This blog is the place where I post reviews of the books I have read. I review audiobooks, regular books and eBooks for authors and publishers as well as any other book or audiobook that catches my eye.
Click on the gif to be taken to the creator’s page
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DESCRIPTION:
Tyler Robertson is a music manager. Cary Kingston is the biggest rock star in the world. She’s sworn off dating musicians. And he’s a confirmed bachelor.
But when their working relationship turns into something more, she wonders if she’s falling for the rock star or the person.
You can’t always get what you want… but sometimes you can.
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MY REVIEW:
Hunter Snow’s debut novel ROCK CRUSH AND ROLL is a fabulous read. This book has everything you could hope for in women’s fiction.
What do I mean by that? Well, here is just a small taste of what readers can expect:
* A kick-ass female lead character who is flawed just as much as the rest of us, but despite her flaws, readers will fall for Tyler Robertson and will hope for the best for her
* A sexy rock star
* A cast of characters who are relatable
* An amazing, loyal, and protective family
* A feminist lens
* A world that very few people have penetrated … the music industry
* And so much more …
When a book can take you out of your daily life and transport you into the life of the protagonist, it is the most delicious form of escapism available. This book does exactly that.
I generally do not read a lot of romance-type books, but if I could find more novels that were even half as entertaining and engrossing as ROCK CRUSH AND ROLL this genre might just become my new favorite.
Hunter Snow is at the start of a promising future as a celebrated author. I am looking forward to reading her next book.
ROCK CRUSH AND ROLL is definitely a book worthy of the highest rating I can give: 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*** Thank you to #HunterSnow for providing me with a free copy of her book. ***
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Click on the gif to be taken to the creator’s page
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After (barely) surviving a career in the music industry, Hunter Snow now lives to tell its tales.
She writes contemporary romances from her home in the Pacific Northwest.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
To learn more about this author visit the following links:
FROM WIKIPEDIA: The Highway of Tears is a 719-kilometre (447 mi) corridor of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert in British Columbia, Canada, which has been the location of crimes against many Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) beginning in 1970. The phrase was coined during a vigil held in Terrace, British Columbia in 1998, by Florence Naziel, who was thinking of the victims’ families crying over their loved ones. There are a disproportionately high number of Indigenous women on the list of victims.
Unbroken is a remarkable work of memoir and investigative journalism focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, written by an award-winning Gitxsan journalist who survived life on the streets against all odds.
As a Gitxsan teenager navigating life on the streets, Angela Sterritt wrote in her journal to help her survive and find her place in the world. Now an acclaimed journalist, she writes for major news outlets to push for justice and to light a path for Indigenous women, girls, and survivors. In her brilliant debut, Sterritt shares her memoir alongside investigative reporting into cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, showing how colonialism and racism led to a society where Sterritt struggled to survive as a young person, and where the lives of Indigenous women and girls are ignored and devalued.
Growing up, Sterritt was steeped in the stories of her ancestors: grandparents who carried bentwood boxes of berries, hunted and trapped, and later fought for rights and title to that land. But as a vulnerable young woman, kicked out of the family home and living on the street, Sterritt inhabited places that, today, are infamous for being communities where women have gone missing or been murdered: Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and, later on, Northern BC’s Highway of Tears. Sterritt faced darkness: she experienced violence from partners and strangers and saw friends and community members die or go missing. But she navigated the street, group homes, and SROs to finally find her place in journalism and academic excellence at university, relying entirely on her own strength, resilience, and creativity along with the support of her ancestors and community to find her way.
“She could have been me,” Sterritt acknowledges today, and her empathy for victims, survivors, and families drives her present-day investigations into the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women. In the end, Sterritt steps into a place of power, demanding accountability from the media and the public, exposing racism, and showing that there is much work to do on the path towards understanding the truth.
But most importantly, she proves that the strength and brilliance of Indigenous women is unbroken, and that together, they can build lives of joy and abundance.
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MY REVIEW:
Angela Sterritt has written a book that is important in innumerable ways. She writes with unflinching honesty about the trauma she has endured throughout her life as an Indigenous woman.
It is that shared intergenerational trauma that resonates throughout the stories in her memoir/treatise on the MMIW Crisis.
This book is not only a memoir. It is not just “True Crime.” Instead it is both a wake-up call and a call to action.
People need to know more. They need to see the Missing and Murdered women and girls as living, breathing, loving people who had lives and families and not just as a grim statistics.
However, people do need to be made aware of those grim statistics. I believe that many people are unaware of the facts.
The statistics are shocking and horrifying. For example…
“According to statistics gathered by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Indigenous women are twelve times as likely to be murdered or missing as any other women in Canada and sixteen times as likely to be murdered as white women… Simply being Indigenous and female is a risk.”
So, if being an Indigenous woman is so risky, what can be done? How can we help? What is the first step that people can take to attempt to make a difference?
Well, if you read this book you will have taken the first step … educating yourself about the realities that Indigenous women and girls face on a daily basis.Congratulations on joining the fight to find the many MMIWG.
This book is unlike any other. Even though it does talk about many MMIW victims, it is the story of Angela Sterritt’s life so far as well as that of people she has met or worked with during her life do far. Writing about her years of homelessness as a teen, she states:
“I was sometimes in survival mode as a child. But as a teenager, surviving the circumstances I’d been placed in gave me a better understanding of the world that was sharply divided by privilege and power on one side and disenfranchisement and exclusion on the other.”
I could go on and on about the abuses she, and other Indigenous youth experienced, but I truly believe that this book is an essential read and you MUST READ it for yourself.
I believe that Canadians are ashamed of the way Indigenous women and girls have been (and often still are) treated and it is that shame that allows the treatment to be continued. THIS MUST STOP.
It would be a crying shame if people were to skip reading this book. It is in incredibly important for every Canadian and US citizen to learn the truth about the systemic and widespread racism that continues to be ongoing in our countries.
If we read about, or watched a documentary film about these same injustices happening in other countries, we, as a society, would be appalled. We would raise up our voices and call for the authorities to put an end to such treatment. So, why is it that many seem to turn a blind eye when it happens here in Canada?
Angela Sterritt’s book is a CALL TO ACTION.
Please, please, please read this book. And once you have, pass it on to someone else, and have them pass it on again. It is up to us to recognize the injustices and to raise up our voices. We MUST demand action – NOW.
I am rating UNBROKEN as 5+ out of 5 Stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela Sterritt is an award-winning journalist, writer, and artist. Sterritt has worked as a journalist for close to twenty years and has been with the CBC since 2003.
She currently works with CBC Vancouver as a host and television, radio, and digital reporter.
She is a proud member of the Gitxsan Nation and lives on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh territories, Vancouver, Canada.
To learn more about this author visit the following links:
Greystone Books is a leading independent publisher of books about nature, science, health, and social issues, with a commitment to environmental stewardship.
We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint in our production and supply chain. We print on paper that meets international standards set by globally recognized organizations that certify paper products sourced with socially responsible and environmentally friendly methods.
Founded in Vancouver in 1993 and named after the greystone commonly used in heritage architecture in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, our name reflects both the prairie roots of founding publisher Rob Sanders and a material grounded in the natural world.
We publish books that provide insight into living with a deep connection to nature: books that show readers how we can respect, protect, and care for the species we share this planet with—and how to create a future with them in mind.
As part of our commitment to protecting the environment, we publish a collection of our books in partnership with the David Suzuki Institute (DSI), a non-profit organization that raises public awareness and advances political action in Canada on the climate and biodiversity crisis and their solutions. Proceeds from the books published in partnership with the DSI help fund their organizing and advocacy initiatives.
To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:
A wildfire of a debut memoir by internationally recognized French/Cree/Iroquois journalist Brandi Morin set to transform the narrative around Indigenous Peoples.
Brandi Morin is known for her clear-eyed and empathetic reporting on Indigenous oppression in North America.
She is also a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and uses her experience to tell the stories of those who did not survive the rampant violence.
From her time as a foster kid and runaway who fell victim to predatory men and an oppressive system to her career as an internationally acclaimed journalist, Our Voice of Fire chronicles Morin’s journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism.
This compelling, honest book is full of self-compassion and the purifying fire of a pursuit for justice.
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MY REVIEW:
Content warning: rape, child abuse, racism, intergenerational trauma, suicide, and loss of a pregnancy.
Honest, compelling, and one hundred percent real.
Brandi Morin is my new hero because she tells it like it is. No molly-coddling, no sugar coating, no lies to spare the reader from the ugliness of genuine truth.
Brandi Morin’s bravery is nothing short of inspirational. Her book: OUR VOICE OF FIRE is a memoir of her life. It is also a truthful (and sometimes ugly) look at the effect colonialism has had on Canada’s Indigenous peoples.
When Brandi discovered that her beloved kohkum (grandmother) had kept a journal of sorts, it set her on a new path in life.
“Each small scrap of paper, each page in her journal, fed the spark of curiosity within until it was a roaring fire of need. [Brandi] needed to know more. About Kohkum. About [herself]. About [her] people.”
Brandi writes:
“Without my even realizing it, my feet were set on a new path. Over the next few years, I began to hunt for the truth…”
That path has led her to become a nationally recognized voice for Indigenous peoples, and ultimately led to the creation of this book.
Honesty is always the best policy in my opinion, however, Canada has continually glossed over the dark parts of its history. Brandi Morin’s journalism career calls the government out on their hypocrisy and on the deeply embedded and systemic racism that exists to this day.
In writing this memoir, Brandi is speaking out for all those women and girls, past and present, who have had their voices silenced in a variety of ways.
She is also speaking out for herself despite the fact that; “Sometimes it feels easier and kinder to just leave those smoking memories alone, protecting myself and my loved ones with silence.”
But, Brandi has learned that
“… silence is a tool of violence used against [her] people for generations in the attempt to erase and eradicate [them].”
There is a belief held by Indigenous Peoples that trauma is intergenerational and that, on average, it takes seven generations to rid a family of the effects of that trauma. If that family experiences more trauma, such as the Residential School System, the Sixties Scoop, and the ongoing, deeply ingrained systemic racism of Canada today, those seven generations start all over again.
As heart-wrenching as it must have been for her, Brandi bares her soul in this memoir.
“I endured beatings and verbal abuse from my mother, who was unwittingly passing along her inheritance of trauma and violence to me. There are bloody encounters that I can clearly picture today, but I won’t go into details. My dad would sometimes choke me against the wall until I was close to passing out at the requests from my mother to ‘deal with me’…”
Sadly, Brandi’s experiences are far from unique.
This must stop and it is through the publication of books such as this one that people are able to learn the truth and to actively seek to change things for the better.
OUR VOICE OF FIRE should be required reading for everyone, especially for anyone who doubts the lingering effects of familial trauma.
I rate this book as 7 out of 7 Stars
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
If you are interested in raw, unapologetic honesty, OUR VOICE OF FIRE by Brandi Morin is a Must Read.
*** Thank you to #Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
BRANDI MORIN is an award-winning French/Cree/Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6, Alberta, Canada.
For the last ten years Brandi has specialized in sharing Indigenous stories, which have influenced reconciliation in Canada’s political, cultural, and social environments.
She is one of Canada’s most prominent voices on Indigenous issues.
Brandi has published or broadcasted with the New York Times, National Geographic, the Guardian, the Toronto Star, Al Jazeera English, Vice, Elle Canada, CBC’s Power & Politics , and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network National News, among many other outlets.
Brandi won a Human Rights Reporting award from the Canadian Association of Journalists for her work with the CBC’s Beyond 94 project tracking the progress of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
To learn more about this author visit the following links:
Before there was a literary scene in Canada, writers Dennis Lee and David Godfrey founded House of Anansi Press to publish poetry. It was the heyday of hippie Yorkville, when Toronto teemed with draft dodgers and their youthful American energy, and Canada was celebrating Expo 67 and its 100th anniversary.
Change was in the air, and Canadians wanted to read books written by Canadians. Anansi expanded to publish authors such as Michael Ondaatje, Matt Cohen, Northrop Frye, Erín Moure, and Margaret Atwood (who worked here as an editor).
Now under the ownership of Scott Griffin, House of Anansi Press is Canada’s leading independent publisher. We continue to break new ground with award-winning and bestselling books that reflect the changing nature of the world and the country, and we help shape the national conversation with the publication of the annual CBC Massey Lectures (in conjunction with University of Toronto’s Massey College and CBC Ideas) with contributors like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ursula Franklin, and Tanya Talaga. Anansi continues to publish poetry, as well as fiction, nonfiction, drama, French-Canadian writers in translation, lifestyle, and authors from around the world. We take pride in finding and developing talent, publishing Indigenous, Black, and less mainstream writers, and firing up the imagination with Very Good Books.
House of Anansi Press respectfully acknowledges that the land on which we operate is the Traditional Territory of many Nations, including the Anishinabeg, the Wendat and the Haudenosaunee. It is also the Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit.
To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:
An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea—one that the world should be watching.
Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, tens of thousands of women and girls in South Korea have taken to the street, and many more brave individuals took a stand, to end a decades-long abortion ban and bring down powerful sexual abusers—including a popular presidential contender. South Korean feminists know that the revolution has been a long time coming, between battles against its own deeply patriarchal society as well as combating stereotypes of docile Asian women in the Western imagination.
Now, author Hawon Jung will show the rest of the world that these women are no delicate flowers—they are trailblazing flames.
Flowers of Fire takes the reader into the trenches of this fight for equality, following along as South Korean activists march on the streets, navigate public and private spaces full of spycams, and share tips and tricks with each other as they learn how to protect themselves from criminals and authorities alike.
Jung, the former Seoul correspondent for the AFP, draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders, from the elite prosecutor who ignited the country’s #MeToo movement to the young women who led the war against non-consensual photography and revenge porn. Their stories, though long overlooked in the West, mirror realities that women across the world are all too familiar with: threats of defamation lawsuits to silence victims of assault, tech-based sexual abuse of women and girls, and criminal justice systems where victims’ voices are often met with suspicion and predators’ downfalls are met with sympathy. These are the issues at the heart of their #MeToo movement, and South Korean women have fought against them vigorously—and with extraordinary success. In Flowers of Fire, Jung illuminates the strength and tenacity of these women, too often sidelined in global conversations about feminism and gender equality.
The women written about in FLOWERS OF FIRE embody this quote.
Maya Angelou once said: “Develop enough courage to stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.” The women whose stories are highlighted in this book are the living embodiments of that famous quote.
I don’t think any of us who were born in Canada and who have grown up with the knowledge that we are valuable and that we can be, and do anything, could possibly understand the world of misogyny that is the norm in South Korea. Yes, the patriarchy exists in North America, but not to the extent that it exists in Asian countries.
When the #MeToo movement swept through the United States and Canada, women felt empowered to stand up for themselves and to say “NO MORE.” But, what about women in other countries? What about women who, because of government censorship, had no idea what was happening around the world?
Who was brave enough to stand up and to be the very first woman to tell her story? And, what would happen to her after she came forward? The fear would have been crippling. There was a very real chance that those women would be shunned, shamed, and would be branded as sluts and liars.
I am in awe of the women in this book. They are BRAVE … truly brave in a way that transcends time. Their stories are IMPORTANT.
FLOWERS OF FIRE – The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement And What It Means For Women’s Rights Worldwide is not only an enthralling read, but also an extremely important one.
If you think of yourself as a feminist, or even if you don’t, if you care about human rights at all, then you simply MUST Read this book.
FLOWERS OF FIRE is being released on March 7th, 2023 and can be pre-ordered now. I have a feeling that this book will sell out quickly, so I suggest that you preorder it to avoid being disappointed.
I would love to hear back from people after they read this book to discuss the details. I did not want to include any spoilers in my review, but I am dying to discuss it.
5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5 out of 5 Flames
*** Thank you to #Edelweiss for providing me with a free advance review copy of this book. ***
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More than 200 female protesters gather in central Seoul on Feb. 27, calling for women’s representation in South Korea’s presidential election. (Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hawon Jung is a journalist and former Seoul correspondent for the AFP news agency with more than a decade of experience writing about the two Koreas.
She covered the 2011 death of then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-un, the junior Kim’s first summit with Donald Trump, South Korea’s historic presidential impeachment, and K-pop’s rise on the world stage.
Her coverage of South Korea’s #MeToo movement was shortlisted in the 2019 Awards for Editorial Excellence by the Society of Publishers in Asia.
Born and raised in South Korea, she currently lives in Germany with family.
To learn more about this author visit the following links:
Kim Ju-hee protests in August 2021 in front of the National Assembly in Seoul with a sign that reads “Democracy without woman is not a democracy.” ( Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)
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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:
BenBella is a marketing-focused, author-friendly publishing house whose success is based on a few simple principles. We select our titles with care. We provide authors with first-class service and genuine partnership. And we provide aggressive, creative marketing for each title we publish.
To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:
A modern, feminist take on the classic joke book to amuse and empower readers who are tired of being the punchline.
A man walks into a bar. It’s a low one, so he gets a promotion within his first six months on the job.
Four comedy writers transform classic joke setups into sharp commentary about the everyday and structural sexism that pervades all facets of life.
Jokes to Offend Men arms readers with humorous quips to shut down workplace underminers, condescending uncles, and dismissive doctors, or to share with their exhausted friends at the end of a long day.
A cutting, cathartic spin on the old-fashioned joke book, Jokes to Offend Men is a refreshing reclamation of a tired form for anyone who’s ever been told to “lighten up, it’s just a joke!”
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MY REVIEW:
The four women who created this book, “… wrote this book because [they] were tired of watching countless men excuse their bad behavior by insisting that the real problem is [women’s] stunning inability to ‘take a joke’.”
As someone who has spent the last 25 years working in an automotive factory building cars, I have heard hundreds, if not thousands, of sexist jokes that the men I work with (and my area is almost exclusively men) seem to think are hilarious. It is for that reason I requested an ARC (Advance Review Copy) of this audiobook.
The authors grew up in the same era that I did. During that time, the comedy circuit was mostly men and many of the jokes they told relied on “… making people with less power the butt of the joke.”
In the introduction, the comedians state that:
“We believe that comedy should empower rather than cause harm. And that there’s still a lot of ground to cover when it comes to why that chicken crossed the road.”
The book is divided into eleven sections with awesome titles. They are:
1. Jokes to Offend Men at Work Who Don’t Actually Do Their Own Work
2. Jokes To Offend Men Who Won’t Contribute to Housework Because You’re ‘Sooo Much Better at It’
3. Jokes To Offend Men You’re Expected to Spend the Holidays With, Unfortunately:
4. Jokes To Offend Men Who Are Currently Explaining Quentin Tarantino to You
5. Jokes To Offend Men Who Disrespect Mother Nature
6. Jokes To Offend Men You Definitely Didn’t Vote For
7. Jokes To Offend Men Who Think the #MeToo Movement Has Gone Too Far
8. Jokes To Offend Men Who Have A Medical Degree in Dismissing Your Pain
9. Jokes To Offend Men Whose Grandfather Founded This School
10. Jokes To Offend Men Who Refuse to Believe You’re Not Interested in The
11. Jokes To Offend Even More Men: You can keep these in your back pocket (unless it’s purely decorative).
I am in love with this book.
Snarky.
Sarcastic.
Irreverent
You could even say Bitchy, and I’m sure many men will say exactly that.
As far as I am concerned, this joke book is SHEER PERFECTION.
Every woman needs to either read this book, or listen to the audiobook. I am sure readers will be able to recognize some of the men they have had to deal with over the years. I know I definitely did.
I cannot recommend JOKES TO OFFEND MEN any higher than the highest available option.
I literally laughed out loud many times while listening to this audiobook, and I am sure you will too.
I rate this audiobook as 10 out of 10 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy of this book. ***
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About the Authors:
Allison Kelley is a Brooklyn-based humor writer and essayist with work featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney’s and more. Since childhood, she’s been using comedy to cope with the terror and wonder of being a woman in the world. An alleged grown-up, Allison writes frequently on the topics of ‘90s pop culture, teen angst and growing up in the suburbs.
Danielle Kraese is a writer, editor, and occasional performer based in the spidery suburbs of New York. Her humor writing has been published by The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Reductress, The Belladonna Comedy, and more. She’s an editor at BDG, where she writes and edits affiliate content across sites like Bustle, Elite Daily, Romper, Mic, and Inverse (she can tell you everything you never wanted to know about socks, sheets, and meat thermometers).
Kate Herzlin is a New York-based screenwriter, playwright, and humor writer who overuses the rule of three. Her humor writing has been featured in McSweeney’s, Points in Case, The Belladonna Comedy, and more. Kate is a writer for the BoogieManja Sketch Comedy team, Evil Twin—though she promises she isn’t one. As a childhood cancer survivor, she learned to use comedy to cope; now that she’s all grown up, she hopes her jokes might help other people do the same.
Ysabel Yates is a comedy writer and freelance copywriter in New York City. You can find her work in publications including the New Yorker, the New York Times, McSweeney’s, and Reductress.
An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea—one that the world should be watching.
Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, tens of thousands of women and girls in South Korea have taken to the street, and many more brave individuals took a stand, to end a decades-long abortion ban and bring down powerful sexual abusers—including a popular presidential contender. South Korean feminists know that the revolution has been a long time coming, between battles against its own deeply patriarchal society as well as combating stereotypes of docile Asian women in the Western imagination.
Now, author Hawon Jung will show the rest of the world that these women are no delicate flowers—they are trailblazing flames.
Flowers of Fire takes the reader into the trenches of this fight for equality, following along as South Korean activists march on the streets, navigate public and private spaces full of spycams, and share tips and tricks with each other as they learn how to protect themselves from criminals and authorities alike.
Jung, the former Seoul correspondent for the AFP, draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders, from the elite prosecutor who ignited the country’s #MeToo movement to the young women who led the war against non-consensual photography and revenge porn. Their stories, though long overlooked in the West, mirror realities that women across the world are all too familiar with: threats of defamation lawsuits to silence victims of assault, tech-based sexual abuse of women and girls, and criminal justice systems where victims’ voices are often met with suspicion and predators’ downfalls are met with sympathy. These are the issues at the heart of their #MeToo movement, and South Korean women have fought against them vigorously—and with extraordinary success. In Flowers of Fire, Jung illuminates the strength and tenacity of these women, too often sidelined in global conversations about feminism and gender equality.
The women written about in FLOWERS OF FIRE embody this quote.
Maya Angelou once said: “Develop enough courage to stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.” The women whose stories are highlighted in this book are the living embodiments of that famous quote.
I don’t think any of us who were born in Canada and who have grown up with the knowledge that we are valuable and that we can be, and do anything, could possibly understand the world of misogyny that is the norm in South Korea. Yes, the patriarchy exists in North America, but not to the extent that it exists in Asian countries.
When the #MeToo movement swept through the United States and Canada, women felt empowered to stand up for themselves and to say “NO MORE.” But, what about women in other countries? What about women who, because of government censorship, had no idea what was happening around the world?
Who was brave enough to stand up and to be the very first woman to tell her story? And, what would happen to her after she came forward? The fear would have been crippling. There was a very real chance that those women would be shunned, shamed, and would be branded as sluts and liars.
I am in awe of the women in this book. They are BRAVE … truly brave in a way that transcends time. Their stories are IMPORTANT.
FLOWERS OF FIRE – The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement And What It Means For Women’s Rights Worldwide is not only an enthralling read, but also an extremely important one.
If you think of yourself as a feminist, or even if you don’t, if you care about human rights at all, then you simply MUST Read this book.
FLOWERS OF FIRE is being released on March 7th, 2023 and can be pre-ordered now. I have a feeling that this book will sell out quickly, so I suggest that you preorder it to avoid being disappointed.
I would love to hear back from people after they read this book to discuss the details. I did not want to include any spoilers in my review, but I am dying to discuss it.
5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5 out of 5 Flames
*** Thank you to #Edelweiss for providing me with a free advance review copy of this book. ***
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More than 200 female protesters gather in central Seoul on Feb. 27, calling for women’s representation in South Korea’s presidential election. (Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)
****************************
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hawon Jung is a journalist and former Seoul correspondent for the AFP news agency with more than a decade of experience writing about the two Koreas.
She covered the 2011 death of then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-un, the junior Kim’s first summit with Donald Trump, South Korea’s historic presidential impeachment, and K-pop’s rise on the world stage.
Her coverage of South Korea’s #MeToo movement was shortlisted in the 2019 Awards for Editorial Excellence by the Society of Publishers in Asia.
Born and raised in South Korea, she currently lives in Germany with family.
To learn more about this author visit the following links:
Kim Ju-hee protests in August 2021 in front of the National Assembly in Seoul with a sign that reads “Democracy without woman is not a democracy.” ( Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)
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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:
BenBella is a marketing-focused, author-friendly publishing house whose success is based on a few simple principles. We select our titles with care. We provide authors with first-class service and genuine partnership. And we provide aggressive, creative marketing for each title we publish.
To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:
Mount McKinley in Alaska – the name was changed and it is now called Mount Denali – Notice the digging bear on the left side of the photo Photographer Daniel Leifheit
DESCRIPTION:
1968, a seventeen-year-old queer girl traveled to Alaska disguised as a boy.
Tracy should have been a boy. Even her older brother Spencer says so, though he wouldn’t finish the thought with, “And I should have been a girl.”
Though both feel awkward in their own skin, they have to face who they are—queers in the late 60s.
When both are caught with gay partners, their lives and futures are endangered by their homophobic father as their mother struggles to defend them.
While the Vietnam War threatens to take Spencer away, Tracy and her father wage a war of their own, each trying to save the sweet, talented pianist.
At seventeen, Tracy dresses as a boy and leaves her parents in turmoil, with only the slimmest hope of finding peace within herself. She journeys to a girl with a guitar, calling to her from a photo, “Come to Alaska. We’d be great friends.”
Maybe even The MoonStone Girls.
**********************************************
MY REVIEW:
My first thought after reading THE MOONSTONE GIRLS is that it must be somewhat autobiographical. Author Brooke Skipstone has written with such depth of emotion that it is difficult to believe the story is fictional.
Before I get too far into my review I wanted to be sure to mention just how gorgeous the cover of this book is. It is the perfect blend of colors to bring the 1960s to mind. And, the choice to just use silhouettes is 100% inspired. 5 Stars for the cover. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love that this #book is set in the late #1960s – an era much different than today’s world. So much was different at that time for anyone who was gay, and as hard as it is to fathom, being gay was considered to be against the laws of both God and men. This just highlights how far LBGTQ rights have come (even though society still has a ways to go.)
I cannot fathom the fear and pain experienced by LGBTQ youth at that time in history, especially for men whose arousal is much harder to hide. In the book, both Tracy and her brother Spencer are queer. The good thing is that they have each other to lean on and they have a mother who loves them just the way they are. This is much more than most #queer #youth had in their lives during that period in #history
This book delves into not just LGBTQ history, but also into the #draft and the #VietnamWar #WomensRights #RockAndRoll and the #SexualRevolution
There are some extremely #emotional scenes in The Moonstone Girls and at one point during reading I was literally in tears. It takes a truly talented #writer to be able to evoke so much #empathy and #emotion in their readers. Kudos to Brooke Skipstone for writing such an important and believable book.
Ultimately, this is a tale about hope and about having the courage to fight back in the best way you can against those who would try to stop you from living life on your own terms. It will encourage readers to never settle for second best and to keep trying until they find a place where they belong and where they can live a life of hope and honesty. It also reminds us that there is a person out there for everyone and that everyone has the right to live a happy life on their own terms.
Tracy is a fiery, take-no-prisoners type of young woman. This is the face she shows to the world, but inside, she is suffering and full of shame. This reminds readers that the persona people present to the world is not always accurate and that everyone has an inner world that is invisible. Never judge a book by its cover is a great lesson and one that we often forget.
Although not specifically stated, I get the feeling that the author also wants readers to think about mental health and to realize the depths of despair that people can feel when forced to live a lie just to be “normal.”
All in all I have to say that this book should be on everyone’s Must Read list for 2022 and although it is labeled as Young Adult fiction, this book will appeal to readers of all ages.
I am rating THE MOONSTONE GIRLS by Brooke Skipstone as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and I highly recommend this book … just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby when you read it.
*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
Brooke Skipstone lives in Alaska, where she watches the mountains change colors with the seasons from her balcony.
Where she feels the constant rush toward winter as the sunlight wanes for six months of the year, seven minutes each day, bringing crushing cold that lingers even as the sun climbs again.
Where the burst of life during summer is urgent under twenty-four-hour daylight, lush and decadent. Where fish swim hundreds of miles up rivers past bear claws and nets and wheels and lines of rubber-clad combat fishers, arriving humped and ragged, dying as they spawn.
Where danger from the land and its animals exhilarates the senses, forcing her to appreciate the difference between life and death. Where the edge between is sometimes too alluring.
To learn more about this author visit the following links:
Mount McKinley in Alaska – the name was changed and it is now called Mount Denali – Notice the digging bear on the left side of the photo Photographer Daniel Leifheit
DESCRIPTION:
1968, a seventeen-year-old queer girl traveled to Alaska disguised as a boy.
Tracy should have been a boy. Even her older brother Spencer says so, though he wouldn’t finish the thought with, “And I should have been a girl.”
Though both feel awkward in their own skin, they have to face who they are—queers in the late 60s.
When both are caught with gay partners, their lives and futures are endangered by their homophobic father as their mother struggles to defend them.
While the Vietnam War threatens to take Spencer away, Tracy and her father wage a war of their own, each trying to save the sweet, talented pianist.
At seventeen, Tracy dresses as a boy and leaves her parents in turmoil, with only the slimmest hope of finding peace within herself. She journeys to a girl with a guitar, calling to her from a photo, “Come to Alaska. We’d be great friends.”
Maybe even The MoonStone Girls.
**********************************************
MY REVIEW:
My first thought after reading THE MOONSTONE GIRLS is that it must be somewhat autobiographical. Author Brooke Skipstone has written with such depth of emotion that it is difficult to believe the story is fictional.
Before I get too far into my review I wanted to be sure to mention just how gorgeous the cover of this book is. It is the perfect blend of colors to bring the 1960s to mind. And, the choice to just use silhouettes is 100% inspired. 5 Stars for the cover. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love that this #book is set in the late #1960s – an era much different than today’s world. So much was different at that time for anyone who was gay, and as hard as it is to fathom, being gay was considered to be against the laws of both God and men. This just highlights how far LBGTQ rights have come (even though society still has a ways to go.)
I cannot fathom the fear and pain experienced by LGBTQ youth at that time in history, especially for men whose arousal is much harder to hide. In the book, both Tracy and her brother Spencer are queer. The good thing is that they have each other to lean on and they have a mother who loves them just the way they are. This is much more than most #queer #youth had in their lives during that period in #history
This book delves into not just LGBTQ history, but also into the #draft and the #VietnamWar #WomensRights #RockAndRoll and the #SexualRevolution
There are some extremely #emotional scenes in The Moonstone Girls and at one point during reading I was literally in tears. It takes a truly talented #writer to be able to evoke so much #empathy and #emotion in their readers. Kudos to Brooke Skipstone for writing such an important and believable book.
Ultimately, this is a tale about hope and about having the courage to fight back in the best way you can against those who would try to stop you from living life on your own terms. It will encourage readers to never settle for second best and to keep trying until they find a place where they belong and where they can live a life of hope and honesty. It also reminds us that there is a person out there for everyone and that everyone has the right to live a happy life on their own terms.
Tracy is a fiery, take-no-prisoners type of young woman. This is the face she shows to the world, but inside, she is suffering and full of shame. This reminds readers that the persona people present to the world is not always accurate and that everyone has an inner world that is invisible. Never judge a book by its cover is a great lesson and one that we often forget.
Although not specifically stated, I get the feeling that the author also wants readers to think about mental health and to realize the depths of despair that people can feel when forced to live a lie just to be “normal.”
All in all I have to say that this book should be on everyone’s Must Read list for 2022 and although it is labeled as Young Adult fiction, this book will appeal to readers of all ages.
I am rating THE MOONSTONE GIRLS by Brooke Skipstone as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and I highly recommend this book … just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby when you read it.
*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
Brooke Skipstone lives in Alaska, where she watches the mountains change colors with the seasons from her balcony.
Where she feels the constant rush toward winter as the sunlight wanes for six months of the year, seven minutes each day, bringing crushing cold that lingers even as the sun climbs again.
Where the burst of life during summer is urgent under twenty-four-hour daylight, lush and decadent. Where fish swim hundreds of miles up rivers past bear claws and nets and wheels and lines of rubber-clad combat fishers, arriving humped and ragged, dying as they spawn.
Where danger from the land and its animals exhilarates the senses, forcing her to appreciate the difference between life and death. Where the edge between is sometimes too alluring.
To learn more about this author visit the following links:
1901. When a train robbery destroy’s Annie’s plans for a quiet life, she reinvents herself as a redheaded daredevil and heads to Niagara Falls, determined to be the first person to survive going over it in a barrel – or to die trying.
But when Annie arrives in Niagara, she unwittingly walks into a turf war between two crime bosses vying to control the illegal gambling, extortion and prostitution that hum below Niagara’s honeymoon veneer.
As Annie comes to realize that water is not the only danger in Niagara, her relationship with a riverman threatens her plans to fall.
Based on the true story of Annie Edson Taylor
MY REVIEW:
Annie Edson Taylor. Does this name mean anything to you? Have you ever heard of her?
I hadn’t. But after reading ‘TIL NIAGARA FALLS, I can guarantee that I will never remember her from this day forward.
I live in Ontario, Canada and have visited the city of Niagara Falls more than fifty times over the years. Yet, somehow the fascinating tale of retired schoolteacher Annie Edson Taylor had never reached my ears. It makes me wonder if Annie had been a man, would I have heard the story? Sadly, I believe the answer to that question is a yes.
Although this is a fictionalized version of her story, the key facts are historically accurate.
Annie was unique. She was not the “typical” woman of her era. Firstly, she was educated in many subjects including mathematics and the sciences which were often seen as the realm of men. She was a retired schoolteacher with a keen mind and she exceptionally good at physics and engineering.
Annie was as unlike the daredevils who preceded her in attempting to survive going over the Falls in a barrel, as night is to day. She applied everything she had learned into figuring out a way she could (hopefully) survive the “Fall.”
The author has included many wonderfully colorful characters into the story, many of whom were based on real people.
This story has everything readers could possibly hope for in a work of historical fiction right down to historically accurate descriptions of outfits of the era and the attitudes as to what was “proper” at the time.
If you have ever been to Niagara Falls, or have even just seen the Falls in photographs, I highly doubt any one of us would ever consider going over that massive waterfall, even with the best safety gear available. To think of the complete lack of availability of safety equipment in 1901, it is little wonder that many people perished in that swirling maelstrom of water. Annie was one very brave and very determined woman and I salute her.
Cave of the Winds To get super close to the Falls—and to feel their power—a must-do attraction is Cave of the Winds. You walk down wooden stairs to stand directly in front of Bridal Veil Falls. Then you walk up to the Hurricane Deck, where you are literally standing underneath the thundering waterfall. It’s a great way to get a sense of the power and amount of water that drops every second. It’s interesting to note that the decks are removed and rebuilt every year to prevent ice damage in the winter. When rebuilding the decks, the workers can work only 20 minutes at a time because the water is so frigid.
You should pick up a copy of this book at your first opportunity. It is a heart-pumping, thrill ride of a read and you will find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat thanks to the non-stop action.
I have no choice but to rate ‘TIL NIAGARA FALLS as 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It deserves nothing less.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book ***
Annie Edson Taylor, who was about 62 when she became the first, and oldest, person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Katerie Morin is an award-winning playwright whose work has been produced in the U.S., broadcast in New Zealand, and published in China. With musician Pan Morrigan, she created the radio play Castles of Gold, which was later released as a spoken word album on Green Linnet Records, featuring performances by Frank McCourt and Roma Downey.
Katerie received her M.F.A in Playwriting from the University of Washington and her B.A. from Smith College. She lives outside of Boston with her family.
To learn more about this author, visit the following links:
Annie Taylor’s barrel with an anvil attached to the bottom so she would float through the Rapids Medium Photograph Extent 5″ x 5.75″ black & white photograph Description photograph has diagonal lines running through it Notes The intention of the anvil was to ensure that Annie would go over the Falls head up Date October 4, 1901. Collection General Photograph Collection http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?id=90555&b=1
******
The barrel and its living freight being towed to the starting-point / Annie Taylor Creator Zahner, M. H. Medium Scan from book Description Scan from book Notes Scanned from Over Niagara in a Barrel by Orrin E. Dunlap. Published by World Wide Magazine, 1902 Provenance Local History Collection Date 1901.
********** Mrs. Annie Edson Taylor ready to start above the Falls Medium Photograph Extent 3.75″ x 3″ black & white ‘ a copy from a stereo image by M. H. Zahner Publisher in the Library of Congress Washington D.C. Description negative A41475 436 Provenance Library of Congress Washington D.C. Collection Niagara Falls Heritage Foundation Collection Old Call Number NFHAP v.6 p.53 Rights Library of Congress Washington D.C. http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?id=89292&b=1
The third floor classroom in the École Polytechnique in which the attack ended.
DESCRIPTION:
Fourteen young university students, murdered because they were women, are memorialized in this definitive account of a tragic day that forced a reckoning with violence against women in our culture.
Each of the victims of what became known as the “Montreal Massacre” are remembered, their lives cut short on December 6, 1989 when a man entered their school and systematically shot every young woman he encountered, motivated by a misogyny who’s roots go far beyond one man and one day.
Canada’s first mass femicide took place on December 6th, 1989 when an Anti-Feminist gunman named Marc Lépine rampaged through the halls and classrooms of École Polytechnique de Montréal.
This cowardly “man” separated the men from the women and opened fire, killing fourteen and wounding several others. He was not “man enough” nor “woman enough” to face up to the consequences of his actions and took his own life.
Journalist and author, JOSÉE BOILEAU has written the only book to ever examine this crime and it’s aftermath.
Not only does this book discuss the day of the Massacre, it also details the political and societal norms of the times and the specific challenges facing women in 1989.
By outlining the massacre and the changes that came about as a result, the author gives this important event the respect it is due.
The murdered women, many of whom did not specifically self-identify as “feminists,” have been honored with a Day of Remembrance that is still celebrated today – over three decades later.
In my opinion, it is about time that an accurate historical accounting of this hate crime has been written. This book needs to be incorporated into every high-school History and Civics curriculum Canada-wide. This MUST be required reading.
It is fitting that BECAUSE THEY WERE WOMEN is being released the day before November 11th, which is Remembrance Day here in Canada. Even though Remembrance Day is a day to honor the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice during their military service, the fourteen mass murder victims were unwitting pawns in a war they were unaware they were involved in. WE MUST REMEMBER THESE WOMEN.
In 1905, George Santayana, a philosopher, essayist, poet and novelist said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
We CANNOT allow these women to be forgotten. With the writing of this book, Josée Boileau has ensured that their memories will live on.
I rate BECAUSE THEY WERE WOMEN as 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and I highly recommend this book to every single Canadian, male and female. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.
With the 31st Anniversary of the shooting rapidly approaching, I will definitely be giving copies of this book to all of my local women’s shelters for their libraries.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
THE VICTIMS:
Lépine killed fourteen women (twelve engineering students, one nursing student, and one employee of the university) and injured fourteen others, ten women and four men.
Geneviève Bergeron (born 1968), civil engineering student
Hélène Colgan (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Nathalie Croteau (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Barbara Daigneault (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
Anne-Marie Edward (born 1968), chemical engineering student
Maud Haviernick (born 1960), materials engineering student
Maryse Laganière (born 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique’s finance department
Maryse Leclair (born 1966), materials engineering student
Anne-Marie Lemay (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
Sonia Pelletier (born 1961), mechanical engineering student
Michèle Richard (born 1968), materials engineering student
Annie St-Arneault (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Annie Turcotte (born 1969), materials engineering student
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (born 1958), nursing student
The Quebec and Montreal governments declared three days of mourning. A joint funeral for nine of the women was held at Notre-Dame Basilica on December 11, 1989, and was attended by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Quebec premier Robert Bourassa, and Montreal mayor Jean Doré, along with thousands of other mourners.
THE SURVIVORS:
Brought together by tragedy: From left, Jocelyne Dallaire Légaré, Heidi Rathjen, Nathalie Provost and Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire have developed a close bond since the 1989 massacre. The four of them are shown above at the École Polytechnique in 2014. PHOTO BY DARIO AYALA /Montreal Gazette CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH OF THESE OUTSTANDING WOMEN AND HOW SURVIVING THE MONTREAL MASSACRE CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF THEIR LIVES.
Who was that gutsy young woman who stood up to a cold-eyed killer?
Twenty-five years after surviving the Polytechnique massacre, Nathalie Provost mused about her younger self.
On Dec. 6, 1989, moments before Marc Lépine began a shooting rampage that killed 14 women at Quebec’s largest engineering school, Provost, then a 23-year-old mechanical engineering student, tried to reason with the gunman.
Lépine’s response was a hail of bullets that killed six of her classmates and wounded Provost in the head and leg.
“There’s a lot of tenderness for the young woman I was then, for her naïveté,” said Provost, now a 48-year-old mother of four who works as a senior manager for the provincial government.
“The wounds to your body, you see right away. For the wounds to your soul, it takes longer. You don’t understand them right away. It took me years to grasp what I had lived through.” — Nathalie Provost
Marker of Change, memorial consisting of 14 coffin-like benches in Vancouver by artist Beth Alber.
On the 25th anniversary, fourteen light beams representing the 14 victims shine from Mount Royal.
A play about the shootings by Adam Kelly called “The Anorak” was named as one of the best plays of 2004 by the Montreal Gazette.
Colleen Murphy’s play “December Man” was first staged in Calgary in 2007.
The movie Polytechnique, directed by Denis Villeneuve was released in 2009, and sparked controversy over the desirability of reliving the tragedy in a commercial film.
Several songs have been written about the events, including “This Memory” by the folk duo the Wyrd Sisters, and “6 December 1989” by the Australian singer Judy Small.
Amie's Book Reviews 