To the Editors: Praising the Hulu version of the 1619 Project, Adam Hochschild [NYR, May 25] writes: We hear about the powerful southern congressional committee chairmen who forced New Deal programs like Social Security to exclude categories of labor in which Blacks were concentrated, like domestic and agricultural work. This claim became popular in the […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/06/08/dont-blame-the-southerners/
A public memorial requires, at minimum, a shared memory—a consensus that something significant happened, if not necessarily what that something meant. The best monuments of remembrance, in fact, are those that inspirit collective emotion while accommodating disparate interpretations. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., evinces patriotic pride for some, renews rage for others. Yet […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/05/21/name-the-lost/
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.
Help, if you enjoy YA or MG, please look at the tour for the Urban Boys. I need some blogs, instagrammers, youtubers, etc to fill slots for the June tour. I have audio credits for review stops and spotlight stops are welcome. This week was super busy but my hubby took me out to lunch on Thursday, which was nice. The Royals only have four days of school left! Did anyone else devour Queen Charlotte on Netflix? I loved it and cried like a baby. Stay Caffeinated.
Learn more:
A special thanks to Avon, Tantor Audio & St. Martin’s Press
The YA Urban Fantasy audiobook tour is up….Would really love some support for this one. I also have a delightful historical fiction romance.
Before you link up: Please be sure your weekly post includes a link back to Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Post
Never miss a post by adding Caffeinated to your Inbox
Source
Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2023/05/sunday-post-576-last-week-of-school.html
The Happiness Habits Transformation: Second Edition is a self-help book that teaches readers how to change their daily routine in order to find more happiness in their lives. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I know from my own experience and from speaking with many, many women, that our daily routines are often based on what everyone else needs. I also know that even if we recognise something has to change, as I did, it’s difficult to carve out time for ourselves in between our responsibilities. So I wanted to share the simple and practical 8-step path I used to intentionally create a routine with habits that are proven to boost our everyday happiness. It was also important to me to show, in this new edition, how I’ve adapted these ‘happiness habits’ that continue to support me through perimenopause, in the hope that it helps other women who might be in the same place, navigating the shifting priorities and challenging changes that happen in our bodies and minds as we enter this new life stage.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The backstory in chapter two and parts of the new chapter about my perimenopause journey were both challenging to write. They both reveal times in my life when I felt emotionally raw and broken and reliving them brought back a lot of the emotional issues I experienced. I had to take a step back from time to time, but I knew that I wasn’t alone in experiencing a traumatic birth experience, having to close my business, or feeling lost and confused during perimenopause and the hope that it would help others who had similar experiences to move forward was a powerful motivator to complete these parts of the book.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard came from life coach Brendan Burchard who said “if I was to look at your calendar, would I see what’s most important to you on it?” I never forgot that advice and use my calendar strategically to prioritise what matters most to me, blocking out time specifically for my biggest goals rather than just writing things down in a list.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
That it’s ok to take time out for ourselves and that the habits which make up our daily routines CAN make us happier if we’re intentional about choosing the ones that serve us – habits that allow us time to focus on US, release us from the habit of negativity, boost our self-esteem and help us plan out and live our biggest, most exciting dreams!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
In The Happiness Habits Transformation, former life coach Michelle Reeves urges us to take a time-out (without feeling guilty about it) to rebuild our daily routine into one that serves us – one habit at a time.
Through her personal experience of depression and how she rebuilt her life through a combination of 8 simple happiness habits, you’ll discover how you can create a simple routine with time to focus on YOU, release yourself from the habit of negativity, boost your self-esteem and dream and plan out your biggest, scariest and most exciting goals.
You’ll learn:The power of each of the 8 Happiness Habits and how they can impact your life – backed up by easy-to-understand research studies
Two terrific tools to boost your positivity in minutes
How to use habit strategy to create a simple daily routine from the habits that fits your life and ensure they become habits and not just another resolution you’ll eventually quit
How others have woven the habits into their lives and how they’ve benefited with real-life case studies
*New for the second edition*: Michelle explains how these habits continue to support her as she navigates a new season of her life through perimenopause and beyond, and shares success stories from others who have woven the habits into their own routines.
Filled with real-life examples, the encouragement and guidance of this book will not only help you transform the way you live your life each day but also allow you to take these habits on board to forever change your life for the better.
Start your Happiness Habits Transformation today – scroll to the top of the page and select the BUY NOW or ADD TO BASKET button.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/05/21/this-new-life-stage/
The Golden Ticket is a memoir told from the perspective of answering college essay prompts. This approach ties into your background and career path, presenting your story in a unique fashion. Why was it important to tell your story?
I wrote The Golden Ticket because I wanted to address the disconnect—chasm, really— between my professional life and my home life.
At work, I counseled students on how to tell their best story and to gain admission to some of the most selective colleges in the world; at home, my husband and I were struggling to raise three children with developmental delays, depression, anxiety, and learning differences.
In Palo Alto, where we live, everyone talks about getting into college (and not just any college, but the good kind), which doesn’t leave much room for conversations about kids who aren’t ready for college, or don’t want to go, or might be struggling with challenges that go beyond deciding which top 20 school they’ll apply to.
In telling both parts of my story, I wanted to provide a larger context for what Frank Bruni calls “Yale or jail” thinking about success—and to open a broader conversation about what it means to be successful or to lead a meaningful life. Not every success story ends with the name of a prestigious college on the back of a late-model luxury car.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
By far the most difficult thing was describing the struggles each of my children faced. There is nothing more painful than being a parent and feeling powerless to address the challenges your children are facing. Revisiting those moments was agonizing, but I also felt strongly that chronicling what we went through as a family would help other families feel recognized and less alone.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
One of my improv teachers often told me to “say the thing.” I have a tendency to tiptoe around whatever my character’s motivation or thinking might be, and he always encouraged me to just blurt it out. I now have a ring engraved with the words “say the thing” as a reminder.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
That success comes in many different forms at different stages of your life—and that there is, in fact, no golden ticket.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Irena is a Russian Jewish immigrant, a PhD in comparative literature, a former Stanford admissions officer, and a private college counselor in Palo Alto, California—a city where everyone has to be good at something and where success often means the name of a prestigious college on the back of a late-model luxury car. But as Irena works with some of the most ambitious, tightly wound students in the world, she struggles to keep her own family from unraveling, and that sharp-edged divide lies at the heart of her memoir.
The Golden Ticket is narrated using a form Irena knows best: college application essay prompts. In her responses, Irena weaves together personal history, sharp social commentary, and the lessons of literature ranging from The Odyssey to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Her memoir asks difficult questions—What exactly do parents mean when they say they want the best for their children? What happens when the best of intentions result in unexpected consequences?—and envisions a broader, more generous view of what it means to succeed.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/05/21/success-comes-in-many-different-forms/
Omnis 1: Beginnings follows a family in Argentina who move to the US and have to deal with intolerance and prejudiced people they encounter at school. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Although the characters and the storyline are fictitious, I drew freely from my own experiences growing up and those of my three children. I set the story in Argentina and the U.S. to ensure authenticity, because that is what I know, having been born and raised in Argentina by parents from the U.S., and having made several moves between the two countries. There are two girls and two boys so that four different cases could be explored. I also wanted both female and male superheroes. The problems the siblings face with their move and at school are very similar to situations that we have been through ourselves but are also faced by children everywhere. Regardless of his or her background, every reader will have been at the giving or receiving end of these scenarios and can identify with the feelings and problems arising from the pandemic.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Sabrina Bedford?
I am incredibly fortunate, because, beside being a gifted illustrator, Sabrina Bedford is my niece. She did the artwork for my previous books, which consist of the front and back covers of four books and ten illustrations for King of the Hill (ten biographical stories from my father’s childhood during the Great Depression). It was wonderful working with her, because there was so much freedom of communication. I described the scenes I wanted and she delivered, sometimes with exactly what I asked for and often with improvements. I started out with tables containing columns for English, Spanish and scene descriptions. Sabrina set up a detailed spreadsheet with room for comments and questions from both of us. As the story and dialogue evolved, she made thumbnail sketches for approval and then fleshed them out. She was incredibly intuitive about what I wanted and brought my ideas to life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The Omnnis’ superpower reflects the main theme. Empathizing with others, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, culture or social status, and acting on that empathy overcomes the barriers that separate people and fuel rejection and aggression. Some of the sub-themes I wanted to bring out are an appreciation of cultural and linguistic diversity, the advantages of bilingualism, the power of positivity, and the importance of family and friendship.
Can you tell us more about where the story and characters go after book one?
Without giving too much away, the second volume will revolve around veterans, PTSD and service dogs, while the third volume will tackle a natural disaster, both with plenty of Omni involvement, of course.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Una experiencia gráfica bicultural y bilingüe.
En plena pandemia, los Martin cambian de continente, y los cuatro hermanos enfrentan desafíos y obstáculos, especialmente en su nueva escuela. Acompáñalos mientras reciben la ayuda menos pensada y se transforman sorprendentemente.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/05/21/brought-my-ideas-to-life/
The Sloth Who Didn’t Want to Be King follows an energetic sloth and hedgehog who go on an adventure to try to find a place where they can be themselves. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
What I had in mind is this character, a non-lazy sloth, who is denunciated by society for not going with the flow. The character just came up to my mind and started “living” in my head and getting an individual form. This was the starting point.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
In this case, I felt as if the hero of the book is writing it. So basically, I was surprised by every twist. I felt like an instrument through which Prince Lazy is telling his adventures.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
First, loyalty to one’s true self, and the fact that when you choose to be who you are – you never lose, because this choice is already a gain for itself. Other themes would be those of respect for the “other” and the magic and power of true friendship.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Since then, I published a few books, but they haven’t been translated (yet?) from Hebrew. Right now, I am working on a non-fiction philosophy book for adults and trying to publish a manuscript I have for kids, this time younger.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/05/21/surprised-by-every-twist/
The Antidotes: Pollution Solution follows a group of 5th-grade friends who discover pollution in the local water is making fish and kids sick and set out to fix the issue. What was the inspiration for your story?
At the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator’s (SCBWI) Conference in New York in 2020, I learned there was a need for smart middle-grade fiction. I figured I had a ready-made audience at home with my then 7-year-old son. This was at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a public health professional, I was horrified by the lack of understanding and appreciation for how public health works among the adult population and especially those in leadership. I started joking with my son that things would have not gotten so bad that we would need to shut down if kids were in charge. That idea really captured his imagination, and I found a writing collaborator who had great ideas and very strong opinions about what would work or not for kids his age. As the rest of the pandemic unfurled it reinforced my sense that as a society, we as grownups have lost our sense of collective action around our own individual health and our collective consciousness and responsibility to public health. But young people haven’t. I wanted The Antidotes: Pollution Solution to be an inspirational story that encouraged young people to take action when they encounter societal problems.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
When I first set out with writing The Antidotes: Pollution Solution, I wanted to weave in basic concepts in science (hypothesis creation and testing), public health (disease mapping, water quality testing, and health promotion), and climate action (plastic decomposition timing and changing human and animal health ecosystems) in a way that could be easily understood and applied to real life by young people. I also wanted to highlight that many of the current public health challenges are linked to changes in the environment and pollution. Public health and climate are important parts of science education, but they don’t get much airplay in the current science curricula in a way that is directly applicable to everyday life. The Antidotes: Pollution Solution strives to demystify science and public health as a way of interacting with the world to identify problems, study them, and then come up with realistic kid-friendly solutions. It includes targeted science experiments and activities that lend themselves well to collaboration between science and reading programs for students in grades 4-8. As a complement to the book, worked with a colleague and science teachers on a curriculum guide for school science and reading programs. Growing up I really enjoyed learning through fiction and stories. We have more of this in historical fiction, but I am keen to create and advocate for more of this through science-inspired fiction. The Antidotes: Pollution Solution Activity and Discussion Guide is available for free download at www.patriciamechael.com/antidotes
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I wanted The Antidotes: Pollution Solution to be fun and funny, but also scientifically accurate. I wanted Gir and Izi and the rest of the characters to drive the action in the story, and I wanted middle-grade young people to see themselves as part of The Antidotes by self-identifying with one or more of them. There are also not very many good examples of women and girls in STEM in the media and many women in science, including myself, don’t easily self-identify as scientists. This is starting to change in very positive ways with characters like Shuri, Letitia Wright’s character in Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, but we have a long way to go. Science is also a team sport and without supportive men who can help champion meaningful engagement and representation of women on the team, it is hard to break through. Over the past 20 years, there has been a significant increase in women enrolling in science degrees, but still a significant gap in female role models in senior academic roles. Innovation in general, but especially in science and technology, is also enhanced through greater female engagement, but it’s not happening fast enough. For many boys and men, their success is a zero-sum game. If you succeed, I fail. Whereas in science, if you succeed, we all benefit. In The Antidotes, this dynamic is illustrated through Gir and Izi having to learn to work together as a team as well as through the positive collaboration between Gir’s scientist and divorced co-parents.
Will this novel be the start of a series or are you working on a different story?
This is the first book in a series, where The Antidotes will tackle various public health challenges. The second book in the series shifts to dual narration by Leo and Suzie and focuses on technology and the ways in which mobile phones and social media are positively and negatively impacting the group as they transition to middle school. They have to come together to become critical thinkers to better understand the problems that technology is creating in their lives and come up with youth-friendly solutions to harness the benefits of technology while reducing the risks.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Izi, Gir, and their friends go to science club and discover a fishy cover-up. The school has to close down again! These climate warriors who call themselves the Antidotes join forces with public health activists to find clean water solutions. The friends use STEM strategies to help save the earth from a potential disaster—they also have secret meetings, do a little spy work, and make some useful discoveries.
The Antidotes race against the clock to get out the word to kids around the world about how to stay safe. But—will the Antidotes be able to get enough kids to achieve zero plastic use before it makes any more fish or children sick? Join the Antidotes in their first science adventure, and stay tuned for more stories to come!
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/05/21/if-kids-were-in-charge/