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karnaconverse's reviews
371 reviews
Everywhere I Look by Ona Gritz
Gritz dives into her childhood and young adult years long after the deaths of her sister and parents, saddened by what she didn't know at the time and by the years lost to that unknowing. Her prose is poetic, honest, sad—and in the end, peaceful.
The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon
Personal and reporter's look at what it takes and how it feels to leave the evangelical church
McCammon is a NPR national correspondent who focuses on political, social, and cultural divides in America, including those in religion. Here, she explores the "deconstruction" or "unraveling" of the evangelical who was raised, schooled, and married in the church but has chosen, like her, to break away and is now considered an exvangelical.
Readers who have been asked "If you died tonight, do you know where you'd go?", challenged to a discussion/debate about creation, told to "Be on your guard against false prophets," marched in the Lord's Army, or encouraged to wear a purity ring are sure to identify with the stories shared in these pages. I am familiar with similar stories about the above and I wasn't surprised to read of the exvangelical's alienation from family, but I had to pause when reading about the personal loss: "Once you’ve discovered that the world you called home is no longer a place you can comfortably reside in, where do you go? What will you find along the way? And who might you become? For those of us wandering out of evangelicalism, we can find ourselves in a foreign—and often frightening —spiritual and emotional wilderness." That sadness (and sometimes trauma) deserves prayer and support from all of us.
McCammon includes a long list of resources at the end of her book about the exvangelical/post-evangelical experience, the history of evangelicalism, and theology.
2024 Faithful Readers book discussion at my church
McCammon is a NPR national correspondent who focuses on political, social, and cultural divides in America, including those in religion. Here, she explores the "deconstruction" or "unraveling" of the evangelical who was raised, schooled, and married in the church but has chosen, like her, to break away and is now considered an exvangelical.
Readers who have been asked "If you died tonight, do you know where you'd go?", challenged to a discussion/debate about creation, told to "Be on your guard against false prophets," marched in the Lord's Army, or encouraged to wear a purity ring are sure to identify with the stories shared in these pages. I am familiar with similar stories about the above and I wasn't surprised to read of the exvangelical's alienation from family, but I had to pause when reading about the personal loss: "Once you’ve discovered that the world you called home is no longer a place you can comfortably reside in, where do you go? What will you find along the way? And who might you become? For those of us wandering out of evangelicalism, we can find ourselves in a foreign—and often frightening —spiritual and emotional wilderness." That sadness (and sometimes trauma) deserves prayer and support from all of us.
McCammon includes a long list of resources at the end of her book about the exvangelical/post-evangelical experience, the history of evangelicalism, and theology.
2024 Faithful Readers book discussion at my church
Trust by Hernán Díaz
A study in telling one's story and in shaping how one's story is told
. . . with a nod toward the wealthy and the stock market crash of 1929 and through four complex narratives written in the form of a novel, an autobiography, a memoir, and a personal diary.
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
Brings together nearly all the characters Strout has introduced to readers in her previous work with primary storylines about the relationship between Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton and that of Lucy Barton and Bob Burgess—and while this can become overwhelming, Strout masterfully ties them together seamlessly and in such as way that one is sure to see themself at some point in each character. This refreshing novel also pays tribute to the unrecorded stories of the average person who may not believe they have anything worthy of documentation but whose actions and way of living have earned respect, remembrance, connection, and most of all: love.
Like all of Strout's books, one does not need to read one before another to follow the story she's built for any one character but after Tell Me Everything, I immediately added a couple that I've not yet read to my to-read list: The Burgess Boys and Amy and Isabelle.
Like all of Strout's books, one does not need to read one before another to follow the story she's built for any one character but after Tell Me Everything, I immediately added a couple that I've not yet read to my to-read list: The Burgess Boys and Amy and Isabelle.
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Harrowing and heart-breaking, yet a hopeful discussion about mental illness and the science behind it
It's hard to imagine raising a family of twelve born from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, but it's downright unnerving to learn about the mental illnesses that affected six of the children—and difficult to read how the family, the community, and the medical establishment responded to their needs. But: Kolker's deep dive into the science community's debate of nature vs. nurture and the variety and evolution of studies conducted about the brain offers evidence "that psychosis exists on a spectrum, with new genetic studies showing overlap between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and bipolar disorder and autism." In the 1980s, the Galvin family became the subject of researchers who were trying to understand schizophrenia; today, and with its technological advances, their genetic samples "are forming the cornerstone of research that has helped unlock our understanding of the disease."
Another reason to read this book: "Across the world, schizophrenia affects an estimated one in one hundred people—or more than three million people in America, and 82 million people worldwide. By one measure, those diagnosed take up a third of all the psychiatric hospital beds in the United States. By another, about 40 percent of adults with the condition go untreated entirely in any given year. One out of every twenty cases of schizophrenia ends in suicide."
Also of note: A four-episode docuseries, "Six Schizophrenic Brothers," aire in 2024; it is narrated by Mary, the youngest and one of two daughters born to Don and Mimi Galvin (and who has since noted disappointment in how it portrays their story). I plan to watch it.
2024 Omaha LIbrary Challenge: Read a book about or featuring technology and culture.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Yes, women were in Vietnam and yes, they had to fight for that recognition
Hannah's books are sometimes accused of weaving together a story that is almost too good, ending with a positive, uplifting—and somewhat unbelievable—message. There's some truth to that sentiment in this book, too, but the number of details and variety of issues circling the Vietnam War that she brings to the table are more than worthy of writing about. And idealistic Frances "Frankie" McGrath is the perfect character through which to showcase America's widespread responses to the war.
Hannah's books are sometimes accused of weaving together a story that is almost too good, ending with a positive, uplifting—and somewhat unbelievable—message. There's some truth to that sentiment in this book, too, but the number of details and variety of issues circling the Vietnam War that she brings to the table are more than worthy of writing about. And idealistic Frances "Frankie" McGrath is the perfect character through which to showcase America's widespread responses to the war.
Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World by Eliza Reid
Interesting discussion about gender equality and how Icelandic women have set out a path worthy of study
Reid interviews women throughout the country, showing—whether in urban Reykjavik (population 140,000) or rural Vopnafjördur (population 659)--that "we all know sprakkar." Reid, a native Canadian, was the First Lady of Iceland from 2016 to 2024.
Sprakkar (pronounced SPRAH-car), ancient Icelandic word for extraordinary women
Read in preparation for personal trip to Iceland.
Reid interviews women throughout the country, showing—whether in urban Reykjavik (population 140,000) or rural Vopnafjördur (population 659)--that "we all know sprakkar." Reid, a native Canadian, was the First Lady of Iceland from 2016 to 2024.
Sprakkar (pronounced SPRAH-car), ancient Icelandic word for extraordinary women
Read in preparation for personal trip to Iceland.
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
"Love will prevail." -Jennifer's mother
I don't always give ratings to memoirs—who am I to judge/rate ANY individual's personal story?--but I believe I have to contribute to the rating system when a memoir educates (in other words, makes me feel that I've learned and grown) as much as it marks one's specific journey. And that's what Boylan's memoir, originally published in 2003, does. With a patient, thoughtful narrative of what it means, and how it feels, to be transsexual. Of particular note is the support (or not) she describes about her friends and family. This edition, published in 2013, includes three additional ending chapters: one written by Jennifer; one written by Jennifer's friend, and fellow writer and Colby College professor Richard Russo; and one written by her wife, "Grace." Each offer an intimate look into what it meant—and how it felt—to walk with Jennifer during the years she transitioned.
2024 Des Moines Library Challenge: Read something you wouldn't normally pick up. (And: picked this book up after reading "Mad Honey," the book she wrote with Jodi Picoult in 2022.)
I don't always give ratings to memoirs—who am I to judge/rate ANY individual's personal story?--but I believe I have to contribute to the rating system when a memoir educates (in other words, makes me feel that I've learned and grown) as much as it marks one's specific journey. And that's what Boylan's memoir, originally published in 2003, does. With a patient, thoughtful narrative of what it means, and how it feels, to be transsexual. Of particular note is the support (or not) she describes about her friends and family. This edition, published in 2013, includes three additional ending chapters: one written by Jennifer; one written by Jennifer's friend, and fellow writer and Colby College professor Richard Russo; and one written by her wife, "Grace." Each offer an intimate look into what it meant—and how it felt—to walk with Jennifer during the years she transitioned.
2024 Des Moines Library Challenge: Read something you wouldn't normally pick up. (And: picked this book up after reading "Mad Honey," the book she wrote with Jodi Picoult in 2022.)
Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan
Picoult and Boylan don't shy away from any hot-button issues in this engaging and nuanced novel.
On its surface, the story is about teenagers in love. But dig deeper, and it's about an individual's right to privacy; whether an individual's past is more important than their present and future; and the weighty burdens and responsibilities that come with holding a secret.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Lily, a teenage girl, and Olivia, her boyfriend's mother. Set in 2018, one narrative moves forward in time, the other moves backward. It's an effective structure and allows readers to empathize with nearly every character the authors introduce.
At times, I felt the narrative a bit overworked—it's obvious both authors had many (many, many, many) textbook-type details they wanted their characters to share but often, these details (albeit important) come across in long, heavy paragraphs and in tones that, to me, didn't ring completely true to the character's voice. That said, I'll be thinking about the issues raised in this book for a long time—and to me, that's the sign of a good book.
Consider this question, from the Reader's Guide for Discussion: "The court of public opinion impacts all of the characters involved in the case, something we’ve seen continuously play out in contemporary society, especially with the popularity of social media and instant access to the news cycle. Do you think it’s fair for casual observers to take sides and make assumptions about events they don’t see and hear? Why do you think we, as a society, are so drawn to doing this?"
2024 Des Moines and Omaha LIbrary Challenges: Could fill many categories