Tuesday, June 30, 2020

June Reading Round-Up

Here's a look at the books we loved, didn't love, read, rated, or DNF'd this month!


Jay's Reads (10):

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What I Rated Them:
My Dark Vanessa - ☕☕☕☕.25
Fahrenheit 451 - ☕☕☕☕.25
The Girl With the Louding Voice - ☕☕☕☕.25
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness - ☕☕☕☕
Crazy Rich Asians - ☕☕☕☕
China Rich Girlfriend - ☕☕☕.75
Darling Rose Gold - ☕☕☕.75
Rich People Problems - ☕☕☕.75
A Whole New World - ☕☕☕.5
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - ☕☕☕☕.5


Favorite Read:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Least Favorite Read:
A Whole New World

DNF?:
None this month!

Rolling over to next month: 
The Substitute
Daisy Jones and the Six
The Unhoneymooners
P.S. Be Eleven
The Rumor
Eight Perfect Murders
Necessary People
The Safe Place
"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?"
One Foot in the Grave


Meg's Reads (8):

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What I Rated Them: 
Up Shute Creek ☕☕☕☕☕
Come Rain or Shine ☕☕☕☕☕
Dirty Money ☕☕☕☕
When the Bough Breaks ☕☕☕☕☕
A Cry in the Dark ☕☕☕☕
Lost Love ☕☕☕☕
Love Profound ☕☕☕☕
Tempting Love ☕☕☕☕

Favorite Read: When the Bough Breaks

Least Favorite Read: Due to the fact that I read so little this month, I really didn't have a least favorite

DNF: None this month

Carrying Over to Next Month:
Johnny Cash The Life
Her Scream in the Dark


Friday, June 5, 2020

Five Star Friday - Know My Name

This week's Five Star read was read by Jay!


Synopsis from Goodreads: She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford’s campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral–viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.

Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways–there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

Genre? Non-fiction.

Backlist? Yes. Published September 24, 2019.

New to me Author? Yes

Why I rated it 5 stars? 
This book is not my first non-fiction five star read of the year! However, this one may be the one that sticks with me the longest.

We all heard the story of the Brock Turner rape. Many were outraged by the "consequences" he faced afterwards (though we aren't getting into all of that here). What a lot of people may not have thought of is - What happened to the girl? Well, that girl has a name, Chanel Miller, and after going through the trial as Emily Doe, she decided to write this memoir and share her story with the world.

Chanel's bravery in sharing this story is a huge step towards hearing and healing survivors. She has many brilliant quotes throughout and her writing and I HIGHLY recommend reading this book. Of course, I'll issue a trigger warning of sexual assault/rape. But if you're able, this memoir was spectacular.