👶👶👶👶: Love at a Girls' School and other stories, by Diana Altman

What a delightful collection of stories by Diana Altman! I'm a sucker for short stories, and so many of these resonated with me. What a joy to catch a glimpse into someone's life for a short moment in time, and come away with plenty to ponder. Ms. Altman has done a wonderful job in connecting readers with each of her protagonists, and as is so often the case with short stories, I didn't feel unsatisfied after these tales. Most of them ended at just the right time were just the right length!

Most fun was the imagination that Ms. Altman brought to the table. Several of these stories brought really vivid images to life. Who couldn't use a tiny purse secretary here in the real world👩?! And what about an eye on the end of your finger to see around corners👁?! Don't let the silly nature of those 2 imaginative scenarios cause you to discount this little gem of a book. On the contrary, many of the stories were incredibly thought-provoking.

Many thanks to Mckinney Media Group for this gifted review copy! It was truly enjoyable!

Read 9/19

👶👶👶👶: The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice, by Dan Slepian

WOWOWOWOW Dan Slepian ! What an incredible book filled with true stories of the unjust realities plaguing our criminal justice system. As a Dateline investigative journalist, Mr. Slepian unearthed some disturbing details that will make the average American's jaw drop. These are actual cases in which he helped free wrongly-accused inmates after tireless effort.

One would assume these cases were tried in such a manner that mistakes were made by prosecutors and juries in convicting these people - that the accused must have found themselves on the wrong side of the law because they had made bad decisions or were in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, this book contradicts these long-held assumptions; these were often cases where the accused were either nowhere near the crime scene, were not criminals beforehand, and/or had strong alibis to support their innocence. I was blown away by these stories, knowing that any day, any one of us could be wrongfully convicted, and it would take decades to clear our name despite overwhelming evidence proving our innocence.

Dan Slepian's writing was engrossing, and I found myself unable to tear myself away. True crime followers, you'll love this book. But even people like me who have never watched a full episode of Dateline will be lured in by the stories Mr. Slepian has presented.

Kudos Mr. Slepian for not only uncovering the truth, but for giving these people back their rightly-owed freedom. I am in disbelief that this happens so frequently in this great nation of ours. But I am also grateful to learn of these stories and men like JJ who have turned something that could have destroyed them into something that holds others up and gives them hope in these rather hopeless situations.

Many, many thanks to partners, Celadon Books
and NetGalley for these gifted review copies.

Read 9/19/24

👶👶👶👶: Enchanted Forests, by Astrid V.J. and various authors

I'm so excited to present this wonderful compilation of short stories that seeks to make a difference in our world!!!

𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔 is a collection of ten fantastical short stories from various authors that have come together to support the Rainforest Foundation. All proceeds benefit this extraordinary nonprofit whose mission is to support indigenous and traditional people of the world’s rainforests in their efforts to protect their environment.

These unique stories involve enchanted forests and magical beings, and have a heartfelt lesson at their core. And because I am a kid at heart, these stories just made me so happy! It's hard to pick a favorite as they each have their merits and share different messages.

I fell in love with so many characters, but Píngguô, in Apple and the Dead Forest, was the one that tugged at my heartstrings the most. I'm such a sucker for an underdog...

Full of sage wisdom and awe-inspiring insight, this book is sure to please everyone from age 5 to 105!

"𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏." -𝑿𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔

If you're looking to make a difference, this is a great way to not only give a gift that keeps on giving, but to also enjoy these heart-warming stories as an added benefit!

Many thanks to Astrid V.J. and all the amazing authors who worked together on this project and gifted me with this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Read 4/2/22

👶👶👶: The Hated Ones, by Mike Fiorito

This novel is unlike any I've ever read. It reads like a non-fiction account of a young man growing up in the Projects in Queens. It is so raw and real, but it is indeed a fictionalized account - an "every street kid" kind of novel. The writing is beguiling from the very first short story. With his all-encompassing writing, Fiorito pulls no punches and let's his readers know from the beginning:

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒚, 𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔. 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆."

It is so far from what I normally read, and yet I was fully immersed. It is a story of hope - a coming-of-age story in a world where the odds are stacked against the protagonist. And ultimately, it is a story of redemption.

I am duly impressed @mike3fio ! Thank you for sharing your talent.

Many thanks to TLC Book Tours for including me in this tour and to Mike Fiorito and Bordighera Press.

⚠️crude language, racist attitudes, drug use, sexual content

Read 1/16/21

👶👶👶 Everything Inside, by Edwidge Danticat

I'm such a fan of well-written short stories. In Everything Inside, Edwidge Danticat shows the humanity and resolve of a people coming to terms with loss. The stories were powerful, albeit incredibly depressing. To that end, I'll admit I would have appreciated a few wins strewn about. However, the writing was raw, beautiful, and full of the hope of Haitians around the world.

Read 9/4/20

👶👶👶 We Love Anderson Cooper, by R.L. Maizes - Release Date: 7/23/19

We Love Anderson Cooper is an unconventional collection of short stories that focuses on characters that feel like outsiders in one way or another, allowing for a sense of camaraderie with the cast. R.L. Maizes is undoubtedly a clever author, crafting gratifying stories that feel complete, despite their length. I never found myself wanting to read more about the situations she presented, in part because several of the story lines were quite doleful, but also because she is a gifted writer. Many of the tales included Jewish people which allowed me to learn more about their culture and traditions, and also included cherished pets which made me smile. All in all, Ms. Maizes has an uncomplicated style of writing that lends itself well to short stories, and this collection was a breeze to read. However, I would speak amiss if I didn't mention that readers should be prepared to feel a sense of loss at the end of several of the stories.

Many thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on July 23, 2019.

Read 7/18/19

👶👶👶 The Man on the Mountaintop, by Susan Trott

With a multi-star cast, this Audible Original Drama is a treat. Not only did I glean morsels of wisdom along the journey, but I was able to enjoy some excellent voice-acting to boot! This brought to mind old-time radio dramas, and I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was. Although a bit repetitive, the tale itself was interesting and followed a group of pilgrims attempting to speak to a Holy Man on a mountaintop. Overall, it was humorous, insightful, and engaging.

Read 5/18/19

👶👶👶👶 Sakina's restaurant, by Aasif Mandvi

This was a hysterical and insightful one-man play. Aasif Mandvi is brilliant in his rendition of each of the characters. He was spot-on with his interpretation of each of their accents and made it so simple to decipher between each individual. I found myself laughing out loud during scenes, and I thought he did an outstanding job of communicating cultural nuances. I especially appreciated the folk tales thrown in for a tinge of revelatory insight.

Read 5/9/19

👶👶👶👶 The Academy, by Robert Dugoni

Written as a prequel to the Tracy Crosswhite series, The Academy seemed to me, a brilliant tactical method in hooking series fans. This short story introduces readers to the heroine, Tracy, as she embarks on a journey to join Seattle Law Enforcement. The impetus for this change is her sister's unsolved homicide. In a short time, Robert Dugoni is able to endear Tracy to her audience, portray her as a force to be reckoned with, and truly capture the reader's curiosity with regard to the outcome of her adventure. Honestly, I was impressed enough to consider reading the series, but I just have too many other books on my to-read list. However, for those that enjoy a good series, this may be one to consider.

Read 12/22/18

👶👶👶 The Diary of a Hounslow Girl, by Ambreen Razia

This short story/play of a young coming-of-age Muslim girl living in Hounslow was rather intriguing, but could have been fleshed out further. As the daughter of immigrants (albeit from a different country), I appreciated how the protagonist struggled with conforming to her family's traditional values while having to juggle society's expectations of her. It is a raw look at the emotional roller coaster that is teenage life, within the constraints of Pakistani culture in a modern society.


Read 12/20/18

👶👶👶👶 Atomic Marriage, by Curtis Sittenfeld

It must be difficult to write a vignette that is both engaging and intelligent. Add to that a bit of irony, and it is a tall order for a short story. However, Curtis Sittenfeld certainly exceeded my expectations. The reader is able to get a good sense of both Heather and Brock's personal struggles in a short time. Of course, it goes without saying that Diane Lane doesn't disappoint as the narrator. One word of caution: keep in mind that short stories are often not fully resolved, so this may frustrate some readers.

Read 2/1/19

👶👶 Gather Round the Sound, by various authors

As a free Holiday gift from Audible, I couldn't hold high expectations for this audio book, and for that reason I was not disappointed. This was a mish-mosh of disconnected stories, that really didn't hold my attention, or even add to my holiday cheer, quite honestly.

The first story was the most interesting and heartfelt, which described what happens to the Santa letters that are sent to a particular GE office that has kept up the tradition of writing back. The rest just didn't hold my attention, and one in particular didn't even keep with any Christmas Holiday tradition at all (not quite sure why it was included).

I would certainly not recommend this listen, even though it was free!

Read 2/12/18

👶👶👶👶👶 And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, by Fredrik Bakman

What a magnificent, ethereal work of art. By the end of this novel, I was quite literally sobbing, and I'm talking the ugly cry. My daughter walked in just as I'd finished the last sentence, and thought something terrible had happened, seeing my mountain of tissues, and tears gushing down my face. I couldn't even get words out to explain my emotion, but instead just picked up the book to show her. This is when you know the author's hit a homerun!

I read it in one sitting, and although this lovely gem discussed the end of life, or at least the end of life as the grandfather and grandson had always known it, it was actually a very life-affirming, profound novelette. Fredrik Backman has such a way with words, a way that crawls deep into the reader's heart, and stays there for a good, long time.

I highly recommend this novel... Though, if you have a family member or close friend with Alzheimer's, I would exercise caution, as it may be a very difficult, yet still incredibly touching read. Regardless of your life situation, have a full box of tissues right beside you...

Read 12/31/17

👶👶👶👶 Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Jhumpa Lahiri is a brilliant writer, using powerful, simple words to elicit deep emotion. Each story was a lovely, understated masterpiece. The only struggle I had was with the abrupt, unfulfilling endings of the first stories. One might argue that such is the nature of a short story; however, as shown in the second half of the book, she is capable of closure within the confines of this style.

Her stories are filled with a melancholy all too familiar to me as a child of immigrants. The hopes and dreams of parents so unfamiliar with this country really grabbed my attention, as did the stories of their children who had grown up completely aware of their family’s cultural norms, but perhaps not embracing them as much as their parents had hoped they would. They are stories of achievement and heartache, triumph and loss, and they’ll leave you reminded of the beautiful diversity of this great country.

Read 3/23/14