five things Friday: August TBR edition

It's that time of the month again... time to pick a new reading list! I read more than 5 books per month, but choosing a TBR list of 5 particular ones to make sure I get to has been a nice way to focus my reading this year - and also to broaden it, to make sure I am actually picking up some non-fiction or classics or diverse reads that I always mean to but then get distracted by some shiny new escapist read. Here's what I've got lined up for August:

Need to get some work done on my Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020 reading challenge, so the first two selections are based on that: A Nearly Normal Family (legal/domestic thriller) for the "a book in translation" prompt, and If Beale Street Could Talk for the "classic you missed in school" prompt (definitely wanted to make sure to pick a classic that was missed because it isn't typically taught in schools because of our lack of diversity in considering what is "classic" - not picking any old dead white guys here!). And then speaking of diversifying my mind, I was just given a copy of White Fragility, and I want to make sure I pick it up right away rather than let it languish on the shelf like "hard" non-fiction often does for me.

Finally, rounding out the month with a couple of YA picks: Dear Martin is the next blogger book club selection that Dana and I made, for our September 6 post (so you could join us!), and Running is a new YA read that I have the library Kindle version of, so I need to read it in the next 21 days before it disappears... but also I love the timely election topic!

And for a quick wrap-up of my July reading list: I'm 5/5 in reading all of them, and 3/5 in loving them. Americanah (review here), American Spy, and All Adults Here were all 4.5 stars for me. All quite different, all really well done. American Spy was a bit unexpected in the twist on the spy thriller, focusing on a single Black mother - so it might be more literary and playing with the conventions of the spy novel that thriller devotees might not enjoy as much, but I thought it was really interesting and well thought-out. And All Adults Here was Emma Straub doing what she does so well. Read it in 2 days and really enjoyed.

The others I didn't love quite as much - Dear Mrs. Bird (review here) was a little over the top in pluckiness, but still a nice change-up for a quick, light historical fiction read. And In Five Years just fell a bit flat for me. Reminded me a bit of some Taylor Jenkins Reid or Christina Lauren, which I love, but I think in this one I was partly bugged by the wealthy New Yorkers and it feeling a bit out of touch in that way (not necessarily the author's fault, but much as I love an escapist read, this just felt jarring for some reason), and overall while a decent way to pass the time, the book felt a bit forgettable compared to others in this genre that I have enjoyed.

So that was my July in books, and it looks like it'll be a good August in books too. How about you?

blog book tour: The Mall

I think we're all feeling some nostalgia for times gone by right now, eh? Stuck home, thinking of how long stores were fully shuttered this spring, or how long it will be till we're comfortable shopping regularly again... But today have I ever got something for you to assuage those yearning feelings: a blog book tour! A great way to virtually learn about new books when physical book tours can't really happen - plus, it's for a novel that takes place almost entirely in a mall. Re-live your teenage years and normalcy, all at once!

Summary: In Megan McCafferty's new book The Mall, Cassie is just biding her time for one last summer in her small suburban New Jersey town, before she can finally go off to college in New York City and begin The Plan, the start of her real life. But the summer isn't going as planned: after she misses the end of high school thanks to mono, by the time she's back on her feet, her boyfriend has moved on and she's lost her position at America's Best Cookie. Now she needs to find a new job in the mall to avoid having to spend time with her detached parents who are , avoid the food court where her ex is swapping spit with his new girlfriend - oh, and help her estranged middle school best friend solve a real mall mystery: is there really a load of cash hidden somewhere in the mall, as employee lore has it?

What I liked: This book has 1990s nostalgia all over it, with the references, the mixtapes and scrunchie style, and of course the classic types of mall stores. I feel like I'm a couple years too young to really feel all of that, but it was still very enjoyable to have the book set in this era - the characters and their interactions just wouldn't have worked in another setting, and I loved that unique feel. And I loved how the story took place almost entirely within the mall itself, or in her parents' car on the way to be dropped off there, but it didn't feel like it was constrained at all - it's like a good sitcom in that way. The characters and dialogue would be great for a sitcom too. Plus I always love a main character who is so type-A and not exactly up on the "cool" scene (e.g., high school me...)

So if you know going in that the story is going to be a bit far-fetched and the tone quite snarky and snappy, you will be set up for success on just going along for a fun ride. And along the way, you'll also find a great coming-of-age story, while Cassie finds love and friendship and even herself in unexpected ways. (Love that it was especially about the friendship and the self-love, not totally focused on the romantic love.) And you'll for sure find yourself reminiscing about your own last summer before college.

Favorite quotes: "Less than five minutes into my triumphant return to the mall, I was targeted for assassination by a rabid spritzer from Bath & Body Works. Before the ambush, I was as happy as anyone making minimum wage could possibly be..."

"As Sam Goody Kissed me--sweetly, softly, tenderly--I had an acute awareness of what I can only describe as anticipatory nostalgia. For the rest of my life, I knew I"d always remember kissing Sam Goody whenever I heard this song, these words."

Recommended for: teenagers, fans of YA authors like Jenny Han with their sweet and naive but spunky heroines, anyone with 1990s nostalgia feelings - or who is just looking for a reading experience that will put a smile on their face right now

Star rating: 4/5 stars, delightful escapist summer fun

Thanks to the publisher for a free e-copy of the book; all opinions are my own.

blogger style: one item, two ways

Back with Everlane for this month's installment of Dana and my long-running blogger style series, we're both styling this very reasonably priced and very worth buying midi t-shirt dress.

This dress has been on repeat for me this summer, as seen before, and I basically wear it the same way every time - I mean, it's cute on its own, and though it might be even cuter with a denim jacket, who has cool enough weather for that?! But then recently I remembered this little belt bag that I had ordered in anticipation of the spring-break-that-wasn't, because I thought it would be so perfect for touring around Savannah, to carry just the basics without weighing me down (and if you don't carry a big bag, the boys you're traveling with can't ask you to carry anything for them - ha!). The belt makes it into a bit of a different outfit - and the leather totally makes it count as a "belt" rather than a "fanny pack" which I am kind of scared of - plus it turns a no-pockets dress into one that has a perfect pocket for carrying the strolling around town essentials: a phone + our masks.

I feel lucky that we have plenty of open sidewalks, plus a whole college campus that is full of shady paths and currently no people, that we can walk and scooter ride without worrying about getting too close to anyone else - so that we can do it comfortably without needing masks. But I always feel better when I have it handy should the need arise!

See Dana's version here.

five things Friday: retail therapy edition

I've tried hard to find constructive ways to channel my pandemic feelings, but it's been several months, so a small bit of (online) retail therapy is just inevitable. Even if I'm not leaving the house, I can't deny the mood boost that comes from something shiny and new, like these 5 recent buys:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

All of the above very suitable for a mostly-at-home life in the summer time: cute bow scrunchies to jazz up the inevitable ponytail (it's hot out, and also my hair is getting sooo long!), as well as some comfy, cute, and (key!) washable sneakers for walking around with Hendrik on his scooter. And then an irresistible at-home cozy option, in this leopard print sweatshirt on sale (this one is super similar if you're looking for a different size). Also, I have been reading a lot, and I have definitely succumbed to a few good Kindle deals in one easy click, such as this satisfying YA mystery.

The rug is for our alllllmost completed bathroom, which actually almost might trigger a need for therapy on its own. After another delay for being short on tile for the THIRD time, we are finally nearing the end. Near enough that I can pick out rugs, anyway, and I am loving this option.

How are you coping, retail or otherwise?

reading lately: good advice

I just love when I find unexpected overlaps between entirely different books - and here is a pretty specific one: girls stepping in and taking over newspaper/magazine advice columns...in secret. Two books with this plotline might feel repetitive, except these ones are in such different genres (middle grade and historical fiction), that it just felt fun to find this similarity.

Dear Sweet Pea

Speaking of good advice - right off the bat, I have to say that I recommend reading anything that Julie Murphy writes (Dumplin', Puddin', Ramona Blue, her Instagram account, anything). So I heeded my own suggestion and pre-ordered her newest book last year, even though it's a middle-grade one, not usually my category. And what a delight. Patricia, aka "Sweet Pea," is a tween whose parents are going through an amicable divorce - but that just makes it stranger for her, as they try to set up separate homes two doors down from each other that look just the same, so that Sweet Pea will always feel at home. As she navigates her strange new family setup, along with missing a best friend relationship that has grown apart as they entered middle school and it's new "cool" group landscape, Sweet Pea also has a new project: helping her eccentric neighbor, Miss Flora Mae, with collecting mail for the weekly "Miss Flora Mae I?" advice column she writes in the local paper while she is traveling. And when Sweet Pea starts reading some of the letters and getting ideas of her own for responses, an amateur advice columnist is born - but what will happen when Miss Flora Mae comes home and finds out? Though a middle grade book, I think it's still a great read for adults, very sweet and spunky. Also though it's really great to see something that has a really relatable main character and deals with some true-to-life family and friendship issues but still is really fun and age appropriate for a tween-age girl to read and maybe see herself in a little bit too. A coming of age story that is big-hearted and funny, has just the right amount of drama with family and friend issues but still a lot of love in the relationships, and has a nicely diverse cast too.

4.5/5 stars, for fans of middle grade authors like Rebecca Stead, anyone wanting a smile, or 8-13 year olds, especially girls

Dear Mrs. Bird

With Dear Sweet Pea as the modern day, middle grade version of an amateur advice columnist, in this book we have the WWII era historical fiction version. Emmy Lake is a plucky, young 20-something making her way in wartime London: living with her best friend Bunty, working by day and volunteering as phone operator with the fire brigade during the bombings in the evening, always keeping her chin up and a stiff upper lip despite the bombings and shortages, like a good British woman should do. But what she dreams of is becoming a war correspondent. She's looking for the adventure, but also the desire to feel that she is really helping. So when she sees a newspaper job posting, she jumps at the chance - jumping in so fast, in fact, that she doesn't realize that she's actually taking the job of sorting through the mailbag at a flagging women's magazine, pulling "appropriate" letters for the advice columnist, Mrs. Bird, to answer. While the rather old-fashioned and formidable Mrs. Bird won't allow through any questions having to do with any form of unpleasantness or intimacy, Emmy starts to feel that these women who are writing in really do need help, and they deserve support as they do their best to support families and hold out hope during a war situation. So she takes on a risky little secret side project of answering some of the correspondence on her own... This is the type of story I could envision as a great Masterpiece miniseries, with the period costumes and the very era-appropriate turns of phrase. While I breezed through this quick read and enjoyed the pluck of the characters overall, it was maybe a little over the top in the earnest naivete of Emmy, and maybe trying a little too hard on the snappy 1940s dialogue (with a definite over-use of capitalizing words to denote Very Important Things [air quotes on that]). It reminded me in some ways of Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, with the young women working on the London homefront during the war and the sparkling dialogue - but that one sparked much more for me. Highly recommend it. As for this one, it's reasonably enjoyable and jaunty; if you're looking for a little palate cleanser (particularly if you don't read a lot of historical fiction, like me) to change things up between books, it's worth a read. And short enough that you can do it in a few sittings.

3.5/5 stars, for fans of light-hearted historical fiction with plucky protagonists, or perhaps books that have sad moments but overall hope and heart, like Guernsey or Lovely War

Sharing on Show Us Your Books.

wearing lately: hometown pride

I realized recently that while I think of our house as our "new" one, versus our first one, actually we have now lived here as long as we lived in our Cincinnati house! A bit mind-blowing at first, but then again, we plan on being back in our hometown for the long-haul, so meeting + surpassing our 5 years in our little Cincinnati house was of course bound to happen. And to mark the occasion, here I am sporting some evidence of my hometown pride:

This tee was a spring acquisition that lets me show off my hometown pride and support a local business at the same time - I bought it from this fabulous little shop, Frances Jaye, that's a few blocks away from me, and had such great service that the owner even delivered it right to my front porch during lockdown. I love it for the local flair, of course (and they've got several Great Lakes/Midwest options if you're in the vicinity!), but it's also fun to find this vintage-style graphic tee as a little something different.

The outfit is just jeans + a tee, but when you've got a graphic tee (plus some cool sneakers), what more do you need to make an outfit an outfit?

Speaking of hometown pride - on a hotter day (hence the jean shorts vs. jeans) I definitely had to pull out this tee for a recent demonstration in front of city hall, encouraging our city council and new mayor to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance (going beyond just a "policy") to ensure housing protections for gender identity and sexual orientation, and employment protections for all groups (currently the city has no official protections for any: LGBTQ, women, people of color, elderly, etc.). In the midst of all that makes me feel pessimistic about the country right now, it was nice to be out with people wearing masks, distancing, and showing their support for all who live here - and it was wonderful to hear that the council voted to take the first step in this right direction.

H's graphic tee pride is more about his love of Lego - but at least this one perfectly fit the occasion with its rainbow stripes!


Sharing on Style Six, Style on the Daily.

five things Friday: covid life lately edition

I mentioned recently trying to remember to take some snapshots of some of our "new normal" during these covid-times. Right now I am honestly feeling quite pessimistic about things - the status in our country is a complete mess, and it doesn't have to be this way - but the bit of optimism in me is thinking about when someday it'll be interesting memories to look back on with Hendrik about how we did things differently during this time in our lives. Here are 5 things new/different/unique to the current era:

1. Library curbside pickup: so grateful to the librarians for coming constantly in and out of the building for us, because some well-placed requests (I'm looking at you, Lego Harry Potter compendium and Lego Movie Guide) have provided some fresh entertainment - and quiet time - after the library was fully closed for so many weeks. At our library, they have 4 parking spots with a bookshelf at the end; you call when you arrive, a masked librarian comes out and places your requests on the cart, and then you retrieve your items. Since we live so close, we walk instead of take the car, and we always wear our masks for safety and to show consideration to the librarians!

2. Grocery pickups: I haven't been inside a grocery store since early March - so weird, when I used to stop for groceries at least twice, usually 3 times per week. We use the local grocery chain's "pick" service to order our groceries online, and then they get put in our trunk when we pick them up. While we sit and wait, Hendrik usually entertains himself with the Lego catalog in the back seat. He seems to prefer this method to actually having to shop with me, and now that I'm used to it, I don't mind saving a bit of time in this realm myself.

3. Outdoor visits: meeting up with people outdoors (and still spaced out from each other!) definitely is the safest way to do it, so we are taking advantage of summer weather in that way. Dinners in Peter's parents' yard, beach visits with some of my extended family, and here a Starbucks drive-through run and coffee + chat time on my grandparents' lawn.

4. Online camps: I continue to be so impressed by (and grateful for) some educators' creativity and skills over Zoom. Hendrik has done a couple of online science camps with our local college with supplies that they dropped off on our doorstep; here, he is doing his Junior Ornithologist camp with the Cornell Ornithology Lab (an organization he is obsessed with, as a little bird nerd). On this day they dissected chicken eggs to learn about bird eggs in general. While we were bummed to have all of his summer activities cancelled, this camp was especially cool to find, because it's an opportunity he would never have had otherwise, since the Cornell Lab is located in New York.

5. Backyard bookclub: my bookclub is actually meeting more often than we used to - there are just 3 of us, and now we pretty much don't have evening commitments, so we can get together more often! Mostly on Zoom, but now that the weather is nice we are rotating backyards, with our hand sanitizer, distanced chairs, and great book chat.

Now that I've done this, I realize how nice it was to take a look at the positives of the situation, some different experiences or ways of connecting with people that might not happen otherwise - and as a salve to the terribleness of the news and my pessimism/anxiety right now, it turns out it was just the thing I needed today. I recommend it as a useful exercise if you're feeling the same way!

listening lately

Sadly, my wireless earbuds bit the dust recently (apparently they don't hold up to sweat? Some Peloton bike workouts really did them in...), but I have still managed some good podcast and book and music listening lately - so I thought I'd share a few recommendations!

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Pod Save America's That's the Ticket mini series: I love a behind-the-scenes look at processes, and this one is a look at how vice presidential candidates are vetted and selected, from people who have had firsthand experience in doing so in the Kerry and Obama campaigns, and it also has a really interesting look at the history of women vice presidential candidates and the way they're treated. A fascinating and informative 3-episode mini series.

Four New Insights About the Coronavirus on The Daily: I am back to somewhat having to limit my coronavirus-related news intake, because my anxiety has been steadily rising, but I found this particular episode to be very measured and informative (though not exactly reducing my pessimism about how the U.S. is handling things). A portion of my own family's staying home philosophy is about "buying time" to see what more we can learn about how the virus spreads and how to keep ourselves healthy - and scientists have learned some really useful things in the past months, which this episode will fill you in on.

Music for a Workday playlist on Spotify: we were having some drywall repaired from a burst pipe (that happened ages ago... fixes are on a covid-timeline!) and I was about to lose my mind from the noise while I was trying to get work done, when it occurred to me to pull out Peter's noise-canceling headphones and find a work playlist on Spotify. So glad I did, because I am listening to this one all the time now. Just the right amount of happy mellow vibes, and I have found some new-to-me bands that I love thanks to it!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: it's not often that I listen to audiobooks, especially fiction, but a new YA bookclub led me to this book, which I decided to try on audio because it is read by none other than Lin Manuel Miranda. It's a coming-of-age story set in the 1980s about a couple of loner boys who find each other, and I'm looking forward to hearing how the story wraps up. Enjoying the narration for sure.

Nerdette Bookclub: The Vanishing Half: one of my latest favorite things to do is a deep-dive on podcast episodes that are about, or that interview the author of, the latest favorite book I have finished reading. Brit Bennett's new book, The Vanishing Half, is going to be in my top selections for the year, for sure. It's a book that's a great reading experience on its own, but it's also one that I like better and better the more I think/talk about it. So I loved listening in on this bookclub chat from Nerdette about the book (and also of course loved Nerdette's interview of Brit Bennett herself about the writing process and the thoughts behind the book).

Need more listening ideas? These are some podcasts that I listen to on the regular, when I have the time!

wearing lately: heat wave

Last week, during the second of my backyard bookclub meetings (transitioned from Zoom bookclub in the colder coronatimes!), we realized that our sensitivities have changed by this point in the summer... a month ago, we texted each other saying, "uh, the forecast is for almost 90 degrees - let's postpone to a different night!" And now, that's just par for the course. We've been on like a 3-week stretch of 90 degrees, but it was more than worth it to sweated it out, for a great discussion of Americanah and some girl time that had the added bonus of not putting our kids to bed. Rare in these social distancing days!

This is what our setup looked like - drinks (+ hand sanitizer!) in a central, serve-yourself-individually location, and then spaced-apart chairs over in the shady part of the lawn - but not actually what I wore that evening. I mean, I for sure had to take the opportunity to put on a dress that day. (And one of my bookclub mates came carrying her snazzy orange purse, saying she hadn't used one in 3 months and so was pleased for the excuse.)

But this outfit is something that I've been wearing in the hottest parts of the heatwave. Super simple for when you can't bear much more than the most minimal of sandals and the lightest of tank tops. Definitely can't bear actual accessories, so a skinny scarf or bandanna is perfect - cute as a little headband, but then also can be a very cute ponytail accessory, which this turned into very soon after these photos, when my neck started to sweat...

Hope you are keeping cool!


Sharing on Style Six.

20 in 2020 update

Writing about some of the books read for my 20 in 2020 backlist goal had me going back through my full list, and I thought it might be time to make an update! An update on the items I've crossed off, but also an update in terms of making adjustments to our new reality. Because I had no idea at the end of 2019 when I wrote this list that some of the items would become impossible - traveling and going to restaurants, for example.

I think this is a great time to look at this list, a list that I wrote because of the value it adds to my life, whether in terms of productivity, creativity, fun, relationship-building - and in a world that doesn't look at all like what I expected, what a time to appreciate the things here I can still achieve and enjoy.

At the same time fine and good to take a minute to mourn those losses and changes to life, including to the hopes I had for the year. And yet it also is a good time to think about holding loosely to those hopes - and make some adjustments to expectations. I've marked some items as "on hold", but honestly I don't think traveling or indoor restaurant dining will be happening this calendar year, so I might think about replacing those items. Or just else leaving them "undone" as a reminder of the times. 

And finally, reflecting on all of this also made me think of the additional things I have done in 2020 that were not planned but are very worth recognizing: completing 12 weeks of homeschooling; figuring out a social life over Zoom; finding new summer camp and activity options to keep Hendrik engaged, like ornithology camp, after the regular ones were cancelled; becoming more of a relaxed Saturday morning person than I used to be.

So here's my list: bold = completed, italics = in process, underline = on hold

1. Complete the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020 reading challenge - 6 of 12 books checked off, and a reminder that I should gear my TBR lists a bit more toward this challenge if I actually want to finish some of the categories!
2. Read Harry Potter (book 1) with Hendrik - in fact, we read books 1-3, thanks to quarentimes.
3. Do a monthly family movie night - favorites so far are The Lorax and Onward.
4. Do another 30-day yoga challenge 
5. Go cross-country skiing - gonna need some snow in November or December for this!
6. Eat at Zivio 
7. Do a no-buy month - no clothes (for me or Hendrik) or books or house decor type stuff purchased in all of January, extended to mid-February for me on most things (but long-legged H needed some new pants!) - and re-introduced by default for most of March/April...
8. Explore the Enneagram - officially categorized myself as a one by reading The Road Back to You, The Enneagram Made Easy, and listening to several podcast episodes.
9. Train for the Barry Roubaix (gravel bike race) - did lots of work in spin classes to get ready for this April gravel bike race, but it of course didn't happen in April... currently rescheduled for October, but we shall see. I'm still doing a lot of bike riding either way!
10. Cross off a life list item - achieved a home tour feature (on The Everymom), and allmoooost there on the life-long goal of having a bathroom with double sinks - counters are finally in, but who knows when plumbing will happen.
11. Plan a kid-free trip - all travel is on hold, of course...
12. Explore 2 new area parks/trails with the fam 
13. Reset/organize online account passwords with Keeper app - you'd think that in quarentimes I would have time for this, but ugh who even wants to do this necessary chore?!
14. Do dinner + a movie at the new downtown theater - lucky we got this in right away, because movie theaters have been closed since March, and even if they open in the coming months, we won't be going.
15. Read 10 backlist titles - I'm up to 8, with the favorites being The Heart's Invisible Furies, Just Mercy, and Americanah (see the full list here).
16. Add 2 new vegetarian recipes to the go-to dinner rotation - I'd say actually I've added three! Quinoa chili, falafel, and sweet potato + black bean tacos.
    
17. Find an olive green winter coat - very pleased with this coat from J.Crew.
18. Get cocktails at Obstacle No. 1 - might append "and/or perfect a signature cocktail at home" to this one given that we're not going to restaurants/bars any time soon.
19. Update window treatments in Hendrik's room - finally installed after a 2-month Covid-delay, and just in time because our late sunsets in the summer require some blackout shades!
20. Tackle mount cardboard (aka all of the broken down boxes piled in the basement...) - I recently dragged it all up to the garage as a first step, and then just yesterday the bathroom contractor told me I could load anything extra into their trailer when they hauled away the old trim - and so just like that, I was relieved of all of it! So excited.

Do you have a year-long goal list like this? How are you handling changes to your 2020 expectations?

reading lately: best of backlist

My goal for 2020, prompted by some books that were staring at me from my shelves for a shamefully long time, was to read at least 10 backlist titles. Now, given how many good unread older/non-new release books there are, and how many books I'm going to read over the course of the year (thanks to COVID coping, I bet I'll get at least 100 in), that goal should definitely be higher, but this goal of 10 was more specifically looking at books that I already had on my shelf or Kindle that I kept passing over for some reason or another when it was time to pick my next read. It's been interesting to find that for the most part, I was perhaps passing over them for good reason - they just weren't that much for me. But I have found a few absolute treasures that I really should not have put off for so long, because they are so good they will end up being listed in my best books of the year:

Americanah

Teenage sweethearts Ifemelu and Obinze separately leave Nigeria for the West in pursuit of opportunities for education and jobs, after their college is closed down again because of strikes. Ifemelu applies to universities in America, and after a difficult adjustment period to the culture and the financial costs, she settles in to life and work and relationships in the U.S. after graduation. Eventually her interactions with race and class in America are with mostly an educated crowd, which gives one interesting perspective on people's racial prejudices, both overt and implicit; meanwhile, Obinze ends up in England working illegally, with an expired visa, experiencing the degradation and fear of being an "unwanted" immigrant. This is an excellent book in terms of rich characters, great dialogue, warm and funny observations over the long sweep of a relationship and individuals' search for personal identity; on top of that, it's also an excellent book in terms of listening and learning from another's experience, and for me learning more about what the range of Black experience could be, both here and in the UK. Ifemelu's "outsider" perspective of race in America can be very eye-opening, and also as someone who exists in the white category, I was prompted to think a lot about how we use "Black" as a category and lump together a lot of very different people and backgrounds in a reductivist way. I appreciated learning more about the experience of the African diaspora through the characters' experiences and found it especially timely to compare a recent African immigrant vs. someone whose ancestors were brought to the U.S. as slaves - and how the carry-on effects of this could still exist in their psyches. In the construction of the story, I loved how Adichie used the fact that Ifemelu became a full-time blogger to be able to include some explicit observations and theories about race in America, by way of reproducing Ifemelu's various posts. It reminded me a bit of reading Adichie's essays (such as We Should All Be Feminists), which I think are excellently written and thought out - it's an enjoyable, observational tone that also really will make you think about how and why societies treats race (or gender) how they do, and make you want to highlight lots of really insightful quotes. This book was published in the early Obama era, but the themes of race and belonging are very relevant still; on top of that, there are some feelings of coming "home" and other things along those lines that I think are just timeless and universal.

4.5/5 stars; highly recommend, especially for your list of books to learn about race/racism experiences

The Heart's Invisible Furies

Cyril Avery has been told, for as long as he can remember, that he's not a "real" Avery, as an adopted son of two very eccentric people in Dublin in the 1940s; this book looks at his life every 7 years, as he tries to figure out, then, who he is. This lifetime of searching for his identity, including where he actually came from and what is his value as a person within a society that rules his sexual orientation as illegal, is laugh-out-loud funny at times, with the conversations (especially the absurd adoptive parents) and interactions of characters, and it will also bring you to tears as you read about some of the pain and tragedies in his life too. It's described as "sweeping and heartfelt," which I would say are both true, given the length of time we're following Cyril's life story (and therefore relevant Irish and world history and politics, as seen through the experiences of one ordinary person) and given how much you will fall in love with and root for him - but I think somehow those words put me off from reading it for a while, because it seemed like it would be long and character driven. But don't let that put you off! Though it's hard to give much more of a plot summary than the above because of the nature of the book, it is propulsive reading and definitely does not feel like 500+ pages, even for a reader who usually picks plot over character... 

5/5 stars; one that will appeal to a huge range of readers

Just Mercy

I will shamefully admit that recent events prompted me to finally picking this one up - recognizing the privilege in being able to say that I don't feel like reading a "hard" book and picking up something fluffy instead. And yes, this book is hard: acknowledging how our society treats prisoners (both the wrongfully convicted and the guilty!) and how it treats Black people and incarcerates them at an alarming and disproportional rate is terrible, and necessary. Through his Equal Justice Initiative, which seeks to clear the names of innocent people, change unreasonable laws regarding the death penalty, unreasonable youth sentencing, and more, Bryan Stevenson has worked tirelessly for decades on behalf of imprisoned people; in this book he tells the story of one particular client, Walter McMillan, who is on death row in Alabama for a murder it seems incredibly obvious he did not commit, and interspersed with this (nail-biting, with all of the roadblocks and menace encountered, and the terrible mental toll death row takes on Walter) story arc, Stevenson describes various issues in our prison system, from the high number of imprisoned mothers to the practices of sentencing youths as adults to the racial bias built in to law/prisons. It is incredibly eye-opening and moving, very well written (actually quite page-turning), and ultimately a call to fix our justice system, with the hopeful outlook of how mercy can redeem it, and us. I also finally got around to watching the documentary Thirteenth; paired with this book, I am armed with new knowledge and new conviction that I and we need to change this broken system.

5/5 stars; everyone needs to read this book

I've completed 8 of 10 for my goal; the other backlist titles I've read this year: What to Say Next by Julie Buxbuam (YA), Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (literary fiction), The Lola Quartet by Emily St. John Mandel (literary noir), There Are No Grownups by Pamela Druckerman (memoir/social commentary), and Shotgun Lovesongs by Nikolas Butler (Midwest contemporary fiction). All of these were in the 3 to 3.5 star range for me, stuff that I probably could have just given away instead of having on my shelf for so long, and I wouldn't have missed too much (interesting that 4 of those 5 are by authors who I have given very high ratings to at least one other book - Tell Me Three Things, Eligible, Station Eleven, Bringing Up Bebe) - but at least these particular ones aren't sitting there giving me side-eye anymore, and at least I found the real treasures in the pile with the above three!

Oh, and The Wild Robot would count in this backlist category too - one of my other few 5-star books of the year (that I'll officially review at some point when I do a roundup of middle grade/children's fiction). But I do think everyone should read this; it's a cute adventure story, but it also, through a robot and a bunch of wild animals, will restore some of your faith in humanity. And don't we all need that!

Sharing on Show Us Your Books.

blogger style: one item, two ways

Admittedly, Dana and I were both feeling a bit uninspired when it came to picking an item we share in our wardrobes in order to do this month's blogger style post. When you're not really going out and are therefore pretty much wearing the same thing every day for convenience, any outfit posts feel a bit meh (hence sometimes I just skip them lately). But in the end we landed the idea of an inexpensive but excellent J.Crew Factory t-shirt dress, always the perfect thing for a casual and comfortable hot summer day outfit, along with our masks - which should of course be part of any going out outfit right now - and I was quite pleased for this outfit excuse, I felt so good once it was on!

While much of my outdoor time is in exercise-type clothes, I do try to eventually get dressed in something - often in jeans or denim shorts, but if it's *really* an occasion (such as picking up takeout dinner versus picking up curbside groceries!), it's nice to rifle through the easy-but-cute dresses section of my closet - one of my favorite wardrobe sections, really. And as always, any little nip in the air has me reaching for my denim jacket to put with it, because denim jackets + dresses for life.

Dana and I also styled up our t-shirt dresses with masks partly because at first it was some dark corona-times humor between us, but then I also really felt I wanted a little soapbox time here. Covid cases are going up nearly everywhere in the US. The situation is far worse than it was in March, when many of us were on lockdown - and now we've got people out and about. Pretending it's not a thing is clearly not going to work, and mask-wearing needs to be normalized. Masks + distancing are effective and super important especially where we're not on official lockdown, and it's a personal responsibility for all of us to keep each other safe by containing our germs this way - extra necessary given how much asymptomatic infection there is with this virus, and how long the pre-symptomatic period is, in which you would have no idea you're sick (and even would test negative), but could still infect others. Though I don't really have contact with anyone outside of my family - and I recognize my privilege in always being able to work from home, and not have to report to a job site - I always wear a mask when I'm picking up curbside stuff, and Hendrik does too. It's not that hard to do, and it's for the good of everyone. (Note that we don't wear them when out on walks/bike rides because we keep distance from others, and also it seems there is good evidence that very limited exposure, outdoors is not a major risk.) 

A few news stories to bolster my soapbox... From a New York Times briefing on why the coronavirus is winning: 

We know how to slow the spread of the coronavirus. I know it doesn’t always seem that way. And, yes, there is still a great deal we don’t know about the virus. But there is also a consistent set of lessons, from around the world, about how to reduce the number of new cases sharply. You should wear a mask if you’re going to spend time near anybody who is not part of your household. You should minimize your time in indoor spaces with multiple people. You should move as many activities as possible outdoors. You should wash your hands frequently. And you should stay home, away from even your own family members, if you feel sick....The past six months have repeatedly shown the value of these steps.... Over the last few weeks, however, the virus has begun spreading across the southern and western U.S., as well as in some other countries. And there’s no real mystery about why. Many people have stopped following public-health guidance. They have gathered in restaurants, bars, churches, gyms and workplaces (sometimes because their employers pressured them to do so).

From an article in The Atlantic on how receiving a negative Covid test can mislead:

As Americans weigh the risks of attending protests, rallies, birthday parties, dinners, and all of the social gatherings that make up normal life, they will have to contend with the uncertainty that a negative test result does not rule out infection. “If they go do a risky contact, they can’t get a ‘Get out of jail free’ card. They can’t just get tested and feel fine,” A. Marm Kilpatrick, a disease ecologist at UC Santa Cruz, says.

Also, research shows that 6-foot distancing is important too - so combine them both for best results! And finally, an unsurprising news story I saw the other day: 8 wineries/restaurants in one small area of northern Michigan had to contact patrons after a group of visitors tested positive for coronavirus and were not practicing any distancing/mask wearing while bar and restaurant hopping. I mean...yeah. You never know what potential exposure you're sitting next to. So: you may have a different risk tolerance than I do for going out and about. But no matter what that personal risk tolerance is, people should still wear masks.

By this point, there's no excuses - if you can't make one yourself (or have a mom who makes them, like the cute patterned one I'm wearing), you can support an Etsy maker by ordering one there, or you can even tack one on to your order from a favorite retailer, as everyone from Madewell to Gap has them available now. So many options, you can find one to go with any outfit, for sure.

And you can go check out how Dana wore one with her outfit for even more inspiration.

p.s. this article has some really useful language around risk tolerance and ways to safely expand social circles.

Sharing on Style Six.

five things Friday: July's TBR edition

Coming off a month June of having read 8 books and having acquired 8 more (birthday gifts, and #blackoutpublishing haul!), it's time to do a little thinking about my July reading plans. Here are 5 that I definitely want to get around to:

Americanah covers two categories in my reading life: checking off some backlist, and reading for book club. I'm looking forward to finally getting around to this one! All Adults Here and Dear Mrs. Bird (historical fiction, purportedly for fans of Guernsey) are part of my birthday haul and are both calling to me right now. And American Spy and In Five Years are library e-books holds that have arrived to me, so they've got to get read in the next 3 weeks! American Spy was on my radar at some point, I forgot about it, and then it came back on when I was looking at lists of Black-authored books, so I'm very excited about picking up a thriller/spy novel for summer reading but at the same time exploring a new-to-me Black author; In Five Years had tons of Instagram hype earlier this spring, so I put it on my holds queue even though I don't really know anything about it. Now 15 weeks later it has arrived, so I guess I'll read it!

I read 4 of 5 from June's list, and they made for some pretty great summer reading: To Have and to Hoax (3.5 stars) as a steamy Austen-era romance romp, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (3.5, almost 4 stars) as a fun Southern houswives-vampire horror story mashup, A Good Marriage (4 stars) as a satisfying legal page-turner, and This Tender Land (4 stars) as a big-hearted historical fiction quest story.

I didn't get around to my backlist title that I had on June's list, but I replaced it with a different long-overdue read: Just Mercy. A very good substitution, as a book that really every American should read, to think more about how our justice system is flawed, how racism and the legacy of slavery play into it, and the very real people whose lives are forever altered by miscarriages of justice. It reads almost like a combination legal thriller, memoir, and social commentary - really compelling.

What was your favorite June read? Anything I should add to my July list?

currently

cooking: falafel and sweet potato + black bean tacos, quite possibly more often than my family likes. But I am very pleased with where my 2020 quest to find 2 new go-to vegetarian recipes has taken me, and I don't feel the need to look further. So good!

photographing: some candids of our "new normal." I realized that for a few months there I was taking way fewer snapshots than usual, you know, with not leaving the house and all. But I know someday I will want to be able to look back at how we operated in the world during this time, especially to share with Hendrik, so I have been doing more lately, like this selfie I took on a recent curbside grocery pickup trip. This is getting groceries these days: waiting in the car, masks on, music playing, and Hendrik with his beloved Lego catalog in the back seat.

sharing: in honor of Pride Month, a list of books I love that both provide insight into the array of experiences of LGBTQ+ identifying people and are just all-around excellent reads. Even though Pride is over, there's still lots of good summer reading on there! Especially Red, White & Royal Blue for a steamy romance and The Heart's Invisible Furies as one of my favorite reads of 2020 so far. (Image from here.)

trying: to reduce plastic usage in our household in general, but also especially in this age of corona where there seems to be extra packaging (grocery stores were not even allowing reusable bags to be brought in) and wastefulness that I feel like I need to make up for. One way is switching to bar soap and even shampoo instead of the plastic-bottled liquid kind. I'm replacing bodywash with this bar, and when my shampoo is gone am thinking of trying this bar version on the recommendation of a friend. (Also appreciated Kimi's recent post about some useful environmentally friendly products.)

wondering: if our bathroom renovation will EVER finish. We're going on 5 months since demolition started, and while covid caused a total stop in work, that only accounts for 2 months... Maybe the toilet will leave our garage and go back into its rightful place sometime next week, and meanwhile I make myself feel better/practice some wishful thinking by gazing adoringly at my inspiration photos and ordering some finishing touches like a pretty rug, cute towels, and faux greens.

Now I'd love to hear what you're currently up to as we kick off July - link up a related post below, or add a comment! And then come on back August 5 to chat about what you're currently choosing, consuming, enjoying, ordering, and remembering.

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