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Book Review: Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore

I haven’t written a book review in a long time. I wonder if I remember how. I guess I’ll give it a go.

This was Kelly’s pick for my regular book club. She’s new to the group and we told her, at her first discussion meeting that she was next in line. She jumped in and picked Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore. It’s a historical fiction told in two interlocking stories. The first is in the 1880’s, when Alma is a girl and her family moves to no-wheres-ville Wisconson so that her father can start an “experiment” called Stovers School for Indians. Here, Indians learn the ways of the white man. Alma believes, as all the other white people believe, that the Stovers school will be the salvation that allows Indians to discard their savage ways and advance in a world that is righteous and white.

October Book Club Reads

October isn’t over, yet but my Book Club reads are close enough to get this post done and done.

Pints and Prose (Greece Public Library)  

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.  I finished this one in September so it was in my last wrap up post. It started off pretty strong with a lot of wonderful feelings of creepiness and dread. But then it ended up meh, in general. I really liked the writing. There was just a lot going on in it, like the author was hoping it could cross all the genre lines. The general census in the book discussion was also meh, because some people loved the hell out of it and two people put it down without finishing. I’m not planning on reading the November book but I haven’t decided to abandon this gathering, yet. The group is a little too large to be really invested though, so it’s the book club I’m most likely to drop if I have to. I love the cidery, though.

Readers Imbibing Peril 13 - Book Recs so Far

Usually in the Fall my reading turns in a more focused way to thrillers and horror. I actually read them all year around. I also wear skulls and raven jewelry all year around, too, but it just becomes more concentrated in September with a slight fading by January. 

Anyway, this year I learned of something called Readers Imbibing Peril from my good reading buddy Sarah Says Read and figured I’d sign up. I love signing up for things that I already planned to do!  

I've read six books so far that I'm going to count, with two in the works. Here’re a couple of good ones I’ve read so far, not counting A Study in Scarlet Women, which I talked about in my last summary post and really enjoyed.

Writing Prompt - Where I'm From

I did a writing mini- workshop this morning and really liked this Mad Libs activity using the poem Where I’m From by George Ella Lyons. Figured I’d share mine here. Original below. You can also check out Lyons’ web page for a massive international project using her poem.

Where I’m From

-      Kenya’s version 

What I've Been Reading: September Reads

I don’t think I’m too late to talk about my September Reads, am I? Haha! I don’t care what you think! I’m gonna do it!!

One of the things that I notice about my reading is that when I am busy, I tend to read more audiobooks with fewer print books completed. And September includes 11 days of Rochester Fringe Festival! Which is AWESOME!! Here’s some pics!! At the end of September, I had 3 books that were just hanging out on my “currently reading” shelf.  None of them were bad, they just weren’t calling me back to them after I got distracted. I’ve moved them all off the shelf and returned them to the library. Maybe they will find me again when I’m a person who can appreciate them.

Let’s see… The good, the bad, and the I only read this because book club made me:

Writing Inspiration: We All Write and Roc Fringe 2018

As part of the Rochester Fringe Festival, I saw a powerful presentation by a group of Black Women Writers in Rochester. It was set up as a glimpse into their writing group process. Each writer presented a couple of pieces with real time responses from the rest of the group (and fellowship shouts of praise from the audience). The plan is for an encore presentation at The Avenue Theatre next Friday. I intend to go and make my 18 year old daughter go, as well.

Some interesting things that were said, that might serve as writing prompts:

Was July "Men Are Trash" Month or is it just me?

I’m having a hard time tolerating (fictional) trash men, right now. And either I'm surrounded by them or I'm a little too intuned to potential trash behavior. I'm willing to recognize that maybe it's at least partially me.

Catching Up - What I Read in April and May (Outbox)

Here's a random post just with stuff I read in April and May, since I didn't post then. 

What I read in April

I loved the Porcupine of Truth, which was about two teens who steal one of their mother's car to drive all the way to California, looking for answers to their lives. Or something. You know how teens are always looking for answers and what not. 

I also loved Orphan Mother, about an old Black woman telling the story of loss and love.

What I read in May

Long Way Down is a book of poetry that tells the story of a young boy on his way to seek revenge against the boy he thinks shot his brother. 

Far From the Tree was an amazing story of 3 siblings who grew up with different families. I ugly sobbed, y'all. It wasn't pretty. Hence why it's called "ugly sobbing." Duh.

Dread Nation is an ass-kicking lady story set in a world where the zombie apocalypse interrupted the Civil War. Interesting idea, right!?

June Book Club Reads

I joined two new book clubs recently, through two separate local libraries. They both meet monthly.So, June was a lot of reading about White women who were mostly boring. Not that I didn’t enjoy the books, mind you. I love boring white women.

Pints and Prose is through Greece Library. We meet at Blue Barn Cidery, which is a great space for hanging out and eating buffalo chicken dip but isn't the best for book discussion. I plan to go a few more times to see if it gets better.

Read Women is through Gates Library and focused on, yes, reading women authors. It's a group of about 7 people right now. 

What I've Been Reading, June

It was a pretty good reading month! I joined two new book clubs recently, through two separate local libraries. I went to writing group which I haven't gone to in over a year. I also started a summer tap dance class. 

Obviously, I'm not in a show right now. It's amazing how much time it takes to be involved in a show! Rehearsals for yet another remount for Charlotte's Web start Sunday. 

Anyhoodles: The Highlights of the Month are....

Read Harder (Rochester)

Each year, Book Riot releases a book challenge list consisting of 24 categories. The Mission, if you choose to accept it, is to read one book for each category through the year. Books can count for multiple categories.

In Rochester, SarahSaysRead and I facilitate an unofficial group of readers who get together once a month to talk about the books we are reading for the challenge. We split the categories up into pairs so that we all have some idea about where we are and where we are headed. This (2018) is our second year of meeting. We've got about 4 or 5 folks who are regulars and then a few who come sometimes.

We typically meet on a Sunday but the location varies, as we’ve decided this is a good way to also try different foodie spots. If you are interested in joining us, please email me (Kenya) at kacophani at gmail dot com. Put Read Harder Roc in the subject line or risk that circular file. 

Read Harder 2018
January	First book in a new to you YA or middle grade series	Essay anthology
February	Book published posthumously	Romance by or about a POC
March	Book of Social Science	One sitting book
April	About Nature	Cover you hate
May	Comic written and illustrated by the same person	A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa).
June	Sci-fi with a female protag by a female author	An assigned book you hated
July	Children’s classic published before 1980	Genre fiction in translation
August	Book of Colonial or postcolonial lit	Comin that isn’t Marvel, DC, or Image
September	Western	Oprah Book Club selection
October	Book of true crime	Comic written or illustrated by a person of color
November	Celebrity Memoir	Mystery by a POC or LGBTQ+ author
December	Classic of genre fiction	Female protag over the age of 60

  

About Me, Now

I tend to blog my reviews for books that I liked, rather than those I didn't care much for. I do write something about all books I read on Goodreads. I'm trying to get better about posting reviews on Amazon for small press books, but I lack follow through. Please feel free to contact me through this blog, my Twitter, or my Goodreads account with review requests. My "review policy" is that I read what I want, I review what I want, and I'm going to say what I actually think about the book regardless of who you are. I will say it nicer if I've met you in person, probably, but there are no guarantees. 

Keep reading for more about me, if you dare... MUUAHAHHAA... just kidding. It's not that great. 

What I've Been Reading (Outbox March 2018)

If I were still an active blogger, this would be an outpost. As it is, it’s a picture of my March Reads. You never know what it might turn into later.

Feel free to let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought of them.  

Not Here, Go There!

Hey!

SO, I’m taking a break from this blog for a while! I’m just not feeling it. But I’m handing out my opinions left and right on Goodreads and Twitter. I’m also trying to do more with Litsy. Hook up with me over there! I also have a Pinterst, if you're into super random things that have no connection to any actual plans I have for doing anything. 

New Facebook Blog: https://www.facebook.com/ReviewsMayVary/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Momphd

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviewsmayvary

Litsy: @ReviewsMayVary
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/ReviewsMayVary/

Bout of Books 21 - Wrap up

Last week was #BoutOfBooks, a week long readathon. My goals were really about completing the challenges and interacting more with other bookigh folks because I don't really need to read more books. So... ya know, in relation to my goals for the readathon, I failed. But. I read a lot. So... if I change my goal ad hoc, then I am right on target!

Here's what I read:

Bout of Books 21 - Running Post

Bout of Books is hosted here.

This is my 3^rd or 4^th bout. Typically, I update strong at first and then fall down the rabiit hole by Wednesday, so here's hoping I stay up on the challenge all week! Whoot!! I will mostly be updating on twitter. Check me out over there!

Reader Harder 2018 - The Beginnings

It’s actually almost like failing the Book Riot Read Harder challenge is becoming a tradition! Well. Here's the list. I'm already ahead of the game. So, I should totally win this time!! Right! Just lie to me, yall. 

Here's the list and how Sarah and I broke down the 24 categories.