Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.
It's been kind of a light reading month, as I've spent most of my free time working on the launch of my new podcast, Blessed Are the Feminists. (Our third episode comes out today!) Hopefully now that we've gotten things rolling I can fit in some more reading time for this next month.
Severance by Ling Ma: This book seemed like it would be fascinating to analyze, but it was just meh to read, in my opinion. If you like deep, symbolic literary fiction, then this may be right up your alley. But if you're looking for something funny or action-packed or just internally coherent? I wouldn't recommend it.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: I mostly enjoyed this, and I think it's well done, but I was left with some questions and annoyances. I can see why it's popular, but it wasn't a favorite for me.
Guardians of the West by David Eddings: It's always a joy for me to be back with these characters. Overall, this is a solid start to this series. It has banter, mystery, and cleverness, which is what I look for from Eddings.
Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta L. Hammond: I can see why my organization has made it a priority to get our staff up to speed on Zaretta Hammond's work. This is a very strong guide to culturally responsive teaching that's grounded in extensive research and brain science. I would highly recommend it for all educators.
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez: This was a mostly positive mixed bag for me. I'm glad that this book exists, as it can be helpful to have a fictional narrative to break apart myths about a certain group of people. But if you already don't believe in those myths, and you just want a solid story, then I think this is fine but not terribly compelling.
How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook ed. by Stuart M. Matlins and Arthur J. Magida: This is actually a reference book, but I read it straight through because it's an interesting overview of all the major North American (US & Canada) religions/denominations. This would be a great starting point if you're ever invited to a service or special event by someone of another religion, or you could, like me, read it straight through to get an understanding of the diversity of beliefs and practices in the United States and Canada.
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Kindred, and House of Leaves
Five years ago I was reading: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Sister Citizen, and The Fire Next Time
Ten years ago I was reading: Sounder
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