A Promised Land

 Book 7 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

A Promised Land

by Barack Obama

Summary 

published 2020

The first volume of his presidential memoirs, this book covers the time period from Feb. 2007 (when he announced his candidacy for president) through May 2011 (just over halfway through his first term; the death of Osama bin Ladin was the last big event covered in this book).

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I received this book as a Christmas gift.  While I was very excited and it was on my list, I feel like the gift had ulterior motives as well.  Based on the number of times my daughter has already asked, "have you read the Obama book yet?" because she wants to read it after me, I feel like this was more of a "family gift" and I'm just the lucky one who gets to read it first.

I always note whether memoirs include photographs and looking at them if they do is always where I start.  There are multiple high-quality color photographs which doesn't surprise me because I've also read the photography books by Pete Souza, his photographer at the White House.  If you're a fan of Obama's, I highly recommend following Souza on Instagram - his photos and snarky captions brighten my days.

My Opinion

5 stars

The timing of this leads me to write this review on the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration after I finished this book last night.  Although I was glad I was reading it after the election, I still had to take a break in the aftermath of the Capitol riots because it was too much.  Both reading about the world's issues from the perspective of someone who really cared but also remembering the "intolerable" things not only Obama but also Bush and Clinton before him were criticized for was frustratingly hypocritical.  It just made me sad, not because I'm lifting Obama up as a lofted figure, but because he's just decent and kind and I felt safe with him in charge even when I didn't agree with everything.  I feel the same way about Biden and have a small bit of hope about the direction this country will move in with him in charge.

Reading a hefty 700+ page non-fiction book in a short time period shows how accessible the writing was.  Even when it got out of the campaigning and into the actual politics it was still a page turner with good, solid explanations that didn't become too dry or verbose.  He must have a good editor since he acknowledges brevity is not a talent of his; I loved the way he explained it: "If every argument had two sides, I usually came up with four".  Due to my personal preferences, the foreign stuff was the least interesting to me but I learned a lot.

He also wasn't defensive about decisions he made that didn't hold up with hindsight, and although he was honest about frustrations he felt (this definitely showed "how the sausage is made" more than other political books I've read), it was done with respect. 

Fun fact: my small Iowa town got a name drop during the section about campaigning (Some had grown up in Iowa or the rural Midwest, familiar with the attitudes and way of life of midsized towns like Sioux City or Altoona.)

Fun fact: since Secret Service radios all his moves, "Renegade to Secondary Hold" was the discreet way of saying he was going to the bathroom. 

A Few Quotes from the Book

"Despite all that, [the American people] had given me a chance. Through the noise and chatter of the political circus, they'd heard my call for something different. Even if I hadn't always been at my best, they'd divined what was best in me: the voice insisting that for all our differences, we remained bound as one people, and that, men and women of goodwill could find a way to a better future.

 I promised myself I would not let them down."

"No matter what you might tell yourself, no matter how much you've read or how many briefings you've received, nothing entirely prepares you for those first weeks in the White House."

"...my first hundred days in office revealed a basic strand of my political character. I was a reformer, conservative in temperament if not in vision. Whether I was demonstrating wisdom or weakness would be for others to judge."

"I thought about the country I'd just described to [the graduates] - a hopeful, generous, courageous America, an America that was open to everyone. At about the same age as the graduates were now, I'd seized on that idea and clung to it for dear life. For their sake more than mine, I badly wanted it to be true."

Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood

 Book 6 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood

by Trixie Mattel and Katya

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2020

Drag superstars Trixie Mattel and Katya have long captivated fans with their stunning looks, onscreen chemistry, and signature wit. In Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood, the pair channel that energy into an old-school etiquette guide for ladies.
In essays, conversations, and how-to sections peppered with hilarious, gorgeous photos, Trixie and Katya will advise readers on beauty and fashion and tackle other vital components of a happy home, such as money, self-love, and friendship; sharing advice and personal stories in high-concept fashion.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I love Trixie and Katya so much, mostly their dynamic on joint projects but also individually, and I'm very very excited to FINALLY read this book after receiving it for Christmas.  I've heard them talk about the book and pictures but I know there will still be surprises in here as well.

My Opinion

5 stars

This 5 star rating isn't a blanket recommendation.  If you don't know who they are, this probably isn't a book to pick up on a whim because it does take a certain backstory of their humor and personalities to know what is a joke and what isn't.  But if you're a fan like me, this book lives up to the expectations I had going in.

I know nothing about makeup and have no interest in wearing it, which is why I find makeup tutorials so soothing and am especially fascinated by the outfits, faces, and performances drag queens are able to create.  I have no interest in watching Rupaul's Drag Race but I love watching transformations of drag queens on YouTube.  I always watch Fashion Photo Ruview and The Pit Stop (recaps of Drag Race) which then gives me individual drag queens to watch more of.  That's how I found Trixie and Katya a few years ago and I've since watched/listened to every project they've done religiously.  

That's a long way to say I'm not the expected demographic for this book but I loved it.  It's also one of the few books that I think I would enjoy even more as an audiobook.

I also especially enjoyed the pictures of Katya's arms because she doesn't show her arms much in drag and I'm very curious about her tattoos.

Quote from the Book

"I'm not a huge fan of telling people what to do (which is why I've decided to write an advice book)..."

The Accidental Empress

 Book 5 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

The Accidental Empress

by Allison Pataki

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2015

The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry.
Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg Court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead. 
Thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I'm going into this book completely blind; it was recommended to me and I have no idea what it's about.  

Our libraries are currently curbside only (we can put items on hold, they'll pull them for us, and we pick them up outside) but there was a brief time before Christmas they were open for people to come in for quick browsing.  Not only are we a family of readers at my house, my mom and sister both have disabilities and have been relying on us to pick up their items so they can stay home and safe, and my mom is an incredibly voracious reader.  That's a longwinded way to say that we've always been familiar faces to the librarians but especially now, with limited hours and so many people to "shop" for, I was there often and getting stacks at a time.  So one day the librarian noticed my pile had quite a bit of historical fiction and when I said that was my favorite genre, she left the desk immediately to get this book off the shelves for me to check out and read.  

My Opinion

4 stars

The pages pass very quickly.  What I liked about this book that was that Franz marrying Sisi instead of her sister happened very early in the book (and was included in the description so it's not a spoiler) so the complications weren't from the usual "we can't feel this way", but instead the complications were "fish out of water" and whether love is enough to sustain an entire upheaval of her life.

It was frustrating that Franz fought to be with Sisi and loved her because of her uniqueness but as soon as they were married, those qualities weren't appreciated by him.  He was such a champion for her before their marriage that the shift in his behavior was difficult to read.  

Her loneliness was easy to imagine but it also led to a detachment on my part since everything is from her perspective.  Since nobody talks to her, very major events happen "off-screen" and are only mentioned in passing.  While she was sleeping after the birth of her child, Franz and his mother not only gave the child a different name than they had planned but also baptized her?  This should've been more than a few sentences but since she wasn't there and she didn't start a fight about it, it was just stated and then they moved on.

While I didn't love everything about the book, I do realize that the things I didn't like (depending on a man for her worth, not much say about her children, etc.) were more reflective about the time period and not the actual writing, especially considering how closely the author stuck to the "historical" aspects  of Elisabeth's life when writing this historical fiction.

I didn't realize how close to the truth it was until reading the author's notes after finishing the book.  I will definitely look into further non-fiction about this family, and I will read the author's second book continuing Sisi's story as well.

Quote from the Book

"  "Your Majesty." He clears his throat. "Are you ready?"

  She inhales, considering the question. Is she ready? No. She never really was ready, she supposes.  That was the problem, wasn't it?    "

The Haunting of Brynn Wilder

 Book 4 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

The Haunting of Brynn Wilder

by Wendy Webb

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2020

After a devastating loss, Brynn Wilder escapes to Wharton, a tourist town on Lake Superior, to reset. Checking into a quaint boardinghouse for the summer, she hopes to put her life into perspective. In her fellow lodgers, she finds a friendly company of strangers: the frail Alice, cared for by a married couple with a heartbreaking story of their own; LuAnn, the eccentric and lovable owner of the inn; and Dominic, an unsettlingly handsome man inked from head to toe in mesmerizing tattoos.
But in this inviting refuge, where a century of souls has passed, a mystery begins to swirl. Alice knows things about Brynn, about all of them, that she shouldn’t. Bad dreams and night whispers lure Brynn to a shuttered room at the end of the hall, a room still heavy with a recent death. And now she’s become irresistibly drawn to Dominic—even in the shadow of rumors that wherever he goes, suspicious death follows.
In this chilling season of love, transformation, and fear, something is calling for Brynn. To settle her past, she may have no choice but to answer.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I chose this book from the options on the Amazon First Reads page.  The cover art was suitably eerie, the description was interesting, and reading mysteries/thrillers electronically adds to the unknown since I can't skip ahead easily.

My Opinion

4 stars

I received this book for free through the Amazon First Reads program. I don't know if that needs a disclaimer or not so I'm including it just in case.

The scenes were vivid so I could feel Brynn's confusion as timelines melted into each other and she wasn't sure what was real and what was only in her mind.  The version of the afterlife they discuss is what I'd like to believe...not necessarily reincarnation but more of meeting up with the souls that are important to you and starting all over again.

However, "clunky" also kept popping into my mind as well because while the first-person narrative helped me feel the haziness of the story, it also made some conversations and/or scenarios feel inauthentic or contrived as a way to introduce further plot development.  They teetered between "I can't tell you anything" and "I'll tell you everything in a monologue" but then once everyone got to know each other and started communicating and comparing their experiences, it settled down and I liked it a lot more.

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for this book but the fact that I immediately put Daughters of the Lake (mentioned in the acknowledgments as a book set in the same fictional town with a few of the same characters) on my Kindle and am bumping it ahead in line to read it next means something so I went with 4 stars.

Quote from the Book

"The age of this room radiated out into my bones. A century of souls inhabiting a place will leave an imprint that lingers long after they're gone, and it lingered here."

Never Marry a Writer

Book 3 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Never Marry a Writer

by Tolu' A. Akinyemi

Summary

published 2021

A collection of poetry about the power of words.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I found this book when browsing through my auto-approvals on NetGalley (the full disclaimer will be in my review below).  The cover art intrigued me and when I saw the description as "poetry" I decided to give it a shot.  Poetry is like pizza to me (no matter how it's prepared or delivered I know I will never hate it) so this was a safe bet to take a chance on with no further investigation.

My Opinion

4 stars

**I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley and would like to thank the author and/of publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review it**

Each poem was brief but layered.  If I read at a normal pace they would be over before they began so it was a good reminder to slow down my pace and sit in the moment after I finished, which is how I feel poetry should be read.  So I read slowly, more than once, and thought about my interpretation.

I would read this author again.

Quote from the Book

"Their mouths are wet, but my lips were dry

  from the emptiness of their words."

Welcome to the United States of Anxiety

 Book 2 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Welcome to the United States of Anxiety: Observations from a Reforming Neurotic

by Jen Lancaster

Summary

published 2020

The author uses Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to explore anxiety and how it has changed throughout the years, both with her individual experiences and stories and overall in the United States with research.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I picked this book from the Amazon "First Reads" options because I've read a few of her books before.  She's an author that peaks my curiosity if I see a book of hers but not one that I love so much that I'll seek out everything she's written.

Since it's an electronic copy I don't have much to draw from regarding the layout of the book.  The cover of the book looks bright and fun and it definitely would've caught my eye if I'd seen it as a physical book on the shelves.

My Opinion

4 stars

I received this book for free through the Amazon First Reads program.  I don't know if that needs a disclaimer so I'm including it just to make sure. 

There is a last-minute author's note added, written in March 2020 as the pandemic was just beginning.  Unfortunately, her hope that "when the book comes out in October, we're a nation of happy and healthy hand-washers" isn't the case but I would be interested in how the pandemic would've affected this book if she'd still been in the writing process and saw how everything unfolded.  For myself personally (as a very anxious person, especially regarding safety/morbidity), I'm pleasantly surprised because I've coped a lot better than I expected to.  It's almost like so much of my anxiety was shaped by "what-ifs", when an actual situation came up I was able to hunker down and deal with it, like having a tangible "allowable" anxiety (because who hasn't been anxious this year?) calmed me down.

But enough about me.  Let's talk about the book...

I've had mixed success with this author in the past.  I've always liked her writing but it could also become too much too quickly if I didn't enjoy the topic.  This was relatable to me so I liked it a lot. It helped that some of our memories/slang overlap and I still recognized most of the references even if I was too young to experience them firsthand. 

The chapters were broken up really well, almost like a series of essays that are themed enough to be in the same book but don't necessarily have a through line from start to finish.  I can tell she started as a blogger and I know I would've enjoyed her blog if I'd found it at that time.

"It's no mistake that Maslow's Hierarchy is set up as a triangle, with each level of anxiety sitting atop the last, like a mounting pile of concern."  This line from the book really resonated with me because people can be hungry and still stress about the future even though their main concern is the present.

Even the endnotes to cite her research were amusing.  As an example, the line in the book was, "[my father] may have had a point, considering an hour-long prime-time call ran fifteen dollars in 1970s money."  The endnote for that line was, "The fact-checker would like me to provide a source for these numbers. My reference is my father opening the phone bill and losing his shit while touting these numbers one Saturday a month for my entire childhood. It's possible he was using hyperbole, much like the time he claimed to have swilled margaritas with Jack Kerouac until dawn and then raced his Jaguar the length of the Mass Turnpike."

Quote from the Book 

"...we're going to have a problem. By "problem," I mean, "I shall quietly roll my eyes at you inside my own head," as I am a GD adult who's too polite to hurt your feelings over that which has zero impact on my life."

Island of Dragons

 Book 1 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

Island of Dragons 

by Lisa McMann

Book 7 of the Unwanteds series

Summary

published 2016

Alex and his allies work together, combining the knowledge of all the things they've learned from their previous island adventures, to fight in a final battle that will either save Artime once and for all or will destroy it forever.

First Impression/Judging a Book by Its Cover

This is the final book in the series.  I started the series because my daughter loves it and I continued reading it because I like it too.  There is also a spinoff Unwanteds Quest series that she received for Christmas so I'll probably read those too.

I'm reading the paperback version my daughter owns.  I like that the series are numbered on the spine and that the titles and covers of the whole series are pictured on the back for easy reference.

My Opinion

5 stars

This was an amazing way to end the series.  Looking at the series as a whole, other than a dip at book 5, I really enjoyed everything.  Each book had an individual purpose (none of them felt like the "filler" than can sometimes happen) but they also all built off of each other so that I was very invested in the battles of this final showdown.

Looking at this book individually, it had good pacing, good visuals, and wrapped up in unexpected yet plausible (or as plausible as a magical island can be, ha) ways.

As mentioned above, there is a spinoff Unwanteds Quest series that I will probably read at some point but for now, I want to just let these characters digest before jumping into new ones.

I'm not sure why this series hasn't gotten as much attention as some of the other fantasy/semi-dystopian ones have but I would recommend this to fans of Harry Potter/The Hunger Games/Divergent (although with the last two I add the caveat that the recommendation is for those who liked it because of the worldbuilding or action; these are J Fic books so there is no romance or language).

Quote from the Book

"Let's make this our final battle forever. And when it's over, like Mr. Appleblossom said, we'll start the world again. With peace, and with family, and with friends."