Books and Sensibility

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Book Review/ Audiobook Review : A Psalm For Lost Girls by Kate Bayerl

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Book Review

If someone were to ask me what it means to have a book with
a strong sense of setting I would 100% point to A Psalm For Lost Girls.  New Haven, MA is a small
immigrant city where everyone knows everyone and some secrets just can’t be
kept.Callie da Costa wants to believe her sister Tessa, whose
untimely death she is still grieving , wasn’t the miracle making saint the
town and church think she might have been. That maybe the fortuitous voices her
sister heard where.  . . just in her head?

But when a missing girl miraculously appears on a shrine to Tessa, Callie has to rethink what she truly believes. This is a great read for those who, like me, don’t think
contemporary is for them. While the story has hints of magical realism the
events in the novel are grounded in grief and loss.

 

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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

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  • Release Date: February 1986
  • Pages: 309 
  • Genre: Dystopian 
  • Publisher: Anchor Books

Back in 2014 I read Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and it ruined my vacation because nothing is better
on the lido deck then reading about child sex trafficking and chicken noobies ! I just figured I didn’t get Atwood. I left that book feeling bleh.

But I’ve had a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale for years and since it’s one in a list of zeitgeist-y books  getting the TV/movie treatment (I’m looking at you The Dark Tower and American
Gods)  I decided to give it a try, Also this is the only one that isn’t like . . .a thousand pages.

While I didn’t care for Oryxand Crake I could immediately see why  The Handmaid’s Tale resonates with so many
people, especially now. There is a lot to unpack about feminism, women’s rightsand sexuality in the Dystopian (Utopian ?) Republic of Gilead where fertile womenare trained to become vessels of birth or, Handmaidens to wealthy older couples.

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Girl Code By Andrea Gonazles and Sophie Houser

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4 Hours 32 Minutes | Harper Audio | 3/7/17

Book Review

I think in a world where every other teen non-fiction book is by a YouTuber or reality show star, there is something refreshing about a book by two everyday teenage girls; whose project with Girls Who Code became a viral sensation.

There is something accessible about the success in this book that I think will appeal to teens. Sophie and Andy each  bring their unique experiences to the table . Andy is a second-generation Filipina whose drive and discipline constantly push her forward, and Sophie’s quirkiness, selfawareness and need to speak out (and possibly her mom running a start-up media company) keeps her looking for the next challenge in life. At times the book stretched to form a narrative, but delves into the sacrifices and anxieties the girls face as they explore the world of programming.


Audiobook Review
The authors give listeners an inside look at how two teenaged girls are breaking the tech world’s glass ceiling while challenging the taboo of discussing menstruation. In 2014, Andrea “Andy” Gonzales and Sophie Houser’s summer project at Girls Who Code became the viral computer game Tampon Run. The girl coders lend their voices to the narration, taking on separate chapters as well giving listeners an introductory lesson on how to find tools and resources to start coding. An accompanying PDF supports this part of the audio presentation. Since the success of their game, the pair have been invited to Silicon Valley and offered numerous media appearances and interviews, experiences that are reflected in their thoughtful, straightforward performance. They expertly reflect the highs and lows of their incredible journey. J.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine—as published in AudioFile

 

Winter by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

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The Lunar Chronicles series is like a snowball rolling down a hill. We start off with the singular story of Cinder, a plucky cyborg mechanic. Cinder discovers she might be something more and soon a viscous plague, the future of the empire and the fate of a moon kingdom might be in her hands

As we roll down the hill with each book in the series we pick up new characters and story lines that are all incorporating and mixing together to form the giant snow ball finale that is Winter, which comes in at 900 pages or 23 hours of audio. 

While the sweet and quirky Princess Winter is our titular character this book brings the entire gang together (Cinder, Thorne, Iko, Cress, Scarlet, Wolf and Kai) for one last mission to overthrow Queen Levana. Meyers just knows how to juggle a cast of characters. But she probably didn’t need to do it in so many pages. There were a lot of section I felt weren’t necessary.

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Mini Reviews : Life Hacks

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These mini reviews feature my informal thoughts on two non-fiction books I’ve been reading and pulling tips and advice from all year long.

Skinny Taste by Gina Homolka

In 2015  I wanted to start eating healthier, so I picked up Gina Homolka’s Skinny Taste after seeing the beautiful cover in Target. Plus this Target edition had extra recipes.

I loved the recipes in this book so much that I actually gave it to my brother, BC, as a birthday gift. It features colorful and flavorful recipes that are so good you won’t believe they are healthy. Even in my tiny kitchen they bring out my inner Top Chef.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup !

One of the first recipes I made was the chicken pot pe soup. I also highly suggest her beef and broccoli plus I’ve made her chicken marsala on multiple occasions.

If you’re not sure if Gina’s recipes are for you check out her blog SkinnyTaste.com it’s how I first discovered her !  I co-sign on her Skinny Chicken Enchiladas!

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Mari Kondo

This is  the little book that was everywhere this year. This book outlines the KonMari method for tidying. I grabbed it on audio performed by Emily Woo Zeller. It’s a shortie at around four hours and  I listened to this audiobook while doing the KonMari method. I really embraced her philosophy on discarding and organization.

As a book blogger I couldn’t quite commit to her ideas behind book organization. Just no. I can’t say I’ve kept up with tidying but I do find myself folding stuff into rectangles and throwing out things that don’t have that spark.

Kondo seems to realize her ideas and thoughts on organization may be a bit radical and I couldn’t help but to side-eye some of the lengths she goes to in the name of order.

One of my criticism of this book is that Kondo’s book doesn’t fully take into account individuals who might have non-familial roommates or who share a house. Her book is very focused on homeowners or those who live with parents. I enjoyed the audio but if you’re not sure if it’s for you this is a book I’d grab it from the library.