The chaos and cruelty unleashed in late June by the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which wiped out a half-century of constitutional protections for the reproductive rights—and thus the equal citizenship—of women in America, have been well documented. The ruling quickly led to a patchwork quilt of abortion bans differing […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/09/22/deconstructing-dobbs-laurence-tribe/
Readers revisit the pandemic and forced quarantine caused by COVID-9 in this captivating read, Hold, Please by Richard Hester. The author starts the book in the spring of 2020 – more specifically in March – when the world was hit with the seriousness of the virus we now know as COVID-19. From then on, we get a day-by-day report on what is happening in the world, the U.S., New York city, and in the home, mind and heart of the author himself. Even though Hester states in the beginning, that this book is his own experience; “What follows is my year and mine, alone”, as a reader we can relate to him and can find a sense of familiarity in the events we lived through.
The book was meant to be read as the days passed to serve as a safety net, as it was originally a bundle of Hester’s blog posts meant to help cope with quarantine for both the author and reader. This is a compelling memoir that comes at a critical time as we slowly escape from the clutches of the worst of the COVID-19 lockdown and try to return to our new normal lives. We’re now left to reflect on our experiences in the past couple of years and this book does a fantastic job of capturing the emotions we had during those harsh times. This book will forever be a reminder of the challenges we faced such as the pandemic, the murder of George Flloyd and the circus of the presidential election.
The author’s writing is reassuring, and I enjoyed how each chapter read like a journal entry both to educate and console the reader. This is a long book, but we had a long year in quarantine so there was much to observe and discuss. This is a thought-provoking memoir that will pique the interest of readers looking for a slice of life book that takes place during a historic time.
Hold, Please: Stage Managing A Pandemic is observant and well-written. Readers looking for a thoughtful look back, or a riveting memoir about an interesting person and how they handle a challenging situation, will find plenty to enjoy in Richard Hester’s contemplative memoir.
Pages: 578 | ASIN: B09TQ138MG
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/30/hold-please-stage-managing-a-pandemic/
It’s time for Colin the handyman and Clara, who works at the museum, to get married. Oh! and did I mention that they’re crabs! This is a delightful children’s story about two crabs who are madly in love and the only thing they want to do is be married to one another. The news of the wedding starts a frenzy and their dear friends’ good intentions ultimately impede on their very special day. Will Colin and Clara have the wedding they envision? Or will it be total chaos?
Colin the Crab Gets Married by Tuula Pere offers a lesson for young children to be aware of the needs of others. It offers a teaching moment to learn to respect people’s boundaries and wishes, especially when it comes to matters of personal moments in one’s life. Even as adults this is a hard lesson to follow through with. When the people in our lives mean so much to us, we want to do whatever it takes to show that love and sometimes the actions can overshadow that love.
The writing style in this charming children’s book is clear enough for a young readers and even toddlers to understand. The illustrations by Roksolana Panchyshyn are so utterly adorable that even as an adult reader I couldn’t help but enjoy and spend time looking through each scene. It was colorful, rich with life and set the tone of the story perfectly. I felt the author and illustrator had great cohesion when it came to the layout and formatting. Although this is nothing a child would notice, as a parent I appreciate it because it does truly help tell the story visually to children who may be too young to read. The words used in the book were suitable for elementary school children, but can be read out loud to younger children and wouldn’t be lost on them.
Pages: 48 | ASIN: 9523570811
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/30/colin-the-crab-gets-married/
Kate is a normal 26-year-old living in Australia when she unexpectedly moves back home with her parents. When she arrives home, she finds her old bedroom is full of her mother’s old things. Kate and her mother go through the ancient family treasures and find a diary that unveils an old family mystery. What happened to Kate’s missing great aunt? She went missing in the 19th century and while rumors are everywhere, no one knows what happened to great Aunt Catherine. Kate flies to England to solve the mystery of Catherine’s disappearance from Lacey Hall.
Author Ellen Read has done an exceptional job of turning this riveting romance novel into a nail-biting mystery. It has everything readers would want in a romantic paranormal thriller. I was engrossed with the setting of this novel, maybe because of the vivid descriptions of the scenes, or maybe because the locales are intrinsically fascinating. Who doesn’t like the English countryside?
The Ghost Rider is captivating right from the start of the book. I really enjoyed the methodical pace of the story. The mystery unravels slowly, ensuring the intrigue and suspense is consistently high. This is one reason I kept coming back to this book time and again; I so desperately wanted to know what was going to happen. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I was beyond pleased with the way the story came to an end. I feel like the author planned the ending well as it answered all my big questions. It’s always nice to have a tight mystery novel wrap up without needing to plan for a long series arc, but I still wanted more of the romance even after the mystery was solved.
The author’s ability to develop character arcs throughout the novel is phenomenal. I got so attached to Kate and Catherine, I just wanted them to turn out alright. The evolution of Charles is a great example of the skill Ellen Read has with developing characters and letting the story reveal their traits. As we see Charles transform from a gruff-looking man lacking manners to a well-established man of substance. This is an impressive feat to accomplish in so few pages. When I was introduced to Charles’s character I disliked him, but by the end I was in love with him. This ability to make me love and hate characters is what I look for in good supernatural romance novels.
The Ghost Rider is an enchanting ghost fiction story with a compelling female protagonist and a spellbinding storyline.
Pages: 295 | ASIN: B0B581Q3CX
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/30/the-ghost-rider/
Young Sam has a difficult time transitioning from taking a bath to taking a shower. He does not like when the water gets into his eyes while he bathes. Good thing Sam has his big brother Niles to help lead the way and show him how to enjoy taking a shower. Niles knows just what to do and all he needs is his old umbrella and a little help from his mom.
In this sweet story poor Sam is having a hard time getting used to taking showers and wonders why he can’t take a bath in the tub like he used to. Thankfully he has Niles, his older brother, who experienced the same issue when he was getting older. Taking on his big brother role he shows Sam a different way of going about taking a shower and more importantly shows that he is there to care for and protect Sam.
This cute picture book shows the importance of family, teamwork, and ingenuity in writing this story. It shows young readers that having strong family values is important and to have trust and rely on the people we love. Niles found common ground with Sam and made sure to keep him safe, supported and understood to aid in his growth along with their mother. Young readers will enjoy this story and the whimsical illustrations by Catty Flores.
I enjoyed the life lesson shared in this story because I found it unique. I have never come across a children’s book that tackles this topic. It’s a challenge many parents face and this book provides a great story that will help children make the transition. The Swishing Shower tells an adorable tale that’s the perfect vehicle for an important life lesson.
Pages: 34 | ISBN: 952325457X
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/30/the-swishing-shower/
Leo, the Little Wanderer by Tuula Pere is a children’s book that follows a young boy named Leo who hears whispers in the wind which tell him to venture out into the world and experience what life has to offer. Leo listens to the wind and is taken on an enchanting and enriching journey through towns and mountains where he meets an array of people that teach him about life.
I have never read a children’s story with such a powerful message until this book. The writing was beautifully illustrative all on its own. The full page illustrations by Andrea Alemanno gave a delightful charm to the adventure and made the reading experience simply enchanting. The moments when Leo met people throughout the story were relatable and filled with introspection and meaning. He was able to connect with many different people from diverse places on basic levels such as music. This shows that we all have so much in common and this story effectively sends that message to young readers.
My favorite line from the story, and one that I truly connected with, was “…the building was like life itself- a big dream full of details and always in the making.” This one poetic line gives just a small taste of the soulful reflection that this picture book offers. Author Tuula Pere shows life’s possibilities in this bewitching children’s book, if we just take the time to listen and to live.
Pages: 46 | ISBN: 9523570242
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/30/leo-the-little-wanderer/