Sunday, April 17, 2022

The Sunday Post #303

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.




The Sunday Post #303





On The Blog Last Week






On The Blog This Week


  • On Tuesday, there's a book haul.





In My Reading Life


I read two books last week, and they were both winners. Yay!

I finished Orange World And Other Stories by Karen Russell. If you like fantasy but think you don't like short stories, you should give Karen Russell a try. You might change your mind. She's currently my favorite short story writer because I'm in awe of her creativity and how she sees connections between random things. Her stories always start out bizarre, and I'm not sure where they're going, but then everything snaps together in the end, and I suddenly understand. It's brilliant.

It's hard to pick favorite stories in this collection. I liked "The Prospectors," which is about two thieves who take the wrong ski lift and find themselves at a haunted lodge. "The Bad Graft" stars a woman whose body is taken hostage by a Joshua tree. (If you want to read "The Bad Graft," it's free on The New Yorker website.) "Bog Girl: A Romance" is about a teenage boy who falls in love with an ancient corpse that he yanks out of a bog. The title story, "Orange World," features a group of new mothers who band together to defeat a fox demon. If I was forced to choose a favorite story, it would probably be "Bog Girl." It's both funny and horrifying.

If you like vivid, unsettling fiction, then you need to read this collection.




Then I read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Why didn't books like this exist when I was a teenager? Where were all the books about chubby girls when I needed them? I spent the entire book highlighting lines that are relatable:

"When your body takes up more room than your voice, you are always the target of well-aimed rumors."

"And I think about all the things we could be if we were never told our bodies were not built for them."

"It happens when I’m at bodegas. It happens when I’m at school. It happens when I’m on the train. It happens when I’m standing on the platform. It happens when I’m sitting on the stoop. It happens when I’m turning the corner. It happens when I forget to be on guard. It happens all the time. I should be used to it. I shouldn’t get so angry when boys—and sometimes grown-ass men—talk to me however they want, think they can grab themselves or rub against me or make all kinds of offers. But I’m never used to it."

Anyway, The Poet X is a young adult contemporary novel about Xiomara, who is rebelling against pretty much everything. She has ultra-religious parents and a body that makes her stand out from the crowd. She's angry all the time. Then, she discovers her school's slam poetry club and learns how to make herself understood. She's more than just a curvy girl who attracts attention for all the wrong reasons.

This is a novel-in-verse, which means it's very quick to read. There's no extra fluff. The author strips the story down to its raw bones, which makes it powerful and straightforward. Xiomara is a Black Latina who lives in New York City. The reader gets to see bits of her culture and the diversity of the city. Xiomara just feels so real! She experiences realistic crushes, argues with her friends, is supported by her teachers, questions her religion, and constantly struggles with her self-esteem. I think a lot of teenagers will be able to relate to her.

This is a novel that I want to fling through the door of every high school. The kids need it.




Currently, I'm reading Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. It's a thick historical fiction brick about a female pilot during Prohibition. It's fine. It's not what I expected. The synopsis led me to believe that it was about a woman flying around the world. It's not. It's about a woman who wants to fly around the world, but she just has sex instead. The characters are well developed, but the plot isn't holding my attention. I'm hoping we eventually get to the flying around the world part.






In The Rest Of My Life


Five things that made me happy last week:

  1. If you're celebrating, I hope you have a great Easter!
  2. Baby Brooklyn has been waking up in the morning and using the toilet instead of her diaper. This is a major development. We're beyond ready for diapers to disappear forever. (Then the binky battle begins. We still have binkies.)
  3. I finally did my taxes! Procrastination for the win. Also, shout out to my dad for answering all my stupid questions. If I knew stuff about money, I'd have a lot more of it.
  4. Speaking of being a bad adult, I found a Netflix show called Old Enough. It's a Japanese show where children go on errands without their parents while a camera crew follows them. They have to get groceries or bring something to a family member's house. It's a funny show. Some of the kids are better at life than me. The kids can actually remember their grocery lists. That's more than I can do.
  5. I've been watching a lot of hockey because the playoffs are coming. Like always, I'm cheering for the Avalanche.




I'll Share My Easter Basket With My Friends



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Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!





 





30 comments:

  1. Hooray for Brooklyn! That really is a wonderful milestone for any adult who cares for a small child. One the table food comes in, diaper time is no joke. I loved The Poet X. All Acevado's books were amazing.

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  2. That is a great step for Brooklyn, it's been a long long time since my son was potty training but it's a wonderful development!
    Have't watched hockey playoffs or any hockey in ages. Sometimes I miss cable tv.

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  3. Love when there was no diapers and all potty. Congrats to Brooklyn!.
    My husband has been watching Hockey the last few days I am no guessing he is waiting for the playoffs but he's really waiting for Football to come back.
    I hope you have a great week! Happy Reading!

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  4. The Poet X really is a great book and more teens.... heck, everyone should read it!

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  5. Congrats to Brooklyn!

    I love those excerpts from The Poet X. Enjoy your reading and your week!

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  6. Yay for Brooklyn!

    Glad you enjoyed your books. Hope you have a great week!

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  7. Thanks for the lines from The Poet X. I'm not big on short stories, but your description make me want to give this one a read. Have a great week! Congrats on the potty usage! Wahooo

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  8. Happy Easter AJ! Oh I feel just like the girl in your meme. I couldn't find my favorite easter eggs ANYWHERE in town and it ruined my whole Easter completely.

    I do like short stories from time to time, but haven't read any in ages.

    Have a good week and happy reading!!

    Elza Reads

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  9. Haha, love your Easter basket meme. I am wondering when my kids are "old enough" to stop, lol! They are 19 and 17, so probably any time now, LOL! Yay for successful potty times...I remember those days. The show "Old Enough" sounds interesting...maybe I should watch it from the perspective of "parenting" pointers, sigh.

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  10. Happy Easter, AJ! I love your meme! It made me lol. I'm glad you had a good week. I hope you have a good week this week too. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  11. Poet X is an awesome read. When I was a high school librarian in 2009, I started a poetry slam at our school and it's still going strong even though I moved on from that job ages ago. I still go back and judge, which is super fun. The students are so talented.

    Moving out of diapers is HUGE! Baby Brooklyn for the win.

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  12. Yay for baby Brooklyn. Awesome week all around.

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  13. That's a week of improvement. My daughter didn't give up her binky until the day before kindergarten. But she also napped right up until the day before kindergarten.

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

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  14. Good job, Brooklyn!

    Ohmygosh I'm so glad you told us about Old Enough! I immediately set down my laptop and fired up Netflix and that show popped right up (is Netflix spying on me????) and watched a whole bunch of episodes. I had to switch over to the PGA Tournament for the 94-yo but I will be BACK! And I don't understand why some people are up in arms about it. There are a billion camera people around and they probably even shut down traffic while the kids are crossing the roads and only used stunt drivers. Do they really think they would put these little angels in danger? Come on... So cute!!! Love it. My favorite show.

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  15. Good for you to do your taxes! I hate it too! And yes if I knew stuff about money I'd have more of it too LOL

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  16. Old Enough sounds fun. I like anything Japanese lately. And hey bathroom use is always a nice development :)

    Good luck to the avs!

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  17. Congrats on getting your taxes done. My husband should be *starting* them now (but he's currently bustling around in the kitchen). This has been a battle since the day we married, but I've gotten to the point where I just try to ignore it. If I could, I would do the taxes--but I can't as so much of the information we need has to come from my husband's employer's intranet. Oh well! Happy Easter! - Melinda @ A Web of Stories

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  18. I hope you had a great Easter, AJ. Potty training is such an accomplishment!! Way to go!

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  19. I loved Poet X, such a good book, surprised me because I thought I wouldn't cope with the verse but so good.

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  20. I've been hearing great things about Poet X forever...and now you are adding to the raves. Why haven't I read this book yet? I'm sending it to the top of my list.

    Old Enough sounds intriguing. I suspect that many Japanese children do better at adulting than I do.

    Congrats to Brooklyn!

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  21. I loved the one Elizabeth Acevedo book I read a few years ago. I need to read the rest of her books now!

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  22. Those books sound really interesting, I'm so glad you enjoyed them both. I don't miss those potty -training days, though I do miss the cuddles! Hope you had a good Easter.

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  23. Old Enough is the best show!! I have loved that one for years and I'm so excited that it was added to Netflix. Also, the binky fairy. Yes, the binky fairy can come take the binky and leave a beloved doll in its place. This is what we did with my eldest daughter many years ago. Worked like a charm.

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  24. I don't really read fantasy or sci fi but am willing to give Karen R a try sometime.

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  25. Sounds like an interesting week! Yay for getting the taxes done. I hire H&R Block to do mine because I'm lazy and don't want to understand all of the rules. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  26. Yay for hockey! My Lightning finally clinched their spot in the playoff's last week. Hope your Avalanche are doing well!

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  27. Henry is only 4 months old and I'm already ready for diapers to be done - it's hard to imagine having to do this for YEARS still to come!

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  28. LOL - found out my 25 yr old would still like a visit from the easter bunny too ;-)

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  29. I haven't yet read Karen Russell, but I have heard good things about her from friends. Sorry there were no Easter baskets, but as I drove the 7 miles to where we were having a sunrise service, I about took out 4 rabbits. Maybe the Easter bunny wasn't able to make it ;)

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  30. I just came across Old Enough! I haven't watched it yet but it looks interesting in a bizarre kind of way. I do miss getting Easter baskets but I make up for it by buying Easter candy on a regular basis as soon as it comes available. Have a great week!

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