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August book picks from Saleena

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  Nayeri weaves a story that is fiction mixed with his memories of being an immigrant, trying to fit in and trying to savor the few things he remembers from his home in Iran.  He weaves tales as he tries to understand his reality and also to escape some of the more brutal truths of his life in Minnesota. This was a fascinating story as it constantly weaves back and forth with the storyteller always hiding truths, untruths and fantasies within the words.  It has moments of sadness, happiness and confusion....which really is true for anyone's life....but Nayeri makes it a story and a truth all at once.   I love a good horror story and She is a Haunting is a very good one.  I did NOT see the ending coming nor did I appreciate all the nuances as I was reading...it was all coming so fast that some of my reactions took days to truly hit.  The basic story is of an estranged family and the oldest girl agrees to visit her father in Vietnam in return for his promises of paying for her first
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Short Stories are awesome!

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 Want to find new authors or explore genres?  Try short story collections, especially if they are based on a theme!  Here are three story collections I finished this month that would be fun to explore. Magic Has No Borders features South Asian folklore and magical stories told by South Asian authors.  I found some really interesting stories in this collection.  I adore finding new mythologies as well as new ways of looking at tales told a million times....and this collection filled both needs.  Some authors are well known, some don't have as much name recognition but the stories were a wide array of awesomeness. Mystery is a genre I struggle with, as my lack of logic (I think I missed that line and stood in the one for Imagination twice...haha) means that I usually miss all the clues and feel dumb.  This collection was interesting though, as some were obvious "looking for an answer" mysteries, some were "this terrible thing happened, how do I fix it" and some we
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Nonfiction Reads!

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 I wanted to dive into some nonfiction, so here is what I've read recently that I think you may enjoy. I didn't expect this book to be so amazing, but it is.  The author jumps around (so not in any specific order) and incorporates images and notes to make history feel more.....impactful and recent.  The author updates some whitewashed historical facts, and also reminding readers that some facts have been lost or erased.  I love that the author is trying to make history more approachable and I think everyone should read this book, even if you aren't a history reading kind of person....because it can spark conversations and perhaps inspire you to learn more about some of the subjects and incidents mentioned. I love fashion, so this book seemed like it would be interesting, and it was!  While focused on a Canadian viewpoint, it still works to illustrate the various ways culture impacts fashion as well as how many ethnic groups are taking their styles into the future based on t
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Some fun audiobooks to try!

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 If you haven't downloaded Hoopla and Libby, you are missing out on some great ebooks & audiobooks. This is a quick list of a few of my favs (because the narration is amazing) Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix:  Narrated by Allan Corduner Corduner has an amazing voice and adds a ton of nuance (and creepiness) to a tightly written adventure fantasy.   Lirael by Garth Nix:  Narrated by Tim Curry Tim Curry has quite a long career as an actor, but not everyone realizes that he has also done some amazing audiobooks.  This series shows off Curry's ability to be serious, funny, sarcastic and scary......sometimes within the same paragraph.  Nix's story is intricately woven and Curry adds to the fabric of the story with his nuanced voices. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman  Narrated by Neil Gaiman Most are familiar with Gaiman's skill as an author (as evidenced by this Newbery award winning novel); however not everyone realizes that he is an equally talented narrator and usua
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New titles or just some different ones to try this month

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 Here is a mixed bag, a few new titles and a couple nonfiction that I found interesting. Sometimes it is nice to try something different, so I borrowed this on Libby and listened to it.  It is truly fascinating.  Very scientific which is so not me, but the "what if" of the thing (as well as some of the weirdness of the questions) kept it interesting even if I didn't understand the answers. Life Inside My Mind brings together 31 authors of YA books to talk about mental health issues they have faced for themselves or with family members.  This is an important work because so many stigmas still exist for mental illness struggles, and these authors have tackled some difficult subjects in their books and hearing that their real lives have had issues makes it feel a little less isolating for those also struggling. Fighting words is a tough story to read but really well done.  It is told from the viewpoint of Della, who is 10 but who has been essentially raised by her 16 year ol
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Books with strong female characters

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 I decided to make a list of "regular" books (as I read MUCH more SF & Fantasy but I do read the other stuff too); and so for those who are looking for some books with strong female characters (in honor of women's history month); here is a list for you of books I have enjoyed. Code Name Verity is an amazing historical fiction story set in England & France during WWII.  Verity is a spy, or at least she is arrested as one in France and is writing a diary of her life as a spy while a prisoner of the Nazis (it's actually a mandatory part of her incarceration).  Maddie is a pilot and Verity's friend; who dropped Verity off but then lost control of the plane and crashed.  Maddie is hoping to be able to get out of Nazi controlled France without dying and is struggling to figure out friend from enemy while in the countryside of France all alone. This is a blindingly fast read with two smart and savvy girls trying to handle terrible things while caught in a war.  I
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Saleena's picks for Feb 2023

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  I really enjoy Alice Oseman's writing style and this story sounded like fun; and it was.  I was Born for This starts with a fangirl who calls herself Angel (real name Fereshteh) who has just graduated high school and is in London finally meeting her BFF, Juliet with whom she has been friends for years but hasn't actually met in person.  The running off to London isn't something Angel's parents are happy about, but they just don't understand Angel's obsession with the boy band The Ark or how important going to a meet & greet and a concert is to her.  The story alternates POV with Jimmy, who is one of the members of The Ark.  Jimmy is struggling with anxiety, pressure from social media & publicity people to conform to a particular way of being (which adds to the anxiety) as well as his early outing as transgender via an Instagram pic (accidentally showing the testosterone meds) by a bandmate.   I thought that this would be a silly story, but in true Osem
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