REVIEW The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline

 

In this biography, Miss Marsha's trauma and her joy provide the basis for a life well lived and for revolution. Activist Tourmaline writes a wonderful and accessible biography based upon massive amounts of research:  interviews, other research (media) and personal narrative. Johnson was born in 1954 in New Jersey to a working class family. She was assigned the male sex at birth. While her neighborhood was diverse and accepting, the city of Elizabeth itself was not. It was segregated. In 1963 Miss Marsha moved to New York City where she was constantly evolving. She was an unhoused sex worker for most of her life but she cultivated deep and rewarding relationships with other  LGBTQ+ activists like Sylvia Rivera. Her life was a series of big events - she was one of the first to resist police at Stonewall in 1969 and she created STAR in the 1970's to help Trans people in NYC. In the 1980's, she became a caretaker during the AIDS epidemic, even though she had HIV herself and had been shot by a john. 

I am embarrassed to say that I did not know who Miss Marsha was before I picked up this book and so I didn't realize how much she had actually done in the short period that she was alive - she was found in the Hudson River dead in 1992. I loved this book because the whole book taught me an enormous amount about a person that had an impact on so many people as a whole but also to individual people.  She literally changed lives all the while remaining true to herself and who she was. She never lost sight of who she was and what was important to her and it seemed that everything that she did was guided by that. Even though Marsha's life was hard and her death is considered to be a cold case, this biography is a joyful and vibrant celebration of her life. It is a must read. Tourmaline's writing is lyrical and simple - it is clear that Miss Marsha has had a tremendous positive impact in Tourmaline's life. 

Highly recommend. 

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This week has been busy even with the long weekend. I often have to smush 5 days worth of work into four, which isn't fun.  I hope that everyone else had a good week. My children were rowing on Sunday and we were there early - they were on the above river. So pretty. Head of the Charles is Sunday!  My partner also had surgery on Wednesday.  :(  I've been in a walking boot for about 2.5 weeks now. The only positive?  I'm doing a lot more strength training!

• NH has 126 cold cases. If you have any information on any of these cases, please contact the Cold Case Unit.
• Books by Russian authors.
• B12 deficiency is linked to this autoimmune disorder.
• Stephen King on the movie version of the Shining.
• Spookiest names of places in each state.
• Notable books about siblings.
• 7 graphic novels for Halloween.
• A new Southern cookbook and a new Southern memoir.
• Latine spooky reads.
• Bookish goodies for fantasy lovers. 
• Barnes and Noble has selected their best books nominations for this year. 
• What we know about the storm in Alaska.
• Stocking stuffers under $15 for adults - yes I went there.
• What functional doctors say to do when you feel a cold coming on.
• The secret life of Horus
• Why you should read Virginia Giuffre's memoir.
• 6-7 and America's schools. 

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

 

October is such a spooky, autumnal month here.  The leaves are changing colors and the weather is getting cooler. I tend towards books that are spooky and/or occur at a school because, for some reason, boarding schools and October go hand in hand in my mind.  This book checked both those boxes.

The story takes place in two different time periods - Vermont 1950 and Vermont 2014. In 1950, there's a place for girls who no one wants for whatever reason.  One of the girls, for instance, was born out of wedlock. They are placed in a school called Idlewild Hall and there are rumors that the school is haunted. Four roommates become friends and bond over this, then one mysteriously disappears. In 2014, Fiona Sheridan is obsessed with her older sister's death. Her body was found lying in the overgrown ruins near the school.  She believes that there was something nothing quite right with the case, even though there was an arrest and conviction for the death.  She then learns that it is being restored and decides to do a story about it. A shocking discovery is made during the renovations and all hell breaks loose. 

I've read books by St. James before and I haven't been disappointed yet, and this book adds to that track record. There was a lot of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, not to mention a boarding school. It literally was exactly what I was looking for. St. James does a masterful job combining all of these and Fiona is written magnificently as a grieving sister who can't let it go. I enjoyed the 1950's charact ers and scenes much more so than the "present day." I also loved the spooky and paranormal element to this story as well.  This chilling aspect was the best part of the book in my opinion. 

Definitely a must read. Especially at this time of year. 

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good week. I saw the orthopedist for my ankle and he seems to think it might be a stress fracture.  I need to g et an MRI done to make sure that nothing else is going on. Today we have a crew regatta!!

• How apple cider vinegar cured everything until it didn't.
• Can oranges help with cognition?
• thThe 2025 National Book Award shortlists are here. 
• Five best literary love stories. 
• Here's what stresses you out the most, based upon the zodiac sign. 
• Th e 2025 British Academy book prize nominations.
• The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is announced.
• It's crockpot season so here are some ideas.
• 8 facts about Salem's Lot for its 50th anniversary.
• Halloween read a thons to get you in the mood for the spooky season.
• Best new true crime reads from 2025.
• Celebrity book club picks for October.
• Overnight oats v. chia pudding - which has more protein and fiber?
• The most searched Jane Austen books.
• Diane Keaton passed away.

I hope that everyone has a good week!

REVIEW: A Flower Travelled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland

 

I remember hearing about the abuelas in my Spanish classes so when I saw this book, I requested it from my library. This  book tells the story of the women  who spent years looking for answers regarding the disappearances of their children and for the whereabouts of their grandchildren. They spent decades piecing together evidence and clues regarding their whereabouts and to date, have found approximately 140 grandchildren.

The central figure in this narrative is Rosa Rosinblitt, who died at 106 by the way, whose daughter Patricia and son in law Jose became one of the disappeared in 1978. Gen. Jorge Videla and his junta targeted them for their role in a subversive group that had been protesting his very brutal regime. Gilliland weaves many other stories of many other families into the narrative and also provides us with a history of the coups and political climate when this was all going on. She does so in  a way that breaks down the extreme complexities of the climate in which the abuelas were operating in.  

The best parts of this book were the stories of the individual players involved in investigating the disappearances. I loved learning about them and their hopes and struggles in both finding family members and then reuniting. While I understand and appreciate the historical narrative and explanation of the political climate in Argentina, those parts were less interesting to me, although I learned a lot from them.  This is, also, very much a book filled with hope and, ultimately, finding joy in reunification in spite of a terribly horrific situation.  

Definitely a must read.

Links I love

 

Last weekend was supposed to be our first regatta but the conditions were very windy and rough and the boats were either flipping or taking on too much water so it was cancelled.  The kids were upset but understanding, given that safety is of paramount importance.  I have officially started watching scary movies, with Halloween (my fav scary movie from that era!). I'm in a walking boot on my right leg. About 15 years ago, I broke my ankle and on T u esday, it blew up and began to hurt in the front.  I have to see the orthopedist this week. 

1. 8 Aldi brands that are better than the name brands.
2. Maine's food pantries are dealing with a volunteer shortage.
3. The best historical crime novels.
4. 8 Halloween reading lists based upon vibes.
5. Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl.
6. There's a new Reading Rainbow host.
7. This type of walking is helpful.
8. 25 best picture books of the last 25 years.
9. Twenty years of Capote.
10. Notable novels of Fall 2025.
11. If you like short stories, this list is for you.
12. 8 bizarre deep sea creatures.
13. Archaeologists find both a medieval dungeon and roman burial ground under a market square.
14. China has new innovative bookstores.
15. 596 books banned by defense department schools.
16. 5 must read Appalachian non fiction books.
17. The best adventure novels of 2025.
18. Who decides what goes on bookstore shelves?
19. October is breast cancer awareness month. My mom is in remission from breast cancer, as is my aunt and former sister in law.  Check your boobies! This is what a lump feels like,
20. Can you match the book to the movie it inspired?

I am very behind in reviews - I have at least two that I will be working on in the upcoming week!  

Enjoy!