Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs (eARC/ebook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Review - Before Dorothy (eARC/ebook)
Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor (eARC/ebook)
OVERVIEW
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own
This is the third book by Hazel Gaynor I have read. As soon as I read the book's premise, I knew I had to read it. It is a prequel fairy tale ode to the original book that I loved, as imagined by Hazel!
This book combined several important things for me - The Wizard of Oz (books and movie), childhood favorites. The Dust Bowl in the 1930s affected my paternal grandfather, his mother (my Granny), and siblings left Arkansas and Oklahoma for a better life in California. I'm grateful every day that they left for more in my beloved state.
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.
Writing: 5.0 stars
Hazel writes beautifully. She wrote an incredible homage to the original book and movie. There are subtle references to the original book that are like finding Easter eggs throughout the book. The descriptions are so vivid, yet not overbearing. Lovely, lovely, lovely!
Character development: 5.0 stars
The main characters are Dorothy (yes, that Dorothy), her uncle Henry, and her aunt Em (the same ones). We discover why they are in Kansas, Dorothy lives with her aunt and uncle, and so much more!
The secondary characters are Annie (Dorothy's mom, Emily's sister, and John's wife), John (Dorothy's mom, Henry's cousin, and Annie's husband). Yes, Annie and Em did marry cousins!
The tertiary characters are the friends in Chicago and Kansas, Em and Annie's family from Ireland, unbelievable fleeting characters, and the Kansas prairie, including the Dust Bowl and the Depression.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
This is a historical novel, but a beautiful homage to The Wizard of Oz, as Hazel imagines. Beautifully done!
Several time frames are utilized to create this amazing prequel. Chicago 1922-1924, 1932; Kansas 1924-1929, 1932; and "many years later".
The Chicago years primarily cover when Annie and Em live together and work together as "Field's Girls". They meet and marry their husbands, and then their life trajectories change. Annie stays in Chicago while Em moves with Henry to Kansas. Then the story really takes off!
The locations were primarily Chicago, Kansas, and some in Ireland.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
I love how the author mentions in her Author's Note how Auntie Em kept whispering in her ear to write this book! I'm so glad that Hazel listened!
Hazel mentions watching The Wizard of Oz on Christmas Day in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was Easter Sunday evening! We watched it on different days with the same strong memories that books and movies can conjure!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Short, but sweet!
HIGHLY recommend
NetGalley eARC/ebook
Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor
400 pages
Berkley
FUTURE release date: 6/17/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Guns, the Depression, tornadoes/dusters, mild cursing, pregnancy, infidelity
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, May 15, 2025
My next audiobook is ...
Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - Read This To Get Smarter (audiobook)
Read This To Get Smarter by Blair Imani (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
First, I started following Blair Imani on Instagram for her amazing "Smarter in Seconds" reels. Then through her podcast,
"Thoughts About Feelings" with Mychal Threets, I learned about this amazing book.
I must admit that each of the chapters on "Identity", "Relationships", "Class", "Disability", "Race and Racism", and "Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation" taught me something new. The chapter on Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation educated me the most. Thank you, Blair, for making me smarter!
As much as I enjoyed listening to Blair's narration, I would have retained so much more with a physical or digital copy. So there will be a digital copy to reread in my future!
Finally, as an aside, Blair grew up in San Marino, a town a few miles away from where I grew up. So proud of this local making it big!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The writing was not the most important part of this book. But it was strong, but not great literature (thank goodness).
This book was written in an easy-to-understand style with so much passion and matter-of-factness.
Narration: 5.0 stars
Blair narrated this audiobook in a personal, emotional, and real manner. As an educator, she made it so easy to follow and understand everything she was teaching (even if you didn't realize you were getting smarter).
Character development: 5.0 stars
There really weren't characters per se, but Blair shared about herself, her family, and her friends. These personal and beautiful stories made this book so very special.
Memorable: 5.0 stars
This audiobook taught me so much, even though I think of myself as an open-minded liberal mom who loves learning.
Entertaining/Educational: 5.0 stars
This book dovetailed beautifully with These Heathens by Mia McKenzie, which I finished yesterday. It was about the race, class, gender, and LGBT+ intersectionality in 1960s Atlanta.
Blair did a deep dive into the topics I had recently read about, and it made me even smarter! The bottom line is treating everyone with respect and dignity.
Finally, I loved the Reflection Questions at the end of every chapter. It made me think and ponder these issues, which isn't always easy or pretty.
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Pretty!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent.
HIGHLY recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook
Read This To Get Smarter by Blair Imani
5 hours, 27 minutes
Random House Audio
Release date: 10/26/2021
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Minor negative references to all of the topics covered in the noted chapters above
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
REVIEW - These Heathens (eARC/ebook)
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie (eARC/ebook)
OVERVIEW
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own
This is the first book by Mia that I have read, but it won't be the last. Wow! What a fantastic story of Black culture, church culture, and excellence.
Mia weaves so many famous Black leaders of the 1960s throughout this story of a young girl in rural Georgia who needs an abortion. But the story is so very much more than that! It is personal discovery, growth, and learning about a life unavailable in small-town Georgia.
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.
Writing: 5.0 stars
Mia writes beautifully and hauntingly with descriptions that are vivid yet not overdone. That is a true art!
The biggest takeaway is that the writing of the characters' code-switching was done so very well.
Character development: 5.0 stars
The main characters are Doris (a pregnant 17-year-old), Mrs. Lucas (her teacher), and Mrs. Broussard (Mrs. Lucas's friend). Doris and Mrs. Lucas travel from rural Georgia to Atlanta to obtain an abortion arranged by Mrs. Brousegnant.
The secondary characters are Dexter (Mrs. Broussard's step-nephew) and Erik (bodyguards to KKK harassed Blacks), whom Doris becomes friends with along the way.
The tertiary characters are the legendary 1960s Black leaders, philanthropists, writers, and artists, including Black Civil Rights leaders and Black church folk in Atlanta.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
This novel was about the intersectionality of race, gender, LGBT+, and class in 1960s Atlanta. There was so much packed into this amazing historical novel.
The rise of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), the Muslim Brotherhood, the KKK, and sit-ins across the South orchestrated by student activists in SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) in 1960 plays a huge, but subtle role.
The location was primarily Atlanta, Georgia.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
Writing about the infancy of the Civil Rights movement, while including the tremendous differences among the various subsets, was incredibly creative.
I had always thought that Coretta Scott King was a tremendous force in her own right. This novel confirms my suspicions.
Finally, I need to learn more about all aspects of the Civil Rights movement, as we need to learn from our past to make a better future. Unfortunately, we may need to take to the streets again en masse to fight this predatory Administration.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect representation of this book!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Hysterical! It proves to be telling!
HIGHLY recommend
NetGalley eARC/ebook
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
272 pages
Random House
FUTURE release date: 6/17/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Guns, racism, racial slurs, pregnancy, abortion, violence, cursing, homophobia, biphobia, lesbophobia
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
REVIEW - Homeseeking (ebook)
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen (ebook)
OVERVIEW
This is Karissa's debut novel, and what a first novel! I loved this historical fiction book from beginning to end! An absolutely stunning, fascinating, and beautiful story. I eagerly await the next book that she writes!
I had taken Asian history in high school, but had forgotten so much about the Chinese Civil War (especially that it was two parts around WWII). It seems that all civil wars are horrific, devastating, and brutal. Brothers fighting brothers, and possibly my husband's extended family, were involved in this war was heartbreaking. Yes, this was another WWII book - this war keeps following me!
My dear husband is an American of Cantonese descent. But to his dismay, I prefer the flavor profile of Taiwanese food. After reading this novel, I now want to eat my way through Taiwan!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.
Writing: 5.0 stars
Karissa can write! This was her debut, and it did not read like a debut! It was so beautifully written, descriptive, and thought-provoking.
Character development: 5.0 stars
The main characters were Haiwen and Suchi, who were childhood friends from the same longtang (alley/neighborhood) in Shanghai. Their lives diverge after WWII when the Chinese Civil War begins.
The secondary characters are Howard and Sue's family and friends from the longtang. They all endured so much during WWII and then even worse during the second half of the Chinese Civil War and the final takeover by the Chinese Communist Party.
The tertiary characters are the friends and family in Taiwan and the United States.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
The storyline was done incredibly creatively. Brava!
Sue and Howard's stories are told in separate chapters. Sue's stories are looking forward, while Howard's are looking backwards (as explained by the author at the beginning of the book). Such a perfect way to feel their characters. I loved it!
What the author also does is have the characters code-switch between the languages of Tawainese, Cantonese, Shanghaiese, Wu, English, and Mandarin (I hope that I didn't miss any others). The names of the characters also change, which also happens in other languages. But, Karissa makes us work for it by not labelling the chapters with the appropriate language names, but rather the time.
The name code-switching helps non-Sinitic language speakers understand what these characters had to do to learn the multitude of languages in the region. I cannot imagine how difficult it is for any refugee or immigrant not knowing the new language of their home.
The locations were primarily Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
The characters were seeking a home, but they already had their homes with their memories. They just didn't realize it! I also think of my loved ones and dearest friends as my home - I am happiest when I am with them. Powerful!
A quote from the book, "It is better to kill a thousand innocent men than to let one guilty man live" has been attributed to Chiang Kai-shek or Wang Jing-wei. The author discusses it in her Notes, and it made me realize that both sides were horrific in this civil war and most other wars.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Beautiful!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect!
HIGHLY recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
512 pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons
Release date: 1/7/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
War, violence, gun violence, sexual violence, physical violence, starvation, classism, death of a parent, death, racism, xenophobia, medical trauma, blood, cursing
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, May 12, 2025
My next audiobook is ...
Read This to Get Smarter by Blair Imani (audiobook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - The Measure (audiobook)
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
Firstly, I normally do not read "popular" books when they are released because I read and borrow so much from the library. Even as a three-year-old digital book, it has a wait of 19 weeks!
I am certain that I would have enjoyed this book more as a physical or digital copy. Since I was looking for an audiobook that was available when I wanted it, I decided to read it this way.
For me, this book is like candy. It was sweet and just what I needed after some very heavy books. It is not great literature, and not every book has to be great literature. I enjoyed it, and that is what matters - no guilt or shame for reading it
Most importantly, thank you to my niece, Julia, for recommending this book. I love you, sweetie! 💜
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
The writing was the weakest part of this book for me. Since it was a debut novel, I understand that writers have to find their footing, their voice, and their style for a book.
Narration: 4.0 stars
Nikki did not narrate the book, which I totally get with a novel, as it requires a professional narrator. Julia Whelan narrated who is a professional actress and has a lot of accents and voices to perform.
I wanted and needed more emotion in this audiobook, but that may have been how the narrator was directed. It just missed the mark just a little for me.
Character development: 3.5 stars
There were too many characters! It was really hard to keep track of them all, plus the character development wasn't as strong as I normally like in a novel. I wanted fewer characters with more before and after the threads were received.
Everyone around the world (aged 22 and over) received a box that contained a piece of thread. But once the magnitude of the threads is determined, the reactions of the characters don't seem extreme enough. I truly believe that there would have been rioting in the streets, marches, and mass suicides/murders.
Memorable: 3.5 stars
This audiobook will not be extremely memorable for me because it is not my typical audiobook, as it was a novel. But it was a good escape from the world, which is what books are supposed to do.
I liked this book, but didn't love it. Sorry, Julia! But, it is a PERFECT book club pick as it will foster a lot of discussion!
Entertaining/Educational: 4.0 stars
This was an entertaining book with so much promise. Unfortunately, the book underdelivered on the fascinating premise. It could have been so much more meaningful and powerful.
The biggest takeaway is that society ALWAYS has prejudices and needs someone to tell them that they are being "mistreated". The parallels to this current administration are shocking.
Finally, I liked the idea of living like you were a short-threader. Read the book to understand it and why!
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Pretty!
Book title: 4.0 stars
On point.
Recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
10 hours, 57 minutes
HarperAudio
Release date: 6/28/2022
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNING: Cursing, classism, violence, blood, medical content, physical violence, prejudice
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
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