Thoughts on Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah centers around two people and their story of love, race, immigration and the relationships that come next. Ifemelu and Obinze are from Nigeria and we follow their lives as they move away and face highs and lows. The challenges they are presented with make this a gripping, funny, fearless, honest read.

Ifemelu and Obinze meet as teenagers and they quickly fall for each other. People are leaving Nigeria if they can because of how difficult the military dictatorship is making life. Ifemelu, outspoken, bold, confident, heads to America for college. Obinze, the sincere, smart, son of a professor, would have loved to meet her there but post 9/11 makes it difficult and he ends up in London.   

I loved how we get their whole immigration story and how with each new person and experience, they learned about and changed their perception of America, London, newly democratic Nigeria and themselves. I think Obinze's point of view was so important because we get to see the rough side of immigration. How even though you build this place up in your head, getting to America is not easy and then getting the visa to England did not mean it was going to make things easier over there. Undocumented life is something that doesn't get highlighted as much and I could read all the stories, fiction and non-fiction, about it. Obinze talks about the many attempts and fails at trying to get papers via marriage. Obinze's love of America, because of all the books he'd read was my favorite. I really enjoyed how honest he is, with Ifemelu and how he views the world. I was anxiously waiting for their reunion since they both did love each other and with them both having gone through so much growth apart. 

Ifemelu's story starts with her heading to a salon because she decided that she's going back to Nigeria and that salon setting was so important to read. The way hair is discussed in this book is great because the natural hair movement is a big deal and not as discussed in literary fiction. Getting to read her hair journey and how she felt when she stopped using all the chemicals in her hair was heartbreaking. Being of Carribean background and having two aunts that are hairstylists, I have grown up with hair being a big deal and this idea of 'pelo malo' and 'pelo bueno.' It's bullshit because your hair is good because it's your hair not because it's straight instead of curly and all the other aspects of that type of thinking. Anyways, Ifemelu has been sitting in this chair getting her hair done for hours while we're getting her backstory and point of view, so we get to see the difference between the way Ifemelu viewed America and the hairstylists did. At first, it was the very judgmental air of 'I'm better than you because I know more' but it showed how the experiences Ifemelu went through and documented in her blog about being a non-American Black really changed her view of the world. Her hairstylist Aisha opens up about the difficulty of getting citizenship and that citizenship struggle is a big difference between Ifemelu and her because Ifemelu was able to get hers because one of her first boyfriends, a white man, was able to use his privilege to easily find her a job that paid for her green card process.

Ifemelu's struggles with getting a job while in college was so touching and realistic and I think as she commented on race, class and the different experiences on her blog, the reader gets to see how even though she was not African-American, she was still Black and therefore, she got to learn about all types of injustice that happen in this country from her unique lens. I think an important part of the story and her move and undergrad life was showing how difficult it can be to get a job and take care of yourself and how you can totally fall into a deep depression. Her nephew Dike also having to deal with his own issues with it as well highlighted how immigrant parents don't know how to deal with mental illness. They think that since we're in America and they left a third world country for you to have everything that there's no way you could be sad. The phrase "caged in the airlessness of their parents' immigrant aspirations" was everything because those big dreams can be so suffocating. When you begin to learn about yourself away from your parents, as Ifemelu does, you realize how much more difficult the world is and how different it is for every generation. Oh man, so much to unpack there but yeah showing the lows and highs of both Obinze and Ifemelu's journey was something I appreciated so much.

By going back to Nigeria, you get to see how even though she doesn't believe she changed, Ifemelu really had. This story being so character-driven and not necessarily plot-driven really added to the connection I made to Ifemelu. Especially since it's framed as present-day Ifemelu returning home after a decade in America and flashbacks with some bits from Obinze, you get to see how passionate she was about being open with her blog readers about her experiences. I think the end of this story made me just ponder about the way we discuss love and race in America and how we tend to skirt around these issues. Obinze forces Ifemelu to confront her feelings and just be open with him and with herself and I think that we all should take a hint from him. It's easy to say be unafraid and speak about how you feel but to see someone do it was wonderful and we should aspire to do it more person to person and not just online. As a person of color, I'm always thinking about and discussing race but I think people are quick to discuss their oppression and afraid to talk about their biases and privilege. Ifemelu's blog shows how non-Americans don't think about race and class as much as Americans do and I've had many discussions with my own mom about the affect of race and class since it's just something that was not discussed when she was growing up. It's not to say that these discussions aren't happening in other countries but it just always reminds me that it's necessary to be vocal, no matter what.

So yes, let me know if you've read Americanah. What are your favorite parts and least favorite, if any? Let's discuss all the themes!  

What's a "proper book", eh?

I'm currently reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The two main characters, Ifemelu and Obinze, meet as teenagers and the first chat they have includes a thought-provoking conversation about books that I had to just expand on it and throw in my two cents.

Obinze: I saw you holding a James Hadley Chase, near the lab. And I said, Ah, correct, there is hope. She reads.
Ifemelu: I think I've read them all.
O: Me too. What's your favourite?
I: Miss Shumway Waves a Wand.
O:Mine is Want to Stay Alive? I stayed up one night to finish it.
I: Yes, I like that too.
O: What about other books? Which of the classics do you like?
I: Classics, kwa? I just like crime and thrillers. Sheldon, Ludlum, Archer.
O: But you also have to read proper books.
She looked at him, amused by his earnestness. "Aje-butter! University boy! That must be what your professor mother taught you."
"No, seriously." He paused. "I'll give you some to try. I love the American ones."
"You have to read proper books," she mimicked.
"What about poetry?"

Ifemelu changes the topic here but oh, man this made me all so annoyed and not necessarily at Obinze but at this idea of a proper book. When I read this, I had a feeling he was only referring to American classics and what is thought of as a classic in this day and age. This has been debated forever. It's interesting that he asks about poetry because classics tend to be considered such because of rich, beautiful, poetic language that stand the test of time. I think the word classic and what is considered a great book has become interchangeable in our language. 

I did some quick research and found these thoughts about what a classic is (my thoughts in brackets):

• Novels that have deep, complex characters that grow and change and make the reader think because of the commentary on human nature/the human condition. (Hmm, sure.)
• A classic novel should say something of value. (Value is subjective though. What does that even mean?!) 
• We don't have to agree with the author's thoughts. (Of course, there is no one novel where everyone who reads it will agree with its contents. With time and new readers, problematic themes tend to arise that might have not been as discussed at the time of release.)
• We understand that the authors use a matter of techniques to communicate basic truths about humanity. Moreover, a good novel, story, or drama should give us the feeling that what happened to the characters was inevitable; that, given their temperaments and the situation in which they were placed, the outcome could not have been otherwise. ( I really liked this point but to me, this doesn't have to refer to a classic. This is just a good book.)
•  Regardless of when it was written, the work should hold meaning still in the western world, and should still hold that meaning in the future. Huckleberry Finn, for example, although it has been called the first truly American novel, deals with a universal theme, the loss of innocence. (This is the first point I came across that touched on how American classics are considered classics in other countries and why that is.) 

Expanding on that last point, I think that the sincerity, integrity and immortality of these stories could be discussed and argued about forever. The comments an author makes about people and the stress and rewards of life will always be relevant in some way or another. So while the plot and characters used to do so will change, that's what will always be. I don't know if the word classic itself is the issue because the issue becomes when the words high quality, value and outstanding are attached to it. The theme of a work being applicable at all times also tends to be a discussion. 

I could ramble on forever but to circle back to the phrase "proper book." I think the main reason it bothered me is because it just sounds so entitled. Who decided what is suitable or correct or appropriate to read?  I have to challenge my own thoughts on this all the time because it's easy to even pigeonhole yourself in regards to your thoughts about what you read. To me, the way a reader connects with what they're reading is one of the most honest, beautiful acts. It should not matter what genre, how long or what format is used. 

I like that Ifemelu challenges everything that is posed to her and it's a quality that I see in myself. I want to continue to just be vocal and have different discussions in order to keep learning and growing as a person.

Let me know your thoughts on any of my thoughts. ;]

P.S. Have you read Americanah? I already have a running list of topics I want to discuss further and I'm only 180 pages in. 

So YES, let's chat.



 

Thoughts on my 2016 reads and my 2 goals for 2017.

I completely forgot about this blog in 2016 and after my favorite reads of 2015 post I only posted two reviews, so I want to be intentional about this year. I want to continue to be a better writer and if I don't take every opportunity to write that I can that won't happen.

I went through my 50 reads of last year to really sit and think about what I wanted do for this coming year. My goals for 2016 was to read my own books and for everything but one book that I borrowed from the library I did read what I own, which was great. I still have 100+ unread books to get through and I want to continue to #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks 

Since beginning to vlog on Youtube in 2013 and tracking my reading, I've read 275 books in 4 years. Amazing. This was the year I read the least since I began tracking my reading which I'm okay with. Yes, I was busy but I also just took my time with my reads. I tend to think I'm reading diversely because it's just something that I try to be intentional about when picking a book up and this past year only 14 of the 50 books I read were from people of color. So while I think I'm doing well at this goal, it could be better. So I hope to have at least half of my reads for 2017 be from people of color. Specifically, two of my favorite reads of 2016 were from Latina authors and I want to continue to read more Latinx authors because seeing yourself represented in what you're reading is magical.

My favorite reads of 2016 were: Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, milk and honey by rupi kaur, When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates, In the Woods & The Likeness by Tana French.

Out of those eight, six are people of color so it just goes to show that year after year for me those are the reads that are all the adjectives: emotional, moving, essential and poignant.

My reading in 2016 was also 48% young adult books with literary fiction, middle grade and non-fiction being the other genres I read the most of as well. I want to read more in other genres and not focus as much on YA. It's something I know I enjoy, so continuing to branch out will just allow to me to experience different stories and find new favorite authors.

That's it for now. I'm keeping my goals simple as to not make something that I love to do so much a chore.

Recap of goals:
Continue to read what I own & read more widely & diversely (#ownvoices), focusing on Latinx authors.

Let's have fun and learn a lot this year!

Betty :]

Thoughts on Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Book description:

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball.

Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin's brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

Finished this book two weeks ago and I can’t stop thinking about it so I thought I’d write down some thoughts about it.

This book has made it official that alternative history books are becoming one my favorites genres to read. Ryan’s previous book, The Walled City about a settlement in Hong Kong that actually existed which was largely ungoverned was done so well so I had faith in Wolf by Wolf.

I went in not knowing much except that the setup was: what if someone killed Hitler?

I was pleasantly surprised by the X-Men aspect to it when it comes to Yael’s ability to shapeshift. We meet our main character while she’s on her way to a concentration camp and she’s handpicked by a doctor to undergo experimentation. It felt totally realistic and not hard to imagine that in this crazy time experiments were taking place with a disturbing mix of chemicals that would change a person.

Being able to modify her appearance with just a thought was such a great addition to this story because we get to go see Yael go through an identity crisis that felt entirely believable.

Due to years training with the resistance, Yael learned a wide range of academic and physical abilities. She can fight, shoot, and speak numerous different languages. Because of this and her ability to change her face, Yael is selected by the resistance to pose as a previous victor of the contest that is the setting of the novel; a transnational motorcycle race called the Axis Tour. The collaboration between Hitler and Emperor Hiroto is supposed to maintain this peace between the two countries because in this world, America never got involved and the Axis powers were able to seize control of most of the western hemisphere. SCARY. The race goes from Berlin (called Germania in this) all the way to Tokyo.

We get to go through the journey with Yael when she takes the place of the previous winner Adele. Adele Wolfe stole her twin’s papers in order to race because up to that point, women were not allowed to compete. The mission of course becomes complicated because while she has the mechanical details down like, motorcycle racing, imitating Adele’s behavior or committing her life story to memory, a person is more than just an assembly of details. Adele had some secrets of her own and having to deal with them when Adele’s brother Felix joins the race and Adele’s love interest, Luka makes thing complicated, so the race becomes more of a challenge for Yael.

The most thought-provoking part of the story is that Yael is literally wearing the face of her oppressors so after growing up being treated as less than human, she now has the privilege of being able to walk around freely one of them. Mindfuck much? I think that’s so great because race and privilege are at the forefront of many important conversations that we are talking about currently.

I also enjoyed that this book includes diversity because half of the twenty contestants of the race are from Germany and the other half are Japanese. Ryan takes the time to name all of the Japanese contestants and we get to know some of them past their name and description because of certain situations that happen in the book and it’s just great. At one point in the story, Yael even takes on the face of a woman of color when the race is in Egypt, which is just like yes for the detail. That’s so important to a story about Hitler because he literally thinks of an entire race as less than human so to just highlight the people of color makes for an even better fleshed out story.

Even with all the YA elements, such an important element of the story is the revenge aspect and with everything going on, we never forget that.  With the fusion of alternate history, historical fiction and science fiction along with the growing desperation Yael has to get revenge, we get to know about how unwavering, gutsy, vulnerable and emotional she is. Having to fake emotions turns into Yael beginning to care for the people Adele is close to.  The element of danger is always there because we fear that her cover is going to be blown along with having to worry about the inherent danger of the crazy race going on. I think the tragedy of what happened in this time in history is always highlighted and this was a unique and horrifying twist on it.  

As the book finished, I found myself wanting more. Since this is a duology, there will be a sequel which is exciting because having more of this world will be and excellent reminder of our devastating past and the maybe naive idea that only by knowing our history can we avoid reliving it. 

Thoughts on Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

The year is 2375 and one of the mega-corporations, BeiTech that controls much of deep space has just started an intergalactic war by destroying Kady Grant and Ezra Mason's planet, Kerenza. By the way, they just broke up and were trying to avoid each other but of course everything has changed. They're forced to run away on a small fleet of rescue ships while an enemy warship is chasing.

Ezra ends up on the battlecarrier Alexander while Kady is on the science vessel Hypatia and the feeling of safety does not last long because one of BeiTech's ships, the Lincoln, is after them. The book is set up as a file to a mysterious group called Illuminae so by relaying the story through a series of interview transcripts, emails, internet chats, computer logs, and transcripts of security footage we are able to slowly unravel why the attack on the small ice planet of Kerenza evolved into the death of thousands of people. By setting up the story in this way, the deadly plague Phobos that is mutating and therefore creating terrifying mutated killers on the Alexander is even more horrifying as is the self-aware AI, AIDAN, on the Hypatia that has caused too much death when it's supposed to be protecting everyone and justifying it with the chilling question, "Am I Not Merciful?"

Kady and Ezra are high schoolers thrust into this mess who show just how intelligent and cunning they are when nobody in charge will tell them what's going on so they have to take matters into their own hands. Kady is a badass techie with some amazing hacking skills who has to reconnect with her ex-boyfriend in order to bring forth all the shady business that has been going in with the military and these mega-corporations. Ezra is an angry sarcastic combat pilot who is easy to make some snap judgments but is unexpectedly romantic and when this is paired with Kady's determination and sass show just how different they are but how they totally work.

As Kady uncovers more information in this complex network that we're presented with, we realize just how brave and selfless she really is.

The standout to me in this book was how stunning the writing was and it just made me stop and
reread things several times. On the flip side, the IM's felt a bit much after a while but they are still necessary to set up the story and to make you care for the background characters that you only know through their harsh way of commanding troops on these ships or just showing how connected these people became through this difficult work.



                                     


It took me a while to get into the style of the book since it is so unconventional but once I did I found it easy to follow. The eccentric set up- sometimes you even have to turn the book upside down to read it as pictured above- is something unique and I felt I had to brace myself with the turn of every page because you just don't know what's going to happen in this horror, sci-fi adventure ride.

Lastly, I feel the need to expand on the brilliance that is the horrifying AI that is AIDAN. This AI is a personification of everything we as humans fear, that technology becomes self-aware, but the twist in this story is how these authors manage to make the AI seem to be on the brink of feeling...human?! When I started to feel feelings for the AI, I knew that these two had a good thing going in this book. Especially in a story set up this way with everything being technology based, it's easy to assume that it could come of as frigid, matter-of-fact or passionless but it's the complete opposite.

Illuminae shows how empathetic and full of intensity humanity can be and it's worth the read so you can feel all these emotions for yourself.

I can't wait for the sequel, Gemina!

Favorite reads of 2015

This was a difficult list to bring together so thank goodness for Goodreads because after having read 82 books I had no idea how to even begin to narrow it down to my favorites.  

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

This book is beautiful and so real and I love feeling represented in books I read. It's like authors saying "I see you, I hear you & I understand." One of many examples: "I wasn't allowed to claim the thing I felt and I didn't feel the thing I was supposed to claim." referring to feeling American but not being viewed as one by your peers and the conflicting emotions that follow. This book is an emotional, unique look at the immigrant experience from many perspectives and definitely worth a read.

The Girl by Madhuri Blaylock

This book is so good and I feel like everyone needs to know about it. All the characters are so fleshed out and different and YES. Dev is a hybrid, half demon, half angel and she's awesome. We get to go through her ups and downs with her and it's easy to connect to her in a way. Wyatt is a warrior and we get to see how as soon as he meets Dev there's a connection. Like when I say their chemistry is off the charts like it jumps off the page. Ryker is his partner in crime, brother, all the words to connect these two because they understand each other like no one else can. Jools is Wyatt's sister and she's a firecracker! Darby is a vampire and she's like a female Magnus Bane mixed with Lestat to me. I love her sassiness and her intense connection to Wyatt and Ryker. Lastly, the Breslins are deliciously evil and my love of villains was just cemented in reading about them.  Madhuri's characters need to be experienced by all. I haven't even delved into the story itself because just go experience it for yourself. The entire trilogy is just a journey that will fill you with all the emotions.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

This story shows how something that happens when you're younger can have a powerful impact on how you view the rest of life. This is my second book I’ve read by Murakami and I really enjoy how he writes, specifically the descriptions of how Tsukuru views people as they board the train at stations was just beautiful to me. I can’t wait to keep reading more books by him this year.

The Secret History  by Donna Tartt

The only reason I thought I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did was my strong dislike of the characters throughout most of the novel but that's the point. These aren't likeable people, they're despicable in many aspects and you still grow to care for them. This book set in an elite boarding school is about drugs, crime and how knowledge can be power. Richard, the narrator, reminded me of Nick from Gatsby in certain ways because while he did not have money, he shows how easy it is to let yourself be smitten by it. Therefore, he was the perfect narrator because of the change we got to go through with him. What intrigues me is what if we would've gotten this from Henry's, Camilla's or Francis' or even Bunny's point of view? Bunny is a clear picture of the worst kind of person in that even when his family doesn't have that much money, he is so uppity and egotistical. I also loved that Richard is deciding to write this story years after the fact and therefore leaves things to the imagination; it adds so much more to it for me. All in all, I loved this look at the lives of these people and even the setting of this story, typewriters and letters in the mail, just adds to the mystery.

salt. By Nayyirah Waheed
A collection of stunning poems about race that is just done in such a beautiful and profound way.

A Thousand Pieces of You  by Claudia Gray

This was such a fun read. The writing is beautiful and Marguerite is such a great narrator as she takes us through these parallel dimensions. I loved the first one, the details like the futuristic holograms in the calls and of course Russia because of the wealth but also because of the old school from the letters to the modes of transportation to the royalty aspect. Claudia does a great job of describing it all and I totally could imagine this cold, beautiful place. The parallel universes just add to this story but the important part is just the love in this family and how it transcends time and space. 

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

In this second book, I could totally see that Warverse and the Russian mob version. A great part of this sequel is the growth that Marguerite goes through. She can no longer depend on her genius parents and their graduate students to explain things to her; she had to go out there and get into these crazy life threatening situations and come out a stronger human. I love that it wasn't just a simple solution. Nothing is an easy fix in this story, not the science, not the feelings she feels for her family and these two important men in her life, Paul & Theo, and especially not the different versions of herself that she jumps into in every dimension. Every version just added to her understanding of who she was and how to see the world differently and broadly and that was brilliant.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

This book made me so happy. Since being wrapped up in the world of booktube and social media and such it’s easy to feel like you know so much about publishing, so it was great to read about the struggle of editing your first draft while reading the novel itself. Brilliant concept, Westerfeld.  Darcy driving Imogen crazy with all her insecurities about her first book while Imogen was trying to figure out her next book was such a fun dynamic. Darcy and Imogen were the cutest. Yes for LGBT representation! I loved the other authors we got glimpses of like Kiralee and how you can have fun and compare them to whoever your favorite authors are in real life. The story within the novel was brilliantly done. Darcy's fear of changing her ending came through the pages and I was even scared for her. I think the ending she chose was great. Westerfeld knows what he's doing y'all.

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

This is the sequel of The Bone Season and this one was a whirlwind. This sequel takes Paige, the main character, back to London and you get to learn so much about Scion and the world Samantha has created. I loved getting into the nitty gritty of the mime lords and queens and the crazy way this citadel runs. This is so important because it really sets up this world for what is going to be a wild ride in books to come. I am so happy about how much Paige grew so much in this; she's smart, genuine about her feelings and how they will get in the way of things but that's what's important and it's only going to get crazier from here. She's becoming one of my favorite leading ladies. 

Lastly, no spoilers but this sequel gave me chills at how you can draw a parallel to things going on in the world and two instances really stood out to me:


Paige: "Why don't we do something?" The frustration almost choked me. Chat: "Apathy's a killer. The way most people see it, we can survive like this if we stay out of the way."
Paige: "Isn't hope just another kind of naïveté?"Warden: "Hope is the lifeblood of revolution. Without it, we are nothing but ash, waiting for the wind to take us.”

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Allyson and Willem aka the ultimate OTP.  It’s the last day of Allyson’s graduation European tour when she meets Willem and he invites her to forget everything and go to Paris with him. She goes and this day is everything; a whirlwind of emotions and romance. The travel is my favorite part and the identity. & the sequel Just One year and novella, Just One Night are just as good.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

A heist novel and so much more!

Goodreads review because it’s still what I feel :]

Kaz is a genius and and I can't wait to see what crazy antics, him and his group get up to next. Kaz is such a great reader of people and while people can think he's on the losing end, he knows what cards to play next so the game is always leaning in his favor. The way Leigh unraveled his backstory was brilliant as well. The way she slowly showed how interconnected the group is brilliant as well. I fell in love with Inej, Nina, Jesper, Mathias and even Wylan. This unlikely group seems like a ticking time bomb itself and with every chapter there is so much that can go wrong and oh while it did, I would cheer whenever something did go well. I can't wait to see what plans Kaz has next because man oh man, he's going to need all the help he can get. With the way it ended, it seems like there's many ways this can go if he continues to play his cards oh so carefully. 

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Spoilers because it’s the 4^th in the series and just yeah.

This is an amazing addition to the Throne of Glass series. I didn't think I could love some of these characters more than I already did. Aelin is at her best. She is a cunning, smart individual. I can go on ad nauseum about how much I dig her. The relationships with the people around her just made the story for me. Being a Queen is no joke and anyone that doubted her can surely shush after reading this. The multitude of ways in which she showed off how she can handle any situation thrown at her was impressive. I was like Aedion just jaw open while reading many scenes. While this series is about the growth of our beautiful main character, the people that surround her are full of depth. Rowan, Aedion, Chaol, Dorian Lysandra, Nesryq are just multifaceted, wonderfully fleshed out characters that I love getting to know more and more. Something I didn't have strong feelings about in the third book was the Manon and the witches storyline and this book shut me right up. I grew to care so much about Manon and Asterin. The Thirteen are a force to be reckoned with and I can't wait to see how this all evolves in the last two books.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

The finale of the Lunar Chronicles made me such a happy human. I love how much time was given to each storyline and it was all so detailed and just yes A+ Marissa Meyer. This series has been a crazy ride from Cinder to Scarlet and Cress and now with Winter, we get such a great look at just how far these characters have come. This is a fairy tale retelling that if you haven’t read you should get on that because it’s just such a fun time and the couples from Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne to Winter and Jacin need to be enjoyed by all. Cyborg Cinderella is my favorite because of course with Cress aka Rapunzel as a close second because having her backstory being her imprisoned in a satellite since childhood is just so perfect and her romanticized view of things is just beautiful but heartbreaking.  The settings of New Beijing and Luna are great in that we really get to appreciate this world with humans, cyborgs and lunar people just that much more.

Favorite line forever and ever amen: "I would suggest that no one use my youth to believe that I am also ignorant."

I think I've gushed on enough. Let's talk favorite books on twitter @bettyreads or down below, friends. 

The Importance of Diversity in Books

I'm currently halfway through Inheritance by Malinda Lo [if you haven't read this duology, fix that please!] and it's surfaced a lot of my thoughts and feelings on diversity in books yet again.

The main female protagonist in this story, Reese, is thought to be straight by most but is struggling with her bisexuality while being white and publicly dating David who is Asian American. This is where my thoughts went crazy. I'm not going to touch on her sexuality in this post  but that will probably get another post because there's great conversations about this being had in this book as well. Anyways about a chapter ago in my reading, Reese went to a party with David and was disconcerted and slightly uncomfortable when she noticed how she was one of the few white people there amidst all of his Asian friends.

I literally put the book down because it's amazing how important this scene is because it shows how different social situations are for white people and people of color. All I notice and feel is my otherness when I arrive in a social setting like a party because in most situations, I am one of the only people of color in the room. Since I have lighter skin I might be able to "blend in" [a term which has many negative connotations within itself because it implies that anything else is other/wrong], but as soon as an opinion is needed on something of Hispanic/Latino culture or etc, I am the one they turn to, in most cases. The assumptions that come with that is something else completely. SO MANY LAYERS to this y'all, I could go on, incoherently, forever.

So when Reese commented on how that was the first time she was able to put herself in someone else's shoes, I just was weirdly relieved because it's like 'yes, someone gets it' but then there are these negative thoughts that came with that relief. Negative because I'm still identifying with one of the first times this white girl is realizing how different the world is outside the bubble she grew up in, while people of color live in that difference and discomfort every day.

The reason for this post is to once again highlight and scream from the mountaintops how important diversity is in literature! 

Reese is in a weird situation in this brilliant sci-fi world Malinda has crafted but she is still privileged there's no doubt about that. Her upbringing allowed her to be blind to the injustices surrounding her until all the crazy alien things started happening. Her enlightenment on the deeper issues at hand began when she read comments online about David's race, something she had never had thought about. *whisper shoutssss*: privilege! She never had to think about that, worry about it and I think that showing her reaction to something as simple as a her otherness at a party was a refreshing thing to read in a book. People of color are used to it to the point where it's a joke between us but having it be flipped on it's head shows the paradox [is that the right word to use here?]

This reaction that thereby spurred this post is indicative of the larger problem at hand. I shouldn't be screaming "hallelujah!" when I can identify with a character in a book, it should be something that is more commonplace and why it is important this conversation, while maddening at times, continues. The world needs diverse books because each reader's background and complex worldview needs to be represented.

Favorite quotes: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

"Somewhere in my brain
each laugh, tear and lullaby
becomes memory."

"And now coming back home
isn't really coming back home
at all."

"I want to catch words one day. I want to hold them
then blow gently,
watch them float
right out of my hands."

"Even the silence
has a story to tell you.
Just listen. Listen."

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

New Favorite Book y'all!

This book is beautiful and so real and I love feeling represented in books I read. It's like authors saying "I see you, I hear you & I understand." One of many examples: "I wasn't allowed to claim the thing I felt and I didn't feel the thing I was supposed to claim." referring to feeling American but not being viewed as one by your peers and the conflicting emotions that follow. This book is an emotional, unique look at the immigrant experience from many perspectives and definitely worth a read.

Here are a few of the other quotes that really resonated with me:

"But when I glanced at the people around us, no one was even looking in our direction, and I felt the way that I often felt in this country-simultaneously conspicuous and invisible, like an oddity whom everyone noticed but chose to ignore."

"The sand, when we came to it, was covered by a dusting of snow. the barreling ocean waves were a silvery blue. we stood side by side and looked out at the vastness, the possibility of everything out there. within the universe, I felt like a speck, but within myself I felt gigantic, the salt air filling my lungs, the roaring of the waves rushing in my ears."

"People do what they have to in this life. We try to get from one end of it to the other with dignity and with honor. We do the best we can."

"We're the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because they've been told they're supposed to be scared of us and because maybe if they did take the time to know us, they might realize that we're not that bad, maybe even that we're a lot like them."

January Reads

January was a crazy reading month in that I read 15 pieces of literature: madness! 10 novels, 2 graphic novels and 3 e-novellas.

I started off the year with Glory O' Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King. Certain books are read at a perfect time in a person's life and that is the case with A.S. King's books for me. Glory O'Brien is a cool, weird, quirky, smart girl and it was easy to put myself in her shoes. Her way of thinking like I said was extreme and odd in some points but duh most teenagers have strange thoughts that seem totally valid and poignant at the time. I love the bits of the story she decided to write down from the transmissions she was getting in that it was such a warped fucked up world that is weirdly motivational. Inspirational stuff, man.


I've already deemed The Secret History by Donna Tartt one of my favorites ever. I enjoyed this like I enjoy cake. Eating it slowly and enjoying all the flavor and frosting. I was debating as to whether I was going to give this a 3, 4 or 5 rating and in the end, the only reason why was because of my dislike of the characters throughout most of the novel but that's the point. These aren't likeable people, they're despicable in many aspects and you still grow to care for them. What intrigues me is what if we would've gotten this from Henry's, Camilla's or Francis' point of view? Richard reminded me of Nick from Gatsby in certain ways because while he did not have money. he shows how easy it is to let yourself be taken by it. Therefore, he was the perfect narrator because of the change we got to go through with him. Bunny is a clear picture of the worst kind of person in that even when his family doesn't have that much money, he is so uppity and egotistical. I also loved that Richard is deciding to write this story years after the fact and therefore leaves things to the imagination; it adds so much more to it for me. All in all, I loved this look at the lives of these six people and even the setting of this story (when they kept mentioning typewriters and letters in the mail, I loved that!) I also thought that there had to be a movie adaption of this (because when is there not) and seeing there isn't makes it even better because I can just keep reimagining this world over and over again.


Just One Day,  Just One Year & Just One Night by Gayle Forman is my YA favorite of January and forever and ever amen. Just such a pleasure to read, I needed a good contemporary and this was perfect.  I think the blurb on Goodreads is perfect for this. This book deals with "love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know."


This was such a good reading month just coincidentally because I just let myself read whatever sounded interesting. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass had been on my kindle for ages when I bought for a deal and I was on the train and had no book on me so I started reading it on my kindle app and gah this YA fantasy is one that deserves the hype. Celaena Sardothien is a badass assassin. I really enjoyed how sassy she was and her back and forth with Dorian, the King's son, was the best. I loved learning more about her as the story went on and the tests and training went on. I adore her love of books of course and that it's something her and Dorian bonded over. I disliked that she was so unsure of her emotions when it came to Chaol or Dorian. I dislike love triangles but this one didn't feel like one to me because of how she threats each of the guys. Crown of Midnight is the sequel and my favorite of the three I read. Heir of Fire is many people's favorite and I definitely see why because the world building Sarah is doing is breathtaking. This is going to be a six book series and I can see just how so because so much is going to happen and I need the fourth book now!


2015 is the year of Canadian Literature and I started of by reading Ru by Kim Thuy. It's a stunning story that is told in short vignettes which makes it flows so well and when I think about how Ru means stream in French and lullaby in Vietnamese it just personifies both of those words. There's so much meaning to be found in the role of the people the narrator speaks about and her thoughts on a number of topics ranging from being Vietnamese to the American Dream. So good.


The last read of the month was The Walled City by Ryan Graudin and it was so good. What a story. At first, I didn't know what to think of these three people narrating from this entirely different, scary world based off the real Kowloon Walled City that was once a part of Hong Kong but the more I read the more I felt like I could see how suffocating their situation was. Jin, Mei Yee and Dai have all been through so much and they all have these barriers up because of it. This novel is worth a read to unravel their pasts and see how it's led them to where they are and to learn about this city.


Overall, this was such a great start to the year. I took a break for 3 days towards the end of the month and I'm reading the Throne of Glass e-novellas and Station Eleven and enjoying both for totally different reasons.

Favorites of 2014: Part 2!

The Secret Ingredient by Stewart Lewis

Gosh, I loved this book. I enjoyed Olivia's refreshing narration so much. She has two dads and had not wondered about her mother for most of her life but then she gets the urge to know who it is and how it all unravels is just like it was meant to be. There is a boy as well but even though Theo sounds great, the story is about Olivia finding herself with a little help from her british friend, Lola.

P.S. one of my favorite books is You Have Seven Messages by Stewart as well so read that too!

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
Say What You Will is a beautiful story about Amy, a girl that will not let the world define her by her physical disabilities, and Matthew, a boy that's always had her in his sights. Matthew has some serious problems of his own because of his struggles with OCD and his denial of the problem in the first place.

When Amy insists that she has peers take her around school instead of aides, she insists that Matthew signs up because of an incident when she was younger where he confronted her and said that this facade she had where everything was calm, cool and collected was total bullshit. It was great to see how they both slowly let their guards down around each other and really grew to care for each other through all the trials that the world threw their way. Stories like this make it so easy to view the world around you in a different light and see how unique everyone's particular story really is.

The Strange & Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Lesyle Walton

This is such a lovely story that is full of just beautiful and bittersweet moments. Lesyle's lyrical writing style made me feel  so invested in the lives of the Lavender women and I grew to care for Emilienne, Vivienne and Ava and just wished the best for them. I love how magical and whimsical this story is while at the same time feeling totally realistic. A must read.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Laurel's story is beautiful and this is one of those books that is going to stick with me for quite some time. I am a lover of quotes and beautiful prose and this was chockful of it. I loved the letter format and I even listened to some of the music and sang along as she and her friends did in the book. This book deals with some heavy stuff and it does it in such a manner that I felt both angry and sad while I read it. Laurel's self discovery and growth is not an easy one and I'm glad to have gotten to read and learn from it.


The Archived & The Unbound (sequel) by V.E Schwab
"Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive." Mackenzie and Wesley's story is one that you need to pick up and when you reach that climax, just get ready for the ride of your life!

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By Benjamin Alire Saenz

This is one of my new favorite books. Ari is a beautiful soul and Dante is just stunning and I wish I could meet them and just hug them. I got chills reading this because of the connection I felt with Ari when it comes to how he views himself in this world as a Latino. It's just brilliant and so so true. A must read!

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

LHA has done it again folks. This novel is breathtaking. Literally, I felt myself holding my breath because Hayley's story is just so heartbreaking. Dealing with a father going through PTSD is something not many people know about but with this story it's like I was thrust into her shoes. Her point of view, her narration was just chilling. Another favorite for sure.

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
This was the year of me discovering new favorite authors and Lady King is one of them. This is my favorite of her books thus far. I really enjoyed how real Astrid felt. A.S King's writing style is so different from anything I've read and I loved it. I loved that Astrid did not want to be and did not allow herself to be put in a box because there is so much more to a person than who they love. A book full of great quirks.

Ends to trilogies:

Champion by Marie Lu
I was scared that this was not going to end well but Marie Lu has surprised me and I even ended up tearing up at the epilogue. June and Day have gone through hell thus far and with Champion it is no different. There are so many battles and emotions and I could not put the book down. I sincerely love when authors do switching points of view because the reader gets to see both sides of the narrators. I normally get annoyed with the female narration and love the male one but in this case I equally enjoyed June's narration as I did Day's. I did always look forward to Day's because gosh I just love his voice and how at this point we know him so well and see the deepness to his character while the Republic and the Colonies might not. I love that they both have their weaknesses but that does not break their resolve and they get business handled even when it hurts. 

The One by Kiera Cass

I am sincerely happy with this series and I adore America. The whole world of Illea is not an easy place to live in and especially with the situation she was thrust into and there were so many ups and downs. I normally hate love triangles but I was so confused with this one because Maxon and Aspen were who they were because of the circumstance they were born into and it is what it is. I have hearts in my eyes for Maxon though because MAXON. The letters from her Dad and from Maxon are my favorite thing ever. I love letters and I literally teared up with her while reading the one her Dad had left her because he is brilliant. I'd love to get more about him and his whole background. I also grew to like the girls after getting to know them and the surprise for us all was Celeste of course. All in all, this is another trilogy that I shall call my favorite. A+ Kiera! :D

4 other series I began and finished this year and enjoyed through all the ups and downs:
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Favorites of 2014: Part 1

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (Pride & Prejudice in an Asian setting!)

A captivating story that  sucks you in with its vivid descriptions of the setting, clothing and the people. The writing style and how this story was set up added a lot to my enjoyment in that every chapter was a different character's point of view as well as some characters would have their own little clips within the chapters. It kept the events feeling fast paced and me wanting to flip the page to see what else Nick Young's family would do in order to sabotage his relationship with Rachel Chu.  The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker The Golem and the Jinni is such a powerful book. This story brought together two outcasts and made me care for them individually. I was cheering for them to have their happy ending, whether that was together or not. I like how this was not a love story by any stretch of the imagination but I still found myself rooting for them to end up together. It was important that each of them had their own journey to go on and go through hardships to find out about the world around them. I adored that the dual POV's were so wonderfully intertwined with the points of view of people in the community, so you got to see how people viewed Chava and Ahmad outside of what they thought of themselves. I also loved the glimpse at New York at a time where there was so much hope in every person that reached Ellis Island and the subsequent glance at how every person had to deal with many difficulties to find some sort of comfort.

China Dolls by Lisa See
This unique tale made me go through a range of emotions from: happy, sad to mad because these girls did go through it all. Stereotypes played a big part in some of the decisions taken by these ladies and I think that the time (1938 through the attack on Pearl Harbor and beyond) it was all occurring played a huge part as well. I think it's definitely worth the read to get an insider's look into an entirely different world.

Wanderlust by Elizabeth Eaves
Oh, this book. I knew I was going to love it because wanderlust is something everyone has and since I've begun traveling I have it oh so much. Elisabeth takes the reader on quite a journey, emotionally and physically. The revolving door of men from Stu to Justin to Raphael to Dominic just made me feel for her even more in that she used them as a way to propel her travels forward while simultaneously falling for them. Her inability to be attached to anyone she was romantic with is something that I also connected with. "Girl, I feel you!" was said every other page in this book. Will ignite the traveler in you!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr What a beautiful story. I fell in love with Marie-Laure and Werner and cared about everything that was going to happen to them and that did happen in this crazy time of Hitler. Marie-Laure's blindness was just a secondary aspect and I loved how the disability did not hinder her and made her so much more captivating. Her love of stories and the sea was something I could relate to and felt so much. The tale of the Sea of Flames felt like a main character as well and I loved how it added this air of mystery and what if to the story. The timeline propelled the story forward in such a way and while you'd think it'd be easy to get lost in the switching of perspectives and years, the sections made me not want to put the book down. There was so many cliffhangers within the sections that were just captivating and made me want to keep reading. This book is just brilliantly setup and it's difficult to explain. I can feel the change that this story has made in me already. I can go on and on. A new favorite and a must read for a lover of tales and history for sure.

Vicious by V.E Schwab
Just read this book full of twists and devious, complex characters and let me know who you think the villain is. Is there a villain? Convinced to read it yet? Go!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Dunnes are brilliant. I did not think I'd enjoy this as much as I did but the mystery on top of the intelligent, chilling, suspenseful narration got me good. A must read.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Lincoln's the IT guy for the newspaper called The Courier. He is basically paid to read people's emails when they are flagged for "inappropriate" talk. The reason that's even in quotations is because the reason he meets Beth and Jennifer is over innocent emails in which they talk about their lives, which end up in his flagged folder. First,the way this story is written is brilliant. It alternates between Lincoln's life narration and then the emails between Beth and Jennifer. It makes the reader feel super attached to all the characters. At least, that's how it was for me. Lincoln becomes invested in Beth and Jennifer's life without having met them and so did I. I felt their ups and downs and they felt like people I actually knew so that's why I definitely understood and sided with Lincoln when he decided not to report them and just keep reading. So pick this book up and do just that!

Stats of 2014 Reads and Thoughts

I've read 87 books this year. Awesome! (Favorites list to come)

I've never sat down and calculated my stats and I just did so and man was I surprised. I went out of my comfort zone (young adult) and read more fiction which was only read 12 fiction books. I included fantasy, mystery & sci-fi in that section. Since 12 is not that many, I will definitely work on increasing that number in 2015.

I did read more middle grade as well which is cool, 12 as well. Highlights: I read the Percy Jackson series which was fun & reread The Giver & the first two Harry Potter books. :]

One of my goals was to read more nonfiction and while I read only 4 I feel like I took a lot from each story. Lean In, Wanderlust, The Opposite of Loneliness & Esther Earl's book will stay with me for years to come. I want to continue to read more nonfiction in 2015.

One of my other goals in 2015 is to read more comics and graphic novels. I've always wanted to and never known where to start so I think I'm going to read some of Marvel's New 52 as well as Y: The Last Man, Ms. Marvel, The Saga comics, & some Superman, Spiderman & Batman comics as well.

Something I did try to do more of this year was read diversely and to see that I'd only read 9 people of color was shocking. I've always thought I read more diverse books but I guess it's more of those books on my to be read pile. Time to rectify that for sure!

Lastly, I calculated how many women vs men I read. I've always read many ladies so I think I went out of my way to read men and the books I did read were pretty great. One of the favorites of the year being: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

This little exercise inspired by Rincey over at rinceyreads onYoutube is something I want to learn from and continue doing. Here's to more diverse, fun, eye-opening reading in 2015!

Stats: 87 books read
YA-53
Middle Grade-12
Adult Fiction (includes fantasy mystery, scifi)-12
-Non Fiction-4
E-Novellas-4
Graphic Novels-2

Some where repeats:
POC-9
White-40
Women-39
Men-13

In the Holiday Spirit!

I've been thinking a lot about the holidays since they are steadily approaching.

When you're a kid, it's so exciting because presents and such and it's not that it's lost as an adult but the excitement dissipated for me. With university, it was more of an excitement to go home and fill up on food and catch up on sleep and now that uni is over, the excitement was still there but it felt different this time.

This time I'd been away on my own, doing big girl things as I call it: working a full-time job, living by myself. So going home, felt comforting and like an actual vacation. Seeing friends made me the happiest because we just wanted to be in each other's company.

I have felt very happy and energetic today and I think it's because it's the beginning of a new month and the last month of the year at that! It's an opportunity to finish anything you wanted to do this year and in my case, just continue to carry this energy. Of course, some days will be tough but I think it's important to just take things day by day. That was one of my mottos of the year and I believe I've done pretty well so far.

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Sincerely,

Betty :]

Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents by Elisabeth Eaves

This memoir about travel made me super emotional and want to get on a plane and go. It's so crazy how when I read something my life becomes consumed by the topic of the book. For the past 5 days, I've just been thinking of where to go next and how to budget so I can do so. Wanderlust, man.

Read it so that you can along on this journey with Elisabeth and begin to plan adventures of your own as well.

Below are my favorite quotes from this lovely story because yes:

"I couldn't live with my head somewhere else. I had to embrace my surrounding, because this time was only to go by once, and I didn't want to spend it wishing for things to be different." PREACH.

"A voyage has to have a destination to give it shape and flavor. We quest for something desirable, but we also desire quests."

"What do you want?" I asked.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you want? In your life."
"I want to be wild; I want to be free."

"Even if I could have stopped time, I knew it wouldn't have the desired effect, because something essential would be missing, some sharpness of focus made possible by the fact that life was fleeting."

"I now say that this was a hazard of being away all the time, this failure to entwine myself with people in one place."

"What I most wanted to do was travel more, without an end date or obligation in sight. I wanted to wander and feel free."

"The idea of roaming intoxicated me to the extent that I couldn't look at the glossy cover of a travel magazine, or browse the travel section of a bookstore, without getting a lump in my throat."

But I couldn't muster the feeling that anything mattered, I was carrying around my bruised copy of Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being: "...the absolute absence of a burden causes man to be lighter than air, to soar into the heights, take leave of the earth and his earthly being, and become only half real, his movements as free as they are insignificant." I thought I'd detached from the earth and was floating through the air.

"The best kind of travel-the kind I wanted to experience-involves a particular state of mind, in which one is not merely open to the occurrence of the unexpected, but to the deep involvement in the unexpected, indeed, open to the possibility of having one's life changed forever by a chance encounter."

"Most good travel stories are about discovering the unexpected. The travel goes abroad with an illusion, the illusion is shattered, but then she learns something new, and after assorted challenges and humiliations, she achieves a satisfying epiphany."

"I'd be there one moment, and then, poof, I'd be gone. I romanticized the quick disappearance, but really I just I hated the awkwardness of leaving. I hated the heartfelt statements that were required, and the declarations of intent that I already knew wouldn't come to fruition."

"The business of creating an adult life was difficult to think about, so I preferred things that distracted me or, ideally, overwhelmed me. Anything to push thought aside."

"I was trying to prove something, but I wasn't sure what it was, or whom it was for."

"I'd wanted to let my life be changed, but suddenly I was on the precipice of letting all go too far. I saw various lives unspooling before me. In one I was free to build a career, move to a big city, be young and aspiring at the center of the world. In another I never left the southern hemisphere."

"Travel is life changing."