You can clearly see how she had to parent herself as her parents were deep in their own stuff and not really engaged. She described the distance between she and her sister caused by the separation and how they are still working at a better relationship as a result. The book may be about self care but the bigger theme is how to re-parent yourself as an adult. For all of the heaviness where childhood is concerned, the book is actually really funny. If it’s true that the funniest people have the saddest stories – it’s no wonder Tara is funny! She shares life lessons that are easy to relate. With every story, there’s a lesson in it that reminds you why your self care should be paramount and what that looks like in various scenarios. None of what’s shared here comes off as preachy. It’s more, I did it the hard way, so you don’t have to.
I LOVED this book! Plus-size fashion blogger, Bea is crushing it as a blogger and influencer. She has a horrible experience with a friend who she is intimate with. It seems as if he takes advantage of how much she’s into him. When she wakes up, he’s gone. He heart is broken. Fast forward a bit – she’s an avid viewer of a Bachelorette-style show called Main Squeeze. She hits social media with her real thoughts about how the show plays out and gets major attention. Even the attention of the show to be it’s next Main Squeeze. She agrees only to take her career even further. Once the camera starts rolling, she realizes that there’s way more to it than she bargained for and it’s hard to not let her heart get into it. I love this book because it’s been rare for me to come across a book (if ever) that tells things from the point of view of a plus size woman. It brings to light so many things that are just taken for granted. After reading this, I’d also like to see a plus size woman or man on one of these shows. It would be a refreshing change.
