Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Amazing Book Bloggers That Should Be on Your Radar
/42 Comments/by SuzanneTop Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Favorite Book Blogs/Bookish Websites. This is such a hard topic for me, mainly because there are WAY more than ten book blogs that I love visiting. I could probably easily make this Top 50 Tuesday, haha!
I’m going to keep this short and sweet, mainly because my desktop computer died last night and while it’s being (hopefully) repaired, I’m trying to type this post on a laptop. I don’t know if it’s my old eyes or my clumsy fingers, but it is taking me forever. The way I’m typing you would think this was my first time ever using a computer before, haha!
Anyway, back on topic…what the bloggers on my list all have in common is that they not only consistently put out great content, but they’re also just lovely people. I enjoy chatting with all of them about our love of books, other interests we happen to share, and just about life in general sometimes. Some I’ve known since I first started blogging, while others are new friends that I’m really enjoying getting to know better. Have I mentioned lately how wonderful the book blogging community is?
10 Amazing Book Bloggers That Should Be on Your Radar
- Du Livre. I love visiting Amber’s blog because her reviews are always so honest and thoughtful. I also love her First Thoughts features where she shares her first impressions of whatever book she’s currently reading. Those posts are always fun to read.
- Aimee, Always. Aimee’s blog is beautifully designed, and I just love how her personality shines through on every post, especially those enthusiastic book reviews.
- POP.EDIT.LIT. I love reading Verushka’s posts because although she reads a pretty wide variety of books, she has a special interest in thrillers so this is where I go when I’m on the hunt for exciting new thrillers to add to my TBR. I also love that she reviews a lot of books from Australian authors, many of whom I hadn’t heard of before reading about them on POP.EDIT.LIT.
- Musings of a Literary Wanderer. Angela and I started blogging around the same time so we were newbies together 🙂 I really enjoy visiting her blog for many reasons, with one of them being that she and I both love books that feature dual time lines. I can always count on her for great dual time line recs. In addition to her well written and thoughtful reviews, another highlight of Angela’s blog is that she is an avid hiker and she often shares photos from her adventures. I love that variety in her content.
- Greg’s Book Haven. There’s so much to love about Greg’s blog that I hardly know where to begin. Greg and I share a love of Star Wars and George R.R. Martin books so when I a need a Star Wars or Game of Thrones fix, his blog is my first stop. Greg also has the most entertaining new feature called Movies That Suck where he reviews absolutely horrible movies so that you don’t have to spend your time watching them. It reminds me of Mystery Science Theater 3000, which I’ve always loved, so this feature is a real treat for me each week. Greg, of course, posts excellent book reviews on a wide variety of books, and he also posts tons of fabulous cult covers and artwork. And if you’re lucky, sometimes he’ll even share some of his own fiction writing projects.
- We Live and Breathe Books. Sam’s blog is my go-to when I want to get new YA contemporary recommendations. If Sam reads it and loves it, it’s almost a guarantee that I’m going to love it as well. I’ve lost track of how many new favorite authors I’ve discovered while visiting this blog. In addition to the reviews on the site, I’m also a big fan of the discussion posts, which are always so thought provoking. Oh and if all of that isn’t enough, the absolutely fabulous sloth blog design is a must-see. It makes me smile every time I visit. 🙂
- Read All The Things. Aj’s blog has become a favorite of mine because she reads and reviews a wide variety of books, basically anything from new releases all the way back to Newbery classics from my childhood. I also love visiting because she has such a fun sense of humor. I’m always entertained when I read Aj’s words, especially when she’s giving little anecdotes from her life.
- Metaphors and Moonlight. If you’re into great fantasy, science fiction, and supernatural creatures galore, Kristen’s blog is one that should definitely be on your radar. She has introduced me to many wonderful books and series that I probably would never have known about if I hadn’t read her reviews and recommendations.
- Rebel Mommy Book Blog. If you’re into contemporary authors like Colleen Hoover, Morgan Matson, Kasie West, and Harlan Coben, you should definitely make Grace’s blog a regular stop during your internet travels. You’re sure to pick up some great recs every time you visit.
- Book Reviews By Di. Di is one of my go-to blogs for YA fantasy reads. I love the vibrant design of her blog and her reviews are always so well written. If you’re into bookstagram, you should also check out her feed there. I’m just discovering bookstagram, but she’s already one of my favorites there as well.
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Who are some of your favorite book bloggers?
Early Review: VOX by Christina Dalcher
/18 Comments/by SuzanneAlso by this author: Master Class
Published by BERKLEY on August 21, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction
Pages: 336
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
MY REVIEW:
Christina Dalcher’s Vox is a dystopian novel set in America in the not-so-distant future. Instead of being the land of the free and the home of the brave, however, Dalcher’s America is one where radical religious fundamentalists have taken the reins of power and have implemented what they call the “Pure Movement.” What the Pure Movement entails is basically stripping women of all of their basic rights, including the right to speak. One day women are just removed from the workforce and fitted with bracelets that count the number of words they speak. If they go over the their daily allotment of 100 words, or if they try to skirt the 100 word limit by using any form of non-verbal communication, there are severe consequences.
Girls are also placed into different schools from boys and no longer receive the same caliber of education. They are taught how to do basic arithmetic and how to do household chores like sewing and cooking, the idea being that they are meant to take care of household responsibilities while the men in their lives go out and earn a living. Cameras have been mounted everywhere to make sure women and girls are falling into line as expected and punishments are readily doled out if they are not complying.
Needless to say, life is pure hell for women like Dr. Jean McClennan, the protagonist in Vox. Jean is a renowned linguist who was engaged in groundbreaking research that would benefit stroke victims when she is forced out of work and fitted with a bracelet. Jean is in denial that this is actually happening and she’s absolutely furious at herself for not seeing the signs and not trying to do something to stop this movement from taking hold. She’s also angry at the men in her life for going along with it and she’s furious at women like her neighbor, Mrs. King, who seem perfectly content with this new way of life. Most of all, Jean is livid because of how quickly she sees her young daughter fall into line and embrace the idea of speaking as few words in a day as possible.
So what happens when Jean is offered a temporary reprieve from her new way of life because the President needs her expertise? Can she figure out a way to put a stop to this horrid movement before she, her daughter, and all American women are stripped of their voices?
Gosh, where to start with this book?! I’m always a big fan of books that really make me think and that get to me on an emotional level, and wow, does this book ever fit the bill in both of those categories! I think The Handmaid’s Tale and maybe The Hunger Games are the last two books I’ve read that got to me the same way Vox did. I was so angry the whole time I was reading and lost track of how many times I just wanted to fling it across the room. Why? I think because even though the book falls into the dystopian category, it just felt so darn plausible. Way too plausible, honestly, especially given the current administration in charge in the U.S. How many times have we heard this President make sexist and derogatory comments about women? I get the feeling that he and his cronies would be all too happy to shut women up if they could and so this book resonated with me immensely for that reason. If I wasn’t already an activist prior to reading Vox, it would definitely motivate me to become one.
In addition to how much it resonated with me and made me think about our government and how easily things could go horribly wrong if a radical movement were to take hold, I also loved how the author really thought of every little detail as she was building this dystopian version of America. My very first question while reading was why wouldn’t all women just flee the country as soon as they got wind of what the founders of this movement had in mind? The author took care of that right away by having their passports confiscated. And it was like that all along the way…every time I thought of something that made a world like this seem highly unlikely, Dalcher immediately came up with something that made it suddenly seem all too likely. She really thought of every little detail and made the idea of this kind of society frighteningly realistic, especially when she illustrates how this group pushes their agenda using the schools so as to indoctrinate them at a young age.
Another huge selling point of the book for me was, of course, the protagonist, Dr. Jean McClennan. Can you imagine being at the top of your field in such an important line of work and suddenly being told to go home and shut up? I felt tremendous sympathy for her, not just for her own loss of voice but also because she has to watch her daughter grow up accepting such a horrible way of life. I thought the author did an incredible job of portraying the array of emotions that Jean was feeling – the initial denial, the anger, the frustration, the growing hostility toward the men around her, including her own eldest son who seems to have immediately embraced the Pure Movement, all of it is palpable and as a mother, I found it all so easy to relate to.
Overall, I thought Vox was an incredibly well written and gripping read. The only real issue I had with it was that it felt like the ending wrapped up a little too quickly. It just felt a little rushed and like maybe a few things fell into place a little too conveniently.
Vox is an utterly terrifying book in part because even though it’s supposed to be a dystopian read, it seems like something that could easily happen if the wrong people were ever in power. It serves as a warning to us all to never take for granted what we consider to be our rights and to pay attention to what is going on at all levels of government. The world on display in Vox is reminiscent of what we see in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale so I’d definitely recommend to fans of that book and TV series.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.
On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial–this can’t happen here. Not in America. Not to her.
This is just the beginning.
Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.
But this is not the end.
For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.
About Christina Dalcher
Christina Dalcher earned her doctorate in theoretical linguistics from Georgetown University. She specializes in the phonetics of sound change in Italian and British dialects and has taught at universities in the United States, England, and the United Arab Emirates.
Her short stories and flash fiction appear in over one hundred journals worldwide. Recognitions include the Bath Flash Award’s Short List; nominations for The Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions; and multiple other awards. She teaches flash fiction as a member of the faculty at The Muse Writers Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency represents Dalcher’s novels.
After spending several years abroad, most recently in Sri Lanka, Dalcher and her husband now split their time between the American South and Naples, Italy.
Her debut novel, VOX, will be published in August 2018 by Berkley (an imprint of Penguin Random House).
Weekly Recap #65: Week of 8/5 – 8/11
/30 Comments/by Suzanne
It’s time for another weekly recap post of all things happening on and off the blog. This week I’ll be linking to the Sunday Post, which is hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and to Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.
I don’t have much to report here. I was busy but it was mainly with back-to-school preparations — shopping for supplies and new clothes, getting my kid a haircut so he doesn’t look like a wild man on the first day of school, going to the school to meet teachers and learn how to use lockers, etc. We also got our new soccer roster midweek so I feel like I’ve spent days on the phone calling parents with beginning-of-season info. I had two days off at the end of the week and they’re both a blur.
It was busy but I still managed to get a ton of reading done, mainly because I started thinking about my son going to middle school and got too anxious to sleep. Even with all of the extra books I added in, last night I started reading the final book on my Summer TBR Wipeout Challenge reading list. I don’t know if I’ll finish it before the challenge is over since it’s over 500 pages, but I’m thrilled to have read so many books this summer.
I’m also way behind on reviews and on blog visits again. The time just got away from me with everything else that was going on this week. We’re finally ready for school to start tomorrow though so I hope to work on getting caught up today. I think as far as the reviews go that I’m only going to write proper reviews for the ARCs on the list below and then just a sentence or two on the others as part of my final recap post for the Summer TBR Wipeout Challenge. My brain can’t handle being that many books behind so I need to do something to quickly get myself back on track.
Oh well, I think that’s it for me. I hope everyone else has a great week! 🙂
WHAT I POSTED LAST WEEK
- [5 Aug] Weekly Recap #64: Week of 7/29 – 8/4
- [6 Aug] The Point by John Dixon ★★★★
- [7 Aug] Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Book Mash-Ups That I’d Love to See
- [8 Aug] Can’t Wait Wednesday – GIVE THE DARK MY LOVE by Beth Revis
- [10 Aug] Letters to the Lost (Letters to the Lost, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer ★★★★★
- [10 Aug] Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch ★★★★
WHAT I’M READING THIS WEEK
UPCOMING REVIEWS
STACKING THE SHELVES
TOTALLY RANDOM