Girl in Pieces - Kathleen Glasgow

Review by Coll
4 Stars

So our first review after a very long hiatus and I decide to do an incredibly difficult book to write about, so this should be fun. Honestly, I chose Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow on a whim. I had not been in the best of moods and the title just called out to me when I saw it, so I chose it. I knew nothing about the plot, and therefore nothing about the emotional, and personal, whiplash I was in for.

There is no sugar-coating what this book is about; it tells the story of Charlotte “Charlie” Davis, a teenage girl who cuts herself. The book starts off rather abruptly with her in a home for girls, where she has been placed after being found on the streets, homeless, near destroyed and mutilated by her own hands. In the opening pages I found myself a little clueless as to what was happening but all the pieces fall into place rather quickly. Not to mention the main character also seems a little lost at first so I felt it put me on a more intimate level with her. We quickly learn of the troubled life Charlie has led and follow her through her time at the home and her time after release, with many flashbacks to her old life.

Now there is nothing easy about taking in a story about someone who self-harms. If you have harmed yourself in the past it stirs up so many mixed emotions in you, and if you are someone who had never self-harmed it just seems hard to stomach, I would assume. To be completely candid, I used to self-harm. There is no shame in admitting it but there is also no glorifying it, and I felt this book showed the reality of what it is like quite well. I have read other reviews on it where it is said to be too extreme or that there are too many issues going on at once and I have to beg to differ with that. I felt the story could have been very real and I am sure it is for some girls. I also think it gives a good glimpse into the mind of a girl who thinks she needs to go to such extremes just to handle existing.

Girl in Pieces reads similarly to a series of diary entries with flashbacks strewn throughout. The chapters are short, for the most part, and it is a writing style that does take a little getting used to, but I noticed that after a few chapters it flowed without a problem for me. The only thing I took occasional issue with was that the writing could be a little too poetic at times. For example: “My eyes are fierce with water…” This happens from time to time and it can be a little overly done at points but I feel like those moments did not take away from the reading experience. Also what teenager didn’t think in such dramatic and poetic ways at times? It kind of comes with being a teenager, especially an artistic one like Charlie.

Numerous characters are thrown into this book, both weak and strong, and they are all rather compelling in terms of their issues and the impact they have on themselves and one another. They show how troubled people will feed off one another for help and comfort but too often in the wrong way, where they enable and destroy each other. I think Glasgow also did a great job of showing how some of the bonds we form with people over our flaws become the strongest and most needed friendships. She shows that instead of flaws being a negative, some positive can come out of them, although not without pain.

Girl in Pieces, to me, is a book that should be read. And I don’t just mean read by people who can relate to it but also by those who can’t relate and could never understand the idea of harming oneself. It provides and eye-opening clarity and a painful truth of what really goes on in some people’s lives. I am not going to lie, it is not an easy book to get through and it is not a light read. I even found myself having to walk away from it several times. I don’t mean that in a bad way either. It was just so real and vivid at times that I needed to take a step back to absorb everything before going back. In the end I really loved the book. It never once got slow or boring and the main character was someone I really felt for and I found myself incredibly concerned with her story and the outcome of it all. Girl in Pieces in a break from the YA books we automatically think of and provides a dose of pain, reality, and redemption that is so sorely needed sometimes.

“Everyone has that moment, I think, the moment when something so…momentous happens that it rips your very being into small pieces. And then you have to stop. For a long time, you gather your pieces. And it takes such a very long time, not to fit them back together, but to assemble them in a new way, not necessarily a better way. More, a way you can live with until you know for certain that this piece should go there, and that one there.”

Interested in Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow? Check it out on Goodreads. 

Non-fiction November Wrapup

Non-fiction November is a project run by Olive and Gemma on BookTube (the bookish part of YouTube), and I heard about it via Jen Campbell’s channel. Here is the Goodreads page for the project: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/174090-nonfiction-november-2016

This is the first year I decided to participate. I don’t read much non-fiction, maybe one every couple months, but I decided to make a conscious effort to pick up a couple more. I did unexpectedly well! I started six non-fiction books in November. Confession time, I finished two of those in the first days of December but the Non-fiction November and December wrap-up sounded too bulky. Anywhoodle, mere details. It’s the thought that counts, yada yada yada. 

The first book I picked up was Code Talker by Chester Nez and Judith Schiess Avila. Chester Nez was one of the original Navajo code talkers, and creators, of the only unbroken code of modern warfare. One of the reasons for this was because the Navajo language – on which the code was based – was largely unwritten, so there wouldn’t have been an easy way to deconstruct the secret language. The memoir chronicles Chester Nez’s childhood and his years as a Marine. It’s fascinating, and reads like a thriller novel; mainly because my education didn’t focus heavily on the battles in Asia. I gave this memoir 4 stars. It’s accessible and not overly wordy. The book deals with war, loss of life, and racism, so it’s not exactly an easy read, but certainly a valuable one.

Then I read one of my favourite books of the year - Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. You may have heard of this because there is also a film coming out in January. I first heard about this just as the trailer came out and I promptly ordered the book. It seemed important to read the book first in this case. It’s about the African-American women that were working in NACA/NASA, and have largely gone unnoticed in the mainstream coverage of the development of NASA and the space race. It is a beautiful book that follows a few of the women working in NASA after World War II and during the Space Race. They had to work themselves up without the same privileges as others, battling not just gender but also racial inequality. It’s harrowing but wonderful, and deftly deals with the absolutely infuriating casual racism that was running rampant in that era (prisoners of war were served in bars, but not African-American soldiers that fought in the wars). My top non-fiction book of the year.

Then I decided to delve into a celebrity memoir. Is It Just Me? is written by Miranda Hart, who you may know from her TV show Miranda or then Call the Midwife. In this fun book she is in an imaginary dialogue with her younger self, and in doing so offers useful information on, well, adulating in general. It had some great insights and I laughed out loud a lot. It’s a solid three star book – I liked it, but it wasn’t spectacular.

This was followed by a slim adult picture book Lost in Translation. This one shows us 25 untranslatable words from different languages. This is almost a must-read and no doubt a fascinating read for all people who are interested in linguistics, translation, or pretty pictures combined with words ;-). It would also make a great present.

The two books I started in November but finished in December are Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. Both were excellent reads. I have forgotten seemingly everything from my high school chemistry and physics lessons, and the Rovelli book was a great refresher. The lessons are brief and meant for the layperson, so they are never too difficult or a trudge to read.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson is another memoir. Ms Woodson chronicles her childhood, moving between her life in Ohio, the South, and New York City. It’s beautiful and hard-hitting, and written in absolutely beautiful verse. I cried, I chuckled, and read bits of it out loud. Often.  I would recommend this to aspiring writers, I’m sure they will find a lot to relate to.

And that's it. The main take-away was how much fun I had, and I've found myself paying more attention to non-fiction. I can't wait to continue my adventures in space-related non-fic, for instance. Plus, the Read Harder 2017 challenge is soon upon us and that always helps to expand my reading horizons.

Last Minute [Bookish] Gift Guide - 2016

When talking about holidays or events that include gift-giving, there are two types of people. The ones who are well-organised and have everything purchased, wrapped, and mailed a proper time in advance. Then there are people who discover days before Christmas that they haven’t managed to buy one present. Of course, I am being overly dramatic since there are shops open almost throughout Christmas – at least in my part of the world – but let’s admit it, most of us get our gifts online. Thus, we are dependent on lengthier delivery times that come hand in hand with every holiday. So here’s a handy Last Minute Gift Guide for your bookishly inclined friend, family member or partner.

Tiina
In addition to bookish items – tote bags, jewellery, cute mugs, stationary – nothing beats a good old personalised reading recommendation in the form of a book. Here are five from me that should work for even the fussiest of readers. OK, that’s a lie. Some of these books expect you to get out of your comfort zone, but I promise you it’ll be worth it. Here goes.

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. This is a contemporary LGBTQ+ romance. Maybe it’s not your thing usually, but if you like sweet and adorable YA books that strike a great balance between important issues and romance, then this is for you. Just read it. I was clutching this book to my chest for an hour after I finished it. I still think of it. Also includes letters if epistolary stuff is your jam. Warning: might induce a book hangover.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Yes, it’s a non-fiction. Yes, it’s very science and literally follows mathematicians working for NASA, but it is absolutely fascinating. You get social injustice, you get science, and you get female empowerment. Triple whammy right there. There’s also a film coming out so whoever receives this book is likely to read it right away. If you want to gift someone a non-fiction book but think this is too intimidating, then Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli is a great starting point to science-related non-fiction. It’s all in the title.

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera. This is literary translated fiction. Do you think it sounds like something that’s a bit of a trudge and difficult to get into? Alas, you would be wrong. This is a slim, almost novella-length, immigration narrative. It is not gut-wrenching, but it deals with injustice and prejudice in a way that’s not likely to make you want to throw the book across the room. The language is smooth and flows absolutely beautifully. Definitely one of the most effortless translations I’ve ever read.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. This memoir is written in verse and an excellent choice for someone who wants a quickish read, but is afraid of poetry. Most poems are accessible and even the most surface-level reading is a powerful experience. This works well for younger readers too. Definitely one of my top reads of the year.

Now something for the comic book lover in your life. Bitch Planet (only one volume out so far) is one of the best feminist reads of the year for me. This sci-fi romp imagines a future where non-conforming women – who are, for example, out-spoken, non-heteronormative, overweight, not conventionally attractive - are sent to a different planet. Want to guess the name of it? ;-) This should be a great read for anyone whose sensibilities aren’t too easily offended.

Coll
For me a good book is one of the best gifts I could receive, no matter what the occasion. I am pretty sure everyone has a book lover in their life and showing them you understand their affinity (obsession) towards books will definitely put a smile on their face. So here are five books that have really stuck with me that I think almost any bibliophile would enjoy. 

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and  Jay Kristoff pretty much blew my mind and is in my top three books I have read this year (it is actually still holding onto the #1 spot). It is science fiction but not the type that would appeal to just sci-fi fans. It is also YA (but not your ordinary YA), which opens it up to a much broader group of readers. The story is amazing and keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat the entire time. Not to mention the phenomenal concept, execution, format, and structure of the entire novel, which adds a whole new level to the story. I feel this book would appeal to most readers and provides a unique and unforgettable reading experience. 

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield is a must-read book, as far as I am concerned. Okay yes, it is a non-fiction book about space but it is so much more than just that. It is written in a way that any person can easily understand and relate to, whether they know about space or not. Also it is so much more than just a memoir of an astronaut. This book will make you look at the world around you and your life completely differently and will give you a new understanding and appreciation of everything around you, even the things you cannot see. 

His Dark Materials Omnibus (His Dark materials #1-3) by Phillip Pullman. Now I say the entire omnibus because it is a series that a person will want to read in one shot, all three books back to back. This is a YA fantasy novel but definitely not your typical one. It is incredibly beautiful, both in story and writing, yet also dark at times with a rather heavy underlying theme. This is one of those series that will stay with a person forever, a world you will miss being in, and characters who will always live in your heart.

11/22/63 by Stephen King is high up there on my loved books list and I do not personally know anyone who has read it and didn’t like it. Put out of your mind the usual thoughts you have of Stephen King and his writing, because this is a rather atypical book for him. It is not horror, first of all. I guess you could say it is a sort of alternate reality historical fiction time travel thriller. (That is a genre, right?) This is a book you could read multiple times and always catch something that you missed in a previous reading. 11/22/63 is a novel I feel you need to own in hard copy when you read it and it is one that you will go back and read many times. It also gives readers a new glimpse into the mind and talents of King.

For my final recommendations I am following in Tiina’s footsteps and going with a graphic novel, V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. Everyone knows this movie, but not everyone knows the book and I think they need to. Now I know not all readers are into graphics, but with V I feel like the fact it is a graphic does not even matter. The language is amazing and it is so well-written, not to mention incredibly intense and poignant. Also it is heavy on the word count for a graphic novel, which is something I really liked about it. I feel this is a book that could be for anyone. 

We would like to give one more recommendation gift for the book lover in your life, the Knock Knock Personal Library Kit. This kit comes with pockets that adhere to the inside back of the book, checkout cards, date stamp, ink pad, and pencil. Not only will this take you back to the old school days of checking books out from the library, but it also is a unique way to keep track of books to lend out and a way to make a book collection like a real library. 

#FridayReads - October 7

Colleen

Wait, how is it the weekends again already? I must have lost a few days somewhere. Ah well. With the approach of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) I am starting to slow my roll with reading so I have some time to brainstorm ideas for November. Not too much though, because I still need to finish off Read Harder 2016. Okay Colleen, get on with it. This weekend I will be starting Dawn (Xenogenesis, #1) by Octavia E. Butler, which will cover the challenge for “first book in a series by an author of color”. This science fiction/post-apocalyptic story takes place 100 years after Earth has been consumed by fire as the result of the final war on the planet. There is way more to it than that but I do not want to give away too much. I am incredibly excited to read it though.  This weekend I also plan on finishing up P.S. I Like You by Kasie West. This YA book is incredibly adorable (ah yes, my crush on YA lit) and the main character is someone my high school self can relate to so much. This story is about a girl who writes lyrics on her chemistry desk and the next day finds that someone has continued them; she then starts exchanging notes with this anonymous pen-pal. It is a quick read and not complicated but it is highly enjoyable. I also want to start on a few books about writing over the next few weeks, sort of a motivation for November. So this weekend I will probably start on No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty. This book is basically a pep talk on writing a book in a month and includes little techniques and ideas to help with the writing process. Sorry, that last one was more nerdy than exciting but I am kind of nerdy so there you go. ;-)

Tiina

My plans for the weekend? Threefold. One audiobook that’ll count for my food memoir prompt for the Read Harder challenge. Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good is a slow-moving, yet fun!, memoir about a Midwestern family and their adventures in food. The author of the book is recounting her own and her parents’ memories of growing up on a farm. I listen to it in the kitchen while cooking, and It’s great. Bonus? If I get hungry, I can eat right away. The second book I will be reading, and hoooooopefully finishing, is The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. Yes, I know, it was in my FR last week. In fact, it’s been on my currently reading list for 3 weeks now. I’m finally going to make myself get out of this silly slump and read it. I really am enjoying it when I do pick it up, but lately I just don’t reach for any of my books. And then, to make things interesting, I’m also planning on starting a review book that’s about an unnamed midwife in a dystopian society. The title is The Book of the Unnamed Midwife. I wasn’t even trying to be funny there. Anywhoodle, dystopians are not necessary my jam, but I love medical stuff so hopefully I’ll enjoy this particular novel. That’s it. Three’s enough, considering I’ll have out of town guests the whole weekend. Wish me luck!

#FridayReads - September 30, 2016

Tiina

Every time I write the Friday Reads – even though several weeks have passed - it always feels like time has flown by and it’s been two days at the most. Time moves way too fast. I also know I say the same thing every time. Anyway, now on to my reading plans. They are not going to be majestic. I think my main aim today is to finish off the last 90 pages of The Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt. This is a Western that features, you guessed it, the Sisters brothers, or brothers Sisters as I mistakenly call them all the time. They are mercenaries and the novel follows their journey from Oregon City to California; it’s violent, and filled with random sidequests. I’m not sure I fully understand it but at the same time it’s a fun read, somehow. What else? I’m in a bit of a slump after my holiday so I don’t know if I’ll continue with The Wrath and the Dawn that I started last Monday, or just pick up something else. Maybe a new adult novel? Elle Kennedy’s The Goal in the Off-Campus series is a definite contender. Books that read fast and are entertaining at the same time are good for when you need to get yourself out of a slump. Also, I have been highly anticipating it since I read the third over a month ago. I really can’t wait to conclude the series. I’m heading on a trip to Amsterdam on Sunday and may only make a dent in my audiobook (Samantha Young’s The One Real Thing) as opposed to reading physical books, but as we’re going into a long weekend, I may find some more reading time on Monday, as well. You deserve a gold star for reading that long sentence. In short, the reading slump has taken over so I don’t really know my mood yet. That’s it. This was rambly, but that’s me. What about you? What are you reading?

Coll

Well this will be a rainy and blah weekend in here in New York City so I will be spending plenty of time indoors reading. Part of me wishes for warm and sunny weather, but then a bigger part of me is happy for the blah weather so I can be lazy all weekend and just read, drink wine, and play video games. I started Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy on Monday so I will be continuing with that. It is not an easy read, which I don’t mind, and it is written in a very unique way which I find myself really drawn into. I can’t wait to get further into it and see where it goes. I am also working on Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. I have had this book for a while now and it is one of the King books I have actually not read yet. It contains two stories and is not so much scary and it is creepy and disturbing and I am obviously enjoying every second of it. To me it is perfect bedtime reading (Tiina would beg to differ). I am also still working on Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn for the Emma Watson book club, which I spoke about last week. Then I am hoping to start two new ones this weekend, both for Read Harder 2016 challenges. The first is Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai (East Asian author challenge), which is about a young girl who must relocate to America as a result of the Vietnam War. It is actually written in verse, which really intrigues me. Annnnnd, the final book I will mention is My Year Without Meat by Richard Cornish (for the food memoir challenge). It is about a man who was so in love with eating meat and decides to reevaluate his food lifestyle and how obsessed with meat he was by becoming vegetarian for a year. Being a vegetarian (and a person who was never in their life a big fan of meat) I am really interested to see what it was like for a meat lover to go to the extreme and turn vegetarian for a year. Whew, that is it for this #FridayReads I guess. Looks like Tiina and I have some big plans, now let us see if we follow through with them. ;-)

Happy weekend and happy reading everyone!

September BOTM Review - The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo - Amy Schumer

Review by Coll
5 Stars

So I have never been big into stand-up comedy (or comedy in general) and it is rare that I find a comedian I really like a lot. I could probably count how many comedians I am a “fan of” on one hand. Amy Schumer happens to be one of them. So when I saw her book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, was being offered for the September Book of the Month I had to choose it. It has been on my TBR since it came out and this seemed like a sign to me that the timing was right to read it. I am so damn happy I did. Memoirs are not the easiest thing to review, so this may be quite short, but there were a few things I felt I should say about this book.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo is a memoir, but with a whole lot more mixed in. Add comedy, drama, sex, feminism, sarcasm, and a boatload of scathing honesty and there you have it. I don’t want to gush about Amy, but I just want to quickly explain what drew me to her in the first place. It is not just that I think she is hilarious, but I love what she stands for too. She is a strong-ass woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. She doesn’t let all the trolls destroy her and she doesn’t try to change herself to be more “acceptable”. And honestly, I believe she is 100% acceptable as is. If you didn’t know those things about her already, you will definitely learn them while reading this book.

Going into this book I knew it would be funny and I knew it would be brutally and wonderfully honest. What I did not know what how much soul, emotion, and heartbreak there would be in it. Amy is completely up-front with so many things that she has been through, things that I never even thought she had experienced. She comes off so perfectly flawed and I loved knowing that she was just like anyone else in the world and not afraid to show it. I also praise her so much for her honesty in this book and how she did not hold back one damn thing, no matter who it would piss off. She talked about her childhood, her parents, her start in comedy, her love life, and so much more and never once tried to make herself seem like some flawless celebrity on a pedestal. It was amazing.

One thing I really appreciated in this book was that even when she spoke about some very heavy things from her life, she always lightened it up with some humor. She would add something mocking or funny in parentheses and she would include sporadic lists throughout the book that always made me laugh. Admittedly, sometimes the parentheses remarks seemed a little forced, but more often than not I enjoyed them. My favorite chapters were ones where she would include a diary entry from when she was young and include footnotes with remark to her younger self. (This made me wish I had kept my journals from when I was younger to do the same thing.) She also includes pictures throughout the book, as all memoirs do, and they are a great mix of perfectly composed photos and completely hilarious and “unflattering” photos. We all need to admit that one of the best things about memoirs are the pictures and we always enjoy it more when some of them are just a hot mess. ;-)

If you are a fan of Amy you need to read this book. If you are not a fan and don’t know much about her but are interested, then I also recommend you read this book. I found it refreshing to hear a celebrity talk about their downfalls, mistakes, and not hold back anything because it made it much more personal and real. I felt like I got to know Amy Schumer through this book and that if I met her I would feel like I had known her for years. When it comes down to it, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo made me not only love Amy Schumer more, but it also made me love myself more, and for that I thank her. I know that might sound weird, but if you read the book you will get it. Oh and yes, she really does have that lower back tattoo. ;-)

Interested in The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo? Check it out on Goodreads.

#FridayReads - September 16, 2016

Tiina
I'm going to jump right in and get to the books I'm reading. I'm on holiday right now, but weirdly, have had very little time to actually read. Mainly because I get car sick easily so reading in moving vehicles is out for me. I know you wanted to know. However, tomorrow I should have some leisure time so my main aims are to read a bit more of Heather Demetrios' I'll Meet You There, and then start MR Carey's The Girl With All the Gifts. I have already started the first, but it's slow-going for some reason. The writing's beautiful, but it deals with tough issues so it's not all sunshine and games. If I do well with these then I'm looking forward to Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn. Or maybe something else, considering I bought 8 books to a 2-week holiday means I have plenty to choose from. I've only finished 3, to put things into perspective. What about you? Is anyone else enjoying the last summer weekend before autumn starts? Maybe wishing for a readathon to do some binge-reading? I know I am. Watch this space for more news ;-).

Coll
Well seeing as today I will come to the end of three books I am reading, it will be a weekend of new books for me! First will be one of the September books from the Book of the Month Club, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer. Needless to say I am super excited to read this one and cannot wait to start it. I will also be starting on the September/October book for the Emma Watson Goodreads group, Our Shared Shelf. The book is Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It is about the oppression of women and girls in the developing world, focusing on those in Africa and Asia. It also sheds light on what some women in the world have to go through, how terribly oppressed women are, and points out how a huge part of world progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. I feel like I since I am reading two non-fiction, one of which is rather “heavy” (to quote Marty McFly), I feel like I need something a little lighter and more fantastical. So I think I will start the next book in the Expanse Series (yes I am still working on that but in my defense these books are massive) Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey. Shit is getting real in the universe and Holden and his crew keep getting deeper and deeper into this new and ongoing threat, the protomolecule. This book continues on with their story, a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, politics, and horror. So basically this book is a bunch more awesome. :-)