I read this book for my hometown book club and I am so glad I did. The author was very honest and explicit about her experiences of growing up Hmong iI read this book for my hometown book club and I am so glad I did. The author was very honest and explicit about her experiences of growing up Hmong in a smaller community in Wisconsin. She shared her story of being the oldest and a female in a family that came to the USA as refugees. She talked about her current and future struggles and triumphs.
I highly recommend this book!
DEJSIAB: FROM MY LIVER TO YOURS is a one of a kind poetry book that explores colonialism, patriarchy, hope, and healing through a critical Hmong womxn’s lens:
“Through the years, I’ve come to realize that healing is not a linear process - there are no definitive steps to take before one can say they have healed from their traumas. More than this, healing looks different for everyone, but regardless of how we heal or how long it takes us to heal, healing is so necessary for us to reconcile with the generations of trauma and hurt that our ancestors, mothers, sisters, aunties have endured…The poems found in this book are a series of love letters: love letters to who I was, from who I am, for who I will become. As a reader, you bear witness to the struggles, the joys, and the thoughts that I have as someone who is constantly becoming. In this way, we, too, are having a heart-to-heart throughout this book. I hope that you find relevance and solace in my words and are able to draw strength and dejsiab from these pages.” – Mai Neng Vang, Author....more
Book two of the Godforsaken series! I really enjoyed the read. This book is the perfect mix of reading about horror and learning about Amazonian ShamaBook two of the Godforsaken series! I really enjoyed the read. This book is the perfect mix of reading about horror and learning about Amazonian Shamanism. I really enjoyed the read and even though this book is fantasy, I learned a lot!
"Jack Warren was a low-life--a suicidal cop haunted by past tragedy. After investigating the disappearance of a promiscuous teenage girl at a local rest stop just outside of small town Wisconsin, Jack discovered something far more sinister than murder--ritual death, assault sorcery, and zombie making. In part two of three in this godforsaken series the damned will become redeemed and the redeemed will surely be damned in what might just be the end of the world as they know it. The Ravening reintroduces popular characters like Devin and Judas, while simultaneously twisting an insidious tale that will leave the reader both repulsed and attracted. This book answers the question that everyone is asking--what happens to Jack and Haven?"...more
Last book of 2019 and man, it was a good one. This book is so heartbreaking and intense that I had to take multiple breaks from it.
"Most of us have neLast book of 2019 and man, it was a good one. This book is so heartbreaking and intense that I had to take multiple breaks from it.
"Most of us have never heard of Israel Keyes. But he is one of the most ambitious, meticulous serial killers of modern time. The FBI considered his behavior unprecedented. Described by a prosecutor as "a force of pure evil", he was a predator who struck all over the United States. He buried 'kill kits' - cash, weapons, and body-disposal tools - in remote locations across the country, and over the course of fourteen years, would fly to a city, rent a car, and drive thousands of miles in order to use his kits. He would break into a stranger's house, abduct his victims in broad daylight, and kill and dispose of them in mere hours. And then he would return home, resuming life as a quiet, reliable construction worker devoted to his only daughter. When journalist Maureen Callahan first heard about Israel Keyes in 2012, she was captivated by how a killer of this magnitude could go undetected by law enforcement for over a decade. And so began a project that consumed her for the next several years - uncovering the true story behind how the FBI ultimately caught Israel Keyes, and trying to understand what it means for a killer like Keyes to exist. A killer who left a path of monstrous, randomly committed crimes in his wake - many of which remain unsolved to this day."...more
This book was a 2.5 stars. It was boring but I think it is because I couldn't relate. The women is a lot older than me and our lives and expectations This book was a 2.5 stars. It was boring but I think it is because I couldn't relate. The women is a lot older than me and our lives and expectations of being female are really different.
"In this lovingly hilarious look at her 44-years-and-counting marriage to a man she wouldn't trade for anything in the world -- who would finish her sentences? -- Erma Bombeck offers observations as only she can, on: The true test of compatibility: buying a house that "needs work". Surviving parenthood, and the nest that won't stay empty. How times of struggle are a piece of cake compared to handling success. Elevating guilt to a sacrament. What to do with a man who saves instruction manuals; thinks a fishing license makes a great anniversary gift; and, thanks to the remote control, has never seen a television commercial. Frazzled mothers wondering who they have to sleep with to get fired from the job. Facing maternity, mortality, and metamorphosis together This entertaining portrait of an American marriage is Erma Bombeck at her most intimate, and her funniest."...more
Read this book for my hometown book club.... It was meh.
"Everything is going right for Lucy Hansson, until her mom’s cancer reappears. Just like that,Read this book for my hometown book club.... It was meh.
"Everything is going right for Lucy Hansson, until her mom’s cancer reappears. Just like that, Lucy breaks with all the constants in her life: her do-good boyfriend, her steady faith, even her longtime summer church camp job. Instead, Lucy lands at a camp for kids who have been through tough times. As a counselor, Lucy is in over her head and longs to be with her parents across the lake. But that’s before she gets to know her coworkers, who are as loving and unafraid as she so desperately wants to be. It’s not just new friends that Lucy discovers at camp—more than one old secret is revealed along the way. In fact, maybe there’s much more to her family and her faith than Lucy ever realized."...more
I read this book for the Goodreads' book club: Diversity in All Forms! If you would like to participate in the book discussion here is the link: httpsI read this book for the Goodreads' book club: Diversity in All Forms! If you would like to participate in the book discussion here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This was extremely good! I suggest it to everyone and can't wait to read book two.
"In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.
Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.
One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her."...more
I read this book for my hometown book club and we invited the author over to talk about his book. He is extremely knowledgable about all the crimes heI read this book for my hometown book club and we invited the author over to talk about his book. He is extremely knowledgable about all the crimes he covers. His books are so informative. If you are from Wisconsin or Minnesota I highly suggest looking up his work. It is fantastic. He also sells his books for cost. He isn't trying to make any money from them. He is just hoping to spread the word of the cold case crimes that are still out there. He actually help solve one case already.
"'Cold Cases Of West-Central Wisconsin' is an in-depth collection of 13 long-term unsolved cases of the missing and murdered. Many cases include unprecedented information about the crimes and/or the victims – information you won't find in any newspaper article or online source. Cases included: Mary Schlais, Sara Bushland, William 'Junior' Clapp, Jane Neumann, Baby Nicole Hattamer, Richard Scott, Angelina Wall, Elmer Sunday, Ruth Martin, Joan Butterbach, Jim Southworth, Joseph Proulx, and John Klinger."...more
I read this book for my hometown book club. I really wanted to like this book and I did, but I didn't love it. I felt like it dragged on forever and cI read this book for my hometown book club. I really wanted to like this book and I did, but I didn't love it. I felt like it dragged on forever and could have finished wayyyy sooner.
"As the novel opens, a threat looms. Enemies are planning an attack of unprecedented scale on America. Uncertainty and fear grip Washington. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the cabinet. The President himself becomes a suspect, and then goes missing..."...more
I read this book for my home-town book club. I was so glad it was picked, because it's a book that I probably never would have picked up otherwise. ItI read this book for my home-town book club. I was so glad it was picked, because it's a book that I probably never would have picked up otherwise. It was such a cool experience reading a book that takes place near where I grew up. The locations were all familiar to me and I had no idea that we had an insane asylum. It was very interesting to learn about my town's dark secrets.
"In December 1949, life was nearly perfect for Jason Korsen--until voices told his father to kill the family. They escaped death but Jason's father, Peder, was sent to the insane asylum. Jason struggles with bullies while his family struggles with poverty. Life couldn't get any worse. Or so they thought. Ten years later, Jason's friend Roy Pettit is found molested and murdered after a Boy Scout meeting. A choir girl disappears that same night. The obvious suspect is Peder Korsen, who escaped from the asylum. Everyone in town is ready to hang Peder--everyone except Jason and Detective Joe Stroud. One month away from retirement, Stroud is haunted by the case and challenged by extreme political pressure to charge Peder. Jason knows he must prove his father's innocence, but how? Who would listen to a high school senior, the son of the main suspect? And who would ever believe him if he named the real killer--a monster who has done more than just kill a Boy Scout?"...more
I have read three books by Fredrik Backman now. The first book I read was a Man Called Ove and I loved it!I read this book for my hometown book club.
I have read three books by Fredrik Backman now. The first book I read was a Man Called Ove and I loved it! However, since then every book that I have read by Fredrick has been like pulling teeth. I can't get into them and they take me forever to finish...
This story is about a 7-year-old girl named Elsa. Her grandma is very untraditional and dies suddenly. When the grandma was a live she would tell Elsa stories from the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal. After her grandmother dies, she leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged in the Land of Almost-Awake. The rest of the book is told in fairy tale form....more
I read this book for my hometown book club. This book is an easy, smooth read. I've been wanting to read a book by Jhumpa Lahiri for a long time and II read this book for my hometown book club. This book is an easy, smooth read. I've been wanting to read a book by Jhumpa Lahiri for a long time and I'm glad the opportunity finally arised. I now have put all the other books that my library has by her on hold.
I think part of the reason I connected so much with this book is because my best friend from college was an immigrant at age 6 from India. Her parents are traditional in a country that is completely different than theirs. They would like their daughters to end up with a man from India. However, they live in a city with only 80 Indian people total. When you takeaway all the children, parents and non-single men that doesn't leave much choice. While reading this book I kept thinking of her.
The book starts off with the Ganguli parents living their traditional life in Calcutta and then their large move to become Americans. Right after their arranged wedding, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli settle together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ashoke is an engineer and adapts into the American culture much easier than his wife, who resists all things American. When their son is born, the task of naming him becomes great in this new world. Since the baby can't leave the hospital without a name they decide it to be Gogol. The name of a Russian writer that his father loved.
The book then starts following Gogol as he stumbles along the first-generation path. He has a strewn conflict with loyalties, crazy love affairs with Indian and non-Indian women and so much more.
The author really shows what troubles face first-generation children.
I loved this book and was so taken by the main character. I really hope the author will someday write a second book!...more
I read this book for my hometown book club. I know everyone says that this book is an eye-opener to a completely different world in the USA, but I didI read this book for my hometown book club. I know everyone says that this book is an eye-opener to a completely different world in the USA, but I didn't feel that way. I know my review of this book will be looked down upon because it doesn't go with the popular opinion, but this is why.
The book is a memoir of a guy that grew up in the Hillbilly culture and succeed by going to college and one of the top Law Schools. However, even though J.D. didn't have the best parent figures, he still had an amazing grandmother that helped him and his sister. He even lived with her full-time for many years. The love, support and direction that he had from her was way more than a lot of my students have. Also, his grandmother told him that he needed to get an education and go to college, so he had direction in that form too. I'm not saying that his story is not different and he didn't have a hard life. I'm just sharing how this book is extremely popular because people believe he did it on his own and escape an extreme situation.
Another reason I rated this book 3 stars is because I found it to drag on and repeat itself many times. I'm glad I learned about J.D., but it definitely wasn't a huge eye-opening read for me or a book I would suggest to others....more
I read this book for my hometown book club. Surprisingly, I have never heard of Shutter Island, but now after reading this book I will have to check oI read this book for my hometown book club. Surprisingly, I have never heard of Shutter Island, but now after reading this book I will have to check out the movie too.
I was hoping for this book to be much better than it was. Even after reading it I feel it could have been but there were soooo many twists and turns I couldn't keep up. I love when books catch you by surprise or completely change. However, this book was not executed well and had too many twists and turns that the author didn't execute them well.
The main character, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, and his partner, Chuck Aule, take a boat to Shutter Island. This is the Hospital for the Criminally Insane and they were requested to come to investigate the escape and find one of a patient. ...more
I received this book for an honest review. I am so glad I agreed to reading this book, because this story was amazing!! I highly suggest this book to I received this book for an honest review. I am so glad I agreed to reading this book, because this story was amazing!! I highly suggest this book to everyone!!!!
This is a true story about a refugees' experiences and life trying to get freedom.
Doaa and her family leave Syria due to all the fighting and go to Egypt. At first Egypt was a great move but then the country became politically unstable and increasingly dangerous. When in Egypt she meets her future fiancé Bassem. Who is former Free Syrian Army fighter and together they decide to leave behind the hardships they face in Egypt behind and flee for Europe. To do this they had to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded ships.
Doaa deals with many more difficult situations on the ship and after! Read the book to find out what happens to her life!...more
I read this book for my hometown retired teachers book club.
This book is written in almost interview form, where Anderson Cooper is asking his motherI read this book for my hometown retired teachers book club.
This book is written in almost interview form, where Anderson Cooper is asking his mother questions. I did not enjoy this style of writing because the book was sporadic and didn't follow a consistent pattern. Since I knew very little about Gloria Vanderbilt I needed this book to fill in gaps and large amount of information for me. Sadly, this book did not and left me very confused at times.
After Gloria suffered a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, she and her son begin a year-long conversation. The result is this book.
This book covers the tragedies and triumphs of their family. It covers the nontraditional childhood that Gloria had and her experiences with many husbands. She talks about her mistakes and how she did what she could so her children wouldn't make them. She also talked about the lack of direction and support that she had growing up, which caused a lot of those mistakes.
This book had some entertaining moments, but it was never gripping and never made me feel like I HAD to continue reading it....more
This was the Young Reads version, but it was still super compelling and informational! Wow! I never really knew the story behind Malala besides she waThis was the Young Reads version, but it was still super compelling and informational! Wow! I never really knew the story behind Malala besides she was shot for standing up for women's education, so this was really informational!
I read this for the Goodread's book club Diversity in All Forms!
I recommend this book to everyone and I plan on still reading the adult version of this book.
I bought a classroom set of this book, so I can read it with my students next semester :)...more
Mariah Roze
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