http://www.storybird.me/blog daily 1.0 2021-01-13 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2021/1/2/happy-new-year-and-blessings-on-your-yes-your-holy-family monthly 0.5 2021-01-02 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/11/11/bedtimebedlam monthly 0.5 2020-11-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1605739023358-Z327AEL72QD91MTBRC6K/decoupled+bedtime.jpg Blog - Bedtime Bedlam https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1605739053291-GH84BGDWFW5QLBD91NU1/trying+to+move+sleep+onset.jpg Blog - Bedtime Bedlam https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1605739204512-36BWAXEI7NPL4FWKCYM1/bedtimefading.jpg Blog - Bedtime Bedlam https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1605739291340-CXH1LO22W2A8EDDTOE7C/moveearlier.jpg Blog - Bedtime Bedlam https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1605739370520-QDBKH0A74WUQLJ63D9X1/victory.jpg Blog - Bedtime Bedlam http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/11/16/anti-racism-and-behavioral-health monthly 0.5 2020-11-16 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/14/october-quaranreads monthly 0.5 2020-11-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604528984298-WPYBB5RJNBRAOKZHP6V7/IMG_1329.jpg Blog - October #Quaranreads - All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny Read by Robert Bathurst. This is the latest in Louise Penny’s Three Pines/Armand Gamache books. I adore these books, and I especially delight in listening to them read aloud. In general, I highly recommend listening to books when there is a lot of writing in a language you don’t speak. It’s so much better to hear the narrator speak in French than to my in head ‘pronunciations.’ This story finds our intrepid Inspector and his family in Paris. I think it is a solid middle-of-the-pack entry in the series; Penny is starting to repeat some themes/tropes but I love them so I give her a forever pass. Highly recommended for others who enjoy this series; not recommended if you haven’t yet read anything by Penny. In which case, start with ‘Still Life.’ Like, today. 3 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604529558146-RFZM7D3OUOM8O56ZMQL0/IMG_1320.jpg Blog - October #Quaranreads - A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole <Fans self> this book is HOT! I read an historical romance by Cole in 2019 and enjoyed it well enough. But I much preferred her contemporary work. A shy wallflower and a playboy prince fall in love. Obviously, it’s a Happily Ever After ending - that’s part of the author-reader contract in romance. But THIS story also includes triumph over emotional abuse, amazingly hot making out WITH amazingly hot consent, and matter of fact inclusion of bisexuality and nonbinary gender. Not too shabby! Note: this is actually the third in a loosely related series, which I realized about halfway through the book. It doesn’t really matter, but I think enjoyment would be maximized by reading them in order. Don’t worry I review the first two below :) 3 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604530823982-0QK38C70UY5MFEH65D3W/IMG_1322.jpg Blog - October #Quaranreads - Everlost by Neal Shusterman I enjoyed this book while I read it but haven’t thought about it since. It’s a story of kids in a kind of purgatory and is setting up future stories. The crisp writing introduces unique ideas and strong characterizations. The next volumes in the trilogy will likely be worth reading and probably have more plot? 2 1/2 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604365367038-LXCE3960B7D9ZYZ3AHNS/7134D9FD-F0AD-4441-B2F1-8B69643A272F_1_201_a.jpeg Blog - October #Quaranreads - A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik I am fairly certain Naomi Novik is my favorite author.* This book takes a well-worn (for good reason) trope - magical kids in boarding school - and twists it into something dark and unique. Because this school has no teachers; instead, the building itself provides course material and assignments and food. And the school is neutral-at-best on whether students survive various essentially constant monster attacks. Oh, and the narrator is a very angry/angsty young woman whose gift is for dark magic. If you’re looking for escape (and who isn’t these days?) yet neither mystery (see above) nor romance (see above and below) are your preferred paths to bliss…pick this book up. 4 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604547338480-IDRXRWWWKNJ9PJAKQF27/B29A0719-5FBC-4AD0-B883-C82D5FF6FB3A_1_201_a.jpg Blog - October #Quaranreads - Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez <Yes, those are orange test tubes/potion vials on my staircase. I really love Halloween> Oh hey, did you need more evidence re: the insidious nature of the patriarchy and how little designers/scientists/safety engineers/everyone thinks about women? Do I have the book for you! This book is not an upper. It is, however, 1) written by a British woman and therefore full to the brim with wry and dry humour and extra u’s in many words, 2) full of convincing data, and 3) enraging. It’s a bit of a slog if i’m honest, but I enjoyed the author’s company and came away with some research ideas. 3 1/2 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604547708975-FVV807NJDQ9B8NTUIB1T/IMG_1375.jpg Blog - October #Quaranreads - A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole Folks, this is the actual first book in the ‘Reluctant Royals’ romance series. It’s very feisty and very funny. It starts with an email to our heroine informing her that she is betrothed to an African prince and can she just send all her identifying info so that verification can be made? Which she, being an intelligent woman living in the 21st century, treats as spam. And which, of course, turns out to actually be true. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of mistaken identity, romantic cooking, and hot sexcapades before it all gets figured out. Plus, real talk about gender bias in academia, the trauma of growing up in foster care, environmental justice in developing countries, the long reach of colonialism, and (again!) super sexy consent. Alyssa Cole, I think I love you. 3 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604548343302-FL3MQ68M4HWZM7WVTCP2/IMG_1391.jpg Blog - October #Quaranreads - A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole I DO love you, Alyssa Cole! I DO!! This is the second book in the ‘Reluctant Royals’ series, and, if you’ve been paying attention, you know to expect a strong Black woman actively working on herself, a man who is vulnerable in all the right ways and rightly turned on by said strong woman, and some unexpected tendrils of bittersweet reality. BUT THIS TIME IN SCOTLAND!! BECAUSE THE GUY IS A MODERN DAY ARMORER I.E. HE MAKES SWORDS!!! Innuendo abounds. 3 stars http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/11/2/racism-and-pediatrics monthly 0.5 2020-11-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604328911648-MP1CMO74IQ0E066ICVPY/Screen+Shot+2020-11-02+at+9.38.23+AM.png Blog - Anti-Racist Pediatrics and Me https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1604329122808-OI8EUFVU7HD19HC6H7HT/Screen+Shot+2020-11-02+at+9.58.10+AM.png Blog - Anti-Racist Pediatrics and Me http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/23/tableofcontents monthly 0.5 2020-10-23 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/19/implicit-association-tests monthly 0.5 2020-10-19 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/14/september-quaranreadsgetting-closer monthly 0.5 2020-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602861685422-IYGYNXMNMDX73HWJBJPJ/FB21B486-5188-4178-9F95-2D0D48CE1998_1_201_a.jpg Blog - September #Quaranreads...Getting closer... - We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry A high school lacrosse team follows in the footsteps of the teens of Salem, MA, indulging in Dark Magiks to improve their gameplay and make it to the state championships. Maybe. Or it’s a story of friendship and hair and anger and sexuality and power and sports. Or both. Two things that I wish I’d known going in: 1) this is a comedy. you don’t have to read filled with anticipatory dread, for example. 2) it’s told in the collective first person, which works fantastically well; give it a few pages to get the rhythm. 4 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602713066488-79M3DA8J5G9B6I942S64/4539FD55-5216-4AAD-BC59-F39D55B3AB57_1_201_a.jpeg Blog - September #Quaranreads...Getting closer... - this must be the place by Kate Racculia Kate Racculia is my Author Discovery of 2020. I have read two of her novels, each very different from the other, each very delightful. ‘this must be the place’ explores themes of grief, home, creation/creativity, family, the (in)accuracy of memory, how you form your identity, what (and how) to let others know of your identity. Also, one (arguably three) of the main characters is a misunderstood teen girl who blossoms. So, Lauren catnip. Oh, and there is a persnickety cat! And baking! 4 1/2 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602863599322-MSYWIKG0GTCKPGCVHJT9/IMG_1221.jpg Blog - September #Quaranreads...Getting closer... - Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport Did you know that I really enjoy the ‘productivity’ sub genre of businessy self-help books? Much of it is poorly written drivel (see my July #quaranreads on Instagram…) but there are some writers who can actually write who engage in topics that are actually thought-provoking and/or helpful. Cal Newport is one such writer. ‘Digital Minimalism’ lays out the evidence for radically reorienting your relationship with digital - and particularly social - media. I found his case convincing. Then Newport provides guidelines for doing so, which I can report can in fact be implemented and have a huge impact. Goodness, I’m drifting into work-speak. Translation: do you spend too much time, by your own accounting, on your phone? 1) it’s not (entirely) your fault, 2) it’s messing with your brain, and 3) it’s probably the right time to change some habits. Also, and this is just me, have a cup of tea. It’s going to be fine. 3 1/2 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602864306539-KRWWKXB6AM06LKUUV51F/IMG_1236.jpg Blog - September #Quaranreads...Getting closer... - Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James It’s several years after the events in ‘Pride and Predjudice.’ A death…a MURDER?!?…occurs on the grounds of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy’s estate. Whatever is to be done? All of your favorite and favorite-to-hate characters from P&P have cameos (or more). For example, this reader was tickled to learn that Mary is happily married, though still insufferable to her siblings. And Mr. Collins sends a dreadfully long and boring letter. The drama is driven by the MURDER, though there are some mild misunderstandings between characters. Smartly plotted, with some twists I saw coming and some I missed (though well-laid out in retrospect). I was particularly struck by the complete lack of urgency on any of the characters - police, magistrates, gentry - in solving the crime. The book is well-paced for the reader - it never feels slow - but the decisions and discoveries happen over the course of weeks and months. I assume this is accurate to the time period (early 1800s) and honestly, it was quite amusing. I think intentionally. 3 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602865101031-UOA6MIWAVCPAFJIFYKI2/IMG_1256.jpg Blog - September #Quaranreads...Getting closer... - I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong Ed Yong is my go-to journalist for COVID-19 science. If you have not read his long-form articles about pandemics generally and COVID-19 specifically, especially this prescient article from ActualMarch 2020 (as opposed to now, ForeverMarch 2020) I would actually prefer you to stop reading this blog and go to The Atlantic and catch up. THIS book has nothing to do with COVID-19. It is about the billions of bacteria that live all over and inside us. It is hilarious. It is joyful. It finds and celebrates the humanity of research scientists. You will learn so much, and maybe you will also quote the footnotes to your husband. It may also influence your behavior, as you strive to become the best possible environment for your microscopic cohabitors. Or maybe you’ll be grossed out? Nah, you’ll love it. 5 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602865538203-VTREGSLKJFAJ3D4F7TJR/IMG_1263.jpg Blog - September #Quaranreads...Getting closer... - My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite OK, this book is beloved by many. It has a detached-yet-spiky writing style well-suited to its narrator and features some really good tips on how to clean blood off things. Korede, the narrator, seems somewhat unreliable (#Lauren’sFavoriteTropes). It’s compelling and a fast read. Yet it left me pretty cold. There were just a few too many defensive layers over the trauma and rage roiling deep within the characters for me to connect with their emotional journeys, and I closed the book wondering if indeed any arcs or journeys had been taken at all. 2 1/2 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602867013695-ZHLE6D19TDXV0M2ASTMH/IMG_1267.jpg Blog - September #Quaranreads...Getting closer... - Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes Linda Holmes is the co-host of Pop Culture Happy Hour, and one of my best friends who does not know who I am. She is a great twitter follow. ‘Evvie Drake Starts Over’ is a sweet (NOT saccharine) book that lends itself well to post surgery recovery. Or to, you know, wanting to feel warm and cozy, to feel loved and lovely, to believe in your heart that this world is full of decent people who will take care of each other even after and as they hurt each other with their very human flaws. It is also about recovering from emotional abuse and living in a small town and kinda about sports injuries. 3 stars http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/14/august-quaranreads monthly 0.5 2020-10-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602727339043-DY0CDPV61YYX6I2MKO2Q/0DC1F7CE-23BB-4888-A2E3-B565A0FBD730_1_201_a.jpg Blog - August #Quaranreads...So timely... - The Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton Yeah, yeah, zombie apocalypse, we’ve seen this before. But WAIT! This book is narrated by a (formerly) pet crow. Funny and weird. 3 1/2 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602710680056-3BENNGGMPAHB62QSAK09/73040622-EFD5-4169-B020-A6BADCEF9C00_1_105_c.jpg Blog - August #Quaranreads...So timely... - The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay This book was disturbing and thought provoking without being scary. Most of the twists - except maybe the last two - are predictable. The book flirts with nihilism and prods the reader to think about belief and facts and trust. 2 1/2 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602727418359-IKWHXXT6RUGV7Y4WOQU4/IMG_1328.jpg Blog - August #Quaranreads...So timely... - An American Marriage by Tayari Jones A young couple’s young marriage is trampled when the husband is falsely accused & convicted of rape. The story follows them through his imprisonment & release, sharing multiple perspectives on love & loyalty & home. Beautifully written. Induces righteous anger, deep-in-the-gut sadness, resigned contentment. 4 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602727786574-VOSXGIY5QPC59TD2YWM9/IMG_1101.jpg Blog - August #Quaranreads...So timely... - And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts This was a re-read for me. I first read this book as a teenager; it shook me to my core and prompted me to consider medicine as a career. This time around, it remained compelling and enraging. I was uncomfortable with some of the treatment of some individuals who contracted the virus, and there is a slightly dated feel to how he describes homosexual culture; you definitely gets the sense that he expects his readers to find it distasteful? With those caveats, it is a must read of US history. Made all the more poignant that Randy Shilts was eventually diagnosed with HIV and died of AIDS. 4 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602712379680-D5H7CNL9G6CQ54OR0ZH1/76120C03-5FC0-481E-BCDC-B33E98C24E89_1_201_a.jpeg Blog - August #Quaranreads...So timely... - The Summer Book by Tove Jansson Yes, this is a novel by the creator of The Moomins. Sadly, there are no hippo-trolls. Happily, there is an angry young girl and her cantankerous grandmother, exploring their island home, having mild scrapes and contemplating mortality. The writing is understated, which makes the occasional slip of the knife all the more cutting. A book that grows in the soul long after you close the cover. 4 stars https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1602712676803-AEW2GU95QHN1EM9PQIEF/IMG_1132.jpeg Blog - August #Quaranreads...So timely... - In the Country of Women by Susan Straight I found this book captivating but uneven. I loved learning all of the stories/histories of the author’s many extended family members, loved much of the writing, loved the photos (please, all nonfiction writers - include visual aides!!), loved when she directly addressed her now grown daughters. But somehow it didn’t quite exceed the sum of its parts. 3 stars http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/12/race-medicine-and-health-care-by-wm-byrd-and-la-clayton monthly 0.5 2020-10-12 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/9/does-my-husband-secretly-resent-me-and-my-family-for-our-halloween-delight monthly 0.5 2020-10-09 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/6/becoming-an-anti-racist-health-care-provider monthly 0.5 2020-11-02 http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/10/2/friday-introduction monthly 0.5 2020-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55d66f8fe4b0239f4fd22ecd/1601653815210-E474BLTJJWW7LVYKO3U6/5B96E6B7-C2E3-4137-AAC0-983D32051520_1_201_a.jpg Blog - Friday Introduction The author, gritting her teeth slightly through her smile http://www.storybird.me/blog/2020/9/30/the-upsides-of-an-unexpected-appendectomy monthly 0.5 2020-10-01 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Parenting monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Book+Reviews monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Book+Recommendations monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Health+Care monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Anti-Racism monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Journal+Club monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Dear+StoryBird monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/category/Faith+and+Spirituality monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/syllabus monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/data monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/quaranreads monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/thisis40 monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/faith monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/developmental+behavioral+parenting monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/sleep monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/halloween monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/reviews monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/intro monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/read-a-louds monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/liturgical+living monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/health+care monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/parenting monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/read-a-long monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/mrs+piggle+wiggle monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/anti-racism monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/mutual+respect monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/all+the+tags monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/books monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/gratitude monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/pediatrics monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/personality+tests monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/cite+black+women monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/thrive monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/blog/tag/Catholic+women+preach monthly 0.5 http://www.storybird.me/contact daily 0.75 2020-03-02 http://www.storybird.me/archive daily 0.75 2020-03-02