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May & June Book

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Spring is here! It reminds us of when we used to look forward to the last day of school… yearbooks, textbook buyback, cleaning out your locker, and putting away the required reading for a good book you could actually choose yourself. And such is our May & June pick, a dystopian young adult novel that’s the first of a new series, and definitely a book we would have chosen as soon as school let out.

Scythe tells the story of two teenagers, Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch, who undergo training as they are recruited into the Scythe organization to be society-sanctioned killers. The Scythes: a group of men and women who decide who lives, and who dies. Set in the very distant future, death by natural causes has been virtually eliminated due to the tremendous advances in technology and an advanced computer system that controls society. But overpopulation is still an issue, and that’s where the Scythe organization comes in to choose who to eliminate. With no hunger, no war, no disease, the world seems like a utopia. But Citra and Rowan discover things are not what they seem. Are they ever?

“These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.”  Goodreads

Author Neal Shusterman has been awarded the Michael L. Printz Award for teenage novels (2017)  for Scythe and reached New York Times bestseller status. And this is just the first in the series. In fact, the second in the series, Thunderhead, just came out in January. We’ve also heard that they’ll be turning the series into a movie (that’s always a good sign that’s a good YA read, right?). Anyway, we’re looking forward to reading this one and escaping for a little while. We hope you’ll read along with us! Don’t forget to share using #booklymark!

P.S. Technically we try not to read anything over 400 pages, but since this one runs over two months we’re making and exception to our rules 😉

A Shining Starr

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I hate to stay a timely piece. I feel that because a book like this has never NOT been timely. Perhaps its impact is potentially more grand because of the current cultural narrative.  Regardless, I felt this book was everything it was meant to be.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is one Kathryn H. referred to – when Starr, Seven, DeVante, and Chris are leaving the riots in the car. The conversation on names and race was one that I felt so delicately touched on the idea of the spectrum of racism. Chris is carefully constructed as a slightly awkward white guy with a level of caring for Starr that I just found so sweet. So when he asks about why black people don’t have “normal” names, was it awkward?  Sure largely because he asked it as gracefully as a dump truck on ice. But was it racist? Kind of, yea…but Starr, Seven, and DeVante go on tell him why that question is grounded in his perceptions of race and answer his question. It was this little nugget of truth that was handled so well.

Starr was developed as this wonderful combination of strength and fear and morals and flaws and somehow done so with maintaining that she was above all a teenager. I felt that the YA genre was a perfect place for this book. Not only because it could serve as a message to the youth reading the book, but because it allowed a very interesting vantage point for so many who are white or grew up in very different circumstances – regardless of the age of the reader. Starr ends up in so many harrowing situations throughout her young life, but her struggles with her friends, budding love, and her annoying little brother are always strong sideline stories. In doing so, the book really drives home this notion that we are all the same – our families are our cornerstones, our friends can be DRAAAMMA, and Cheetos and Mac n’ Cheese are the shit. While those storylines seem like page fillers, I think they are one of the most important points. We are all the same. It is how we treat one another that is different.

 

 

 

 

April Book

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It’s been dark and gray for awhile now. I’d say we’re ready for more light, literally and figuratively. Which is why in April we read something with a sense of humor to help lighten the mood. And this April we’re reading Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime! And we’re SO excited for this one.

If you know the name Trevor Noah, it’s either because you’re a fellow booklover and have heard GREAT things about this book, and/or you’ve seen Noah on The Daily Show as Jon Stewart’s replacement as of September, 2015. He’s a comedian (writer, producer, political commentator, television host, etc.), so we definitely expect a few laughs out of this book. However, from the little we know so far, he also has a very interesting, pretty intense, story to tell.

Noah was born in Johannesburg, South Africa during apartheid. The son of a black mother and a white father, his parents’ relationship was illegal. His childhood was layered with all the complexities of race, religion, family, homeland, and everything in between. Beginning his career at age eighteen Noah started performing in a South African soap opera, then moved on to hosting various programs, then stand-up comedy, and eventually Senior International Correspondent at The Daily Show in 2014. And in the Spring of 2015 it was announced he’d replace Jon Stewart at the show’s host after his legendary 16 year run. Quite the shoes to fill.

When he first started on the show a lot of people (us included) didn’t know who he was before The Daily Show. But between this book, his stand-up, and his success on The Daily Show, we’re starting to realize how much there is to learn about the new host. And we can’t wait to read all about him! Also, we’ve heard from a lot of people (our Kathryn D included) that the audiobook is awesome. So we hope you’ll read (or listen) along with us this month, and if you do make sure to share on social media using #booklymark.

Happy reading!

A Promise

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Talk about timely. This is maybe the most relevant piece of fiction I have read. And it raised so many questions and thoughts and ideas for me. But the two words that kept coming to the surface were: Required Reading.

I like to consider myself an ally. I’m not black, I can’t really begin to understand what it’s like to be black in this country at this time. But I can try and I can be supportive and I can listen and I can walk alongside and I can protest and call for change and do my best to make change happen. All of that and… this book still made me say, “whoa.” It brought up so much that I hadn’t thought of, so many little things that happen every day that I don’t have to think about because of the color of my skin.

“It seems like they always talk about what he may have said, what he may have done, what he may not have done. I didn’t know a dead person could be charged in his own murder, you know?”

I could give 1,000 examples. But I’ll give one – an easy one because I don’t think anyone wants to read my 20 page diatribe on race relations. When Starr, Seven, DeVante, and Chris are in the car fleeing the riots and Chris asks why black people don’t have “normal” names… I cringed. I KNOW that’s not only inappropriate, but racist, for all the reasons they then proceed to discuss in the book. Now, here’s the thing… how many times have you found yourself in the discussion of “weird” names you’ve come across. I know I find myself in it a lot (as an aside, it’s mostly because of my love of “Name of the Year”). And almost every single time someone inevitably tells the tale of a friend of a friend who is a teacher or a nurse or a whatever who once encountered a girl named “Le-a.” I assume everyone knows where I’m going with this, but just in case, it’s pronounced “Ledasha.” Cue the eye roll. Not because it’s a “weird” name, but because it’s not true and it’s racist. No one knows anyone named Ledasha spelled with a hyphen instead of “dash,” and the implications and assumptions that go along with this are just… wrong (for more info: Le-a). Anyway. Why am I talking about this? Well. Let me circle back to the fact that I said I’ve had this conversation multiple times and this comes up every time. And guess how many times I have vocalized that this is an urban legend and a racist one at that? Zero. Yikes. That’s bad – in that case, I’m not an ally. I’m a bystander. The Hate U Give made me think about this little example and then made me realize how many times I should speak up but don’t because I don’t want to “make waves.” Well, what the hell good is that doing?! Basically, there’s so much more I could be doing. So much more we could ALL be doing.

So, Starr. Angie Thomas. Here’s what I have to say now: “I’ll never give up. I’ll never be quiet. I promise.”

 

Worlds Apart

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I’d been hearing so many great things about The Hate U Give before we chose it as our March book that I was afraid it might not live up to the hype. But happily, it did. This debut novel by Angie Thomas is about a young black girl struggling through the emotional, cultural, and legal repercussions of witnessing the unarmed shooting of a childhood friend.

Starr Carter lives in Garden Heights but goes to school at a fancy prep school far away from home. Worlds apart, in fact. But seeing her story from within these two worlds gave infinite range to the issues Thomas tackles. I think that was my favorite part about the book; the two very environments. It elevated the story beyond a tragedy, or a high school coming-of-age story. It was the story of race, family, justice, injustice, love, the forces that drive us, and how all of those interact… in many different situations.

Seeing Starr’s life through the lens of her home and school lives made her story more powerful and complex. For me, at least. It gave her a relatability that packed an extra punch, and it humanized her experience in a way that I think so many need to experience. I came away from this story feeling like I’d been permitted a glimpse into another world. One where I have rights as only an observer to listen and witness Starr’s story.

My only criticism, if you could call it that, would be that I wish a book like this was written as a novel, instead of young adult novel. The YA genre didn’t make this book less-than, I’d just relate more if it were for an older audience. If you have any recommendations of books like that let me know!

 

 

 

Katie and Kat go live

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We did something new over on Instagram and thought we’d share it here! Katie and Kat went live answering some fun, friendly questions about each other and about books, of course. After 14 years of friendship you can still learn something new (or remember the things you forgot you knew 🤦)! Check out our chat here . . .

March Book

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The SAG awards, the Golden Globes, and the Academy Awards. It’s awards season! So much talk of the year’s best television series, movies, actors, screenplays, etc. And so many of the best movies started as books. Or at least we think so.

So for March, we’re trying to get ahead of the game and read a new book that’s soon to be a new movie favorite. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was published just last February. This is Thomas’s debut novel, and a huge success. It opened at number one the NYT young-adult bestseller list. Thomas was inspired to write this story after the shooting of Oscar Grant in 2009. What started as a short story quickly evolved into her first novel, and soon a major motion picture coming out this year or early next (directed by George Tillman Jr., written by Audrey Wells, starring Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, Russell Hornsby, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Issa Rae, Lamar Johnson, and Common).

The Hate U Give tells the story of 16-year-old black student Starr Carter who witnesses the police shooting of her unarmed friend. She lives a life between two worlds; the privileged prep school she attends, and the impoverished black neighborhood where she lives. And now her life is turned upside down by what she witnesses. She faces risks and dangers no one her age should have to face. But Thomas tells a story that faces us with some of the cruel realities in our country.

Critics have widely praised this book as a must-read for everyone, no matter your age. The fantastic buzz around this book makes us eager to dig in! And we hope you’ll read along with us! Share on social media using #booklymark, or comment below ↓

Twisty Romance

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It Ends With Us caught my eye when it won the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for best in romance. I’ve never read a book you’d categorize as a “romance novel” (unless you count Twilight), but I figured the best of 2016 was a good place to start. And it was an interesting experience.

If you know anything about this book, you know it’s not your typical romance novel. But it’s pretty close to exactly what I’d expected (mostly because I’d done a lot of research when voting for our Bookly picks). The relationships were hot and heavy, with lots of steamy romance, a fairly predictable female protagonist with just enough baggage to make her interesting, some lack-luster writing, and some terribly romance novel-y names for the romantic interests (Ryle and Atlas). However, the unusual twist made it much more than just a predictable romance novel. Lily’s story made this a likeable read.

SPOILERS
I knew before reading it that Ryle was not who he seemed. But I wish I hadn’t! I think it would have made it an even more interesting read. But still, that being said, I really liked how Hoover told Lily’s story. Or that she chose to tell a story like this. She made me consider Lily’s situation in a new way, and all situations of domestic violence. Granted, as Hoover herself says, every situation is very different. But I think this book is an important link between love, romance, relationships, and violence. I think it’s hard for those who haven’t experienced it to see how a relationship can go from love/lust to abuse. And why do some of those relationships continue, or even escalate? I know I’ve had a hard time with it. Meaning, it’s hard for me to relate, NOT that it’s hard to support or trust those who survive these types relationships. I’m thankful that this book humanized a story like Lily’s. It’s definitely worth a read!

book on lap

A Worldwide Tour of Health Care

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“On September 11, 2001, some three thousand Americans were killed by terrorists; our country has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But that same year, and every year since then, some twenty thousand Americans died because they couldn’t get health care. That doesn’t happen in any other developed country. Hundreds of thousands of Americans go bankrupt every year because of medical bills. That doesn’t happen in any other developed country either.”

As someone with a chronic illness, health care is a necessity. My life depends on medications that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each and every year, not to mention doctors appointments, hospital stays, lab tests, bloodwork, etc. The issue of access to affordable health care has been on my mind for years, particularly during the past 12 months as the current administration tried to repeal the Affordable Car Act.

It’s a fraught issue that has become entrenched in politics. But, in my opinion, being able to get the care one needs isn’t political, it’s personal. And it’s complicated. Our current health care system isn’t perfect, but neither is denying people with pre-existing conditions access to health insurance, or enforcing annual and lifetime caps. As this book shows, the United States has the worst health care of any developed country, despite how much money we spend on it.

I was eager to read this book because if I’m going to have strong opinions about our health care, I want to make sure I’m educated on the subject. I felt like Reid did a great job of that — giving us a “tour” of what other developed countries do and whether or not it’s working. While I wish he had a magic fix, I wasn’t naive enough to actually think that’s what I’d get out of this book.

In all honesty, this book was somewhat hard for me to read, seeing as the state of our nation’s health care has a direct impact on my quality of life — and really, whether I live at all. But it was informative and made me feel better equipped to engage in conversations about the future of health care.

But don’t read this book expecting to come away feeling hopeful. America has a long way to go before we heal ourselves.

February Book

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Hello February, love is in the air! Or not. But either way, there’s some love in our next book.

This month we’re reading Colleen Hoover‘s romance novel It Ends With Us. Until now Hoover hasn’t really been on our radar. But this seemed like a great February pick considering it won Best Romance in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. Not to mention the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are crazy good. But if you’re still not sold, here’s some more info…

Hoover is an interesting story herself. She started writing in 2012 when she self-published her debut novel Slammed. From there everything  fell into place with all of her full-length novels since ending up on the NYT Bestseller List. It Ends With Us came out in 2016 and it’s been one of her most successful novels yet. Although Hoover describes it as, “the hardest book I’ve ever written.” And we can see why.

This book tells the story of Lily Bloom, Ryle Kincaid and Atlas Corrigan; the owner of a flower shop, a neurosurgeon (Lily’s new love) and a chef (Lily’s first love). It’s more than just your typical girl meets guy story. Lily has come a long way from the small town and abusive household she grew up in. She works hard for the life she wants, and that seems to include the gorgeous Dr. Kincaid. But slowly the relationship brings back the demons she faced as a young girl.

“The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read. Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.” – Kirkus Review

As we hear it, It Ends With Us tells a complex story of the pain some relationships can cause, and the strength it takes to survive them. We think it’s a perfect time to be reading a story like this . . .  #timesup #metoo

We hope you’ll read along with us! Share on social media using #booklymark, or comment below ↓