Tag Archives: backlist

Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

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The Giver by Lois Lowry cover shows the face of an older, bearded man in top right and a young man in profile on the bottom left. Bare branches of trees extend toward the center from the left side.

The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)
Lois Lowry
Clarion Books
Published April 26, 1993

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About The Giver

In Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal–winning classic, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community.

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.

Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test—when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.

The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time. Don’t miss the powerful companion novels in Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

My Review

I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve read this book, but definitely the first since I’ve been blogging. I would like to read and review all four books in the quartet. The second book, GATHERING BLUE, is one I’ve read before, but I haven’t read the other two.

One of the things that stood out to me this time reading the book is the way that Jonas’s role in the pivotal moment in the book is to ride his bike for scene after scene. Whereas back at home, the community members are reeling from the presence of Jonas’s memories, and the Giver is busy helping them process the new feelings.

Reading the book again as an adult, I find it an interesting choice that we follow Jonas out of the community and don’t witness the other community members experiencing those memories. Jonas really wanted his family and Fiona to experience the emotions and memories he experienced.

I love the book, though. Jonas journeys from passively following instructions and believing that the rules of the community are all for the best. As he learns about pain and loneliness (both from the Giver’s memories and his new role which mandates that he not speak about his training to anyone) he begins to question the way the community operates. He begins to wonder if the “sameness” which forbids anyone experiencing color, emotions, or individuality actually robs the community of something precious and valuable.

It’s an important idea, especially in the current conversations about book banning and restrictions on conversations about identity. Is there a point at which we harm ourselves by so completely sanitizing books and conversations? Do we diminish or lose the ability to empathize with others or process the existence of pain in the world this way?

Anyway. All that to say that I’m glad I reread THE GIVER. It’s been thirty years since the book was first published, and it still clearly has some important things to say.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Jonas and the Giver both have light eyes. That appears to be a marker for the ability to receive memories. No other race details given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Jonas feels attraction toward his friend Fiona.

Spiritual Content
The community celebrate the life of members when they reach a certain age, before a “ceremony of release” in which a community worker euthanizes the member with an injection.

Violent Content
Jonas watches a ceremony of release in which an adult injects and euthanizes a small child. Jonas experiences memories of war in which a soldier on a battlefield dies, crying out for water. He also experiences starvation and grief in memories.

Drug Content
Community leaders instruct Jonas to take a daily medication to stop any feelings of attraction/arousal.

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Review: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD

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Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting or Self-Involved Parents
Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD
New Harbinger Publications
Published June 1, 2015

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

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.

My Review

I came across this book while I was browsing on Twitter. Someone I’m close to was going through a challenging conflict with a parent, and when I saw this book, I thought, hey, maybe this could be a good resource.

I started reading the opening pages, and it was like… all of a sudden, some of the relationships I’ve had deep struggles with in my life started to make sense. Things clicked. Some of the descriptions of emotionally immature behavior were absolutely spot-on for some of the people in my life. So I bought the book, thinking maybe it would give me better insights on those relationships, too.

Easy to Read, Broken into Three Parts

Here’s my favorite thing about this book: it’s broken down into three parts. The first part pretty much breaks down common behaviors of emotionally immature people. The goal is learning to see the person from a more objective view and recognizing patterns, especially those that hurt.

The second part of the book turns the magnifying glass on the reader. How have we responded to the emotionally immature people in our lives? Basically, she breaks this into two big categories which she terms our healing fantasy (what we keep doing to try to “fix” the relationship) and our role-self (unnatural or unhealthy ways we’ve changed our behavior to try to make these relationships work).

Then, the last part of the book puts it all together. Now that we understand what’s happening in this other person and how we are responding, we look at dismantling the unhealthy responses. Changing our expectations. And setting up new ways to interact with this person that stop us from diving headfirst into the potholes we’ve been falling into.

There’s also a chapter that looks to future relationships and how to stop ourselves from pursuing the same harmful relationships over and over as well as how to look for signs of emotional immaturity, especially in a potential partner.

Best Relationship Book I’ve Ever Read

The writing is straightforward. Practical. Clear. I can’t think of another book on relationships that spelled things out as well as this book does. It pretty much blew my mind. I wanted to contact every person I know who has had challenging relationships with a parent and be like, “Stop what you are doing and READ THIS NOW!”

Normally I read nonfiction really slowly, but I couldn’t put this one down. Honestly, it felt so eye-opening, both in understanding behavior in others that was harmful and also in taking a hard look at myself and how my own behavior was harming me, too. Just, wow.

I liked that the book is really empowering and focuses on healing and healthy boundaries. Honestly, I can’t recommend it enough. If you find yourself having the same kinds of hurtful experiences over and over with people in your life, even if they’re not your parents, definitely check out this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
No race details given about the case examples.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief references to verbal, emotional, or physical abuse.

Drug Content
References to addiction.

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Review: The Stonekeeper’s Curse by Kazu Kibuishi

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

The Stonekeeper’s Curse (The Amulet #2)
Kazu Kibuishi
Graphix
Published September 1, 2009

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About The Stonekeeper’s Curse

A MYSTERIOUS WORLD FULL OF NEW ALLIES… AND OLD ENEMIES!

Emily and Navin’s mother is still in a coma from the arachnopod’s poison, and there’s only one place to find help: Kanalis, the bustling, beautiful city of waterfalls. But when Em, her brother, and Miskit and the rest of the robotic crew aboard the walking house reach the city, they quickly realize that seeking help is looking for trouble…dangerous trouble.

My Review

I feel like this series is really growing on me. I liked the first book, but I think this one was a smoother read. The first book had a lot to set up and introduce, but this one picks up right where the first one left off and immediately throttles forward.

I’m starting to feel like I’m getting to know the characters better, too, which is fun. I like both Em and Navin, and I’m really interested to see where each of their storylines take them. This seems like a series that would be the most enjoyable if you read them all in order, but I think there are enough clues to what happened in the first book that you could probably enjoy this one individually.

Will I continue with this series? Yes, I think so. I can get the books from my library pretty easily, and I am enjoying reading them. My nephews have already read this one, so I’m really just reading them for my own enjoyment at this point, and to broaden my experience with graphic novels.

I think these are great books for fantasy readers and anyone looking for a compelling fantasy story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
I think Emily and Navin are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Emily battles the amulet for control of its power. As she uses it more, the stone’s power grows and so does its desire to take over and control her.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Cartoonish battle scenes.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

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Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters
Amy Boyd Rioux
W. W. Norton & Company
Published August 13, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy

On its 150th anniversary, discover the story of the beloved classic that has captured the imaginations of generations.

Soon after publication on September 30, 1868, LITTLE WOMEN became an enormous bestseller and one of America’s favorite novels. Its popularity quickly spread throughout the world, and the book has become an international classic. When Anne Boyd Rioux read the novel in her twenties, she had a powerful reaction to the story. Through teaching the book, she has seen the same effect on many others.

In MEG, JO, BETH, AMY, Rioux recounts how Louisa May Alcott came to write LITTLE WOMEN, drawing inspiration for it from her own life. Rioux also examines why this tale of family and community ties, set while the Civil War tore America apart, has resonated through later wars, the Depression, and times of changing opportunities for women.

Alcott’s novel has moved generations of women, many of them writers: Simone de Beauvoir, J. K. Rowling, bell hooks, Cynthia Ozick, Jane Smiley, Margo Jefferson, and Ursula K. Le Guin were inspired by LITTLE WOMEN, particularly its portrait of the iconoclastic young writer, Jo. Many have felt, as Anna Quindlen has declared, “Little Women changed my life.”

Today, Rioux sees the novel’s beating heart in Alcott’s portrayal of family resilience and her honest look at the struggles of girls growing into women. In gauging its current status, Rioux shows why LITTLE WOMEN remains a book with such power that people carry its characters and spirit throughout their lives.

Why I Read Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy

Reading BELITTLED WOMEN by Amanda Sellet stirred up my curiosity about LITTLE WOMEN, which it pays homage to and perhaps very loosely retells. I hadn’t read LITTLE WOMEN and didn’t really know much about it, other than the 1994 movie, which I’ve watched countless times and still love.

A quick internet search about some of the assertions about the story and author mentioned in BELITTLED WOMEN led me to this book. I read LITTLE WOMEN earlier this year so that I’d have more familiarity with the commentary here and could compare it to my own experience reading the book. But I also wanted to read it because I’m seeing more and more retellings of the book.

Anyway. So I read LITTLE WOMEN, and then read this book, giving some history and commentary on it.

My Review

Where do I start? Ha. The book begins with a brief history of Louisa May Alcott’s life, highlighting parts of her childhood and family life that she pulled from in her imagining of her most popular novel. It also discusses her own thoughts about the book and its popularity. For example, she didn’t want to marry Jo off to someone but felt pressured by her fans. She was also known to rush out the back door if fans came to visit her.

The book also talks about how different generations have received LITTLE WOMEN and the changing commentary about the story across the decades. I found that really interesting. There’s a chapter that focuses on adaptations of LITTLE WOMEN to the stage or screen. I’ve only seen the 1994 and 2019 movies, so I made a list of other versions that I’d like to check out. I pitched a LITTLE WOMEN movie binge to my mom and daughter for the week of Thanksgiving, so we’ll see how that project turns out!

There is also a chapter in which the author lists writers who name LITTLE WOMEN as an influence on their work and/or count it among their favorite books. She also talks about who is reading the book still today, and how and when literature began to segregate itself into books for boys versus books for girls.

Conclusion

For the most part, I found this book to be deeply fascinating. I think I zoned out a teeny bit in the section listing authors who were inspired by the story. It was a little repetitive there. But I loved the chapter about the author’s life and the exploration of how different generations have related to this book. I also loved the focus on developing conversations about feminism and different takes on whether the book is progressive or conservative and why.

I’m really glad I read this one, and especially glad it was the catalyst for reading the original work, which I also really enjoyed. If you loved LITTLE WOMEN or even if you’ve never read it and just wonder what the fuss is about, be sure to grab a copy of this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The book mainly focuses on the life of Louisa May Alcott and her family.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References love and relationships from the book LITTLE WOMEN as portrayed in the book and on screen.

Spiritual Content
Brief discussion of Louisa May Alcott’s father’s restrictive religious beliefs and how they impacted her as a child. Conservatives of the day were upset with the lack of Christianity in the scenes of LITTLE WOMEN. For example, the book opens with the family celebrating Christmas but with no mention of going to church. When a character dies, there is no mention of her ascending to heaven. A stronger Christian theme was more common in popular novels of the day.

Violent Content
Brief mentions of war as a historical fact.

Drug Content
Like the March family, Louisa May Alcott and her family were against any consumption of alcohol.

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Review: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

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Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
Naxos Audiobooks Ltd.
Published September 21, 2022 (Original story first published 1868)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Little Women

Grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. The four March sisters couldn’t be more different. But with their father away at war, and their mother working to support the family, they have to rely on one another.

Whether they’re putting on a play, forming a secret society, or celebrating Christmas, there’s one thing they can’t help wondering: Will Father return home safely?

Why I Read Little Women

Last year I read two different books that retold LITTLE WOMEN in their own ways. One was set during World War II, and the other was a contemporary novel about a girl named Jo who felt trapped by her family’s obsession with the story of LITTLE WOMEN.

In BELITTLED WOMEN, the contemporary story, one character stated some things about Louisa May Alcott that I didn’t know, so before I wrote up my review, I checked online, looking for information about whether the book’s assertions were true. And it looked like they were. I also found a book called MEG, JO, BETH, AND AMY by Anne Boyd Rioux that I really wanted to read. The book gives some biographical information about Alcott’s life and why audiences have loved the story so much through the decades.

Anyway, I realized that first, if LITTLE WOMEN retellings are going to be a thing, I want to read the original. Plus, I really want to read the book about the author’s life and the public’s reception of the story over the years. So anyway. That’s how I came to listen to this 21 hour audiobook narrated by Laurel Lefkow.

My Review

I grew up watching the movie version of LITTLE WOMEN starring Winona Ryder as Jo, so I went into the book familiar with the basic story. There are a lot of differences, obviously, since nobody can take a seven or eight hundred page book and turn it into a two hour movie without cutting and rearranging quite a bit. The thing that struck me immediately was how young the characters are at the beginning (which makes so much sense since it’s marketed as a book for middle grade readers. At the start of the story, Amy is 11, Beth 13, Jo 15, and Meg 17. And for a large portion of the novel, those are the ages they remain. The second part of the novel kind of skips ahead to when they’re older. By the end they’re all adults.

Overall it’s a sweet story about the relationships between sisters and then their transitions to adulthood and marriage. There are some statements in the book that didn’t age so great– Alcott talks several times about a woman’s perfect place being a wife and in caring for her home. But in a scene in which Amy chastises Laurie for being idle, she also says that she disagrees with the idea that young men must act out and sew wild oats. She suggests that if we expected them to act more mature then many of them would meet those expectations– which sounds to me a lot like some of the things I’ve heard in conversations about consent and modesty.

I’m glad I read the book, finally. Considering my love for sister stories, I don’t know why it took me so long to read the classic novel that’s literally most widely known for that exact thing. Those scenes between the sisters were some of my favorite parts of the book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A girl sits on the knee of her fiancé and later her husband.

Spiritual Content
Jo and Marmee talk about how reading the Bible and praying can help Jo deal with feelings of anger. Some references to the girls taking time to read or pray.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
The March family does not believe in drinking alcohol except for medicinal purposes. When families give them wine to serve at Meg’s wedding, the family donate them to the veteran’s hospital instead.

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Fall 2023 Backlist Check-in

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Welcome to my second seasonal back-list reading check-in! So far, I love this format to talk about my backlist reading. I started this post right after I published the last one, and as I finished reading a backlist title, I added it to the list.

Like last time, my list is pretty eclectic. I read a parenting book, the diary of Anne Frank, and a novel about an Argentinian soccer player, among others. Most of these I listened to as audiobooks, usually while driving. That has been a great way to work through some backlist titles I’ve been really itching to read. About half of these books came out during the pandemic, which could be part of why I missed them. I know ELATSOE and FURIA were both on my reading lists the year they came out.

I’m still working out the details of my backlist reading strategy. It has helped me to have reading challenges and goals to motivate me, but I’m still looking for ideas. If you have any tips or ideas for getting to those backlist titles more quickly, please let me know!

Other than that, let’s get straight to why we’re here. These are the nine titles I read for my fall 2023 backlist reading.

Fall 2023 Backlist Reading

Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Humans by Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Great strategies and solutions for parents looking to raise helpful kids or combat entitlement. I’m loving the changes I see in my family from what I learned in this book.

Published: March 2, 2021 | Review to Come

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Rioux gives a brief account of Louisa May Alcott’s life and the parts from which she drew inspiration for LITTLE WOMEN. She also explores conversations through the decades about why the book resonates with different generations, the various movies and stage adaptations, and who’s reading the book today.

Published: August 21, 2018 | Review to Come

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A spy and an assassin go undercover as a married couple to expose a terror cell murdering civilians in 1931 Shanghai. A companion to the THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS duology. Twisty and engrossing. I read this because I agreed to review the sequel and wanted to be ready to jump into it.

Published: September 27, 2022 | Review to Come

The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition by Anne Frank

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Diary entries written by a young Jewish girl in the Netherlands who went into hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of the country. I thought I’d read this in school, but it turns out I read a play instead. I wanted to read this before reading a graphic novel adaptation that’s been banned near me.

Published: May 15, 2022 (orig. 1947) | Review to Come

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Anne Frank, adapted by Ari Folman, and Illustrated by David Polonsky

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A graphic adaptation of the diary kept by Anne Frank as a teenager as she lived in hiding during the Nazi occupation of her homeland in World War II. Banned for a scene in which Anne expresses attraction for a female friend. This is the only graphic adaptation approved by the Anne Frank Foundation.

Published: October 7, 2017 | Review to Come

The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern #1) by Shannon Hale

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The story of a young princess who can speak to birds and her journey to a new country to be queen. Based on a fairytale recorded by the Grimm Brothers.

Published: December 1, 2008 | Review to Come

Disfigured: On Fairytales, Disability, and Making Space

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A deconstruction/discussion of some fairytales and their history from the perspective of a writer with Cerebral Palsy. Looks at what popular fairytales teach about personal value, morality, and disability.

Published: February 11, 2020 | Review to Come

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Fabulous and unforgettable. A multiracial young soccer player in Argentina faces prejudice, injury, the pull of romance, and threats as she seeks to win a tournament that could change her life.

Published: September 15, 2020 | Review to Come

Elatsoe by Darcy Little Badger

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: When her cousin dies under mysterious circumstances, Ellie faces monsters and dark magic with friends and her ghost dog at her side. This one has been on my list for SO long! I loved it and can’t wait to read more by Darcy Little Badger.

Published: August 25, 2020 | Review to Come

What’s on your fall 2023 backlist reading list?

Did you read anything published before this year from your To Be Read pile? If not, what’s the next backlist title you hope to crack open?

Let me know if you read any of the books from my list. I’d love to know what you thought about them!