Book 11 Stay Gold

 

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith fulfilled the category “A Book about a Fresh Start” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. In this novel, Pony, a transgender boy, starts over at a new high school.

I will be honest. The title and the main character’s name were the reason I chose this novel. As you know, I go on and on about Jane Austen. But The Outsiders by SE Hinton was the story that started me writing at the tender age of eleven. I created gallons of fanfiction for that novel, and I might have some still in my hope chest. But Stay Gold is not a retelling of Ms. Hinton’s book. And I’m cool with that because this story caught me from the start.

Pony is a seventeen-year-old transgender boy who is tired of being the token LGBTQIA kid at his school. His family moves to a new town, and Pony tries to go stealth and pass as his chosen gender. He wants to keep his past a secret and not revealing the whole truth about himself. He meets a cheerleader, Georgia, on the first day, and sparks fly. Georgia has her own issues about being true to herself and thus we have conflict, attraction, teenage angst, and a sweet love story.

This book does a superb job giving insight into being transgender and the difficulties people face. Having Pony’s sections in first-person drove the point home even harder. These poor kids/people are struggling to be who they truly are, and the rest of the world is worried about which bathroom they use. Sigh. I loved that Pony struggled, not with his identity—he knew he was a male. Instead, he has a hard time advocating for the LGBTQIA community because it means exposing himself to public scrutiny. How many teens just wanna hide their real selves because of all the social media pressure? I felt for this boy and his struggle with so many things. It’s tough at that age not to fit into the categories of high school social life, but also, it’s hard to be the representative of a category.

That issue was something Georgia, the love interest, dealt with. She created her persona based on who she thought she should be. She was pretending to be something she wasn’t, hiding behind her pompoms. That is why the two clicked so well. Both kids were struggling with being their complete selves in public. It’s difficult at any age.

The only thing I did not like was the drug and alcohol use. It was casual, and no one (really) got into dangerous situations by using. (I won’t mention the end of the book where it was sort of an issue but not by the main characters… anyway…) But as a mom of teens, it bothered me. Yes, this depiction was probably realistic, or even a milder picture of what goes on. But I don’t want to think about my girls going to parties with alcohol freely flowing. I’ve always been stinky about drinking and drug use. I’m a nerd. What can I say?

Anyway, Stay Gold is a romance in the truest sense of the category. Two people must overcome their internal and external conflicts to find each other. Spoiler, the book has a happy ending.

I give Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith Five Sonic Strawberry Limeades.

 

Book 10 Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

 

 

Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron fulfilled the category “Free Book from my TBR list” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. This novel was gifted to me by my good friend, Rosemary. We are both passionate for all things Jane Austen, but I have some work to do to catch up with her.

A note before the review: I’m so sorry to do two Austen-esk books in a row. This was not planned. I intended to do the “Locked Door Mystery” prompt for this week. I diligently read through Nine Perfect Strangers. The title was on a Goodreads list for this type of mystery. Let me just say with much anger and disappointment, it is NOT a locked door mystery. Yes, there is a locked door, but there are no murders, no wondering “who done it,” no intrigue. Nine Perfect Strangers is another example of a mediocre best seller. The plot slogged, and the pacing was terrible. I was spitting angry after finishing a 400+ page book on Monday for Friday’s blog. Needless to say, I’ve been buried in Scargrave Manor all week.

I also considered this story for the “Something I’m Passionate About” category. It was a toss-up. I have so many free books from friends, family, and the library. And I’m passionate about books. So really, any book fits the “passionate” prompt.

Anyway…

Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor is a cozy mystery with Jane Austen herself staring as our amateur detective. The premise of these books is distant relatives of Austen found the manuscripts in a coal cellar, dusted them off, and edited them for sale. I know a little of Austen’s biography, and the book gels well with the bit I know. The writing style, word choice, and sequence of events all sound very authentic to my untrained ear. The author even included footnotes for the reader to explain some vocabulary, cultural items, and other information that Jane would know, but the reader might not. Even on audio, the footnotes were unobtrusive and helpful.

Stephanie Barron penned the title in 1995, but unlike other older books I’ve read recently (I’m looking at you, Elizabeth Peters and MC Beaton), the material holds up. Being a historical cozy mystery, we are completely in 1802-3 for the duration of the novel. And some of the sexism, misogyny, and racism of older books can be passed off as historical rather than anything cringey.

The style of the book sounded very Austen, and this is probably only the second retelling of her stories that I have truly liked. The author must have worked so hard to not only get the sound of Austen’s prose but the feel of her personal writing. That alone makes this a wonderful story.

But for all those other Austen fans out there—Cozy Mysteries with Jane herself! I can’t think of a better selling point. Rosemary was kind enough to give me five of the titles. So I have plenty of warm reading for the rest of this cold winter. (I promise this should be the last Austen on the blog, though…)

The only problem I had with the story was knowing there would not be a romance subplot. Jane never married and as far as we know, didn’t have another love interest after her refusal of marriage to Harris Biggs-Wither.

I give Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor Four Carriage Rides around Hyde Park.

 

Book 9 Pride

 

Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi fulfills the category “Book by a Muslim American Author” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. I took this title from Goodreads list, but I can’t seem to confirm if Ms. Zoboi is actually Muslim. I don’t care. I love this story and had it on my TBR list before I found it fit the prompt.

I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, and Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favorite book. I think I’ve mentioned it 645 times in this blog. I always have trouble with rewrites (and thus far have not attempted my own adaptation, though I have a great idea.) I loved the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure version but hated a contemporary Sense and Sensibility.

Pride is so very different. This time we are in Brooklyn, specifically Bushwick, with a Latino/Black family of five daughters. Our Bennetts are the Benitez family. Zuri is our Elizabeth with all the dry humor, loving sister, and modern teen-ness of the Austen work. Also, Mom is less obnoxious, as is Lydia (Layla). Enter the Darcys. The house across the street is purchased and renovated in a gentrification of the neighborhood. Two brothers move in with their parents—Darius and Ainsley. And they are handsome boys. The neighborhood buzzes with excitement, but Zuri isn’t having it.

I love how this book takes the prejudice of Zuri about newcomers and her pride in her neighborhood, friends, and family to show all the connections to the original work. Zuri is a stubborn, smart, ambitious girl. We root for her and her family from page one. As we all know from the original, Darius will be her humbling. I’m not sure this retelling emphasized it as much. And that’s okay. As it’s a modern take, we want the couple to be equals and compatible. We don’t want Zuri to submit. (Personally, the real Darcy went a long way to show the original Elizabeth his worth and break her pride.) Darius never seems to break Zuri’s pride in her neighborhood, family, or herself. I loved that about him.

As this was a shorter version of the story, some of my favorite scenes were kinda missing. I live for Darcy’s first proposal. That scene didn’t come off quite the same. But that’s just fine. The tale Ms. Zoboi wove adapted the situation perfectly. Also, some storylines were cut a bit. I would have liked to see more between Ainsley and Janae (the oldest sister). Bingley and Jane’s story always tugs at my heart. So, yes, a few elements were missing, but nothing was taken away. The novel was whole and complete.

I do think I need to grab the book on paper. (I listened on audio. The reader was amazing.) But Zuri is a poet. I’ve never been great with poetry, especially spoken poems. I need to see it and read it again and again until it sticks in my brain. I’ve always had a block about this form of literature. I feel like I missed some wonderful things by not experiencing Zuri’s poems in print.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I think it should be taught in schools as a companion to the original. Thank you so much to my good friend, Rosemary, for recommending it!

I give Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi Five Haiku Love Poems.

 

Book 8 I am Malala

  

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai fulfills the category “Book I Saw on Someone Else’s Bookshelf” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge.

I’ll be honest. I’m in a Facebook group for the PopSugar Challenge. A bunch of us posted pics of our bookshelves to help with this prompt. Most are still stuck in our homes and unable to check out other people’s shelves in person. Plus, I work at a library. I could’ve grabbed a random title from the New and Popular section. Anyway, the title legit was on another reader’s shelf. Thank you to my awesome Facebook group.

Let me say, I’m so glad I finally read this. I have a sixteen-year-old daughter and felt the message very hard. I also live in the United States in a liberal-minded state with a good job. My white privilege glowed around me as I read the compelling story. I was in awe of Malala’s journey, her perseverance, her stellar character. Here is a woman we can all look up to.

In case you haven’t read it, Malala is a young woman from the Swat Valley in Pakistan. In her own words, she describes the love for her country and her valley specifically. She talks about her family traditions and how her house is a little different. She discusses the importance of religion in her family and community. She also describes living with and the war with the Taliban in a perspective everyone needs to hear. Her family had to live with the terror of war, suppression, and religious persecution for years. All the while, Malala and her father fought for education, specifically for girls and women. At sixteen, she stood up for what she felt was a right—education and the Taliban shot her. They claimed their reason was her siding with the US, but we all know it was about the suppression of women.

I loved the book for many reasons. One aspect that helped me was Malala’s description of her religion. I’m not a religious person and don’t know very many of the Muslim faith. The book gave me a good education about Islam, not in dogma or ceremony, but in its people. I learned so much about their religion—how it touched their lives and what happened when one group twisted the words of the Koran to their own purposes. It sounded like some aspects of Evangelical Christianity in the US. The more I read, the more I understood, the more questions I had. Learning about other cultures and religions can only help us understand and love each other better.

The book scared me too. I kept placing my daughters in Malala’s position. Would I have let them continue to speak publicly if someone threatened their lives? Her family was so brave to stand up. If only more people who are suppressed could be that brave… Wait, no, if only people of wealth and privilege could be more helpful… I was so glad (not a spoiler) that when she was shot, the world responded and helped get her the medical attention she needed. Now she can continue to be a living symbol of freedom. If only the world could do this for every child in a war-torn country… We have work to do, people.

I give I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai Five More Peace Prizes and hope that she can continue to be a light in our world.

Book 7 You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey

 

You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar fulfilled the category “Book Found on a Black Lives Matter Reading List” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. I read the book before I located a list for it. With its title and subject, I knew it would be on someone’s list. A quick Google search led me to Subterranean Books in St. Louis, MO. They had a fantastic list of BLM books, and you can purchase it right there.

My husband and I recently discovered Amber Ruffin. We are not TV watchers and get most of our videos from Facebook, Twitter, and Google. Not to mention shares from friends and families. An old friend from high school shared a few vids from Ms. Ruffin’s show and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Hubby bought the audiobook read by both Ms. Ruffin and her sister, Lacey Lamar. Well, I had to get my own copy to hear these stories. And wow, was I ignorant of the blatant racism in the US.

I’m from the East Coast and have liberal values. The Black Lives Matter Movement has opened my eyes to the reality of living in this country if you are a person of color. Through conversations with my husband, children, friends, and coworkers, I’ve learned so much about my own internal bias. I’m working hard to be a better person. I’m listening, asking questions, reading books, and watching films to help me better understand the problem and be a part of the solution.

That being said, wow, did this book open my eyes even more. Because the authors use humor to tell their stories, it makes it easier for non-POC to read and understand. I listened to the book. Ms. Ruffin narrated most of it, but Ms. Lamar checked in a few times. It made the point of the book more penetrating. Ms. Lamar faces ignorant ideas, conversations, and people every day.

Every day.

Can you imagine working, living somewhere where most of the population doesn’t see your value as a human being? I can’t. And I need to get uncomfortable with the idea that people all around me are struggling with systematic racism every single day. I need to ensure I’m not a part of it.

The book is very effective in presenting its message. The stories were entertaining with the undercut of “this really happened and it’s not so funny.” Any reader will take away much food for thought from this title. It’s a good “gateway” book if you aren’t ready to read titles such as White Fragility or So You Want to Talk about Race. (Also excellent books to get your head around the problems we have in this country.)

I give You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar Five Rounds of Applause and 5 Deep Bows for writing such an amazingly fun book about a tough topic.

 

 

 

Book 6 Binti

 

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor fulfills the category “An Afrofuturistic Book” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. The novella, part of a trilogy, begins (probably) in Namibia and moves into space. Binti’s African culture and traditions are fundamental to the story.

Wow, what did I just read? Binti reminded me of the Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer, which left me with as many questions as answers. I have no idea what happened in this book, but I liked it! My husband is a hard sci-fi fan (which means he likes the “this could actually happen because it’s based on real science”). As soon as I finished Binti, I handed it over to him. He finished the series.

Binti takes place in the future. The earth has changed, aliens have made contact, and science has progressed in huge leaps and bounds. The world is not as we recognize it. Ms. Okorafor doesn’t take the time to explain it all to it. It just is. I love a narrative like that. Forget the back story and jump into the actual plot. Let the reader put the pieces together themselves. To be honest, I couldn’t quite do it. I need to reread this one before I move on to the next. There was some serious math in there!

Also, the technology is not really explained, but I don’t think it’s necessary. It just is. Instead, Ms. Okorafor concentrated on the culture, which was essential to the story. Binti’s culture seems based on the Himba culture from Namibia. In Binti’s time, tribalism still marks her every day. Her tribe is famous for its technological skill and ability to use math to basically do magic with technology. (It may not be magic to mathematicians, but I am not one.) At the same time, her tribe adheres to very traditional values. They do not leave home, and they use a ceremonial mixture of the clay from their desert to coat their skin, an otjize. Binti breaks all tradition and enrolls in a university in outer space. But she takes with her the otjize that is an essential part of her culture and identity. It saves her life.

I won’t spoil this amazing book but will hint at its themes. The blending of the old and the new is central to the tale. The author seems to tell us to embrace new adventure, opportunities, and technology, but never forget who we are and where we come from. In this modern age, I think the lesson is essential for all of us. Too many people get bogged down with the “That’s not the way we did X in my day.” And kids dismiss their parents’ and grandparents’ traditions and culture. (Which is normal, they are kids.) But in her late teens, Binti shows us we can blend the two—the old, the new—and be smarter for it. You never know what will be critical information in a dire situation.

Enough hints! Go read this book. We can read Book 2—Binti Home together.

I give Binti by Nnedi Okorafor Five Jars of Otjize.