Play Book Tag discussion

1. A book that somebody else has read for this challenge
2. A book with a BIPOC main character - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
3. Read a book related to heat. - Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World
4. A book set in a castle
5. A book that is Science-fiction fantasy
6. "Yesterday's tomorrows" - read a book written before 1990 that takes place in the 21st century.
7. Read an "alternate history" book My Lady Jane
8. An award winning book from 2024 James
9. A book with a wild animal in the content, title or cover
10. A book in a genre you rarely read Don't Believe Everything You Think (Self-help)
11. Read a book nominated for an Edgar award in any category between 2010 and today. Where the Crawdads Sing
12. A book that's under 200 pages Men Explain Things to Me

Planning List:

1. A book that somebody else has read for this challenge

4. A book set in a castle

The Distant Hours
Dracula
The Keep
The Marriage Portrait


5. A book that is Science-fiction fantasy

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Ten Thousand Doors of January

6. "Yesterday's tomorrows" - read a book written before 1990 that takes place in the 21st century.

The Martian Chronicles

9. A book with a wild animal in the content, title or cover

Once There Were Wolves
The Last Cold Place: A Field Season Studying Penguins in Antarctica
The Lioness
West With Giraffes
Hollow Beasts

3. Read a book related to heat

Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World

Fire Weather tells the story of the wildfire in Fort McMurray in May 2016. This is sandwiched between some history of Canada and the growth of Fort McMurray as an oil industry hub in Canada as well as insight into the rise of global warming which leads to conditions that allow for the uptick in these unprecedented fires and what is being done to mitigate the environmental issues.

While I knew the fire was not going to be the only focus of the book, it was definitely the part that I found the most compelling to read about. I would have loved more depth about that section. I appreciate using a massive wildfire as the backdrop to delve into the larger issue of environmental concern, but for me the book jumped through too many topics. I struggle with science heavy reading, so there were parts that I found slow and dry to get through.

For people who are more interested in the overall topic or have a greater patience for scientific detail, I would definitely recommend.

11. Read a book nominated for an Edgar award in any category between 2010 and today.

Where the Crawdads Sing

In the 50s and 60s, the story of "Marsh Girl" who is abandoned by her family in the rural South is intertwined with the mysterious death of the town's star quarterback.

I grew up in the coastal South, so I loved the setting and feeling like I was reading about home (despite the inaccuracies). Despite much of the plot feeling very unrealistic, I got swept up in the story and the fate of Marsh Girl. The intersection of the two stories was well done and kept the story flowing.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when it feels like the author is overly using flowery, descriptive language instead of focusing on character depth and story. I definitely felt some of that in this book.

However, there is a small passage about abandonment and generational trauma that brought me to tears. There was some very good writing despite my complaints of being overly descriptive.

2. A book with a BIPOC main character

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

4 stars

This is an important story that needs to be told and Skloot tells it well. Henrietta's legacy lives on in her cells and through her family and this book honors both. Learning of the impact of HeLa cells on medical research and advancement was fascinating, and learning about the woman behind the cells was eye-opening. There was a good balance between the science and the human interest that made it an interesting read versus a chore for scientific jargon to get through.

I felt that the author did a great job of presenting a very nuanced issue that could be polarizing and controversial with fact and did not feel overly biased in any direction. I also appreciated the afterword that delved into the medical ethics in more detail.

While it seemed she was trying to honor the Lacks family and not take advantage of them, I still was somewhat uncomfortable with her storytelling at times. I can't event fully put my finger on it, but almost felt like she was patting herself on the back too much. It was definitely obvious at times that she was writing about a culture she didn't fully understand or appreciate.

Overall a captivating read that was also educational and opened up a lot to think about!

12. A Book That's Under 200 Pages

Men Explain Things to Me

3 stars

This collection of essays focuses on feminist topics such as violence against women, marriage equality, colonization, power and control, and what is now known as "mansplaining." This was a mixed bag of essays that felt disjointed and often basic and repetitive. That being said, it was a worthwhile quick read that provided some great reminders of how far we've come with women's equality and just how far we have to go.

I appreciated how, in multiple essays, Solnit touches often on the evolving language used to describe these important issues and the power that language has in bringing awareness and changing people's viewpoints.

The hardest part of reading this book was realizing just how little things have improved in the last 10 years.

10. A book in a genre you rarely read (Self-help)

Don't Believe Everything You Think

2 stars

A short and very basic book in both writing skill and premise. To sum up, the overall message is "think less." While I actually agree that this take has some validity and could be useful for us over thinkers, the book doesn't really delve into the topic with enough new or insightful information to make it worth the read.

7. Read an alternate history book

My Lady Jane

3.5 stars

This YA fantasy novel offers a revisionist history take on the short reign of Lady Jane Grey. Not much is actually based on history besides the names and royal status of the main characters, but this book was fun! It's definitely a YA fantasy-type story. The characters aren't fully fleshed out and the plot and development is very basic, but the story and characters are entertaining. It was a fun read to pass the time and interesting enough that I would continue the series.

8. An award winning book from 2024

James

4 stars

A re-telling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, his enslaved friend. I don't remember the original story of Huck Finn very well, which probably both helped and hurt my enjoyment of this re-telling. I could almost enjoy it as a stand alone story, but I feel like I couldn't fully appreciate it without the full context of the original story.

I loved the character of Jim and reading the journey through his eyes and thoughts. The way he relates to Huck as well as the world around him while being immersed in his inner thoughts was illuminating and often very difficult to read. There was something slightly missing (that I can't fully identify) that kept this from a 5 star but definitely worth the read and overall a clever and poignant story.