KN Reads: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

My rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads Rating: 4.65 out of 5

Published: February 28th 2017

It’s easy to forget the human element of current events when the media (among others) do such a good job of obscuring it. Angie Thomas brings the reality of tragedy to light to an uncomfortable degree in this emotionally rich story of a girl whose friend gets shot by cops in front of her.

The best part about this story is by far the main character. Starr Carter splits her life between her poor neighbourhood and a predominantly white private school. Her constant conflict between which Starr to be in which situation leads her to keep her two lives completely separate, even when they’re beginning to collide after what happens.

Khalil and Starr are driving home from a party when they’re pulled over by cops. Unarmed and unthreatening, Khalil starts to open the door to check on Starr and the cop shoots him. His death sparks a series of protests and Starr is forced to adjust to this new role as witness even as she deals with the trauma of what she saw.

This is not a simple story. It is, as good stories should be, multifaceted. Khalil made some decisions in his life that were necessary, even if they weren’t idea. Starr struggles with her fear of the police versus her love for her uncle, who is also a cop. She feels a lot of guilt for what happened and for how she reacted to it, so she doesn’t know whether to be involved in the countermovement. At one point, she even objects to the protests on principle, knowing that her schoolmates are only joining in to skip a day of school.

As you may guess, this book is based on Black Lives Matter and the terrible shootings that have happened in recent (and not so recent) times against young black people, especially men. Angie Thomas does not back down from her message, but nor should she; we may be horrified by what happens, but how often do we think of the impact on those close to the person? Trayvon Martin may be a symbol, a face of a tragedy, but what about the human life behind it?

It always stuns me how bright and bold Young Adult books can be. Angie Thomas does a fantastic job of writing an interesting story with engaging, complex characters while still carrying a message through loud and clear.

KN Reads: Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

Goodreads rating: 4.10

Something you’ve probably noticed about me: I have a soft spot for stories where teenagers try to work out where they belong in the world. In Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard we follow the difficult transitional period from child to adult of Pen, a masculine girl who struggles with her gender identity and romantic interests. Despite what might seem like a complex subject, the story is a simple coming-of-age tale that resonates across its genre.

Pen wears her brother’s clothes and spends her days hanging out with a group of guys who pretty much forget that she’s a girl. This, in times past, would probably signal a romantic comedy where one of the guys realises that Pen is a girl when she takes off her glasses/goes to prom/etc and they live happily ever after, but that tired old trope is flipped on its head here. As Pen begins falling for another girl she fights to find her place among her friends, and even deciding if they were her friends after all.

I can’t imagine a book being published like this ten years ago. Maybe not even five years ago, honestly. As our attitude toward gender opens up as much in the mainstream as it has in LGBTQ groups, stories like this come out and give a wider range of kids the chance to see themselves reflected in fiction.

One day I’ll write about why that’s so important.

For now, we’ll stick to the book itself. Pen is a lovable character, brittle and sullen a she is (after all, she is a teenager). The supporting cast feel realistic and layered rather than standing as a backdrop for Pen’s adventures, and that gives the story richness. It is a quick, easy read, but there’s a lot of emotion packed into those pages.

Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard was one of my favourite reads in 2016. If you’re a fan of queer YA books or a generally good story, keep an eye out for the striking cover at your bookstore.

What are you reading?

This year I set myself a goal to read 75 books. Last year my goal was 50 and I ended at 61, so I figured 75 was reachable. It’s easy to track through Goodreads, so I signed up.

(My challenge is here. I’m not 100% sure that link will take you to it, but let’s hope. If not, search for Polo Lonergan and add me. I’ll steal all your books. I mean… take your recommendations…)

Why did I do it? It’s crazy, right? I should read as much as I want to feel like I’m reading enough. It shouldn’t be a chore. Thing is, even with a challenge like this, nothing about it feels forced. It is a way to remind myself how many good books are out there and how much time I have in between things where I can pick up a good book and enjoy it.

I get a bus to work and home again in the evening. That’s 45 minutes right there altogether. I have an hour’s worth of breaks at work, though I can’t always spend it reading. Sometimes I can, and this challenge makes me want to do so.

It also gives me an excuse to run a hot bubble bath once a week or so and enjoy without guilt, which is something that stops me doing a lot of relaxing, pointless activities. I’m not very good at stopping without worrying about what I should be doing, but reading with a point makes me feel justified. It’s the same reason I knit so much to relax. I can be productive and unproductive all at once.

On top of all of those excellent reasons to do this challenge, I also find I actively seek out new books far more than I was doing before. I would wait for books to fall into my lap. I wouldn’t ask people what they were reading unless it came up naturally in conversation. Now I’m aggressive about it. TELL ME YOUR BOOKS, STRANGER. I NEED NEW ONES.

As it stands I am on my 54th book of the year. That’s 2 ahead of schedule (thank you Goodreads). So I’m going to get aggressive with you guys.

What books are you reading? Why should I read it too? Do you have a challenge you like to follow like this one?

KN Reads: Style by Chelsea M. Cameron

Someone on Twitter mentioned this book in passing in a conversation that was nothing to do with me, but it looked intriguing enough for me to buy for my kindle right away. Since I was in the market for a sweet, fluffy queer romance anyway, I figured Style by Chelsea M. Cameron would do the trick.

A summary: Kyle (a young woman) and Stella (also a young woman) have been at school together for a while without noticing one another much. They’re paired together in a school project despite being apparent opposites: Stella is an ice-cold snow queen, while Kyle is your average awkward friendly nerd. Unsurprisingly – since this is a romance and all – they end up together despite their better judgment.

Now, Chelsea M. Cameron has written a lot of books. A lot of them. I haven’t read any except this one, but I gather she has some loyal fans in the romance world. She is also (as per her Twitter) super adorable and friendly so I can see why.

This book came at the right time for me. Like its author, Style is adorable. It’s fluffy and almost irredeemably sweet. In the aftermath of a horrifying month for queer people, is it any surprise that I felt the need to dive into something so light? It was a great balm for the darkness.

That said: while I recommend this book to anyone looking for something insubstantial and distracting, don’t go in it looking for some in-depth character development or complex plots. Nothing much goes wrong for these two (which was perfect for my mood), and at times I struggled to remember which character was which since they are remarkably similar to one another.

Despite that, the book flows nicely and it’s an easy read. Sometimes you need style over substance, and this time it’s all in the title.

Book-Binding: My First Attempt

It occurred to me when trying to find a post on here for my recent obsession that I never shared my foray into book-binding. Shame on me. Shame.

 

Let me tell you about my morning at the Oshawa LivingRoom Community Arts Studio. This magical place is a ten-minute walk from my house and is filled with creative types and, even better, with all sorts of ways to express your creativity for free. You can of course donate, but there are plenty of resources even if you can’t afford it.

I’d walked past it a hundred times but never got up the nerve to go inside until one day I got a newsletter update from them telling me all about an upcoming Book-Binding class. It was even run by someone I knew (but had not seen for about three years). I emailed back to announce my intention to be there with bells on and three weeks later turned up and sat down.

The process is fiddly but fun. We picked all sorts of paper and cut it to size, arranged it into sections (I forget the technical word), then used stiff cardboard to make the covers. Coptic stitch gives the book a cute look and makes it sit flat when you open it which is my favourite style of notebook.

It was amazing to see all the ways people made their notebooks unique to them, and it blew my mind how many possibilities there are. I thought about making felted covers which is something I’m still considering. For now, I pasted on a cut-out from a calendar filled with art, and lined the insides with paper that reminds me of BBC’s Sherlock.

The stitching took a while but I can imagine it being extremely quick when you’re used to it. You can do so many different varieties, too, as I’ve discovered on Pinterest. Coptic stitch is simple and effective and full of possibilities.

It took me a while to work out what to use the book for since it’s so fun to have something I made myself. I’m a total addict to notebooks and have many (man, so many), so it was a difficult decision. In the end I took it to England with my on my recent trip and began filling it with the very strange emotions I felt upon returning to my home-town after emigrating to an entirely new country.

The fact I had created the notebook made it all the more special, though I’m going to have to figure out how to make the covers more stable. I’ve already ripped part of the cover off and had to stick it back together. That won’t be a problem with felted covers, at least.

Have you ever tried book-binding? Would you?

 

 

KN Reads: Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

Imagine a child born with vines in her hair. From that first imagery I was hooked, and Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor did not let me down. It’s an imaginative, bright, and addictive story. I read it in one sitting, eyes wide, and I recommend you do the same. (Usually I leave the recommendation to the end, but it’s too important today.)

Zahrah is born into the Ooni Kingdom in a community that fears difference and, as a result, eyes her unusual hair with suspicion. With the vines in her hair (called dadalocks) and difference marking her apart, Zahrah still fears the unknown as much as any of those around her, so walking into the Forbidden Greeny Forest to save her best friend Dari is almost beyond her.

Yet she does. She gathers up her nerves and ignores her own terror for the sake of her friend, and in doing so she discovers much about herself.

This coming-of-age story is satisfying and emotionally rewarding. Zahrah is not a simple character, but neither does she allow events to shape her. She shapes herself in the face of adversity and learns how much power a Windseeker can have as she abandons her preconceptions. She is loyal, fierce, and smart. A protagonist I look for in every book I read, but rarely find in a believable guise.

If the fascinating plot and compelling characters aren’t enough for you, well, how about those computers grown from seeds? The wise and dangerous creatures in the market who tell your fate? The buildings that are planted instead of constructed?

In 2016 I’m making an active effort to read more books written by and featuring people of colour, especially in my favourite genres of sci-fi and fantasy. Zahrah the Windseeker came to me through my hunt for more diverse fiction, and I’m glad it did since I will now be reading everything Nnedi Okorafor has ever written. It’s a quick read but it’s one that’s stuck with me and out of the twenty-two books I’ve read so far this year, this one is by far my favourite.

So yes, I recommend you read it.

–

My rating: 5/5

Goodreads average rating: 4.09

See it on Goodreads, or buy it on Amazon (UK, Canada, USA).

Bookish Knits: Agatha Christie Edition

I was 10% through my collection of Agatha Christies rescued from various secondhand stores when my friend came to me and offered a full collection. Yep. That’s right. The full set in matching editions. I gasped and jumped at the chance and, while they’re currently in England because heavy to ship, they are one of my favourite things.

Agatha Christie always kept you guessing. Sometimes I even forget the bad guy in books I’ve already read. In honour of one of my favourite authors (and definitely my favourite mystery author), please enjoy a collection of patterns inspired by her greatness.

The Big Four

by Maureen Foulds

Picture credit at pattern link

Spoiler: I know Maureen in real life so I am biased, but her patterns are gorgeous and very fun. I knit these socks and the pattern is enchanting and, even better, they make very comfortable and stylish additions to my sock drawer.

Agatha C.

by Emma Grundy Haigh

Picture credit at pattern source

Agatha Christie was a classy lady, so why not emulate her with some classy socks? The complicated twists in the pattern even mirror her expert plots.

Mo’ Sister

by Kate Quinn

Picture credit at pattern source

Though you will never knit a mustache as perfect as Poirot’s, you can certainly give it a go.

Miss Marple Scarf

by SusanneS-vV

Picture credit at pattern source

Considering she is the patron saint of knitters, Miss Marple should have her place in every wardrobe. This scarf is stylish and echoes many of the items in her imaginary wardrobe. Just be careful you don’t accidentally solve a murder while you’re wearing it.

 

KN Reads: Best Books of 2015

Last year I did a challenge on Goodreads to read 52 books: one a week for the entire year. I ended up reading 61. The thought of having a timeline to read a book made me hurry on and sparked the biggest year of binge-reading I’ve had since university.

I read some great books and some truly terrible ones, but here’s my list of the best books I read in 2015. These are in no particular order since I couldn’t do a countdown – I love them all for very different reasons.

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened

by Jenny Lawson

People have been telling me to read The Bloggess’s books for a long time so I popped one on my Amazon wishlist and out it came on Christmas eve. I read it within a couple of days, laughing out loud every few pages. Jenny Lawson is funny and clever, unique in the way she writes and illuminates the various bizarre moments in her life.

Even better, she portrays her struggle with mental illness in a way I haven’t seen before: compassionate and understanding, yet still starkly funny. Having a mental illness isn’t fun but there are moments that, with the right retelling, can be amusing. Jenny Lawson does this without mocking anything for a moment.

Moloka’i

by Alan Brennert

The tale of a young girl sent to what was then known as a leper colony in Hawai’i, Moloka’i is a quiet sort of epic. It follows the girl through her lonely childhood and her strange, confusing teenage years. It takes us right up to her old age, all the while introducing a cast of sparkling characters whose tales are just as important.

See my full review here.

Welcome to Night Vale

by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

If you haven’t listened to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast, well, you’re missing out. I don’t know how many more times I can say it. WTNV is smart, funny, and completely surreal. My favourite!

The book is different to the podcast; it doesn’t follow Cecil’s life or the town’s bizarre circumstances. Instead it follows two other characters through a small but touching tale that unfolds into some excellent backstory for the podcast. It’s dark and weird.

See my full review here.

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel

Oh, this book. How to find the words for something written so beautifully you can forget you’re following the apocalypse? Station Eleven is on a whole range of best-of lists this year and so it should be. The only problem is explaining what the story is about without misrepresenting it.

When I’ve mentioned it to others they’ve said “oh, that’s the book about the travelling musicians after the apocalypse, isn’t it?” which, yes, it is. Sort of. It’s also about the virus that wipes out humanity and how people survived it (or didn’t). It’s about how so many lives can tangle in the most unusual ways until they converge around an unlikely thing: a spoiler, but it’s related to the title of the book. It’s full of beauty and quiet horror, and I’m already tempted to re-read it just from writing this.

See my full review here.

Paladin

by Sally Slater

One of the earlier books I read this year, but it still sticks in my mind. Paladin follows Sam of Haywood who dresses up in masculine clothing to achieve her ambitions of becoming a Paladin. Not a new plot, no, but it is executed in a fun and touching way.

Though it’s not the deepest read you’ll find on this list, it definitely earned its place on the top ten books last year. I can’t wait for the sequel.

See my full review here.

Dead Wake

by Erik Larson

I’ve recommended this book to everyone who stands still long enough. The only non-fiction on this list, it’s about the Lusitania, a ship that was sunk by German submarines during the First World War. Sounds boring? You’d be surprised. Dead Wake takes an old tragedy and turns it into an excellent snapshot of the world of the time, while still keeping it personal as you see the lives of those involved.

Unsurprisingly this book has been popping up on best-of lists all over the place. It’s sharp and fascinating, and not nearly as dry as many books focusing on the Great War. You don’t need to care about military history to read this book: all you need is compassion for those involved.

The Book of Speculation

by Erika Swyler

Simon Watson, a librarion, finds a fascinating old book documenting the life and times of a circus troop. As his life begins to unravel he finds a link to his past between the books and hunts it down to save the life of his sister: he believes a curse will cause her to drown on her next birthday, as many generations of women in his family have done before.

A complicated, beautiful story, The Book of Speculation is especially apt for someone (like me) who grew up with the sea spray battering their windows. The touch of magic just makes it even better.

See my full review here.

Americanah

by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

Whenever I try to explain what I love about Adichie’s writing I never know where to start. She creates fully-realised, three-dimensional characters who walk through the world as clear as you or I, then forces you to watch as they struggle to find their sense of self in a mixed up world. Alongside her tendency for cutting lines that stick with you for a long time, Adichie is a talented storyteller.

Americanah is a long book, and it is dense. It took me a long time to read it. Yet at no point did I want to stop, even as I read other books between chapters to lighten the load. Following Ifemelu as she struggles to fit in both in her native Nigeria and her adopted homeland of America, you never want her story to end, even when the harsh light shone on race relations make you flinch.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Not much happens in this book. At least, no grand disasters hit, no end-of-the-world, no meteorites or magic. Yet the scope of this coming of age tale is enormous. Ari and Dante meet at a pool as teenage boys, both uncertain and growing too fast. They become best friends and share the strange adolescent time together, trying to find their places in the world.

Soon it becomes clear that their place is together, but that’s not an easy realisation for any couple, let alone two young men. The way their lives combine is touching and sometimes sad, and I’ve already re-read parts of this book for the beauty of the prose.

The Mirror Empire/Empire Ascendant

by Kameron Hurley

Okay, okay, I cheated! This is two books. Yet they share a spot on the list because I read them both this year and they’re the same series so it totally counts. Plus they are amazing, important books and I get a little twist of excitement every time I think of them.

Kameron Hurley crafts a world where the powerful magic is dependent on which star sits in the sky. When things begin to go wrong, people begin talking of the most dangerous star, Oma, which hasn’t been seen for thousands of years. As it rises it draws the worlds too close together and people begin to pass between them, bringing war and chaos in their wake.

Trying to narrow down why these books are so impressive is difficult, but the way Hurley dismantles and rebuilds our understanding of gender and sexuality so effortlessly is a big part of it. Instead of sticking to our narrow social perception of gender she creates a world with endless and sometimes uncomfortable variety, and at no point is that the focus of the plot. There’s something special about that.

See my full review of Empire Ascendant here.

*

There! Ten (okay, eleven) books that meant a lot to me this year. I’m not including any re-reads, otherwise there would be at least five Harry Potter books on the list (and at least one Discworld).

Have you read any of the books on the list? What’s the best book you’ve read this year? Seriously, tell me. I’m trying to read 75 books in 2016 so I’m going to need the inspiration.

KN Reads: Moloka’i by Alan Brennert

When white settlers came to Hawai’i they brought leprosy. Now named Hansen’s Disease, at the time of Moloka’i a person found to be suffering from it was shipped out to a separate colony and pronounced legally dead. Rachel Kalama, a bright young girl with a dream of visiting far off lands, finds a little mark on her foot that tears her world apart.

From that summary you might think Moloka’i is a sad book, but nothing could be further from the truth. Though Rachel faces struggles beyond her young years she sees everything in her life with a brightness that never dulls. She is smart, adventurous, and loyal. Though her body took her away from the dreams she once had she never once loses the hope that pushes her along.

At the turn of the last century the world was in turmoil. The old ways were dying, replaced by industrialisation and the first twitches of globalisation. World-changing events happened over and again, each sending the status-quo into a tailspin. Rachel watches all of it happen from the colony on Moloka’i and as the waves of those events lap at the shore, she finds comfort and safety in the friends she makes around her.

Though there is tragedy in Rachel’s life, and though each even scars her in its own way, she never gives up. She fights with the conception that people with her disease are untouchable; she believes that she will never find love because of it. As the disease takes her friends but spares her year after year she carries the weight of their lost lives on her shoulders but doesn’t let it hold her back. There are few books that had me admiring the strength of a character without finding them obnoxious, but Rachel Kalama has quickly found her place on my ‘favourites’ shelf.

That said, this is a book to share. Like a meal rich with treasures and tastes, Moloka’i needs company to be truly finished. The moment I closed the book I passed it to another friend and I do not regret it. The book was a beautiful read, full of lushious imagery contrasted against tragedy and hope, and the best thing I could think of to honour Rachel was to offer a little happiness to someone else.

KN Reads: Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley

Empire Ascendant

by Kameron Hurley

There is something about picking up the second in a series. You already know you like the concept or you wouldn’t bother to continue, but this time it’s different. The story has to hold up not only to its internal standard but to your memories of the first book and it takes a skilled author to manage that. Luckily Kameron Hurley counts as a skilled author and in Empire Ascendant she unravels the story into something even bigger without once dropping the thread.

For you poor souls who haven’t picked up the first of the Worldbreaker series (The Mirror Empire), it is set in a multiverse where the worlds are dominated by stars in the sky that switch and change over time. Each one brings changes with its ascent and each one gives power to a certain group of people. When the most destructive and rarest star, Oma, begins its ascent the worlds are drawn closer together and the barriers grow thin. Those in dying worlds begin their attempt to conquer another to keep their kind going past all odds. Through a select group of varied characters we are shown through the complexities of war and loyalty from people trying to achieve their conflicting goals.

That’s what sets this book apart: complexity. Whether you’re talking about the unusual gender constructs between the different cultures or about the many motivations for slaughter and mercy, Empire Ascendant has you covered. Nothing is dumbed down. No morality is considered superior to another; they merely exist and are portrayed through the struggles of characters that cannot truly be taken as good or bad.

In other words, it feels real. Even with the stars and the magic and the windows between worlds, the characters are believable, though they are not comfortable.

Take Zezili. By far the most interesting character in the books so far, she is a horrible person. She abuses her husband in her chauvinistic entitlement. She is sexist to the lesser gender of men (brutally portrayed as weak in her culture, and even forced into girdles to keep their narrow hips). She has slaughtered countless slaves and others with no qualms. Yet although you may not agree with her methods, you understand her reasoning and want her to survive. Though I would hate to meet her down a dark alley she is an excellent mirror into a person twisted by circumstance and privilege.

Zezili and her husband twist ordinary fantasy sexism on its head. With a strong, violent wife and a weak, submissive husband it would be easy within the context of our culture to play them for laughs, but Kameron Hurley never does. The characters are not caricatures. They have motivations and conflict within themselves and are both doing the best they can in a rigid gendered society.

Though some people have decried the first book as sexist I believe that’s too narrow a view. Nothing in these books is given a moral judgment; it is portrayed as it would be in reality, often giving you some insight into how we in our own world view gender without shoving it too far down your throat. It’s a fascinating way to get new viewpoints across and never in my life would I have thought a gender neutral character might get hir own chapters. It is refreshing and should be celebrated, especially when it is done so well.

Usually I would have problems keeping up with so many characters; like A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin the chapters switch between characters and cities and worlds, but it’s never hard to follow. It is always a smooth transition even with the added characters of the second book. If you’re a fan of intense fantasy with an impressive death toll, Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley is the book for you.  Good news! It’s out in October, so preorder it now.