Tag: politics

REVIEW: I Swear by Katie Porter

REVIEW: I Swear by Katie Porter

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crown in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on April 11, 2023. This is another week with an adult review on Friday instead of something for kids or teens. Sorry! There’s just a lot of books for adults grabbing my attention these days.]

Summary and Review

This is a memoir of Congresswoman Katie Porter’s time in the US House of Representatives (so far) and how she got there in the first place. This covers everything from her childhood on an Iowa farm to her college years to her work as an attorney and professor as well as how she ended up running for Congress.

I was intrigued (and frustrated) by her experiences as the only single mother in the House of Representatives as well as a somewhat idealistic newbie in Washington. Congress is the playground of politicians, most of whom are past the years of parenting or who have spouses or paid staff to manage their families or personal interests. They can play political games and focus on the next election and the one after that because someone else can pick up the slack for them. Katie doesn’t have that. She also didn’t want to phone in her work. She ran to make a difference, and she was there to dig in and make things happen.

I adored the sections of the book where she highlighted her now-famous use of a white board in congressional hearings. Her direct, logical questions have made for some of the most entertaining television of the last 6 years. I also found the chapters on recent events – the insurrection, the global pandemic, etc. – captivating. Even a few years later, I couldn’t get enough of her front row seat to these events.

This is at times humorous, inspiring, and infuriating. The storytelling is more topical than chronological, which I found to be a great feature. I picked this up because I wanted to know more about Congresswoman Porter. If the book had been chronological, I might not have stuck with the early life recollections. But by keeping this more topical, those early experiences were shown for how they informed and influenced the person Katie would become. And that was fascinating. There are a few shots taken at prominent members of the GOP. I’m not sure those were necessary to the story, and they might alienate some potential readers. I believe that content is there to show Katie as a politician who pulls no punches and speaks her mind and challenges those who need challenging. But I think the rest of the book made that point already without taking shots at a few of those folks. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Star Wars: A Queen's Hope by E. K. Johnston

REVIEW: Star Wars: A Queen’s Hope by E. K. Johnston

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Clone War is heating up. And that means even though Anakin and Padmé are married now, they each have a job to do. Yes, it means secrets – from their closest friends and at times from each other. But they can keep their love and their duty separate.

Padmé’s handmaidens have duty as well. Sabé is on Tatooine hoping to make headway on her mission when Padmé calls her into service. Sabé will pretend to be the Senator while Padmé goes off on a crucial mission for the war. A lot has changed since they last used this trick – can they really pull it off again?

Review

I have so enjoyed the characters in this series. It’s been great to get more about Padmé, but it’s the handmaidens that I have found fascinating. And I love how the author has let them evolve over time, especially as Padmé’s role has changed.

There are a few fantastic “interludes” through the book that focus on a female character in the larger story. Each passage begins with the character unnamed, and we only get her name at the end. They are all cleverly written and left me wanting more.

While I enjoyed those things, I felt like there wasn’t one driving storyline here. Instead, this seems to be filling in around Star Wars events we know from the movies and shows. We know about Geonosis, we know about Palpatine’s secret agenda, we know about clone troops, and we know about the wedding. So the author takes those things – and some others – and then lets us experience them from other perspectives, like those of the handmaidens.

For a plot-driven reader, this can be less than satisfying. Any danger situation is over fairly quickly, and the stakes are low because we know the main characters exist past this book. But character-driven readers will find a LOT here to enjoy. How does Padmé’s secret relationship change how she relates to her friends and her job? When people find out about her marriage, what changes?

Series fans should definitely pick this up. Newcomers should probably start with the earlier books to get to know the handmaidens in order to enjoy this one to its fullest.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book now releases next week on October 19.]

Summary

It was bad enough that Andy’s dog, Tara, found a dead body in the snow. Finding out it’s the body of Paterson mayor, Alex Oliva, puts the whole town on edge, including Andy’s friend, Vince Sanders.

Vince is the editor of the local paper. And one of his reporters, Bobby Nash, lost his job over an article he wrote about the mayor. The police are looking for Bobby. And Vince wants Andy to defend him.

Things look bad for Bobby, especially when there’s a second murder tied to his article. Andy and his team will have their hands full trying to prove Bobby’s innocence – and trying to keep him alive.

Review

Another fun Andy Carpenter mystery to keep you guessing until the end. There are some fun twists to the case that kept it from feeling like it’s following a pattern. (This is the 24th book in the series – freshness is important.) I read this immediately after Dog Eat Dog, and I enjoyed how Rosenfelt changed things up with his cast, too. While the K-Team was involved with both books, this one relies more on electronic evidence, bringing in a different part of Andy’s team. This was a fun addition to the story.

Series fans will want to pick this up just to stay on top of what Andy and his team are up to. Newcomers can probably jump in here without a lot of issues. You’ll have missed how the team came together and a lot of the history and maybe a few inside jokes. But that just makes it more fun to go back and pick up the stories you’ve missed.

This is a must-read series for me. I always enjoy Andy’s humor – sarcastic and snarky – and court room antics. And the mysteries are usually intricate enough to keep me guessing until the end. Mystery fans should check this out. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez

REVIEW: The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Katherine Tegen Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Mark and his mother are living in Santa Julia, away from his congressman father. The deal was they’d officially, publicly, stay married. But she and Mark could move 40 miles away where Mark has the freedom to transition out of the public eye. In fact, only two kids at his school even know Mark started life as Madison Tegan.

Mark is in the International Baccalaureate program, and he’s obsessive about political science. But he can’t join Junior Statesmen of America at his new school because someone might recognize him. The deal with the congressman was that Mark would cut ties with his old life and stay under the radar in exchange for this move. And he’s passing; no one seems to have any idea that Mark is transgender. All he has to do is stay quiet and blend in.

But when a younger kid Mark knows strikes back at the football players who bully him for being gay, Mark knows he’s supposed to stay quiet, but he doesn’t feel good about it. When the school chooses to punish Mark’s friend, one of the football players uses the incident to spew hateful rhetoric in the race for student body president. Now Mark has to decide if he can actually stay on the sidelines, or if it’s time to make some noise.

Review

This was a fascinating story. This might be the first book I have read starring a transgender main character, written by a transgender/transmasculine author. So this was enlightening for me. I learned a lot, and it gave me a lot to think about. I felt for Mark as he was confined by the deal he made with his father and also confined by his secret. He also was learning and growing in his understanding of politics and leadership. I enjoyed his West Wing references. Mark even has a “cathedral” moment which was sad spiritually, but enlightening considering the character’s journey.

I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic relationship that starts for Mark in this book. It’s a sweet relationship, and it really adds to the story and the complexities between the characters.

Readers who are interested in politics – and in allyship – should give this a try. The characters have some interesting things to say about being queer in their community and about the Gay/Straight Alliance group at their school (which seems to have no LGBTQ+ members). This would be a meaty book for a book club or discussion group, too. Don’t miss this one. (Language, pot use/underage drinking, LGBTQ+ TW: coming out stories, parental disapproval)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: The Campaign by Leila Sales

BONUS REVIEW: The Campaign by Leila Sales

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Seventh grade is off to a less-than-stellar start for Maddie. And it feels even worse when her favorite teacher, Mr. Xian, tells her that the new mayoral candidate is campaigning on a platform that includes a cut to all arts programs in the public schools. If she wins, there will be no music, no drama, no art – and no Mr. Xian. And since no one is running against her, this is all essentially a done deal.

Maddie convinces her post-college nanny, Janet, to run for mayor. Janet agrees that the arts are important, and she wants to be a voice for people like Maddie who can’t vote. But Janet and Maddie are both in for a steep learning curve over what running for mayor entails.

Review

I enjoyed this! Maddie is quirky, and I liked her. I was amused – and saddened – at how often her mom was off at some seminar to be a better parent rather than actually sticking around and BEING a parent to Maddie. And don’t even get me started on Maddie’s dad. I was happy that the family pieces of this were part of the backdrop to the larger story rather than the focus. Thankfully Maddie had Janet!

The friendship pieces here were also part of the backdrop, but a little more pertinent as Maddie has to face her friendship issues during the campaign. She discovers that it really isn’t just about what the other kids are or aren’t doing, but also about what SHE was doing and not doing in these relationships. It’s a smaller piece of the book, but I liked it. I think kids will find some interesting pieces here to talk about, too.

But the focus of the book is on this local election. And I loved this whole part of the story. A local election has more direct impact on our day-to-day lives. It’s also where citizens can get the most directly involved which is what Maddie and her friends do. Some readers have raised the issue that a mayor wouldn’t have any voice in what the school curriculum includes, but I think as a springboard, that doesn’t matter to the goal of the book or how I would use it with kids. I thought questions could be raised, too, about why the townspeople didn’t ask harder questions of the councilwoman about the issues they had in town. If she hadn’t addressed them as part of the council, why would they think she would as mayor? But, again, this is a springboard to conversation. This book isn’t going to be a perfect illustration of every city government.

Readers get to see Maddie – and Janet – learn how to get on the ballot, how to find and connect with voters, and how to look outside personal preferences to the needs of the larger community. This book is, in my opinion, meant to LAUNCH a conversation, not be the be-all-end-all. Use this to help readers ask questions about the same processes in your community. Get involved in a local campaign as a family. Attend a town hall or a debate. If you are looking for a way to talk with kids about the upcoming election season, start here!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

REVIEW: Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Ada Von Hasenberg has been on the run for two years from her father and an arranged marriage. As one of the younger kids in one of the High Houses, Ada would be most useful to her family in a political match. Then she could broker deals between the families – and spy on her in-laws. Once she ran, though, her father put a bounty on her head. She’s been captured and thrown into a cell to catch a transport home.

Marcus Loch is the prisoner sharing Ada’s cell. He’s also known as the Devil of Fornax Zero. He’s wanted for killing his superior officers and fellow soldiers. His bounty is almost as high as Ada’s. He’s a dangerous man – but he just might be exactly what Ada needs to escape.

As Ada is developing and discarding possible escape scenarios, her not-quite-fiancé, Richard Rockhurst, shows up, saying Ada’s father sent him to pick her up. Now, Ada’s been in hiding for two years, but she keeps up with the news and is in touch with her siblings. So she knows nothing has changed that would make that story remotely true. If Richard gets his hands on her, Ada and her family could be in trouble. If she takes her chances on Loch to help her escape, she could be aligning with a murderer. But she already knows she can’t go with Richard if she wants any sort of life on her own terms.

Review

This was spectacular! In my search for another series like Gini Koch’s Alien books, I have finally been successful. This has a similar combination of a science fiction story with a kick-butt protagonist and a romance with terrific chemistry. And I loved it. This could end up being my favorite book of 2019. It certainly is my favorite so far this year.

The plot is pretty simple. Ada and Loch go from capture to escape to capture to escape – one or both of them – with some regularity. In this way it is significantly different from Koch’s intricate, twisty plotting. But I enjoyed Ada so much, I was willing to follow her anywhere, even into captivity once again.

The political pieces of this world were fascinating. Three rival houses control the system, and their distrust and competition with one another usually helps keep everyone in check. But something threatens that tenuous balance. And no matter what has happened before, Ada is still committed to protecting her family (mostly for the sake of her siblings).

I have lots of questions moving forward. I want to know more about Ada’s siblings. I’m curious to see where things go after the closing events of this book. One character who drove some of Ada’s choices at one point completely disappeared in the later portions of this book – will he be a factor later? Thankfully, book 2 is scheduled to arrive in October of this year, so I don’t have to wait long. (Aurora Blazing – told from the perspective of one of Ada’s sisters! I have already pre-ordered this one.)

If you enjoy your science fiction with a strong female protagonist, be sure to check out Polaris Rising. I originally read this one from the library, but the minute I finished the book, I ordered my own copy. This is a re-read for me for sure! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Murder Once Removed by S. C. Perkins

REVIEW: Murder Once Removed by S. C. Perkins

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Gus Halloran hired Lucy Lancaster of Ancestry Investigations to look into his family history. One of the most significant pieces of his family lore was a story about the death of his great-great-grandfather Seth. Lucy found proof that Seth had been murdered rather than accidentally trampled by horses. And she even found out a few facts about who planned the murder – a man with initials C. A. involved in Texas politics at the time. She narrowed the suspects to a couple men, but Gus latched onto one name – Caleb Applewhite. Caleb’s descendant, Daniel, is a U. S. Senator. And Gus’s son, Pearce, is running against him.

Lucy still wants to do some digging and find out for sure who ordered Seth’s death. But journals about the incident and the community where it happened are stolen in a burglary. And then the photographic evidence of the crime is taken – and a friend of Lucy’s is killed. Now Lucy is racing against a murderer to see who can get to the truth first.

Review

This was outstanding! The characters, the setting, the mystery, the writing. All of it was perfect!

I loved Lucy, but the whole cast is terrific. It’s big enough for some fun, interesting interactions, but not so large you can’t keep track of everyone. I enjoyed the diversity and the culture pieces with the Mexican restaurant and Lucy’s community. And the work set up with her friends – and their interesting jobs – was unique and I loved it. I never felt like I was reading something I’ve read a hundred times before. I read a lot of cozy mysteries – and this one stands out from the crowd.

The mysteries were fantastic. You have the 150 year old murder and then the contemporary one. Both were fascinating. I loved how all the pieces came together! Any nuanced genealogical tidbit was clearly explained without long technical details. And the cases twisted in on themselves in fantastic, clever ways.

The voice of this is a delight. Lucy is funny! Her banter with the FBI agent who’s driving her crazy was so fun. Several fun details – like the cat NPH – added to the overall enjoyment of a truly great story. I can’t recommend this highly enough!!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: Vox by Christina Dalcher

REVIEW: Vox by Christina Dalcher

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In the “before,” Dr. Jean McClellan was an accomplished neurolinguist studying aphasia (loss of speech or understanding of speech) in the Wernicke’s area (aphasia in this area means the person can still speak, but the words don’t make sense). She and her team were on the brink of developing a serum to cure Wernicke’s aphasia.

In the “after,” Jean is relegated to her home with no job and no resources of her own. A device on her wrist counts her words each day with a limit of 100. She isn’t allowed to write, read, sign or otherwise communicate beyond her 100 words or she receives increasingly painful electric shocks.

The “moral majority” and extremists in the Christian faith, led by Reverend Carl Corbin, right hand man to the president, implemented the changes in the country over a period of time. In their new system, ultra-conservative religious values are taught in schools (men are in charge and women belong at home and should stay quiet), and homosexuals are jailed and sent to work camps unless they renounce their sexual orientation and pursue a heterosexual relationship. Women and girls who have sex outside of marriage are severely and publicly punished while high end “men’s clubs” have cropped up for those who can afford them. Men are the only ones allowed to work and girls are sent to separate schools from the boys where they are only taught home management skills – cooking, bookkeeping, etc. They are not taught to read, and they are rewarded if they get through the whole day without using any of their 100 words.

Dr. McClellan can feel her fury grow as she watches her daughter wilt under these rules and watches her oldest son become a judgmental misogynist. But she is powerless to change anything for her own family, much less anyone else. Until the government asks her to resume her research to help an important presidential ally. But is the president’s request really as simple as it seems?

Review

I found the premise of this fascinating! I’ve read reviews from other Christians who found the premise unbelievable. I disagree. I found threads of truth in some of the world building. Our country is struggling. Our moral compass is off track in some ways. And pockets of the population are angry and afraid. If you have enough anger and fear in one direction, things could get worse – things of faith could get twisted. One of the messages of the book is a call to engagement – vote, march, talk to your representatives. I found that whole part of the book on target.

Unfortunately, there were others things I did not like. The main character didn’t click for me. I just didn’t like her. Her choices and her language and attitude (in general – not just her anger over the oppression) were off-putting. And the ending was a disappointment. For a girl-power sort of story, it was odd to have the final action take place off the page without any of the women directly involved. I heard a writing teacher recently say that your protagonist has to be the agent of the resolution of the story. The ending the author chose to write could not have included a woman in this world – I get that. But it left me frustrated that the main character is sitting around waiting for something else to happen and the reader only hears about it second hand.

If you’re curious about the dystopian world and how the writer envisions us getting there, give this a try. I will say within just a couple chapters, I was angry. The author did a great job of drawing me into the world and pulling at my emotions over the injustice. I was stirred up by the whole thing. Let the story inspire you and challenge you to use your voice for whatever your politics call for. I think this would be a great book club choice because I think it would draw out a lot of great discussion, no matter what readers think about the book as a whole. (Language, violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

REVIEW: The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In a dystopian future, the president is running for her fourth term (she had term limits canceled) after Russia destroyed our economy in retaliation for us winning the Sino-Russian War. The president has made it so people can be jailed for calling her names and she controls the media. She markets everything from champagne to steaks to energy drinks with her name and likeness on them. The world is corrupt and everyone knows it.

Theo had the idea first – a cheap, portable lie detector that uses brain imaging to know definitively when people were lying. Sam, Molly, Basquiat, Boob (it’s a long story), and Rebe were the team of teens helping him develop the prototype.

When a man offers the kids $8.5 million for all their research and designs (as well as a non-disclosure agreement), the dollars dace around in Sam’s head for awhile. He’s basically been in this for the money they could make since the beginning. The government has shut down his school and fired their teacher. They also stopped providing bionic upgrades for his mom, a war vet who lost her legs. The only reason they haven’t lost their house is that there’s no one around who could buy it from the bank if they foreclosed. But Sam and the rest are afraid the ones wanting to buy the device could use it for their own dishonest purposes. So they aren’t selling.

When Theo is killed and the buy out offer starts to sound like a threat instead of an opportunity, the kids trace the money back to its source. They discover they are in way over their heads. Powerful people with unlimited resources will do whatever it takes to get the device, even if they have to eliminate a handful of kids.

Review

This was fantastic! The dystopian world is absolutely believable if you watch the news today. The kids are smart (although their characters aren’t developed a whole lot – the focus of this is more on the action of the story) There’s a ton of action as the kids are fighting to stay alive. The people who use lies to get power and money won’t roll over when all of their lies are in jeopardy.

The book exposes the fact that we all have secrets – sins and shame – and some of us lie or hide to protect those things. Others lie in pursuit of wealth or power. The kids in this aren’t squeaky clean either. Some readers have had strong reactions to what they confess (including sex, voyeurism, an eating disorder). The flaws or secrets of the characters are part of why I enjoyed this. It doesn’t shy away from some of the harder pieces – the trauma of war, facing your own shameful choices, confessing them to others, and hopefully learning from them.

The fall out of what happens in the story when the device goes public was far more interesting to me than anything else. If a culture and society goes so far down the path of dishonesty and self-interest and manipulation where no one is held accountable, how can it ever turn back to integrity? This is an important question to me. I expected that the whole story would be about the quest to take the device public and not die. But this was even better than that! The real drama kicked in for me when the device was public and everything fell apart. I’d love to dig into this with some teens and hear their thoughts on this engaging story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

REVIEW: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Ever since her brother Nick’s death, everything in Brynn’s life has been falling apart. Once a strong student, Brynn’s grades have dropped so low she can’t do the school newspaper, the only school activity she ever really cared about. Brynn’s girlfriend broke up with her, citing “too much drama.” And she can’t do anything right at home. Her step-father is horrible, her mom never stands up for her, and her father is so disconnected he didn’t even show up for Nick’s funeral.

Brynn’s focus is mostly on getting to her 18th birthday so she can move out of her house and maybe even quit school.  But some local events have her longing for the days she was working on the paper, reporting on the truth.  To get that back, she has to get her grades back up. Towards that end, Brynn starts writing emails to TV personality Rachel Maddow for a school assignment. At first she picks Maddow because it infuriates her conservative mom and step-father. But Brynn finds comfort in composing the emails though she only sends the first couple for the official school assignment. She knows that she feels better when she can write out her thoughts. But the exercise awakens new skills and passions in Brynn that take the school – and Brynn – by surprise. And nothing at Westing High will ever be quite the same again.

Review

This book was not a great fit for me as a reader. If I had not committed to reviewing this, I probably would not have finished. But then I would have missed a few great moments, so I am glad I stuck with it.

I enjoy the email storytelling format; I’ve seen that used a lot lately, and when it is done well, it’s lots of fun. And this book used the format fairly well. There were occasionally some emails thrown in that were not between Brynn and Rachel, which was jarring to the reading process – I had to stop and figure out who was writing to whom because the voice and tone changed – but it ultimately helped tell the larger story. I also enjoyed watching Brynn get fired up about school politics and being a voice for the voiceless at her school. This was the piece that made the reading time worthwhile for me.

Unfortunately I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in this except for the English teacher and the janitor. And characters are everything for me as a reader. The romantic storyline wasn’t a good fit for me. It wasn’t any different than a heterosexual romance in another book except when the characters in this one tried to make Brynn’s sexuality scandalous. The matter-of-fact nature of Brynn’s sexuality will be affirming to readers looking for books with gay romance in the storyline.

This is a well-written story that will really click with the right audience. There is a lot of foul language – both swearing and crass references – that may impact some readers (although the English teacher’s response to the language is amusing).

Rating: ♥♥♥