Anxious People by Frederick Bachman

 I heard about this book from a person that I follow on TikTok actually, which is quite a random place to find book recommendations.  Fredrik Backman actually wrote A Man Called Ove, which I suspect is more well known here because there was a movie made about it.I haven't read that book, but now am interested.

This book is set in a small Swedish town a few days before New Year's Eve. A distraught parent, seeking to get rent money, attempts to rob a bank and fails miserably.  As the bank robber realizes that their options are slowly running out, the robber runs across the street to an apartment showing and unintentionally turns it into a hostage situation. There are eight people in the apartment and they interact with the bank robber and each other during the course of this mystery, most of which occurs in the apartment during the so-called hostage situation. There are two police officers involved in staking out the hostage situation while the investigators from Stockholm are on their way - Jim and Jack, father and son.

I loved this book. It deals with things like "Stockholm Syndrome" - where the hostages bond with their captor.  It also deals with the anxieties that all of us have, some of which really struck home for me in a way that I cried and laughed and cringed. Perhaps most importantly, it demonstrates the importance of empathy towards our fellow human beings. I loved this book and will be giving it another read. 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

This novel could not have come out at a more opportune time.  By the same author that wrote The Mothers, Brit Bennett hits it out of the park with this one. This novel spans at least three generations and takes on a whole of complicated topics: racial identity, bigotry, sexual identity, gender identity, passing.  Nothing is off topic here and it was amazing. 

The book spans a number of decades as well - from the 1940's to the 1990's -and follows Stella and Desiree Vignes.  Desiree and Stella are twins that were born and raised in Mallard, Louisiana, a town founded by their great grandfather, who wanted an oasis for light skinned black people like him. I think he conceived it as a place where he could be safe and successful; however, it doesn't help. The twins see their father beaten and lynched, their mother struggling in poverty and their own futures becoming more and more impoverished if they stay in Mallard. The twins, within the few pages, take off to New Orleans together, but then split apart - Desiree marries the darkest man she can find and Stella lives as a white woman. 

I absolutely loved this book and the issues that it took on. It's well written and kept me curious, not only about the characters, but about the issues that it presented - including issues of passing, racism, sexuality and class.  Highly recommended.

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

 How I didn't know about Jasmine Guillory before one of my badass co workers introduced me to her is absolutely beyond me.  To be completely up front, she graduated from my Alma Mater, in June of the year that I began (abeit I was there in September, she graduated in June prior to me beginning - I graduated in 2001 so we just missed each other). I'm so glad that I learned about her though.

In this novel, which is actually the second in the series (I read them out of order!), Nikole is a successful writer that we meet for the first time at Dodgers Stadium in LA. She's attending a baseball game with her boyfriend, Fisher (a hipster!) and his friends in honor of his birthday.  Fisher catches Nik completely by surprise by then proposing to her at the game, and the proposal is up on the Jumbotron as it's occurring. Nik says no for a few reasons - they had been dating for only five months and had never even discussed this route (Nik had no desire to marry Fisher). Nik declines and Fisher leaves very irately, while Nik is swarmed by cameras. Also in the stadium are Carlos, a doctor, and his sister Angela. Carlos and Angela, seeing Nik's distress, assist Nik in getting away from the cameras.

The book then details Nik's and Carlos' interactions with one another and each other's friends.  I enjoyed this book. I really liked Nik - she is someone that is very real and could be someone you meet anywhere. I liked Carlos too and both he and Nik were dealing with issues that were particularly realistic. The book itself moved quickly and was broken down into quick little snippets that made it easy to digest. I also loved that the characters were all so diverse. The friendships between the women were especially strong too - we need to see more of the women supporting women material that was encapsulated in these books instead of the insidious competition between women that seems to often jump out at us.

Loved this book.

Election Day 2020

 I have voted in every single election since I turned 18 in March of 1997.  My first Presidential Election was the ill-fated election of 2000 that gave us Bush v. Gore. I was a senior in college and cast my ballot as an absentee ballot.  I don't think that at the time, I thought that casting my vote in that way held as much weight as I gave my ballot today or subsequently.  Today's vote felt much heavier.  I arrived at my polling place fifteen minutes before the polls opened and the line to get into the polling place stretched around the very large building.  The turnout was astronomically large, but people were trying their hardest to socially distance while in line.  People were kind and respectful and said hello to their neighbors, friends and acquaintances.  

I was so happy at how orderly everything went. Once the polls opened, it was clear where I had to go to get my ballot and then cast my vote.  I knew how to fill my ballot out and knew where to place it.  The poll workers were informative, kind and professional.  I wasn't surprised by that. I was surprised by my reaction to actually filling out my ballot. I actually teared up.  I felt like it was momentous.  And like I was making history and an impact all at the same time. 

Still Here...

 I've been in a terrible reading slump and it's completely and utterly depressing the living hell out of me.  I've re-started the Outlander books - I'm on Snow and Ashes - and they're helping but it's so hard to just read right now.  

How have you managed?

Seeking Suggestions

 

So I have a lengthy TBR list - it seems like the moment that one comes off, there are like legit, three or four to take that completed book's spot.  I am, however, terrible at figuring out what books I should get my kids to read and so I'm going to respectfully ask everyone here!  A littel bit about my kids and what they like:

My son is 12 - he'll be 13 in December. He is currently tearing through Harry Potter everything - the movies, books, you name it. He liked The Hunger Games books, the Divergent Books, Ender's Game and the Scythe books.  He enjoys reading but isn't a particularly fast reader.

My daughter is a bit more tricky. She's 9 and it's more of a struggle to get her to read. Where my son will pick up books and read (he was reading in the car on the way to ziplining and camping, and at camping would often prefer to sit at camp and read), it's definitely a battle to get my daughter to read. She loves graphic novels best. She reads at grade level.

Of course I'd love to hear recs for me - but this is about getting suggestions for my son in daughter. That being said, I'm not going to discourage you from leaving three recs in your comments - one for each of us! 

Covid Positivity

 

In this day and age, it's so easy to think that 2020 has just been a kick in the balls. And in some ways, it absolutely has. We've had the Covid, killer hornets from outer space, asteroids, earthquakes and Joe Exotic (you're either Team Carol or a traitor). But there has honestly been some positivity here right? Right?! Who is with me?!

This weekend was, for me, one of those positive moments.  I took my children tenting for the first time on my own.  A few summers ago, we had rented an RV but this year, tenting seemed the better option for us. We stayed at The KOA Twin Mountain/Mt Washington on a tent site and it was wonderful (although I highly recommend bringing pads to sleep on otherwise you'll be in pain and also good instant coffee!).  While there, we visited below:

I took that picture of Echo Lake Beach in Franconia Notch State Park. The kids and I spent most of the afternoon there.  We love swimming and paddle boating here.  We also managed to visit Littleton, NH

where we visited the candy counter (shoutout to Chutters for keeping everyone safe during the visit!), got some coffee (for mom and blueberry lemonade for the kids) and stopped in the bookstore.  The weather was perfect and my son even taught me how to cook sausage and green peppers in aluminum foil on coals!  Sweet!  We're headed back in September for a weekend and the kids have requested to go back next year for a longer period of time.  I have a KOA membership, and we have talked about RV'ing/camping through the country next summer, so we may end up doing that. 

Another positive thing is that tenting normalizes my weird circadian rhythm of waking up at 5 as the light is starting to get gray and light.  The red squirrels were REALLY loud and chittery too.  We had one that regularly visited us and spent some time by our fire with us on Saturday night.  Also, reading! I finished a book on Ted Bundy (maybe not the best choice for reading on a camping trip but whatever). I will review it shortly.

Anyways, lots of positive things.  I'm looking for suggestions for things to do with the kids this weekend. I already have on the list: hike, beach (Rye or York), blueberry picking, biking.  The things must be outdoors and we must be able to socially distance or safely wear masks.

Thanks!