Joanne’s Comments

Joanne’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Note: Joanne is not currently a member of this group.

Finished


Read: 7/12
Pages: 280
Rating: **

Blegh. I read this for a challenge which asked us to read a book with an average rating below 3.00 and this one was the only one on my list. I guess I should be happy its off my TBR at least.

Finished:


Date: 7/11
Pages: 448
Rating 3 stars
Review: Did not like not knowing what was real and what wasn't. Can't imagine going through life not sure like this.

Finished:

The Story of My Life
Date: 7/07
Pages: 240
Rating: 3 stars

Finished:


Read: 7/06
Pages: 608
Rating: 5 STARS!!!

All the stars for this book. I even carried the heavy hardcover around with me on the bus and to work because I couldn't bear the thought of having to read a different book instead.

Crista726 wrote: "I have added many books to my to read list based on all of your book reviews. Some of the books I wouldnt have given a second glance if it wasn't for your positive reviews. Here's a tough question ..."

I kept meaning to answer this question but I kept forgetting.
My top 3 series at the moment are: (linked the first book in each series)
In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad series) by Tana French
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels series) by Ilona Andrews
Naked in Death (In Death series) by JD Robb

Sandy wrote: "Completion
Thirteen Reasons Why
352 pages
7/4/17
★★★★

Wanted to re-read this after watching the Netflix series. I changed my rating from 3 to 4 stars. I don't say this often, but I..."

Nice! I was told I should watch this series. I rated the book 5 stars.

Complete

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Finished: 07/03
Pages: 322
Rating: ****

This wasn't even on my TBR, I read it for a challenge, but I enjoyed it. I'm not usually one for fairy tales but it was a pretty quick read.

Complete

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertelli
Finished: 6/28
Pages: 336
Rating: ***

Definitely not quite as good as her first book, Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda, but I'm still glad I read it.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, etc
Finished: 7/01
Pages: 512
Rating: ****

I had no idea this was such a strange book, but I liked it. I had to read up on the history, so I could get a background on who Edward and Jane were.

The Bollywood Bride by Sonali Dev
Finished: 07/02
Pages: 352
Rating: ***

I was really missing the lightheartedness of the first book in the series with this one. I had heard the author say that the series gets darker as it goes on, so I guess that's to be expected. I'm nervous about reading the next one because I read the description and it looks like a character I liked in this book is murdered in the next book.

Finished:

Book:
Read: 6/26
Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 189

This is such an inventive series. Can't wait until the next one comes out next year. They're so short I'll probably reread the first 2. I've read this author's work as Mira Grant and really liked it but it's my first as Seanan McGuire.

It's hard to read at times. I could have probably finished in a day if I didn't have to keep putting it down after difficult parts.

Finished:


Read: 6/26
Pages: 444
Rating 5 stars

I kind of want to lower all my previously-rated 5-star books to 4 stars, so this one can stand alone at the top! Amazing read.

Participated in discussion here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Finished:


Read: 6/24
Pages: 256
Rating: 3 stars

This was well-written and I liked the format of one chapter for every one of Hattie's children, although I would have liked more tie-in between the chapters.

Chapters 15-19

18. Do you have a favourite character? I love Starr's parents and Uncle. One of my favourite lines from her Momma is:
"Seven's not a mistake, I love him to death, but Maverick made a mistake in his actions.

I really like Maverick

19. Did you think it was a good idea for Starr to be interviewed on TV? Between that and the family hiding DeVante do you think the King will do more than just threaten them?

It's dangerous but necessary. Nothing will ever change if people are afraid to speak up, which is what King wants.

20. So exciting that her Momma got a promotion. Have you ever been successful for a job you REALLY wanted?

I am really happy to be in my current job

21. Here we go. The Grand Jury. What do you think the outcome will be? What should it be?

Even if it doesn't lead to a conviction or job loss for the officer, I hope some serious training and changes are made to the police force.

Day 4 Questions, Ch. 12 -14

13. How would you react to seeing a tank in your neighborhood? How do you react when you see those scenes on TV? Is your reaction different if the scenes come from another country versus coming from your own country?

I can't imagine seeing a tank in a non warzone like my neighbourhood and it would feel horrible that this basically says that those inside the tank see you as the enemy they need to protect themselves from. I'm ashamed to think that it feels more "normal to see this happen in other countries.

14. What do you think of DeVante now that you know he was hiding the truth from the Carters? What do you think of his reasons for doing so?

I figured he had a complicated story and I feel for him and the other young people in the community who feel like joining a gang is the answer, but I wish he had told Mav the whole story.

15. What did you think of Starr’s dad’s and DeVante’s reaction to her revelation that Chris was her boyfriend? Do you think they are justified in their negative response?

I'm not too surprised. There is still surprise and shock and even disapproval a lot of times unfortunately when it comes to interracial couples.

16. There was an explosive argument between Starr and Hailey. Do you think Hailey is truly racist, or just says racist things? What do you think of Starr and Maya’s moment of bonding over minority status?

I think it's possible that there are a lot of casual racist comments thrown out in Hailey's family. She's just a kid still and in this type of situation, you sometimes internalize these opinions and think that you are not really racist, while believing racist things. It's similar to people who "don't see colour" or think we are "past" racism, allowing them to not have to think about and explore the problems that are still out there.

17. If you were in Uncle Carlos’s shoes, would you have punched One-Fifteen? It may cost him a job he loves, but he doesn’t seem to regret it.

Well I've never punched anyone in my life, so I can't see myself doing so, but I would be very upset, and if I could use my position to bring attention to what really happened I would.

Day 3 Discussion Questions (Chapters 9-11):

9. As Starr and her family huddle around the TV after hearing gun shots the night of Khalil's funeral, they watch news. The news anchor speaks of "multiple reports that a gun was found in the car" and the fact that "there was also suspicion that the victim was a drug dealer as well as a gang member". This comes after the police chief gave a statement stating that they saw no reason to arrest the officer who shot Khalil.

What do you think they are trying to do with that information? Do you think it's valid? What about the protestors? Do they have right to be upset about the situation? Does their means of protest get their point across?

It doesn't surprise me that the news is trying to blame the victim for what happened. It happens all the time with rape victims. Points are brought up that have nothing to do with the actual incident at hand. I can understand the protestor's urge to march, but I don't ultimately think it will help the public see them as anything other than angry and violent, especially with all the shots that rang out afterward.

10. Starr has been giving her boyfriend Chris the silent treatment for a while now and when he confronts her about it, she tells him that he wouldn't understand. Her rationale for that is because he's white. What was your reaction to that statement? Do you agree or disagree with that? Can Chris understand where Starr is coming from?

This is tough. Of course he will never completely understand, but I felt the comment was unfair nonetheless. If she wants him to be in her life as an important part, it might be good for her to try to help him understand what's going on with her. On the other, I can cut the girl some slack with all she's been through. With time though, if she wants the relationship to survive, she's going to have to talk to him about these important things.

11. The protest at Starr's school "For Khalil" really upset Starr. She mentioned that her "Williamson rules go out the door and the Starr from Garden Heights shows up". Do you think we are going to start seeing more of "Starr from Garden Heights" while she's at school? Do you think the two personas were necessary?

I hope we see more of her. She shouldn't have to feel that she has to hide herself. I hope she can find a way to meld the two personas together better with time.

12. At the end of chapter 11, Maverick, Starr's father, tells Starr, "if you're ready to talk baby, talk. I got your back." Do you think that Starr is going to talk? Do you think that she should talk? What do you think you would do in that situation?

I think she is. Staying quiet feels like a disservice to Khalil, and she's seen with the incident with her father and the cops and realized that staying quiet won't keep her safe anyway.

Day 2: Chapters 5-8

5. Starr returns to school for the first time since the shooting. We get to see the other side of her personality, the one she puts on for her prep school friends. How does the situation we are in impact the way we relate to others? Do people have several personas or are we for the most part our true selves in whatever circumstance?

I think all of us have different ways of acting around work, family, friends, strangers, but Starr is a more extreme version because she is trying to fit in by emulating those around her. Teens in particular often pick up a lot from their friends: ways of dressing, slang, behaviour.

6. We are introduced to Starr's prep school friends. Hailey makes a comment related to "fried chicken" and Starr gets offended. Do you think Hailey meant the remark in an offensive way, was it intentional or not? Was Starr being hyper-sensitive? How do you think this will affect the relationship between the two girls in the rest of the book?

It's so easy to pick up on horribly offensive racist comments and I would hope those witnessing these types of comments would say something, but when the comments are more subtle "micro-aggressions" it's harder to speak up because there's a feeling of being "too sensitive". I don't think Hailey is some horrible racist, but she made an insensitive comment, and she should have listened when Starr told her it was inappropriate. Unfortunately there is a lot of deeply buried racist thoughts and beliefs out there and only be examining them can we change how we think about them. Most people would say that of course they are not racist, but I think we all have some work to do.

7. Throughout this section you feel the underlying guilt Starr is experiencing regarding the relationship between her and Khalil, or lack thereof. Do you think this was a conscious decision on her part, because she wanted to distance herself from life in Garden Heights or was it inevitable, a natural progression as they got older?

Sometimes people grow apart and they spent time in very different worlds. They seemed to pick up their friendship pretty quickly. Some people can not talk for years and when they see each other again it's like no time has passed. They can still care for each other without seeing each other every day. I think if Khalil hadn't been killed, that's the kind of friendship they might have had.

8. Starr is asked to recount the events of that fateful night to the detectives. How do you think she handled interacting with the police officers? What does this say about her character?

She was amazing. She acted respectful and professional and didn't let them get away with putting words in her mouth.

Day 1 Questions, Chapters 1-4

1. Starr is considering whether to admit she was at the scene or not, due to fear of her own safety. What do you think you would do in that situation.

Of course everyone would like to say they would stand up and be heard but in reality it's hard. I don't know what I would do.

2. Do you think Uncle Carlos is right when he says that the police officer may have felt threatened because he knew Khalil was a drug dealer?

I'm not sure that he knew Khalil was a drug dealer until after. He didn't mention anything about drugs while pulling him over. I think the officer assumed he was up to no good because he was black.

3. Starr is reluctant to trust the police with her statement, and I think I would feel the same in her situation. Do you think that Starr should trust the police?

There's always an instinct to "protect your own" so depending on how sympathetic the cops are to Starr and how much all the recent deaths of black men by police officers has affected them, she could get varying reactions. They may try to say that because he was a drug dealer, he "had it coming". Her Uncle Carlos was already bringing that up as if it may have something to do with what happened.

4. What are your thoughts on Mav's insistence on staying in the neighbourhood despite the fact that Starr has lost two friends in her short life to both a gang shooting and a police shooting? Do you think that life would be safer for Starr if she moved away?

It's a tough call. Of course other neighbourhoods may have fewer gang shootings, but shooting of black people by police won't be improved by moving into a different neighbourhood. And there are all kinds of racism that will be experienced, depending on where a person lives.

I know how you feel Judith about contemporary romance, especially ones that are supposedly "funny". I rarely laugh and usually dislike them more than the angsty, serious ones. I tend to go with historicals myself, although I try contemporaries every once in awhile. The problem is so many of them have such high ratings from everyone else, so I can't tell if I'll like them.

Complete

Book: The Language of Secrets by Ausma Zehanat Khan
Finished: 6/21
Rating: ****
Pages: 336

I originally heard of the this series on Book Riot and knowing it was set in Canada, I had to pick it up. This is the second book and even better than the first. It follows two police officers who work in a department which deals with crimes of a sensitive cultural or religious nature.

Complete

Those Who Save Us
Finished: 06/19
Rating: *****
Pages: 479

This was much harder to read than I was expecting. We always hear about the atrocities that Jews had to suffer in Hitler's hands, but that doesn't make it any easier to read about it. And also the fear and powerlessness of all citizens at the hands of the SS is terrifying to think about.