Erin's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:02:33 -0700 60 Erin's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Afrosurreal Manifesto: Black is the New Black A 21st century manifesto]]> 17857993
Steve Woodall
Director, Center for Book and Paper Arts
Columbia College Chicago


A limited letterpress edition of 500 copies, produced as a companion piece to the exhibition Marvelous Freedom/Vigilance of Desire, Revisited at the Arcade Gallery of Columbia College Chicago which ran from January 28 to March 15, 2013. The exhibition was curated by Alexandria Eregbu with the help of Krista Franklin, Devin Cain, and Camille Morgan.

D. Scot Miller’s text was originally printed in the San Francisco Bay Guardian in May 2009. The curators responded to this text by choosing works of contemporary Chicago artists for this show which reflected the points outlined in Miller’s manifesto.

The book was offset printed by Clifton Meador on the heidelberg GTO with covers letterpress printed by April Sheridan and krista Franklin on the heidelberg Windmill. Designed by Ben Blount using elements from a mask drawn by Krista Franklin.

The text is set in Baskerville and Metropolis 1920. Printed on Mohawk Superfine Ultrawhite text and French Paper Speckletone Kraft cover.]]> 20 D. Scot Miller Erin 0 to-read 4.50 2012 Afrosurreal Manifesto: Black is the New Black A 21st century manifesto
author: D. Scot Miller
name: Erin
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Men Who Hate Women 48635408
Men Who Hate Women examines the rise of secretive extremist communities who despise women and traces the roots of misogyny across a complex spider web of groups. It includes eye-opening interviews with former members of these communities, the academics studying this movement, and the men fighting back.

Women's rights activist Laura Bates wrote this book as someone who has been the target of many hate-fueled misogynistic attacks online. At first, the vitriol seemed to be the work of a small handful of individual men... but over time, the volume and consistency of the attacks hinted at something bigger and more ominous. As Bates went undercover into the corners of the internet, she found an unseen, organized movement of thousands of anonymous men wishing violence (and worse) upon women.
In the book, Bates explores:

Extreme communities like incels, pick-up artists, MGTOW, Men's Rights Activists and more
The hateful, toxic rhetoric used by these groups
How this movement connects to other extremist movements like white supremacy
How young boys are targeted and slowly drawn in
Where this ideology shows up in our everyday lives in mainstream media, our playgrounds, and our government

By turns fascinating and horrifying, Men Who Hate Women is a broad, unflinching account of the deep current of loathing toward women and anti-feminism that underpins our society and is a must-read for parents, educators, and anyone who believes in equality for women.]]> 366 Laura Bates Erin 4 4.34 2020 Men Who Hate Women
author: Laura Bates
name: Erin
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves:
review:
This was a ROUGH read but felt necessary, in order to understand the mentality of incels. It’s horrifying and I’m not sure where to begin to address this chronic misogyny that is rooted in men like this, but it’s good to know their perspectives so we can work to untangle that hate.
]]> <![CDATA[Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong (Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, 1)]]> 16002011
Bad sportsmanship? Sure.

Chainsaws? Why not.

Running away from home on Thanksgiving? Nothing can possibly go wrong.]]> 280 Prudence Shen 159643659X Erin 4 3.84 2013 Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong (Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, 1)
author: Prudence Shen
name: Erin
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves:
review:
The story was so-so but the friend dynamic was really sweet and laugh-out-loud funny.
]]> The Perilous Road 121841 176 William O. Steele 0152052046 Erin 4 3.71 1958 The Perilous Road
author: William O. Steele
name: Erin
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1958
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
Of the “a house-divided� middle grade books, I prefer My Brother Sam Is Dead, but this one was pretty strong.
]]> The Ax 176811
Burke Devore is a middle-aged manager at a paper company when the cost-cutting ax falls, and he is laid off. Eighteen months later and still unemployed, he puts a new spin on his job search -- with agonizing care, Devore finds the seven men in the surrounding area who could take the job that rightfully should be his, and systematically kills them. Transforming himself from mild-mannered middle manager to ruthless murderer, he discovers skills ne never knew ne had -- and that come to him far too easily.]]> 352 Donald E. Westlake 0446606081 Erin 5 3.92 1997 The Ax
author: Donald E. Westlake
name: Erin
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves:
review:
This was so hard to put down! Amazing premise, incredible delivery.
]]> <![CDATA[The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder]]> 61714633 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on the Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire.

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as "the prize of all the oceans," it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.

But then . . . six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death--for whomever the court found guilty could hang.

The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann's recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O'Brian, his portrayal of the castaways' desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann's work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound.]]> 331 David Grann 0385534264 Erin 0 to-read 4.14 2023 The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
author: David Grann
name: Erin
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
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]]> Hello, Universe 30653713 Winner of the 2018 Newbery Medal.
Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different, and finding your inner bayani (hero). “Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast of misfits.”—Booklist

In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball.

They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.

The acclaimed and award-winning author of Blackbird Fly and The Land of Forgotten Girls writes with an authentic, humorous, and irresistible tween voice that will appeal to fans of Thanhha Lai and Rita Williams-Garcia.]]> 320 Erin Entrada Kelly 0062414151 Erin 3 3.89 2017 Hello, Universe
author: Erin Entrada Kelly
name: Erin
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:
The characters were great but the story was just okay.
]]> The Paper Palace 55994372
Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn't forever changed the course of their lives.

As Heller colors in the experiences that have led Elle to this day, we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanors of families.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780593329825.]]> 400 Miranda Cowley Heller Erin 0 to-read 3.73 2021 The Paper Palace
author: Miranda Cowley Heller
name: Erin
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Motel Life 782151 With "echoes of Of Mice and Men" (The Bookseller, UK), The Motel Life explores the frustrations and failed dreams of two Nevada brothers � on the run after a hit-and-run accident � who, forgotten by society, and short on luck and hope, desperately cling to the edge of modern life.

]]> 206 Willy Vlautin 0061171115 Erin 0 to-read 3.91 2006 The Motel Life
author: Willy Vlautin
name: Erin
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World]]> 208840291 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.

As indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love.

Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution insures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.”]]> 112 Robin Wall Kimmerer 1668072246 Erin 0 to-read 4.39 2024 The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
name: Erin
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Museum Worthy: Nazi Art Plunder in Postwar Western Europe]]> 112333416
In France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, postwar governments appropriated the most coveted unclaimed works for display in museums, embassies, ministries, and other public buildings. Following cultural property norms of the time, the governments created custodianships over the unclaimed pieces, without using archives in their possession to carry out thorough provenance (ownership) research. This policy extended the dispossession of Jewish owners wrought by the Nazis and their collaborators well into the twenty-first century.

The custodianships included more than six hundred works in Belgium, five thousand works in the Netherlands, and some two thousand in France. They included paintings by traditional and modern masters, such as Rembrandt, Cranach, Rubens, Van der Weyden, Tiepolo, Picasso, and Matisse. This appropriation of plundered assets endured without controversy until the mid-1990s, when activists and journalists began challenging the governments' right to hold these items, ushering in a period of cultural property litigation that endures to this day. Including interviews that have never before been published, Museum Worthy deftly examines the appropriation of Nazi art plunder by postwar governments and highlights the increasingly successful postwar art recovery and restitution process.]]> 360 Elizabeth Campbell 0190051981 Erin 3 3.75 Museum Worthy: Nazi Art Plunder in Postwar Western Europe
author: Elizabeth Campbell
name: Erin
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves:
review:
I appreciated how granular this got but it could be very dry at times.
]]> Strange Pictures 216670080
A pregnant woman’s sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.

A child’s picture of his home contains a dark secret message.

A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbit hole that will reveal a horrifying reality.

Structured around these nine childlike drawings, every one holding a disturbing clue, this novel invites readers to piece together the harrowing truth behind each and the overarching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the bestselling international debut from mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.]]> 236 Uketsu 0063433087 Erin 0 to-read 4.05 2022 Strange Pictures
author: Uketsu
name: Erin
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents]]> 23129659 If you grew up with an emotionally immature, unavailable, or selfish parent, you may have lingering feelings of anger, loneliness, betrayal, or abandonment. You may recall your childhood as a time when your emotional needs were not met, when your feelings were dismissed, or when you took on adult levels of responsibility in an effort to compensate for your parent’s behavior. These wounds can be healed, and you can move forward in your life.

In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable. You will see how these parents create a sense of neglect, and discover ways to heal from the pain and confusion caused by your childhood. By freeing yourself from your parents� emotional immaturity, you can recover your true nature, control how you react to them, and avoid disappointment. Finally, you’ll learn how to create positive, new relationships so you can build a better life.

Discover the four types of difficult parents:



The emotional parent instills feelings of instability and anxiety

The driven parent stays busy trying to perfect everything and everyone

The passive parent avoids dealing with anything upsetting

The rejecting parent is withdrawn, dismissive, and derogatory
Ěý±Ő±Ő> 201 Lindsay C. Gibson 1626251703 Erin 4 Extremely validating. 4.36 2015 Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
author: Lindsay C. Gibson
name: Erin
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves:
review:
Extremely validating.
]]> <![CDATA[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Graphic Novel]]> 4133366
Complete with Fitzgerald's original text, dazzling watercolor illustrations, and an afterword describing the story's origins and critical reception, this edition offers a fresh look at a literary masterpiece.]]> 128 F. Scott Fitzgerald 1594742812 Erin 4 adult-graphic-novels 3.72 1922 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Graphic Novel
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Erin
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1922
rating: 4
read at: 2010/01/01
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: adult-graphic-novels
review:
The illustrations are adorable!
]]> <![CDATA[Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents]]> 51152447 The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.�

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.]]> 544 Isabel Wilkerson 0593230256 Erin 4 4.52 2020 Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
author: Isabel Wilkerson
name: Erin
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves:
review:
Did a lot of frustrated cursing and sad sighing in this one. As usual, Wilkerson has laser-precision when it comes to diagnosing America’s issues.
]]> Dracula 17245 You can find an alternative cover edition for this ISBN here and here.

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of horrific discoveries about his client. Soon afterwards, various bizarre incidents unfold in England: an apparently unmanned ship is wrecked off the coast of Whitby; a young woman discovers strange puncture marks on her neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the 'Master' and his imminent arrival.

In Dracula, Bram Stoker created one of the great masterpieces of the horror genre, brilliantly evoking a nightmare world of vampires and vampire hunters and also illuminating the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.

This Norton Critical Edition includes a rich selection of background and source materials in three areas: Contexts includes probable inspirations for Dracula in the earlier works of James Malcolm Rymer and Emily Gerard. Also included are a discussion of Stoker's working notes for the novel and "Dracula's Guest," the original opening chapter to Dracula. Reviews and Reactions reprints five early reviews of the novel. "Dramatic and Film Variations" focuses on theater and film adaptations of Dracula, two indications of the novel's unwavering appeal. David J. Skal, Gregory A. Waller, and Nina Auerbach offer their varied perspectives. Checklists of both dramatic and film adaptations are included.

Criticism collects seven theoretical interpretations of Dracula by Phyllis A. Roth, Carol A. Senf, Franco Moretti, Christopher Craft, Bram Dijkstra, Stephen D. Arata, and Talia Schaffer.

A Chronology and a Selected Bibliography are included.]]> 488 Bram Stoker 0393970124 Erin 4 4.02 1897 Dracula
author: Bram Stoker
name: Erin
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1897
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:
Van Helsing is such a silly character
]]> The Red and the Black 14662 The Red and the Black is a lively, satirical portrayal of French society after Waterloo, riddled with corruption, greed, and ennui, and Julien - the cold exploiter whose Machiavellian campaign is undercut by his own emotions - is one of the most intriguing characters in European literature.

Roger Gard's fine translation remains faithful to the natural, conversational tone of the original, while his introduction elucidates the complexities of Julien's character. This edition also contains a chronology, further reading and an appendix on Stendhal's use of epigraphs.]]> 577 Stendhal 0140447644 Erin 0 to-read 3.91 1830 The Red and the Black
author: Stendhal
name: Erin
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1830
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Charterhouse of Parma 14680
With beautiful illustrations by Robert Andrew Parker.]]> 532 Stendhal 0679783180 Erin 0 to-read 3.87 1839 The Charterhouse of Parma
author: Stendhal
name: Erin
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1839
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Jamie 61442275 A beautiful and uplifting story from L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, about how to make your own place when the world doesn't think you fit anywhere. For fans of Me, My Dad and The End of The Rainbow.

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.

As the friends' efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don't figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

A beautiful and uplifting new story from L.D. Lapinski about making your own place when the world doesn't provide one for you, for readers of Alex Gino's GEORGE (Melissa's Story), and Benjamin Dean's ME, MY DAD AND THE END OF THE RAINBOW.]]> 161 L.D. Lapinski 1510110933 Erin 3 4.44 2024 Jamie
author: L.D. Lapinski
name: Erin
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:
The message was great and this was overall very impactful but some of the characters, both children and adults, didn’t entirely read as believable for me.
]]> Martyr! 139400713 Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others—in which a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum.

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of Tehran in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the Angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.

Electrifying, funny, wholly original, and profound, Martyr! heralds the arrival of a blazing and essential new voice in contemporary fiction.]]> 331 Kaveh Akbar 0593537610 Erin 0 to-read 4.22 2024 Martyr!
author: Kaveh Akbar
name: Erin
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
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]]> James 173754979 A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780385550369.]]> 303 Percival Everett Erin 0 to-read 4.47 2024 James
author: Percival Everett
name: Erin
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men]]> 211003949 How a field built on the intellectual labor and expertise of women erased them

The academic field of international relations presents its own history as largely a project of elite white men. And yet women played a prominent role in the creation of this new cross-disciplinary field. In Erased, Patricia Owens shows that, since its beginnings in the early twentieth century, international relations relied on the intellectual labour of women and their expertise on such subjects as empire and colonial administration, anticolonial organising, non-Western powers, and international organisations. Indeed, women were among the leading international thinkers of the era, shaping the development of the field as scholars, journalists and public intellectuals—and as heterosexual spouses and intimate same-sex partners.

Drawing on a wide range of archival sources, and weaving together personal, institutional and intellectual narratives, Owens documents key moments and locations in the effort to forge international relations as a separate academic discipline in Britain. She finds that women’s ideas and influence were first marginalised and later devalued, ignored and erased. Examining the roles played by some of the most important women thinkers in the field, including Margery Perham, Merze Tate, Eileen Power, Margaret Cleeve, Coral Bell and Susan Strange, Owens traces the intellectual and institutional legacies of misogyny and racism. She argues that the creation of international relations was a highly gendered and racialised project that failed to understand plurality on a worldwide scale. Acknowledging this intellectual failure, and recovering the history of women in the field, points to possible sources for its renewal.]]> 432 Patricia Owens 0691266441 Erin 0 to-read 4.25 Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men
author: Patricia Owens
name: Erin
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/12
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist]]> 33311172 The little-known story of an eighteenth-century Quaker dwarf who fiercely attacked slavery and imagined a new, more humane way of life
The Fearless Benjamin Lay chronicles the transatlantic life and times of a singular and astonishing man--a Quaker dwarf who became one of the first ever to demand the total, unconditional emancipation of all enslaved Africans around the world. He performed public guerrilla theater to shame slave masters, insisting that human bondage violated the fundamental principles of Christianity. He wrote a fiery, controversial book against bondage that Benjamin Franklin published in 1738. He lived in a cave, made his own clothes, refused to consume anything produced by slave labor, championed animal rights, and embraced vegetarianism. He acted on his ideals to create a new, practical, revolutionary way of life.]]> 212 Marcus Rediker 0807035920 Erin 0 to-read 4.13 2017 The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist
author: Marcus Rediker
name: Erin
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor]]> 10866215 344 Anne Sebba 0297858963 Erin 0 to-read 3.37 2011 That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor
author: Anne Sebba
name: Erin
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shocking: The Surreal World of Elsa Schiaparelli]]> 61264517 288 0500025940 Erin 0 to-read 4.05 Shocking: The Surreal World of Elsa Schiaparelli
author: Marie-Sophie Carron de la Carrière
name: Erin
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Trumpeter of Krakow 825546
When Joseph and his family seek refuge in medieval Krakow, they are caught up in the plots and intrigues of alchemists, hypnotists, and a dark messenger of evil. Will Joseph be able to protect the crystal—and the city—from the plundering Tartars?]]> 208 Eric P. Kelly 0689715714 Erin 3 3.75 1928 The Trumpeter of Krakow
author: Eric P. Kelly
name: Erin
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1928
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:
It’s incredible to think that this book, about a proud Polish historical legend, was written just 11 years before Hitler would invade Poland. The epilogue is so hopeful and asks for a promise of peace - it’s a hard pill to swallow that that is not the goal of everyone.
]]> Invasive 207293767 A 2023 National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards Comics Finalist

“Brilliant . . . It’ll make you think twice before putting your body on an operating table, no matter how much you trust your doctor.� —Comics Beat

Beyond excess, beyond ethics, beyond science. . . . Enter a terrifying new experiment in pain from Eisner Award nominee Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Basilisk), 2023 Reuben Award Finalist illustrator Jesús Hervás (The Empty Man), and Federico Sabbatini (Moon Knight)!

Dr. Carrie Reynolds was a veteran trauma surgeon with a godlike mastery of muscle and bone. But outside the operating room, her rigidly ordered life spiraled into chaos when her daughter, Heather-a recovering plastic surgery addict-suddenly disappeared, only to mysteriously reemerge in a catatonic state, her vocal cords removed . . . the latest in a series of victims scarred by a battery of brazenly cruel medical procedures that have baffled police and left an alarming number of once-ordinary citizens maimed, mutilated, or dead on arrival.

Deep beneath the streets of Carrie's city, a new kind of underground hospital has just opened its doors . . . and, once inside, there are no rules, no oaths, and no taboos too deep to not to be broken. Together, a new class of surgeon has sworn to pierce the final threshold of accepted medical orthodoxy one incision at a time. The scalpel is their tool. The alleys are their operating theater. Murder is their medicine. And only Carrie can stop what they're planning next . . .

Collecting Invasive #1-4.]]> 128 Cullen Bunn 1637154984 Erin 3 3.19 2024 Invasive
author: Cullen Bunn
name: Erin
average rating: 3.19
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
Really great style, but I just wanted more: more lore, more messaging, more rounded out characters.
]]> <![CDATA[Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York]]> 75220 Low Life is a portrait of America's greatest city, the riotous and anarchic breeding ground of modernity. This is not the familiar saga of mansions, avenues, and robber barons, but the messy, turbulent, often murderous story of the city's slums; the teeming streets--scene of innumerable cons and crimes whose cramped and overcrowded housing is still a prominent feature of the cityscape.

Low Life voyages through Manhattan from four different directions. Part One examines the actual topography of Manhattan from 1840 to 1919; Part Two, the era's opportunities for vice and entertainment--theaters and saloons, opium and cocaine dens, gambling and prostitution; Part Three investigates the forces of law and order which did and didn't work to contain the illegalities; Part Four counterposes the city's tides of revolt and idealism against the city as it actually was.

Low Life provides an arresting and entertaining view of what New York was actually like in its salad days. But it's more than simpy a book about New York. It's one of the most provocative books about urban life ever written--an evocation of the mythology of the quintessential modern metropolis, which has much to say not only about New York's past but about the present and future of all cities.]]> 414 Lucy Sante Erin 0 to-read 4.12 1991 Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York
author: Lucy Sante
name: Erin
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Upright Women Wanted 45320365
Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.

The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing. They'll bring the fight to you.

In Upright Women Wanted, award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity.]]> 176 Sarah Gailey 1250213584 Erin 0 to-read 3.59 2020 Upright Women Wanted
author: Sarah Gailey
name: Erin
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Duke of Desire (Maiden Lane, #12)]]> 33128520
Refined, kind, and intelligent, Lady Iris Jordan finds herself the unlikely target of a diabolical kidnapping. Her captors are the notoriously evil Lords of Chaos. When one of the masked-and nude!-Lords spirits her away to his carriage, she shoots him . . . only to find she may have been a trifle hasty.

A DUKE IN DEEPEST DARKNESS

Cynical, scarred, and brooding, Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has made it his personal mission to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and destroy them. Rescuing Lady Jordan was never in his plans. But now with the Lords out to kill them both, he has but one choice: marry the lady in order to keep her safe.

CAUGHT IN A WEB OF DANGER . . . AND DESIRE

Much to Raphael's irritation, Iris insists on being the sort of duchess who involves herself in his life-and bed. Soon he's drawn both to her quick wit and her fiery passion. But when Iris discovers that Raphael's past may be even more dangerous than the present, she falters. Is their love strong enough to withstand not only the Lords of Chaos but also Raphael's own demons?]]> 353 Elizabeth Hoyt Erin 3 3.81 2017 Duke of Desire (Maiden Lane, #12)
author: Elizabeth Hoyt
name: Erin
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
Sometimes the mysterious trauma the brooding male protagonist is going through is straight up hard-to-read childhood abuse and ooooof.
]]> <![CDATA[Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It]]> 60613920 298 Richard V. Reeves 1800750544 Erin 0 to-read 4.02 2022 Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It
author: Richard V. Reeves
name: Erin
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Home 221583320
In the early '60s, in a seemingly more "innocent" time, a group of teenagers were lured into a supposedly haunted house. The place on Sycamore Lane has a morbid history, but that's just hearsay and rumor, isn't it?

THE HOME

His name was Robbie Miller, and he was a killer. Driven mad by the THING that lived in The Home, he now exists to serve. He'll do whatever the creature that calls itself Mr. Friendlyman asks . . . He'll even become a ghost . . .

THE HOME

Now, decades later and much older, they are returning to The Home. A retired fantasy writer, A doting grandfather, and a mysterious old woman who seems to know things she should not . . .

THE HOME

A dark storm is brewing over this wicked house. A storm that will break down the very fabric of reality. A storm that demands blood and sacrifice, and feeds on the ghosts of anyone who dies within it's premises.]]> 254 Judith Sonnet 1955745919 Erin 0 to-read 3.90 The Home
author: Judith Sonnet
name: Erin
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Space Junk 202470553
Faith has a metallic mystery bolted to her head. Hoshi keeps his rage in check with an emotional support chicken. On a dying world where most adults have already left and the remaining kids are training for their turn, these two are starting to wonder “what’s the point?� Gradually, a cluster of lonely souls who’ve spent their lives emotionally adrift are pulled into one another’s orbits as they try to stay in place in a universe that is moving all too quickly.

With Space Junk, the startling imagination of award-winning graphic novelist Julian Hanshaw explores profound questions of past and future, trauma and recovery, staying grounded and taking flight.]]> 176 Julian Hanshaw Erin 3 2.88 Space Junk
author: Julian Hanshaw
name: Erin
average rating: 2.88
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars. Its weirdness got in the way of cohesive storytelling. About one third of it is pretty solid.
]]> <![CDATA[Jump Ship to Freedom (Arabus Family Saga) (Arabus Family Saga Series)]]> 878216
But now Daniel's father is dead, and Mrs. Ivers has taken the notes from his mother. When Daniel bravely steals the notes back, a furious Captain Ivers forces him aboard a ship bound for the West Indies--and certain slavery. Even if Daniel can manage to jump ship in New York, will he be able to travel the long and dangerous road to freedom?]]> 208 James Lincoln Collier 0440443237 Erin 3 3.76 1981 Jump Ship to Freedom (Arabus Family Saga) (Arabus Family Saga Series)
author: James Lincoln Collier
name: Erin
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1981
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves:
review:
I appreciated the attempt at historical accuracy but the racist language was jarring in a middle grade book. The story is compelling, though, and the pacing worked.
]]> Liar & Spy 17308183

Praise for Liar & Spy:

A Junior Library Guild Selection - A New York Times Bestseller - An Indie Bestseller - Kirkus Reviews starred review - Publishers Weekly starred review - The Horn Book starred review - School Library Journal starred review - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books starred review - Autumn 2012 Kids' Indie Next List -Nominated for the Best Fiction for Young Adults 2013 - Kirkus Reviews Best of Children's Books 2012 List - Publishers Weekly Best of Children's Fiction 2012 - School Library Journal Best of Children's Fiction 2012 List - The Horn Book 's Best of 2012 List -
Barnes & Noble Best Books of 2012 for Kids List - Amazon's Best of the Year, Middle Grade (3) - A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2012 - Holiday gift guides: Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times - NPR Outstanding "Backseat" Reads for Ages 9-14, NPR's Backseat Book Club - One of The Atlantic Wire's 25 favorite middle grade and young adult book covers of 2012 - The Wall Street Journal 's Best Children's Books of 2012 - The Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2012 - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 2012 Blue Ribbons List]]> 208 Rebecca Stead 1849399735 Erin 4 middle-grade-fiction 3.78 2012 Liar & Spy
author: Rebecca Stead
name: Erin
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/05/13
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: middle-grade-fiction
review:
"Goofy brilliance" is a descriptor used on the inside book jacket, and one I wholly agree with.
]]> Fallen Angels 436609 Sunrise Over Falluja in hardcover.

A coming-of-age tale for young adults set in the trenches of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, this is the story of Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteers for the service when his dream of attending college falls through. Sent to the front lines, Perry and his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the real horror of warfare. But violence and death aren't the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in himself and his comrades, he questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the U.S. is there at all.]]> 309 Walter Dean Myers 0590409433 Erin 4 3.98 1983 Fallen Angels
author: Walter Dean Myers
name: Erin
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1983
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:
WDM is a master at weaving in-your-face masculine realism with moments of profound sensitivity.
]]> Weirdly Walter 199531884
On his first day, Walter impresses the entire school with hilarious impersonations during the morning announcements. He finds himself tapped to try out for the school musical, but when his costar unearths the true reason why Walter’s dad isn’t around, will Walter be able to face the music?

Weirdly Walter is a heartfelt story about unconditional love, forgiveness, and how our heroes aren’t always perfect, from the acclaimed author of Words on Bathroom Walls, Julia Walton.]]> 176 Julia Walton 0063324962 Erin 3 4.30 Weirdly Walter
author: Julia Walton
name: Erin
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:
Very sweet. Some parts fell flat for me but the parts that had heart, had a lot of it.
]]> Home (Binti, #2) 30038654
And now she must return home to her people, with her friend Okwu by her side, to face her family and face her elders.

But Okwu will be the first of his race to set foot on Earth in over a hundred years, and the first ever to come in peace.

After generations of conflict can human and Meduse ever learn to truly live in harmony?]]> 176 Nnedi Okorafor 0765393107 Erin 3 3.99 2017 Home (Binti, #2)
author: Nnedi Okorafor
name: Erin
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves:
review:
The back history and world building is fascinating and compelling, but ultimately left me more lost than the first one.
]]> <![CDATA[Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos]]> 968033
Born in Kinshasa and Brazzaville at the end of World War II, Congon music matured as Africans fought to consolidate their hard-won independence. In addition to great musicians—Franco, Essous, Abeti, Tabu Ley, and youth bands like Zaiko Langa Langa—the cast of characters includes the conniving King Leopold II, the martyred Patrice Lumumba, corrupt dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, military strongman Denis Sassou Nguesso, heavyweight boxing champs George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, along with a Belgian baron and a clutch of enterprising Greek expatriates who pioneered the Congolese recording industry.

Rumba on the River presents a snapshot of an era when the currents of tradition and modernization collided along the banks of the Congo. It is the story of twin capitals engulfed in political struggle and the vibrant new music that flowered amidst the ferment.

For more information on the book, visit its other online home at —an impressive resource.]]> 400 Gary Stewart 1859843689 Erin 0 to-read 4.24 2000 Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos
author: Gary Stewart
name: Erin
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gentleman Spy: The Life of Allen Dulles]]> 893478 672 Peter Grose 1558490442 Erin 0 to-read 3.62 1994 Gentleman Spy: The Life of Allen Dulles
author: Peter Grose
name: Erin
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1994
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My country, Africa: Autobiography of the black pasionaria]]> 5045758 294 Andrée Blouin 0030627591 Erin 0 to-read 4.34 2025 My country, Africa: Autobiography of the black pasionaria
author: Andrée Blouin
name: Erin
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Night Country (The Hazel Wood, #2)]]> 43565384 The New York Times bestselling sequel to Melissa Albert’s beloved The Hazel Wood!

In The Night Country, Alice Proserpine dives back into a menacing, mesmerizing world of dark fairy tales and hidden doors of The Hazel Wood. Follow her and Ellery Finch as they learn The Hazel Wood was just the beginning, and that worlds die not with a whimper, but a bang.

With Finch’s help, Alice escaped the Hinterland and her reclusive grandmother’s dark legacy. Now she and the rest of the dregs of the fairy tale world have washed up in New York City, where Alice is trying to make a new, unmagical life. But something is stalking the Hinterland’s survivors—and she suspects their deaths may have a darker purpose. Meanwhile, in the winking out world of the Hinterland, Finch seeks his own adventure, and—if he can find it—a way back home...]]> 331 Melissa Albert 1250246075 Erin 3 3.70 2020 The Night Country (The Hazel Wood, #2)
author: Melissa Albert
name: Erin
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first, but the writing is so good that it was easy to stick with.
]]> <![CDATA[Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle]]> 38458398
Twin sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski are here to help end the cycle of inadequacy, overwhelm and exhaustion, to go beyond banal self-help platitudes (â€Practice self-care!â€�, â€Set boundaries!â€�) and confront the real obstacles that are standing between women and well-being. Combining the latest science-based evidence with prescriptive advice and a good dose of humour they reveal:

· how stress is a biological cycle that has to be completed before your body can return to a state of relaxation
· why rest, human connection and reducing self-criticism are key to recovering from and preventing burnout
· how to control the â€monitorâ€� in your brain that regulates the emotion of frustration
· why the Bikini Industrial Complex makes it difficult for women to love their bodies � and the easiest way to fight back
· what you can start doing today to manage stress more effectively

Eye-opening, compassionate and optimistic, BURNOUT will completely transform the way we think about and manage stress, empowering women to thrive under pressure and enjoy meaningful yet balanced lives.]]> 304 Emily Nagoski 1473561264 Erin 4 3.97 2019 Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
author: Emily Nagoski
name: Erin
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
Nothing too earth-shattering here, but lots of compassion and their personalities shine through so well that you want to re-read to practice these behaviors.
]]> Heart of a Samurai 7739968 A 2011 Newbery Honor Book

In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.

Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives for some time in New England, and then heads to San Francisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the shogun to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai.

]]> 305 Margi Preus 0810989816 Erin 4 3.92 2010 Heart of a Samurai
author: Margi Preus
name: Erin
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:
I was way more hooked to this one than I thought I’d be. Amazing to learn that it was based on a real historical figure!
]]> Chromophobia 351621 Chromophobia, David Batchelor analyzes the history of, and motivations behind, chromophobia, from its beginnings through examples of nineteenth-century literature, twentieth-century architecture and film, to Pop art, minimalism and the art and architecture of the present day. Batchelor suggests how colour fits, or fails to fit, into the cultural imagination of the West, exploring such diverse themes as Melville's "great white whale," Le Corbusier's "journey to the East," Huxley's experiments with mescaline. Dorothy's travels in the Land of Oz and the implication of modern artists' experiments with industrial paints and materials.]]> 125 David Batchelor 1861890745 Erin 0 to-read 3.84 2000 Chromophobia
author: David Batchelor
name: Erin
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout]]> 197773418 Do fewer things. Work at a natural pace. Obsess over quality.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload.

Our current definition of “productivity� is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?

Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers—from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe—Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,� a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for workers to replace them with a slower, more humane alternative.

From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.]]> 244 Cal Newport 0593544854 Erin 0 to-read 3.65 2024 Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
author: Cal Newport
name: Erin
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Hunting Party 37642030 Everyone's invited...everyone's a suspect...

For fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a shivery, atmospheric, page-turning novel of psychological suspense in the tradition of Agatha Christie, in which a group of old college friends are snowed in at a hunting lodge . . . and murder and mayhem ensue.

All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps.

Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?]]> 406 Lucy Foley 0008297126 Erin 4 3.59 2018 The Hunting Party
author: Lucy Foley
name: Erin
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:
Had a hard time putting this one down. Great twist that, while a tiny bit predictable, still had me glued to the book.
]]> <![CDATA[Hot Blooded (Tooth & Claw, #2)]]> 61594865 Desperate times call for desperate measures�

Saddled with insurmountable debt, Tessa is desperate for a way out. When she’s referred to an agency that pairs vampires with blood donors as a quick way to make some cash, she has no choice but to accept an arrangement. She expects pain. She expects fear. She expects a predator. But what she gets is something entirely different. Her vampire match is... sweet. Kind. Protective. And the way he makes her feel is anything but painful.

Can the ends justify the means�?

Amos has long since given up on the idea of ever finding a blood mate. Accepting that the only live blood he’ll ever enjoy will be from paid donors, he finally gives in and enlists a blood-matching service. But when he finally meets his match, she’s everything he could have asked for in a mate—kind, funny, beautiful. He knows right away that he wants her for keeps, but it’s a huge leap from temporary donor to eternal blood mate. If Amos is going to keep Tessa forever, he’ll have to win her heart first.]]> 300 Heather Guerre Erin 3 3.68 2021 Hot Blooded (Tooth & Claw, #2)
author: Heather Guerre
name: Erin
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
review:
Big fan of how this author frames vampire lore.
]]> <![CDATA[Beti and the Little Round House]]> 205015086 From beloved storyteller Atinuke comes an enchanting new collection of stories featuring an endearing new character.

Beti lives in a little round house in the green woods under the mountains with Mam, Tad, baby Jac, and her very own tiny goat named Naughty. Beti loves the little round house, where there is always the promise of adventure with Naughty, Jac, and her friends—whatever the season! With charming black-and-white and color illustrations throughout, this warm and lyrical collection is alive with themes of endurance, friendship, and the power of self-belief. It celebrates the gift of the seasons and the art of living simply and joyfully in nature.]]> 128 Atinuke 1536225185 Erin 3 The sweetest illustrations. 3.92 Beti and the Little Round House
author: Atinuke
name: Erin
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:
The sweetest illustrations.
]]> Moon Over Manifest 8293938 Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future.

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.�

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.]]> 368 Clare Vanderpool 0385907508 Erin 3 4.03 2010 Moon Over Manifest
author: Clare Vanderpool
name: Erin
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
I tended to lose track over who and what and feel like maybe a bit too much was going on, but this was very sweet. The immigrant’s tale was especially moving.
]]> <![CDATA[Cold Hearted (Tooth & Claw, #1)]]> 61594456 A woman on the run�

I came to Longtooth, Alaska looking for a safe place to hide. All I wanted was to keep my head down, do my job, and enjoy the peace and quiet. But there’s no peace to be found once I meet Longtooth’s cantankerous bush pilot. Caleb Kinoyit is surly and rude and mean. He’s also, unfortunately, the most attractive man I’ve ever met. And as the long, Alaskan winter nights stretch on, I find myself warming to his rough charm just as much as I’m falling for the beauty of my new home.

A town with a secret�

There’s something different about Longtooth—something the locals won’t talk about with outsiders. And I am definitely an outsider. But when my dangerous past finally tracks me down, Longtooth can’t keep its secrets from me any longer, and the revelation upends the world as I know it. The only truth I can be sure of anymore are my feelings for Caleb. But will love be enough to save me? Or will I have to sacrifice myself to save the ones I love?]]> 304 Heather Guerre Erin 4 3.73 2020 Cold Hearted (Tooth & Claw, #1)
author: Heather Guerre
name: Erin
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves:
review:
Pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this one. A strong female protagonist with very believable trauma to work out, without being a simpering damsel but also not some hidden-ninja-badass heroine.
]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Erin 3 Gallowglass remains the MVP for me. ]]> 4.15 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Erin
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/19
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves:
review:
It was fine. I don’t know why I struggled so much with the last two, but here we are. I think I started to find Diana unlikable and Matthew almost non-existent.
Gallowglass remains the MVP for me.
]]> <![CDATA[Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose]]> 6828896 246 Tony Hsieh 0446563048 Erin 0 to-read 4.02 2000 Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
author: Tony Hsieh
name: Erin
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't]]> 16144853 Why do only a few people get to say “I love my job�? It seems unfair that finding fulfillment at work is like winning a lottery; that only a few lucky ones get to feel valued by their organizations, to feel like they belong.

Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled.

This is not a crazy, idealized notion. Today, in many successful organizations, great leaders are creating environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things.

In his travels around the world since the publication of his bestseller Start with Why, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams were able to trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives were offered, were doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why?

The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general.

“Officers eat last,� he said.

Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What’s symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: great leaders sacrifice their own comfort—even their own survival—for the good of those in their care.

This principle has been true since the earliest tribes of hunters and gatherers. It’s not a management theory; it’s biology. Our brains and bodies evolved to help us find food, shelter, mates and especially safety. We’ve always lived in a dangerous world, facing predators and enemies at every turn. We thrived only when we felt safe among our group.


Our biology hasn’t changed in fifty thousand years, but our environment certainly has. Today’s workplaces tend to be full of cynicism, paranoia and self-interest. But the best organizations foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a Circle of Safety that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside.

The Circle of Safety leads to stable, adaptive, confident teams, where everyone feels they belong and all energies are devoted to facing the common enemy and seizing big opportunities.

As he did in Start with Why, Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories from a wide range of examples, from the military to manufacturing, from government to investment banking.

The biology is clear: when it matters most, leaders who are willing to eat last are rewarded with deeply loyal colleagues who will stop at nothing to
advance their leader’s vision and their organization’s interests. It’s amazing how well it works.
]]> 350 Simon Sinek 1591845327 Erin 0 to-read 4.09 2014 Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't
author: Simon Sinek
name: Erin
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection]]> 157981748 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780593243916.

Who and what are supercommunicators? They're the people who can steer a conversation to a successful conclusion. They are able to talk about difficult topics without giving offence. They know how to make others feel at ease and share what they think. They're brilliant facilitators and decision-guiders. How do they do it?

In this groundbreaking book, Charles Duhigg unravels the secrets of the supercommunicators to reveal the art - and the science - of successful communication. He unpicks the different types of everyday conversation and pinpoints why some go smoothly while others swiftly fall apart. He reveals the conversational questions and gambits that bring people together. And he shows how even the most tricky of encounters can be turned around. In the process, he shows why a CIA operative was able to win over a reluctant spy, how a member of a jury got his fellow jurors to view an open-and-shut case differently, and what a doctor found they needed to do to engage with a vaccine sceptic.

Above all, he reveals the techniques we can all master to successfully connect with others, however tricky the circumstances. Packed with fascinating case studies and drawing on cutting-edge research, this book will change the way you think about what you say, and how you say it.]]> 320 Charles Duhigg Erin 0 to-read 4.00 2024 Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
author: Charles Duhigg
name: Erin
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When a Loved One Has Dementia: A Comforting Companion for Family and Friends]]> 64005730
A vital source of solace and compassion for those whose loved one has dementia, rooted in the author’s unflinching experience of caring for her mother

Dementia enters life through the back door, slipping in unnoticed. Once it’s there, it can make you feel powerless, angry, and unsure how to move forward. When her mother developed dementia, Eveline Helmink wasn’t prepared. As she learned firsthand, when your loved one is suffering, it takes a toll on you, too.

As you navigate finding professional caregivers and adapting to your loved one’s behavioral challenges, this book will help you confront all the complexities of the experience.Ěý
When a Loved One Has DementiaĚý weaves together Eveline’s unflinching personal account and her empathetic guidance, allowing you to walk through the endless tunnel and illuminating the path to acceptance, forgiveness, and love.]]> 224 Eveline Helmink 1615199349 Erin 4 3.98 When a Loved One Has Dementia: A Comforting Companion for Family and Friends
author: Eveline Helmink
name: Erin
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves:
review:
So many comforting things in this. Not in a toxic positive “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger� way, but in an authentic, genuine, warts-and-all, “can’t have the rainbow without the rain� way. This is one to own and re-read for friends and family members of those with dementia.
]]> The Art of War 10534 170 Sun Tzu Erin 3 3.98 -400 The Art of War
author: Sun Tzu
name: Erin
average rating: 3.98
book published: -400
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:
It’s pretty fascinating that this ancient text about warfare really just boils down to defensive and offensive interpersonal skills.
]]> <![CDATA[Film, Architecture and Spatial Imagination (Ashgate Studies in Architecture)]]> 31708735 216 Renee Tobe 1315533707 Erin 0 to-read 4.67 Film, Architecture and Spatial Imagination (Ashgate Studies in Architecture)
author: Renee Tobe
name: Erin
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling]]> 817367
Guided by her twenty-five years of research on the effects of color on behavior, Bellantoni has grouped more than 60 films under the spheres of influence of six major colors, each of which triggers very specific emotional states. For example, the author explains that films with a dominant red influence have themes and characters that are powerful, lusty, defiant, anxious, angry, or romantic and discusses specific films as examples. She explores each film, describing how, why, and where a color influences emotions, both in the characters on screen and in the audience. Each color section begins with an illustrated Home Page that includes examples, anecdotes, and tips for using or avoiding that particular color.

Conversations with the author's colleagues - including award-winning production designers Henry Bumstead ( Unforgiven ) and Wynn Thomas ( Malcolm X ) and renowned cinematographers Roger Deakins ( The Shawshank Redemption ) and Edward Lachman ( Far From Heaven ) - reveal how color is often used to communicate what is not said.

Bellantoni uses her research and experience to demonstrate how powerful color can be and to increase readers awareness of the colors around us and how they make us feel, act, and react.]]> 276 Patti Bellantoni 0240806883 Erin 0 to-read 3.79 2005 If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling
author: Patti Bellantoni
name: Erin
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sherman's March 29549182 A New York Times–bestselling author’s account of the devastating military campaign that broke the Confederacy’s back in the last months of the Civil War. In November 1864, just days after the reelection of President Abraham Lincoln, Gen. William T. Sherman vowed to “make Georgia howl.� The hero of Shiloh and his 65,000 Federal troops destroyed the great city of Atlanta, captured Savannah, and cut a wide swath of destruction through Georgia and the Carolinas on their way to Virginia. A scorched-earth campaign that continues to haunt the Southern imagination, Sherman’s “March to the Sea� and ensuing drive north was a crucial turning point in the War between the States. Weaving together hundreds of eyewitness accounts, bestselling author Burke Davis tells the story of this infamous episode from the perspective of the Union soldiers and the Confederate men and women who stood in their path. Eloquent, heartrending, and vastly informative, Sherman’s March brilliantly examines one of the most polarizing figures in American military history and offers priceless insights into the enduring legacy of the Civil War.]]> 452 Burke Davis 1504034414 Erin 3 He sounds awful and amazing. 4.31 1980 Sherman's March
author: Burke Davis
name: Erin
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1980
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves:
review:
He sounds awful and amazing.
]]> <![CDATA[Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History]]> 141624
This fascinating book tells the stories of seventeen molecules that, like the tin of those buttons, greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration and made possible the ensuing voyages of discovery. They resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine; lie behind changes in gender roles, in law, and in the environment; and have determined what we today eat, drink, and wear.

Showing how a change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous differences in the properties of a substance, the authors reveal the astonishing chemical connections among seemingly unrelated events. Napoleon's Buttons offers a novel way to understand how our contemporary world works and how our civilization has been shaped over time.]]> 375 Penny Le Couteur 1585422207 Erin 4 3.95 1991 Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History
author: Penny Le Couteur
name: Erin
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1991
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:
Really fascinating. Also I learned the difference between artificial and synthetic which is incredibly useful!
]]> Priest (Priest, #1) 25507389
I've always been good at following rules.ĚýUntil she came.ĚýMy name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I'm twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again.ĚýI am a priest and this is my confession.

Priest is a standalone, full-length novel with an HEA. ĚýFor mature audiences only]]> 354 Sierra Simone Erin 3 3.59 2015 Priest (Priest, #1)
author: Sierra Simone
name: Erin
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars. I felt like there should’ve been way more yearning and longing on his end before anything happened. And the insistence of bringing God into it felt forced and pretty unnecessary.
]]> <![CDATA[The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet]]> 55145261 A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.]]> 304 John Green 0525555218 Erin 5 4.37 2021 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
author: John Green
name: Erin
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/01/05
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
review:
I’m not sure if I’d always give this five stars, but I happened to listen to this at the exact time I needed it. Joy, hope, despair, commiseration, resilience, survival.
]]> <![CDATA[The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree]]> 526657 182 Bill Brittain 006020687X Erin 4 3.92 1983 The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree
author: Bill Brittain
name: Erin
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1983
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:
First read this in elementary school and it terrified me. It holds up, but thankfully with a happy ending.
]]> Natural Beauty 61420120 Sly, surprising, and razor-sharp, Natural Beauty follows a young musician into an elite, beauty-obsessed world where perfection comes at a staggering cost.

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parents—also talented musicians—who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City.

Holistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures—from remoras that suck out cheap Botox to eyelash extensions made of spider silk—and her new job affords her entry into a world of privilege and a long-awaited sense of belonging. She becomes transfixed by Helen, the niece of Holistik’s charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something sinister.

A piercing, darkly funny debut, Natural Beauty explores questions of consumerism, self-worth, race, and identity—and leaves readers with a shocking and unsettling truth.]]> 272 Ling Ling Huang 0593472926 Erin 0 to-read 3.79 2023 Natural Beauty
author: Ling Ling Huang
name: Erin
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves: to-read
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]]> Never: The Autobiography 220293679
When 'Never Gonna Give You Up� propelled Rick Astley into the pop stratosphere, it changed his life forever. Nothing could have prepared the young, unassuming boy from Lancashire for what was in store for him. This is Rick's story � in his own words.

At just nineteen, Rick agreed to sign with legendary music producer Pete Waterman � under the wings of music powerhouse Stock Aitken Waterman. Unpredictable, outlandish adventures followed, giving him a peek into the mechanics of the music industry � all of which would eventually take Rick from the shadows of local bands to international stardom. From platinum-selling albums to worldwide tours, the world was at Rick’s feet. And then, suddenly, at what seemed like the height of fame, it wasn’t.

At twenty-seven, Rick retired himself from the industry that had brought him much success and financial stability. Behind the hits and the glitz and glamour was a young man coming to terms with his new-found fame, the realities of life in the pop-music machine and the pressures of life on the road, not to mention reconciling with his childhood spent between his divorced parents in a volatile family dynamic. Time out of the industry offered Rick room for much-needed reflection and therapy � and unknowingly helped to set the stage for his triumphant return to music.

Balancing nostalgia, fresh perspectives and introspection, with a good dose of northern humour, Never is an intimate look at the man behind the hits � and is a portrait of truth, artistic evolution and the astounding power of contentment.]]> 292 Rick Astley 1035049392 Erin 0 to-read 4.31 2024 Never: The Autobiography
author: Rick Astley
name: Erin
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/22
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]]> Show Way 272343
Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways -- maps for slaves to follow to freedom. When she grew up and had a little girl, she passed on this knowledge. And generations later, Soonie -- who was born free -- taught her own daughter how to sew beautiful quilts to be sold at market and how to read.

From slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches and the fight for literacy, the tradition they called Show Way has been passed down by the women in Jacqueline Woodson's family as a way to remember the past and celebrate the possibilities of the future. Beautifully rendered in Hudson Talbott's luminous art, this moving, lyrical account pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters' lives.]]> 48 Jacqueline Woodson 0399237496 Erin 4 4.26 2005 Show Way
author: Jacqueline Woodson
name: Erin
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
review:
Short, but what a fantastic impact.
]]> The Witch of Blackbird Pond 703292
Orphaned Kit Tyler knows, as she gazes for the first time at the cold, bleak shores of Connecticut Colony, that her new home will never be like the shimmering Caribbean island she left behind. In her relatives' stern Puritan community, she feels like a tropical bird that has flown to the wrong part of the world, a bird that is now caged and lonely. The only place where Kit feels completely free is in the meadows, where she enjoys the company of the old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and on occasion, her young sailor friend Nat. But when Kit's friendship with the "witch" is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear, and anger. She herself is accused of witchcraft!]]> 256 Elizabeth George Speare Erin 5 4.01 1958 The Witch of Blackbird Pond
author: Elizabeth George Speare
name: Erin
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1958
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
review:
A compelling historical fiction book with a lot of heart. Some nail-biting tension but a very nice happy ending.
]]> The Teller of Small Fortunes 207611551 A wandering fortune teller finds an unexpected family in this warm and wonderful debut fantasy, perfect for readers of Travis Baldree and Sangu Mandanna.

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences�

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.]]> 336 Julie Leong 0593815912 Erin 0 to-read 3.82 2024 The Teller of Small Fortunes
author: Julie Leong
name: Erin
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/20
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]]> Grant 742882 In this comprehensive biography, Jean Edward Smith reconciles these conflicting assessments of Grant's life. He argues convincingly that Grant is greatly underrated as a president. Following the turmoil of Andrew Johnson's administration, Grant guided the nation through the post-Civil War era, overseeing Reconstruction in the South and enforcing the freedoms of new African-American citizens. His presidential accomplishments were as considerable as his military victories, says Smith, for the same strength of character that made him successful on the battlefield also characterized his years in the White House.

]]> 784 Jean Edward Smith 0684849275 Erin 0 to-read 4.02 2001 Grant
author: Jean Edward Smith
name: Erin
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Eisenhower in War and Peace 11958983 NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Christian Science Monitor � St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In his magisterial bestseller FDR, Jean Edward Smith gave us a fresh, modern look at one of the most indelible figures in American history. Now this peerless biographer returns with a new life of Dwight D. Eisenhower that is as full, rich, and revealing as anything ever written about America’s thirty-fourth president. As America searches for new heroes to lead it out of its present-day predicaments, Jean Edward Smith’s achievement lies in reintroducing us to a hero from the past whose virtues have become clouded in the mists of history.

Here is Eisenhower the young dreamer, charting a course from Abilene, Kansas, to West Point, to Paris under Pershing, and beyond. Drawing on a wealth of untapped primary sources, Smith provides new insight into Ike’s maddening apprenticeship under Douglas MacArthur in Washington and the Philippines. Then the whole panorama of World War II unfolds, with Eisenhower’s superlative generalship forging the Allied path to victory through multiple reversals of fortune in North Africa and Italy, culminating in the triumphant invasion of Normandy. Smith also gives us an intriguing examination of Ike’s finances, details his wartime affair with Kay Summersby, and reveals the inside story of the 1952 Republican convention that catapulted him to the White House.

Smith’s chronicle of Eisenhower’s presidential years is as compelling as it is comprehensive. Derided by his detractors as a somnambulant caretaker, Eisenhower emerges in Smith’s perceptive retelling as both a canny politician and a skillful, decisive leader. Smith convincingly portrays an Eisenhower who engineered an end to America’s three-year no-win war in Korea, resisted calls for preventative wars against the Soviet Union and China, and boldly deployed the Seventh Fleet to protect Formosa from invasion. This Eisenhower, Smith shows us, stared down Khrushchev over Berlin and forced the withdrawal of British, French, and Israeli forces from the Suez Canal. He managed not only to keep the peace—after Ike made peace in Korea, not one American soldier was killed in action during his tenure—but also to enhance America’s prestige in the Middle East and throughout the world.

Domestically, Eisenhower reduced defense spending, balanced the budget, constructed the interstate highway system, and provided social security coverage for millions who were self-employed. Ike believed that traditional American values encompassed change and progress.

Unmatched in insight, Eisenhower in War and Peace at last gives us an Eisenhower for our time—and for the ages.

Praise for Eisenhower in War and Peace
Ěý
“[A] fine new biography . . . [Eisenhower’s] White House years need a more thorough exploration than many previous biographers have given them. Smith, whose long, distinguished career includes superb one-volume biographies of Grant and Franklin Roosevelt, provides just that.�—The Washington Post
Ěý
“Highly readable . . . [Smith] shows us that [Eisenhower’s] ascent to the highest levels of the military establishment had much more to do with his easy mastery of politics than with any great strategic or tactical achievements.”�The Wall Street Journal
Ěý
“Always engrossing . . . Smith portrays a genuinely admirable Eisenhower: smart, congenial, unpretentious, and no ideologue. Despite competing biographies from Ambrose, Perret, and D’Este, this is the best.”�Publishers Weekly (starred review)]]> 976 Jean Edward Smith 140006693X Erin 5 4.04 2012 Eisenhower in War and Peace
author: Jean Edward Smith
name: Erin
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:
This was excellent. Very excited to read the other President bios by this author.
]]> This Thing Between Us 56269269
“This intense cosmic horror with a touch of Mexican American folklore is incredibly creepy and moving.� —Margaret Kingsbury, BuzzFeed

It was Vera’s idea to buy the Itza. The “world’s most advanced smart speaker!� didn’t interest Thiago, but Vera thought it would be a bit of fun for them amidst all the strange occurrences happening in the condo. It made things worse. The cold spots and scratching in the walls were weird enough, but peculiar packages started showing up at the house—who ordered industrial lye? Then there was the eerie music at odd hours, Thiago waking up to Itza projecting light shows in an empty room.

It was funny and strange right up until Vera was killed, and Thiago’s world became unbearable. Pundits and politicians all looking to turn his wife’s death into a symbol for their own agendas. A barrage of texts from her well-meaning friends about letting go and moving on. Waking to the sound of Itza talking softly to someone in the living room . . .

The only thing left to do was get far away from Chicago. Away from everything and everyone. A secluded cabin in Colorado seemed like the perfect place to hole up with his crushing grief. But soon Thiago realizes there is no escape—not from his guilt, not from his simmering rage, and not from the evil hunting him, feeding on his grief, determined to make its way into this world.

A bold, original horror novel about grief, loneliness and the oppressive intimacy of technology, This Thing Between Us marks the arrival of a spectacular new talent.]]> 272 Gus Moreno 0374539235 Erin 5 3.70 2021 This Thing Between Us
author: Gus Moreno
name: Erin
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/17
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
review:
Love a horror/grief novel but this one felt extra special because of its Mexican characters and culture. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
]]> <![CDATA[Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There]]> 46064076 Brutally honest, often hilarious, hard-won lessons in learning to love and care for yourself from a young vice president at Comedy Central who was called “ahead of her time� by Jordan Peele.

By the time she was in her late twenties, Tara Schuster was a rising TV executive who had worked for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and helped launch Key & Peele to viral superstardom. By all appearances, she had mastered being a grown-up. But beneath that veneer of success, she was a chronically anxious, self-medicating mess. No one knew that her road to adulthood had been paved with depression, anxiety, and shame, owing in large part to her minimally parented upbringing. She realized she’d hit rock bottom when she drunk-dialed her therapist pleading for help.

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies is the story of Tara’s path to re-parenting herself and becoming a “ninja of self-love.� Through simple, daily rituals, Tara transformed her mind, body, and relationships, and shows how to:

� fake gratitude until you actually feel gratitude
� excavate your emotional wounds and heal them with kindness
� identify your self-limiting beliefs, kick them to the curb, and start living a life you choose
� silence your inner frenemy and shield yourself from self-criticism
� carve out time each morning to start your day empowered, inspired, and ready to rule
� create a life you truly, totally f*cking LOVE

This is the book Tara wished someone had given her and it is the book many of us desperately need: a candid, hysterical, addictively readable, practical guide to growing up (no matter where you are in life) and learning to love yourself in a non-throw-up-in-your-mouth-it’s-so-cheesy way.]]> 318 Tara Schuster 0525509887 Erin 3 3.87 2002 Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There
author: Tara Schuster
name: Erin
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
review:
Part memoir, part self-help by way of reparenting, this book has slightly more helpful parts than it doesn’t, but only slightly.
]]> When Women Were Dragons 58783802 A rollicking feminist tale set in 1950s America where thousands of women have spontaneously transformed into dragons, exploding notions of a woman’s place in the world and expanding minds about accepting others for who they really are.

The first adult novel by the Newbery award-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours, except for its most seminal event: the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales, and talons; left a trail of fiery destruction in their path; and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex’s beloved aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn’t know. It’s taboo to speak of.

Forced into silence, Alex nevertheless must face the consequences of this astonishing event: a mother more protective than ever; an absentee father; the upsetting insistence that her aunt never even existed; and watching her beloved cousin Bea become dangerously obsessed with the forbidden.

In this timely and timeless speculative novel, award-winning author Kelly Barnhill boldly explores rage, memory, and the tyranny of forced limitations. When Women Were Dragons exposes a world that wants to keep women small—their lives and their prospects—and examines what happens when they rise en masse and take up the space they deserve.]]> 367 Kelly Barnhill 0385548222 Erin 0 to-read 3.79 2022 When Women Were Dragons
author: Kelly Barnhill
name: Erin
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake, #1)]]> 175824 Summer has a magic all its own.

When Portia sets out for a visit with her cousin Julian, she expects fun and adventure, but of the usual kind: exploring in the woods near Julian's house, collecting stones and bugs, playing games throughout the long, lazy days.

But this summer is different.

On their first day exploring, Portia and Julian discover an enormous boulder with a mysterious message, a swamp choked with reeds and quicksand, and on the far side of the swamp...a ghost town.

Once upon a time the swamp was a splendid lake, and the fallen houses along its shore an elegant resort community. But though the lake is long gone and the resort faded away, the houses still hold a secret life: two people who have never left Gone-Away...and who can tell the story of what happened there.]]> 256 Elizabeth Enright 0152022724 Erin 2 4.13 1957 Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake, #1)
author: Elizabeth Enright
name: Erin
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1957
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:
This would’ve been 3 stars but the casual racism knocked it down. I kept thinking “WHEN was this written again? The year TWO THOUSAND?! Whaaaa?�
]]> Death in the Downline 211401582
Drew thought she was destined to rise above her small New Jersey hometown and make it as a serious journalist in New York City. But now she's back in Clearfield, pushing thirty, newly single, and living with her father.

After a chance encounter at the grocery store, she reconnects with her former best friend, Steph, who married young and never left their hometown. But Steph looks . . . good. She's tanned, clear skinned, and glowing. She drives an expensive car and wears only name brands. What's her secret? A multi-level marketing scheme called LuminUS that's taken the ladies of Clearfield by storm. With nothing left to lose, Drew gets sucked into this glamorous world of downlines, sales parties, and girls' trips.

But when a LuminUS distributor dies under mysterious circumstances, can Drew uncover the dark secret at the heart of the organization—and save her best friend—before it’s too late?

Laugh-out-loud funny and a pitch-perfect skewering of pyramid schemes, Death in the Downline is a page-turner that will have readers nodding in recognition and cheering for Drew until the cathartic conclusion.]]> 304 Maria Abrams 1683694147 Erin 4 3.53 2025 Death in the Downline
author: Maria Abrams
name: Erin
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves:
review:
This was so fun! It really captures the “love to hate it� aspect of anti-MLM content. Not so much of a murder mystery as it is a small-town investigation of what’s so sinister about this particular pyramid scheme, but it was pretty hard to put down and was incredibly charming.
]]> The Iliad 162955 13 Homer 9626344288 Erin 4 3.92 -800 The Iliad
author: Homer
name: Erin
average rating: 3.92
book published: -800
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves:
review:
*kissing noises* “and they’re both BOYS�
]]> The Story of Art Without Men 61089460

Discover the glittering Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance and the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth century. Explore the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of postwar artists in Latin America, and the women defining art in the 2020s. Featuring more than 100 works of art in color, The Story of Art Without Men is a timeless and essential addition to any library.]]> 512 Katy Hessel 0393881865 Erin 0 to-read 4.25 2022 The Story of Art Without Men
author: Katy Hessel
name: Erin
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation]]> 48930297 An incendiary examination of burnout in millennials—the cultural shifts that got us here, the pressures that sustain it, and the need for drastic change

Do you feel like your life is an endless to-do list? Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram because you’re too exhausted to pick up a book? Are you mired in debt, or feel like you work all the time, or feel pressure to take whatever gives you joy and turn it into a monetizable hustle? Welcome to burnout culture.

While burnout may seem like the default setting for the modern era, in Can’t Even, BuzzFeed culture writer and former academic Anne Helen Petersen argues that burnout is a definitional condition for the millennial generation, born out of distrust in the institutions that have failed us, the unrealistic expectations of the modern workplace, and a sharp uptick in anxiety and hopelessness exacerbated by the constant pressure to “perform� our lives online. The genesis for the book is Petersen’s viral BuzzFeed article on the topic, which has amassed over eight million reads since its publication in January 2019.

Can’t Even goes beyond the original article, as Petersen examines how millennials have arrived at this point of burnout (think: unchecked capitalism and changing labor laws) and examines the phenomenon through a variety of lenses—including how burnout affects the way we work, parent, and socialize—describing its resonance in alarming familiarity. Utilizing a combination of sociohistorical framework, original interviews, and detailed analysis, Can’t Even offers a galvanizing, intimate, and ultimately redemptive look at the lives of this much-maligned generation, and will be required reading for both millennials and the parents and employers trying to understand them.
Ěý±Ő±Ő> 304 Anne Helen Petersen 0358315077 Erin 3 3.91 2020 Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation
author: Anne Helen Petersen
name: Erin
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves:
review:
Well now I feel better AND worse
]]> What Are You Going Through 51152434
A woman describes a series of encounters she has with various people in the ordinary course of her life: an ex she runs into by chance at a public forum, an Airbnb owner unsure how to interact with her guests, a stranger who seeks help comforting his elderly mother, a friend of her youth now hospitalized with terminal cancer. In each of these people the woman finds a common need: the urge to talk about themselves and to have an audience to their experiences. The narrator orchestrates this chorus of voices for the most part as a passive listener, until one of them makes an extraordinary request, drawing her into an intense and transformative experience of her own.

In What Are You Going Through, Nunez brings wisdom, humor, and insight to a novel about human connection and the changing nature of relationships in our times. A surprising story about empathy and the unusual ways one person can help another through hardship, her book offers a moving and provocative portrait of the way we live now.]]> 210 Sigrid Nunez 0593191412 Erin 0 to-read 3.73 2020 What Are You Going Through
author: Sigrid Nunez
name: Erin
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror]]> 6473854 Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror explores all of these enduring characters, chronicling both the mythology behind the films and offering behind-the-scenes insights into how the films were created.

Universal Studios Monsters is the most complete record of the horror films of this legendary studio, with biographies of major personalities who were responsible for the most notable monster melodramas in film history. The stories of these films and their creators are told through interviews with surviving actors and studio employees. A lavish photographic record, including many behind-the-scenes shots, completes the story of how these classics were made. This is a volume no fan of imaginative cinema will want to be without.]]> 252 Michael Mallory 0789318962 Erin 3 4.38 2009 Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror
author: Michael Mallory
name: Erin
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/13
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:
A big, beautiful coffee table book. I wish the text had been a bit richer, but this was perfectly lovely.
]]> <![CDATA[Your Brain Is Always Listening: Tame the Hidden Dragons That Control Your Happiness, Habits, and Hang-Ups]]> 54025202 Your brain is always listening and responding to these hidden influences and unless you recognize and deal with them, they can steal your happiness, spoil your relationships, and sabotage your health. This book will teach you to tame

1. Dragons from the Past that ignite your most painful emotions;
2. Negative Thought Dragons that attack you, fueling anxiety and depression;
3. They and Them Dragons, people in your life whose own dragons do battle with yours;
4. Bad Habit Dragons that increase the chances you’ll be overweight, overwhelmed, and an underachiever;
5. Addicted Dragons that make you lose control of your health, wealth, and relationships;
6. Scheming Dragons, advertisers and social media sites that steal your attention.

In Your Brain Is Always Listening, Dr. Daniel Amen shows you how to recognize harmful dragons and gives you the weapons to vanquish them. With these practical tools, you can stop feeling sad, mad, nervous, or out of control and start being happier, calmer, and more in control of your own destiny.]]> 283 Daniel G. Amen 1496438205 Erin 2 3.61 2021 Your Brain Is Always Listening: Tame the Hidden Dragons That Control Your Happiness, Habits, and Hang-Ups
author: Daniel G. Amen
name: Erin
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:
With books like this, I kind of keep what resonated and leave the rest of it…but not much resonated here.
]]> Saving Sunshine 56937775 It's hard enough being a kid without being teased for a funny sounding name or wearing a hijab.

It's even harder when you're constantly fighting your sibling—and Zara and Zeeshan really can't stand each other. During a family trip to Florida, when the bickering, shoving, and insults reach new heights of chaos, their parents sentence them to the worst possible fate—each other’s company! But when the twins find an ailing turtle, it presents a rare opportunity for teamwork—if the two can put their differences aside at last.

Relatable, funny, and heart-wrenchingly honest, Saving Sunshine is the poignant story of Muslim American siblings learning how to build each other up in a world that is too often unkind.]]> 224 Saadia Faruqi Erin 3 4.03 2023 Saving Sunshine
author: Saadia Faruqi
name: Erin
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves:
review:
Very real sibling rivalry representation.
]]> <![CDATA[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]> 125070688 960 Robert Dimery 0789313715 Erin 3
Merged review:

Some predictable choices, some unforgiveable exclusions, but mostly a good, if giant, list.]]> 3.96 2005 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
author: Robert Dimery
name: Erin
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2012/05/22
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves:
review:
Some predictable choices, some unforgiveable exclusions, but mostly a good, if giant, list.

Merged review:

Some predictable choices, some unforgiveable exclusions, but mostly a good, if giant, list.
]]> Mexican Gothic 53152636
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And NoemĂ­, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]> 320 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 0525620788 Erin 4 3.66 2020 Mexican Gothic
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Erin
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves:
review:
Gothic is right! So atmospheric and spooky and a riveting third act.
]]> <![CDATA[Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women]]> 61086853
In the last few years, as identity politics has taken hold, middle-aged women have found themselves talked and written about as morally inferior beings, the face of bigotry, entitlement and selfishness, to be ignored, pitied or abused.

Hags asks the question why these women are treated with such active disdain. Each chapter takes a different theme - care work, beauty, violence, political organization, sex - and explores it in relation to middle-aged women's beliefs, bodies and choices. Victoria Smith traces the attitudes she describes back to the same anxieties about older women that drove Early Modern witch hunts, and explores the very specific reasons why this type of misogyny is so powerful today. The demonisation of hags has never felt more now.

Victoria Smith has decided in this book that she will be the Karen so nobody else has to be, and she ends on a positive note, exploring potential solutions which can benefit all women, hags and hags-in-waiting.]]> 368 Victoria Smith 0349726965 Erin 0 to-read 3.51 2023 Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women
author: Victoria Smith
name: Erin
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (Hercule Poirot, #23)]]> 16312 0 Agatha Christie 1572703857 Erin 4 3.79 1940 One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (Hercule Poirot, #23)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Erin
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1940
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/30
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves:
review:
What I found most interesting about this one was that Poirot, who is usually so confident and steady, was struggling with doubting himself. It was refreshing!
]]> <![CDATA[The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends, #1)]]> 24384 Mario is elated to find Chester. He begs his parents to let him keep the shiny insect in the newsstand, assuring his bug-fearing mother that crickets are harmless, maybe even good luck. What ensues is an altogether captivating spin on the city mouse/country mouse story, as Chester adjusts to the bustle of the big city. Despite the cricket's comfortable matchbox bed (with Kleenex sheets); the fancy, seven-tiered pagoda cricket cage from Sai Fong's novelty shop; tasty mulberry leaves; the jolly company of Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat; and even his new-found fame as "the most famous musician in New York City," Chester begins to miss his peaceful life in the Connecticut countryside. The Cricket in Times Square--a Newbery Honor Book in 1961--is charmingly illustrated by the well-loved Garth Williams, and the tiniest details of this elegantly spun, vividly told, surprisingly suspenseful tale will stick with children for years and years. Make sure this classic sits on the shelf of your favorite child, right next to The Wind in the Willows. (Ages 9 to 12)

]]> 134 George Selden 0440228891 Erin 4 4.03 1960 The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends, #1)
author: George Selden
name: Erin
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1960
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves:
review:
Incredibly sweet and uplifting. With an ending that I frankly did not expect!
]]> The House Next Door 104217 352 Anne Rivers Siddons 0061008737 Erin 5
Re-read at age 41 and it holds UP. Highly recommend the audiobook. ]]> 3.86 1978 The House Next Door
author: Anne Rivers Siddons
name: Erin
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1978
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves:
review:
Read this in high school and just now remembered it. I do remember being properly terrified and really enjoying it.

Re-read at age 41 and it holds UP. Highly recommend the audiobook.
]]> <![CDATA[Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual 1955-1999]]> 18006219 895 Joel Whitburn 089820142X Erin 0 to-read 4.67 1900 Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual 1955-1999
author: Joel Whitburn
name: Erin
average rating: 4.67
book published: 1900
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present]]> 2767 Zinn portrays a side of American history that can largely be seen as the exploitation and manipulation of the majority by rigged systems that hugely favor a small aggregate of elite rulers from across the orthodox political parties.
A People's History has been assigned as reading in many high schools and colleges across the United States. It has also resulted in a change in the focus of historical work, which now includes stories that previously were ignored

Library Journal calls Howard Zinn’s book “a brilliant and moving history of the American people from the point of view of those…whose plight has been largely omitted from most histories.”]]> 729 Howard Zinn 0060838655 Erin 3 4.07 1980 A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present
author: Howard Zinn
name: Erin
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1980
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/28
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves:
review:
He gets a bit militant at times but this captures so much of American history that is whitewashed, glossed over, or completely ignored and his writing is engaging and compelling.
]]> <![CDATA[Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery]]> 56179372 Set in Colonial New England, Slewfoot is a tale of magic and mystery, of triumph and terror as only dark fantasist Brom can tell it.

A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger � only to become quickly widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in this pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past.

Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken ... and trying to find his own role in the world. Healer or destroyer? Protector or predator? But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumor is whispered: Witch.

Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are, and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging any who meddle in the dark arts.

Complete with 8 pages of Brom’s mesmerizing full-color artwork and chapter illustrations throughout, his latest book is sure to delight.]]> 305 Brom 125062200X Erin 0 to-read 4.23 2021 Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery
author: Brom
name: Erin
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> In Perpetuity 190855047
In perpetuity, the Afterlife is just as the ancient Greeks an endless twilight where time stands still and shades have nowhere to go. For Jim, that means long shifts at a gas station, with only crossword puzzles and cigarettes to break the tedium.

One day, two criminal shades from Jim’s past show up at the gas station and his existence takes a dangerous turn. They’ve tracked him down for something he didn’t know he the ability to cross back into the living world. It’s a rare gift, and they intend to exploit it.

Just as Jim crosses back into sunny California, he meets Olivia, who is dying on an Echo Park sidewalk…and pulls her back from the edge of death, striking a connection that will run deeper than either can imagine.

Jim weaves back and forth between the Afterlife and Los Angeles, but the more he tries to distance himself and Olivia from the criminals� plot, the deeper they're pulled in. What follows is a web of deceit and murder that reaches across A.L. and L.A., and ultimately, to Hades himself.

With a heady blend of film noir and Greek mythology, In Perpetuity reveals both the human capacity for self-deception and the endurance of love.]]> 208 Peter Hoey 1603095373 Erin 2 3.27 In Perpetuity
author: Peter Hoey
name: Erin
average rating: 3.27
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:
DNF. It started pretty strong and I love the art style, but it got convoluted and frankly pretty boring about halfway through.
]]> Diavola 126918202 Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.

Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.

It isn’t easy when she’s the only one in the family who doesn’t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he’s practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone—including her blandly docile husband and two kids—falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.

The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails—the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.

(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)]]> 296 Jennifer Marie Thorne Erin 4 3.84 2024 Diavola
author: Jennifer Marie Thorne
name: Erin
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:
Properly spooky with a smart protagonist. Come for the haunts, stay for the message of how you’re maybe not as screwed up as your family insists you are.
]]> <![CDATA[Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson]]> 962568 Soledad Brother is an outspoken condemnation of the racism of white America and a powerful appraisal of the prison system that failed to break his spirit but eventually took his life. Jackson's letters make palpable the intense feelings of anger and rebellion that filled black men in America's prisons in the 1960s. But even removed from the social and political firestorms of the 1960s, Jackson's story still resonates for its portrait of a man taking a stand even while locked down.]]> 368 George L. Jackson 1556522304 Erin 0 to-read 4.28 1970 Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson
author: George L. Jackson
name: Erin
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1970
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Vampyre; a Tale: Delve into the Enchanting World of The Vampyre by Polidori. A Classic Gothic Masterpiece of Love and Shadows. The Original Classic (annotated)]]> 198021517 A Timeless Gothic Classic by the author John William Polidori.
"The Vampyre; a Tale" by British author John William Polidori is a classic book of gothic fiction first published in 1819. A celebrated vampire classic, filled with dark intrigue, forbidden passions, and the timeless struggle between good and evil. Sneak
"As the moon cast an eerie glow upon the desolate graveyard, a figure emerged from the shadows, its eyes burning with an insatiable hunger..."
In "The Vampyre; a Tale," the enigmatic Lord Ruthven enters the London high society, captivating all who encounter him. His beguiling charm conceals a dark secret, and his victims are left helpless in his wake. This haunting tale explores the seductive allure of the vampire myth, captivating readers with its atmospheric prose and chilling narrative. A Stunning
At Westen Classics, we ensure the original integrity of this book is preserved to its highest standard. This title is a gothic masterpiece, transporting readers to a world of mystery and suspense. It makes an excellent gift for fans of classic literature and will be a treasured addition to any collection. Order your copy today and immerse yourself in the timeless allure of "The Vampyre; A Tale."]]> 45 John William Polidori Erin 4 3.63 The Vampyre; a Tale: Delve into the Enchanting World of The Vampyre by Polidori. A Classic Gothic Masterpiece of Love and Shadows. The Original Classic (annotated)
author: John William Polidori
name: Erin
average rating: 3.63
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/19
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves:
review:
The same contest that gave birth to Frankenstein, created this little gem. Thanks, Byron!
]]> Breaking Stalin's Nose 10693803 Horn Book's Best Fiction Books of 2011

Sasha Zaichik has known the laws of the Soviet Young Pioneers since the age of six:
The Young Pioneer is devoted to Comrade Stalin, the Communist Party, and Communism.
A Young Pioneer is a reliable comrade and always acts according to conscience.
A Young Pioneer has a right to criticize shortcomings.
But now that it is finally time to join the Young Pioneers, the day Sasha has awaited for so long, everything seems to go awry. He breaks a classmate's glasses with a snowball. He accidentally damages a bust of Stalin in the school hallway. And worst of all, his father, the best Communist he knows, was arrested just last night.

This moving story of a ten-year-old boy's world shattering is masterful in its simplicity, powerful in its message, and heartbreaking in its plausibility.]]> 160 Eugene Yelchin 0805092161 Erin 4 3.83 2011 Breaking Stalin's Nose
author: Eugene Yelchin
name: Erin
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/11
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves:
review:
It would be unbelievable if it weren’t autobiographical.
]]> <![CDATA[The Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories]]> 150778778 192 David Small 1324092823 Erin 3 3.51 2024 The Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories
author: David Small
name: Erin
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves:
review:
The first two stories are good but the third is exceptional. Great art with fantastic coloring.
]]> Diary of a Man in Despair 438025 240 Friedrich Reck-Malleczewen 0715630008 Erin 0 to-read 4.19 1947 Diary of a Man in Despair
author: Friedrich Reck-Malleczewen
name: Erin
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1947
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fall of the House of Usher: A Graphic Novel]]> 125384069 112 Edgar Allan Poe 1684971772 Erin 2 3.11 The Fall of the House of Usher: A Graphic Novel
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: Erin
average rating: 3.11
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/08
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves:
review:
The animation to illustration style just did not work for me.
]]>