happiestwhenreading's reviews
1323 reviews
We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian
4.0
A horrific story about 2 separate sets of siblings adopted by a pair of mothers who tragically plotted to kill all of them by driving off a 100’ cliff on the California coastline. Haunted by abuse accusations, it seems as if the mothers’ lives were spinning out of control. They were getting to a place where they were no longer able to outrun concerned teachers, neighbors, or friends, so sadly, they killed themselves and the kids they claimed to love so much.
But this isn’t just a story about murder. It’s also yet another story that outlines how bad our social services departments, adoption standards and protocols, and justice systems fail kids time and time again. All claiming to put the best practices forward for the benefit of the child, they all inevitably leave the child to suffer, and in this case, die.
Some of the themes reminded me of a book I read earlier this year with the #readwithtoni book group, Invisible Child. Between Invisible Child and We Were Once a Family, I don’t have a lot of hope for some of our judicial systems. We know it’s broken, we know it doesn’t work very effectively, we know it needs restructured…so how many more stories like this do we have to read before we start preventing it from happening again?
But this isn’t just a story about murder. It’s also yet another story that outlines how bad our social services departments, adoption standards and protocols, and justice systems fail kids time and time again. All claiming to put the best practices forward for the benefit of the child, they all inevitably leave the child to suffer, and in this case, die.
Some of the themes reminded me of a book I read earlier this year with the #readwithtoni book group, Invisible Child. Between Invisible Child and We Were Once a Family, I don’t have a lot of hope for some of our judicial systems. We know it’s broken, we know it doesn’t work very effectively, we know it needs restructured…so how many more stories like this do we have to read before we start preventing it from happening again?
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
4.0
After a school shooting, the small town of Charon County quickly learn that there is a serial killer amongst them. Titus Crowne, a former-FBI agent turned local sheriff, knows this case is big and he wants it solves as soon as possible so the residents of his town can rest easy. As more bodies start being found, he knows he's in a race against time.
While this book is dark, gritty, and gory, it also introduces important conversations regarding race, past trauma, and the reckoning of our sins. Titus is a main character who is flawed but conscious of his shortcomings and always willing to work on where he falls short. I liked him so much!
This is a fast-paced page turner that I'm glad I squeezed in before the end of the year!
While this book is dark, gritty, and gory, it also introduces important conversations regarding race, past trauma, and the reckoning of our sins. Titus is a main character who is flawed but conscious of his shortcomings and always willing to work on where he falls short. I liked him so much!
This is a fast-paced page turner that I'm glad I squeezed in before the end of the year!
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
4.0
Of course I was gonna jump on this bandwagon as soon as possible! I’m not a total crazy superfan of Britney Spears, but I have followed the #freebritney movement and felt incredibly sad for her and her situation. I felt like I really wanted to hear her side of the story.
While I’m so happy she’s finally broken out of her conservatorship and I hope she finds the happiness that was denied her for so long, I feel like this book was too soon. Much like my critique of Matthew Perry’s book, it felt like she hasn’t been distanced enough from the situation, hasn’t grown enough to actually reflect on it, and hasn’t overcome so much of the trauma. This also may be do to how poorly it was ghostwritten, but it felt very forced and unattached. I know this isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but it’s how it came across for me.
I also found it extremely odd that she talked about being totally in love with and married to Sam. Since they’ve announced their divorce, things are coming out about Sam’s role in Britney’s abuse, so this left me confused. They should have taken it back to the editors, or at the very least, added an author’s note at the end. But, more importantly, this adds to Britney’s lack of credibility throughout the book. I can’t put a finger on it, but something just felt very off throughout my reading experience.
It’s absolutely not my place to say, but I’m not 100% buying into this one. It feels like this story is going to be told completely different in a few years when Britney’s had more time to reflect, heal, and grow.
On a nitpicky side note: Britney really needed - and deserved - a better ghostwriter. This one played into her childishness as opposed to the grown woman she is. The tone felt very young and immature, lacking any real depth and I found that really disappointing. And last, I don’t know what I’m missing, but proclaiming Michelle Williams won an Oscar with this performance!? She did fine. It wasn’t exceptional. It was fine. Everyone really needs to chill on this one.
While I’m so happy she’s finally broken out of her conservatorship and I hope she finds the happiness that was denied her for so long, I feel like this book was too soon. Much like my critique of Matthew Perry’s book, it felt like she hasn’t been distanced enough from the situation, hasn’t grown enough to actually reflect on it, and hasn’t overcome so much of the trauma. This also may be do to how poorly it was ghostwritten, but it felt very forced and unattached. I know this isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but it’s how it came across for me.
I also found it extremely odd that she talked about being totally in love with and married to Sam. Since they’ve announced their divorce, things are coming out about Sam’s role in Britney’s abuse, so this left me confused. They should have taken it back to the editors, or at the very least, added an author’s note at the end. But, more importantly, this adds to Britney’s lack of credibility throughout the book. I can’t put a finger on it, but something just felt very off throughout my reading experience.
It’s absolutely not my place to say, but I’m not 100% buying into this one. It feels like this story is going to be told completely different in a few years when Britney’s had more time to reflect, heal, and grow.
On a nitpicky side note: Britney really needed - and deserved - a better ghostwriter. This one played into her childishness as opposed to the grown woman she is. The tone felt very young and immature, lacking any real depth and I found that really disappointing. And last, I don’t know what I’m missing, but proclaiming Michelle Williams won an Oscar with this performance!? She did fine. It wasn’t exceptional. It was fine. Everyone really needs to chill on this one.
Remember Love: Words for Tender Times by Cleo Wade
5.0
Like a balm to the soul.
Especially during these times.
Wade gives me back a little bit of hope for humanity. If only we’d all realize we are one. There is no separation. There is no difference. We are all the same.
Especially during these times.
Wade gives me back a little bit of hope for humanity. If only we’d all realize we are one. There is no separation. There is no difference. We are all the same.
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
4.0
If there's one thing I do when I become interested in a subject, event, or idea, it's that I totally and completely immerse myself in it. So when the Hamas/Isreal War broke out a few weeks ago, I became very curious about the history between these two cultures. At this point, I'm positive I can never read enough to understand the nuance to the situation, but that certainly won't stop me from trying.
Days after the conflict started, I saw that Libro.fm was offering free downloads of the Minor Detail audiobook. I got myself a copy and immediately started it.
This book is not long - it's just under 4 hours. It begins in 1949, one year after Nakba - the forced displacement and exile of 700,000 Palestinians (the Isrealis refer to this as the War of Independence). In the desert, the Isrealis murder a whole bunch of refugees in an encampment, saving one teenaged Palestianian girl which they kidnap, rape, and kill.
Years later, a woman comes across this incident and proceeds to find out what happened to her. In her quest to expose the details, she becomes obsessed with the "minor details" surrounding this girl's disappearance.
The story that follows portrays the haunting happenings of war. Two sides are pitted against each other and through the grusome reality of war, each side loses their humanity. Each side fails to see the other as a person - someone's child, mother, wife, husband, friend. People turn barbaric and do things they must know are wrong - all in the name of what they're fighting for.
It's actually quite discouraging to think about. That we can become so consumed with hate that we fail to hold onto our morality and sense of right and wrong. While this story is from the side of the Palestinians, there are also points of view from the Israilis as well. And the thing is - both sides think they're standing on the right side. It's heartbreaking and defeating and leaves me feeling mostly hopeless.
Days after the conflict started, I saw that Libro.fm was offering free downloads of the Minor Detail audiobook. I got myself a copy and immediately started it.
This book is not long - it's just under 4 hours. It begins in 1949, one year after Nakba - the forced displacement and exile of 700,000 Palestinians (the Isrealis refer to this as the War of Independence). In the desert, the Isrealis murder a whole bunch of refugees in an encampment, saving one teenaged Palestianian girl which they kidnap, rape, and kill.
Years later, a woman comes across this incident and proceeds to find out what happened to her. In her quest to expose the details, she becomes obsessed with the "minor details" surrounding this girl's disappearance.
The story that follows portrays the haunting happenings of war. Two sides are pitted against each other and through the grusome reality of war, each side loses their humanity. Each side fails to see the other as a person - someone's child, mother, wife, husband, friend. People turn barbaric and do things they must know are wrong - all in the name of what they're fighting for.
It's actually quite discouraging to think about. That we can become so consumed with hate that we fail to hold onto our morality and sense of right and wrong. While this story is from the side of the Palestinians, there are also points of view from the Israilis as well. And the thing is - both sides think they're standing on the right side. It's heartbreaking and defeating and leaves me feeling mostly hopeless.
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
5.0
Reading this under a completely different context than I did last year. When the Isreal/Hamas War broke out, I was halfway through Etaf Rum's new release, Evil Eye. Flashbacks of this book instantly came to mind and I knew I would reread it as soon as possible. I remembered AtLW was through the eyes of Palestinians and a resistance force, so I wanted to revisit the story.
My biggest takeaway from the last few weeks - in real life and through the Palestinian-focused fiction I've read - is that there are a lot of innocent civilians getting caught in the crossfire. I will never advocate for the killing of innocent people - especially defenseless children. I will also never understand how we are confused that these kids that live among constant bombardment of their homes and the killing of their family members won't result in them hating the opposing side. The more we displace people and terrorize them, the more turmoil, hate, and further trauma ensues.
I know it's not as simple as waving a wand and creating world peace, but I sure wish it was. We are all complicit...and we are all innocent. The heads of all our governments are creating this divide and we are simply the pawns in their games. It makes me sick and my heart goes out to the hostages that Hamas still holds captive, and the civilians of Palestine that quite literally have nowhere to go as their skies are constantly under attack. I'm still baffled by how we KEEP getting it so fucking wrong (sorry for the language)??
Nahr is a character I won't soon forget. And reading the book this time as events are unfolding in real life, I couldn't help but imagine it was her face in some of the pictures I've seen come across social media. She is resourceful, but even as I admire that strength in her, I am saddened that she has to be. I loved her relationship with Bilal - the way they could remain tender and hopeful while also fighting for their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and for their homeland.
There are no good solutions to the current events happening in the Middle East, but I appreciate a way to see another perspective through stories told in books. I wish the contents of the books could be considered "history" vs "current events"...someday soon, I pray.
My biggest takeaway from the last few weeks - in real life and through the Palestinian-focused fiction I've read - is that there are a lot of innocent civilians getting caught in the crossfire. I will never advocate for the killing of innocent people - especially defenseless children. I will also never understand how we are confused that these kids that live among constant bombardment of their homes and the killing of their family members won't result in them hating the opposing side. The more we displace people and terrorize them, the more turmoil, hate, and further trauma ensues.
I know it's not as simple as waving a wand and creating world peace, but I sure wish it was. We are all complicit...and we are all innocent. The heads of all our governments are creating this divide and we are simply the pawns in their games. It makes me sick and my heart goes out to the hostages that Hamas still holds captive, and the civilians of Palestine that quite literally have nowhere to go as their skies are constantly under attack. I'm still baffled by how we KEEP getting it so fucking wrong (sorry for the language)??
Nahr is a character I won't soon forget. And reading the book this time as events are unfolding in real life, I couldn't help but imagine it was her face in some of the pictures I've seen come across social media. She is resourceful, but even as I admire that strength in her, I am saddened that she has to be. I loved her relationship with Bilal - the way they could remain tender and hopeful while also fighting for their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and for their homeland.
There are no good solutions to the current events happening in the Middle East, but I appreciate a way to see another perspective through stories told in books. I wish the contents of the books could be considered "history" vs "current events"...someday soon, I pray.
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
5.0
This book came onto my radar when so many book reviewers had it on their Halfway Top 10 Lists. I put it on hold on my Libby app and patiently waited for my turn...
...and it was WORTH THE WAIT!
I loved the characters, I loved the angst, I loved the conclusion. Everything about this worked for me!
I was in awe of how O'Donoghue captured those early twenty's years...where you've just moved out of your family home for the first time and you're not quite sure who you are yet. You're figuring out college and first jobs, living with wreckless abandon and making really dumb decisions. You live on an island with your best friend and the ups and downs of life keep coming at you. O'Donoghue captured all of this so well!
You'll feel all the emotions when you read this one. It will probably be one of my top books of the year!
...and it was WORTH THE WAIT!
I loved the characters, I loved the angst, I loved the conclusion. Everything about this worked for me!
I was in awe of how O'Donoghue captured those early twenty's years...where you've just moved out of your family home for the first time and you're not quite sure who you are yet. You're figuring out college and first jobs, living with wreckless abandon and making really dumb decisions. You live on an island with your best friend and the ups and downs of life keep coming at you. O'Donoghue captured all of this so well!
You'll feel all the emotions when you read this one. It will probably be one of my top books of the year!
The Forgotten Girls: A Memoir of Friendship and Lost Promise in Rural America by Monica Potts
3.0
This was a tough one to read because it reminded me so much of the town where I live. An over abundance of drugs readily available, families living far below the poverty line, little to no job availability, no real resources or help, and other tough circumstances just seems to have the cards stacked against some people. Why some beat the system and get out while others fall prey to trouble will always force me to examine our society to try to understand.
There were times that the story felt a little slow, but it still brought a lot of interesting points to the forefront that we should be collectively examining to try to make some changes.
There were times that the story felt a little slow, but it still brought a lot of interesting points to the forefront that we should be collectively examining to try to make some changes.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
5.0
This book made my heart swoon. It was perfection - as many have come to expect from Ann Patchett. She crafts stories so well - books that you become immersed in, where you genuinely care about and connect with the characters, and where it feels like you’re saying goodbye to a friend when you read the last page.
I know NOTHING about the theatrical production of Tom Lake, but I don’t feel like it took away from my reading experience at all. For me, the heart of this book is in the characters and Patchett’s writing style and not the Tom Laje connection.
Maybe it’s my age -a middle-aged mom (44) with older children (16 and 18) - but I LOVED exploring motherhood at this stage. So many books are set in the younger years when children are much more needy and things feel much more chaotic. But with the COVID background (something I usually hate in books, but absolutely loved in this one), this story turned into such a beautiful exploration and reflection of a woman’s life before her children. I loved seeing how this summer shaped Lara and her life to come. I loved the slow revelations and I loved Lara’s husband.
This book is absolute perfection…and just might be my favorite book of the year!
I know NOTHING about the theatrical production of Tom Lake, but I don’t feel like it took away from my reading experience at all. For me, the heart of this book is in the characters and Patchett’s writing style and not the Tom Laje connection.
Maybe it’s my age -a middle-aged mom (44) with older children (16 and 18) - but I LOVED exploring motherhood at this stage. So many books are set in the younger years when children are much more needy and things feel much more chaotic. But with the COVID background (something I usually hate in books, but absolutely loved in this one), this story turned into such a beautiful exploration and reflection of a woman’s life before her children. I loved seeing how this summer shaped Lara and her life to come. I loved the slow revelations and I loved Lara’s husband.
This book is absolute perfection…and just might be my favorite book of the year!
Evil Eye by Etaf Rum
4.0
Before I can give any real review, I’ve got to tell you about my reading experience with this book. I started before the events unfolded on Oct 7 in Israel. I was maybe around halfway through at that point. So everything after that came through the lens of this horrendous Hamas attack and the subsequent bombings of Gaza by Israel.
I will not pretend to understand the historical context between Israel and Palestine. I will not pretend to have a solution to the horrors I’ve seen every day since then on the news and social media. All I know is that there are a lot of innocent people being traumatized, hurt, and killed. Maybe it’s naïveté, but there has to be a better way than this. It would be ridiculous for me, as a mother, not to put myself and my children in the shoes of these people and try to understand how wrong and horrible all of this is. I have never wanted peace for a region more than I do now.
It is more important than ever to read books by authors different than me - in color, culture, and religion. I have learned that I don’t have to agree with everything, but I can absolutely empathize and attempt to change what I think I already know. It is imperative- at the very least - not to paint a culture or religion or group of people with the same broad brush. We are individuals that think and act independently of any clump we may (or may not) belong to. Judge a person on who and what they do, not as a collective whole.
As for the book, I flew through the pages. I could t put it down and I really loved watching Yara’s growth. Her husband enflamed me and I couldn’t have been happier when she finally took a stand for herself. Unfortunately, the middle got bogged down a bit and became a little repetitive, but overall, Etaf Rum if proving herself to be an author I really enjoy!
Thanks to the #readwithtoni group for being my reading buddies!
I will not pretend to understand the historical context between Israel and Palestine. I will not pretend to have a solution to the horrors I’ve seen every day since then on the news and social media. All I know is that there are a lot of innocent people being traumatized, hurt, and killed. Maybe it’s naïveté, but there has to be a better way than this. It would be ridiculous for me, as a mother, not to put myself and my children in the shoes of these people and try to understand how wrong and horrible all of this is. I have never wanted peace for a region more than I do now.
It is more important than ever to read books by authors different than me - in color, culture, and religion. I have learned that I don’t have to agree with everything, but I can absolutely empathize and attempt to change what I think I already know. It is imperative- at the very least - not to paint a culture or religion or group of people with the same broad brush. We are individuals that think and act independently of any clump we may (or may not) belong to. Judge a person on who and what they do, not as a collective whole.
As for the book, I flew through the pages. I could t put it down and I really loved watching Yara’s growth. Her husband enflamed me and I couldn’t have been happier when she finally took a stand for herself. Unfortunately, the middle got bogged down a bit and became a little repetitive, but overall, Etaf Rum if proving herself to be an author I really enjoy!
Thanks to the #readwithtoni group for being my reading buddies!