Review: Rabbit Cake

Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett defies categorization.  It is a story about grief, family, and growing up told with generous helpings of dark humor and lots of animals.  I love how Annie Hartnett features animals in her books.  They are always important characters not just side notes.  The Babbitt family is quirky like all families are.  Elvis, the main character, is a girl I can relate to in a strong way.  She's smart, inquisitive, and loves animals but also fiercely cares about the people in her life.  I somehow managed not to cry until the end of the book.  I'm not sure there ever is enough months to get over the grief of losing someone you really loved.  Then the floodgates opened, and the last chapters were a blur of tears. Knowing that, I would still read it again.  Also, made me want to eat cake, lots and lots of cake.          

Bonus points for Boomer, Ernest, and all the other animals features in this book.  I love them all. 

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Review: Termination Shock

Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Termination Shock by  Neal Stephenson came out, I went to his reading of it at The Strand in New York.  I felt like this is less of a thriller than he usually writes, but the research that went into it is top notch.  For anyone anxious about the climate, there is a lot in here to chew on.  I like that this takes on the climate change issue from the perspective of those who will lose their countries and homes to it. I feel like I know a lot about sulfur now.  I was hot just reading this book.  Sadly, there isn't one good solution because what might be a great solution for one set of countries can have a devastating impact for another.  Also, the Line of Actual Control storyline is bonkers.  A really interesting read for climate nerds.   

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Review: Home Before Dark

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager is a great haunted house book.  Once I started it, I had a very hard time putting it down.  This has a mixture of narration by a woman going back to the house her family abandoned when she was a child with chapters of the book her father wrote about the time they lived in the house.  Why they really left was always a bit of a mystery.  Was the house really haunted?  The concept isn't new but the execution was fantastic.  I especially liked the Sound of Music cameo.  If snakes make you squeamish, proceed with caution!

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Review: Riddance: Or the Sybil Joines Vocational School for Ghost Speakers & Hearing-Mouth Children

Riddance: Or the Sybil Joines Vocational School for Ghost Speakers & Hearing-Mouth Children by Shelley Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Riddance: Or the Sybil Joines Vocational School for Ghost Speakers & Hearing-Mouth Children by Shelley Jackson is worth reading.  I only wish the images were clearer on my e-reader because I felt they really enhanced the story.  It reminds me of the Miss Peregrine books with their creepy photos.  I enjoyed the epistolary story telling format used here very much.  There are letters, transcripts, and found documents.  They weave together to tell the story of two women at the SJVS, one the headmistress, the other a student.  The SJVS trains people with speech impediments, specifically stutters, to communicate with the dead.  It's trippy!  I'll be honest that I wasn't always sure what was going on.  That starts to happen when you get into multiverse situations, physics, and the language of the dead.  The ending was very clever.  Definitely recommend to the adventurous reader! 

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Review: Dear Mr. You

Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read and listened to Dear Mr. You written and narrated by Mary-Louise Parker.  This is a collection of letters written to the masculine figures, real and imaginary, in her life.  And by imaginary, I mean, she doesn't know them personally or in some cases yet although they may exist now or at some future point.  I really liked the letter format.  I love that she dedicated the book to her mom even though there is no specific letter to her mother.  You don't have to read them in any particular order.  You don't even have to read them all.  One of the letters was too intense for me to finish.  And while this was a new side of Mary-Louise Parker, I think it makes me appreciate her acting even more.  

Bonus points: My favorite letter was Dear Gem.  What a sweetheart!

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Review: This Is Not a Book about Benedict Cumberbatch

This Is Not a Book about Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of This is Not a Book about Benedict Cumberbatch: The Joy of Loving Something--Anything--Like Your Life Depends On It written by Tabitha Carvan and read by Tanya Schneider.  I listened to the whole book in two days it was that good.  In some ways I wish I had read it instead of listened to it because I wanted to highlight so many bits to refer to later.  I really want to take some of these surveys/inventories that she references.  Also, are there reference pictures in the book?  I would like to see them.  

This book was recommended to me by a friend in academia who studies, among other things, ways to use pop culture in teaching.  She and I met over a mutual love for the TV show, Supernatural.  We are exactly the type of people this book is talking about.  The book really isn't about Benedict Cumberbatch.  Insert any celebrity, TV show, sports team, etc. that a person is fanatical about.  I would be remiss not to mention Taylor Swift here.  I am a proud Swiftie.  Some people love to shame me for it.  I just Shake It Off.  This book gets into that, why some people feel ashamed or hide their feelings about a famous person.  And by "some people," we are mostly talking about women and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.  Straight men never seemed to be shamed for their obsessions.  

I think the most important thing this book highlights is the community aspect of loving something so much.  Ultimately, it is about finding your people and making a connection.  I may never meet Taylor Swift, but my sister and I always have something to talk about.  We never argue over what music to play in the car on a road trip.  That is pretty cool.

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Review: The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion

The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion by Meghan Daum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion is a collection of essays by Meghan Daum.  Some of these essays hit on exactly how I feel about a subject so perfectly it was scary.  Then others, one in particular, couldn't have been further from what I think is acceptable.  I guess that's why they are Unspeakable.  The great thing about a collection of essays though is you can pick and choose.  Not for you? Move on to the next!

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Review: Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember

Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember written and read by Lauren Graham.  I enjoy listening to Lauren Graham, but I am sure the book version is just as good if you prefer to read your books and not hear them.

Have I Told You This Already? is a non-linear collection of essays on various topics that Lauren Graham, as the title suggest, doesn't want to forget.  As I get older and the ole memory gets hazier, I can totally relate to this desire.  Yes there is a bit of memoir in here.  However, just as much could be said to be humorous observations of the world and especially the world of acting.  I really loved all the bits about New York.  I moved to NYC just before Barneys closed.  Now, I'm sad I didn't get a chance to experience it even if I probably would not have purchased anything there.  If you have enjoyed Lauren Graham in anything or enjoyed her previous writing, give this book a listen/read.  I think you'll like it.

Bonus points for Squirrel Signs.  I agree it is probably rare for someone to have three very personal experiences with three different squirrels in their life.  I'd count myself lucky! 

Extra bonus points for Mochi.  Such a special story.  I am glad it had a happy ending.  

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Review: Vox

Vox by Christina Dalcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read Vox by Christina Dalcher in two days.  It had been on my "to be read" list since it was published in 2018, but I wasn't ready to read it then.  I wasn't sure  I was ready to read it now, but it had been on my list the longest, so I decided it was time to take the plunge.  I wasn't prepared for it to feel too possible.  In a real world where we see people's rights chipped away at every day, where women are proudly calling themselves "tradwives" and trying to turn back history, this book felt prescient.  Is it such a leap to think someone might have the brilliant idea to get America back on track by putting queer people in camps and making women wear smart bands that count the number of words they speak in a day?  We already willingly wear/carry things that track so many other aspects of our lives.  It felt an important reminder to read this as we approach another election.  It is a reminder that if you don't use your voice, you just might lose it.      

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Review: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries is an anthology of new mystery short stories featuring Miss Jane Marple written by contemporary writers. My mother introduced me to Miss Marple through the black and white movies from the 60s shown on PBS when I was a kid.  I was hooked!  I wasn't hooked on Agatha Christie per se.  Hercule Poirot didn't have the same appeal as Miss Marple.  I was absolutely thrilled to learn that there  would be new Miss Marple stories written by some of my very favorite writers like Naomi Alderman, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware.  While all the stories feel like Miss Marple stories, they all also have the flavor of the person who wrote them.  I didn't necessarily need to see who wrote which one to guess who did.  As I edge closer to retirement, Miss Marple holds an even more special place in my heart.  I too might be solving mysteries in a small town very soon.      

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Review: Plain Bad Heroines

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth is so many things I love in a book.  There is a gothic, cursed girls school.  The story is told in a variety of manners including songs and book excerpts.  Some of the story is about filming a movie based on the book about the school.  It's creepy and mysterious.  There are yellow jackets.  Yellow jackets look like bees, but they are wasps.  I love bees.  I don't mess with wasps.  Not only can they sting you repeatedly, they bring their friends along to the party.  Don't mess with wasps.  I finished the book wishing I could see the movie.  We need more plain bad heroines.  If there really is a secret society of them, can I get an invite please?

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Review: Several People Are Typing

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke is a weird little novel in the best ways.  The whole story is told through an office's Slack channel chats.  If you like unusual story delivery like I do, you will enjoy this!  There is a lot of workplace humor that I found very relatable.  I guess some things are universal no matter what industry you work in.  It's not just humor.  There is also romance, mystery, and I'm going to call it horror even though that might be too dramatic.  It's the kind of book you can read in one sitting.  If you are looking to break up the monotony of work, pick this up.   

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Review: Hello, Molly!: A Memoir

Hello, Molly!: A Memoir by Molly Shannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of Hello, Molly!: A Memoir written and narrated by Molly Shannon.  I like listening to memoirs that are read by the author although I am sure this is just as funny and interesting in book form.  I don't watch Saturday Night Live on a regular basis, but I know Molly Shannon mostly from her non-SNL things of which there are so many.  She has so many wild stories!  I'm not going to spoil any of them, but I am pretty sure most of them could never happen now.  I learned enough to know I am grateful I didn't want to be an actor or a comedian.  I also learned that you should make sure a date takes you to a variety of restaurants before you decide if you like them.  Some great life lessons in here!  It is mostly funny, but there are definitely some heavy themes too. But mostly, SUPERSTAR!  

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Review: Broken Faith: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America's Most Dangerous Cults

Broken Faith: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America's Most Dangerous Cults by Mitch Weiss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Broken Faith: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America's Most Dangerous Cults by Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr is a nonfiction investigation of Word of Faith Fellowship.  If you are interested in non-mainstream religions or cults, you may have encountered Word of Faith before.  They are best known for their practice of "blasting," a form of loud prayer that is meant to cast out demons.  Word of Faith has also been featured in documentaries about cults.  This book documents several accounts of former members and the lengths they went through to leave the church and expose abuse they and others endured. Some sacrificed everything to escape.  From the outside, it is hard to understand why anyone would join an organization that could be so brutal and yet people did join. Having an opportunity to hear their stories was really fascinating.

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