#elise hooper

[mercerislandbooks]

Book Notes: Little Women

I’m sure I’m not alone in having a long-standing relationship with Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. My first introduction to the March sisters was the 1933 film starring Katherine Hepburn as feisty Jo, a VHS borrowed from the library as many times as I was allowed. Then I was given a lovely hardcover illustrated edition that I read to pieces. After that I sought out all the other Louisa May Alcott books I could find, scouring the shelves of the library and the corners of used bookstores. I followed the continuing story of the March sisters through Little Men and Jo's Boys. And soon became as enamored with Alcott's many other charming family stories laced through with morality, like Eight Cousins, Jack and Jill, and A Garland for Girls.

Of course, I loved the 1994 Little Women film with Winona Ryder. When I went to college across the country, I left my hardcover Little Women behind and purchased a paperback to take with me, for comfort reading in the midst of all my coursework. While on the East Coast, I visited Orchard House in Concord, and wandered around the rooms, picturing Louisa and her sisters (and the fictional Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy) within its walls. I continued to look for more obscure Alcott titles any time I browsed a used bookstore. And in the years since, I kept turning to Little Women, for the coziness of family togetherness despite hardship, the dreams of the girls as they grow into women, the trials of domestic life, and the silver linings in the midst of adversity. I may have put the March family on a bit of a pedestal. 

They say a marker of growth can be reading a beloved book as you age and seeing how it changes with you. As the years keep going by, I've grown to see the complexities of Little Women, and of the life of Louisa May Alcott herself. Some of that is certainly due to novelists who took on Little Women, or the Alcott family, bringing a fresh viewpoint to the familiar story. Books like March by Geraldine Brooks, The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper, and So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow. Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaption added to the mix, and now, over 30 years after my first encounter with Little Women, I love it still, but with a love that is more expansive and accepting of the humanity of the characters and the author. 

Island Books has a table filled with all things Louisa May Alcott in celebration of the Mercer Island High School Drama’s production of Little Women, adapted by Thomas Hischak. Check out this link for times and tickets!

— Lori

[airplanes924]

Books I've Read in 2023

Number 41

Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympic Team by Elise Hooper

[emmaswanned]

poltergeist (1982), dir. tobe hooper // insidious (2010), dir. james wan

[namenerdery]

Babies with interesting names born in Missouri between 2010-2015 [G, H & I]

Gabbrieanna Marie Gab'Bryellia Bernice-Mackenzie Gadge Haden Gadsden Rayge Gaia Quest Gaibryel James Gaidge Riean Gainzley Michael-Rose Gaitlynn Sophia Galadriel Grace Galahad Christopher Galaxie Brooklynn Gallatayah Maria Rene Gambit Axl Wade Garruck Micha Garrythe Thaddeus Nash Gatlynn Michaelleigh Gator Ryan Gaylord Herbert Genuine Jone Gettler Aloysius Gi'Ahvannee Messiah-Summer Gift Sandra-Santana Glory Reigns Goddess Unique Gohan Anakin Golden Lee Graeven Murdoc Graisyn Elouize Gravity Jay Grayclyn Mae Greyston James Greyzin Kage Gruxton Pierce Gunnyr Mitchell Gustarius Exzavier Guydence Wade Gwynavier Maridian Gynger Nicole Kayline

Hade Virgil Haedynce Rene Haelo Riley Haezliyn Joann Haggard Lane Hailiee-Dreu' Arie Hakunnamatata Raylynn Hallelujah Jane Handsome Alexander Johnson Happi Ness Allure Harbor Woodson Harden William Harlequinn Diane Harpoole Kenneth Harvest Uriah Hatcher Blaez Hattilyn Grace Hattison Claire Havoc Damien Hawklyn Eliza-Haze Heatley Austin Heavin Makay Helios Arrow Hennessy Alazay Henriana Averie England Heritage Jesse Samuel Hero Elise Hevanli Lei Evygen Hexton Bentley Heylove Lirik Hickory Anne Holiday Lyric Holiver Dakota Lane Honest Charles Honorable John William Hooper Stanley Hopper John Horizyn Sky Huckston Thomas Hughsden Channing Louis Hunt Felts Huntress Scarlett Anne Hurricane Emmet James Hyacinth Astra

Iamunique Sunshine Iceland Grace Iceseonia Danielle Marie Illisian Marie I'Ly Unique Im'Unique Marie Integrity Grace Jaclyn Isiabelle Persephone Marie Island Raqui-Giselle Italee Montana Izzaybella Viva Renee Izzlie Sue

[weirdesplinder]

Lista di libri con viaggi nel tempo in lingua straniera, Video n. 7

Questo fine 2022 invece dei soliti post dedicati ai libri natalizi o ai riassuntoni di cosa si è letto durante l’anno ho deciso di regalarvi una serie di post e video dedicati ai LIBRI CON VIAGGI NEL TEMPO: 7 video dedicati a 7 gruppi di libri con viaggi nel tempo suddivisi per genere: 1genere fantascientifico-classico, 2narrativa generale, 3 romance, 4 fantascienza di difficile reperbilità, 5 romance di difficile reperibilità, 6 young adult, 7inediti in italiano..

Ormai siamo all'ultimo giorno del 2022 e quindi ecco l'ultimo video dedicato ai viaggi nel tempo e ultima lista di suggerimenti:

-Titolo: A stitch in time Autore: Kelley Armstrong (3 libri)

Link: https://amzn.to/3pENpTe

Trama:   Thorne Manor è sempre stata infestata … e ha sempre perseguitato  Bronwyn Dale. Da giovane, Bronwyn poteva passare attraverso un passaggio  del tempo nella casa della sua prozia, e andare a trovare William  Thorne, un ragazzo della sua età, nato due secoli prima. Dopo una  tragedia familiare, la casa fu chiusa e Bronwyn si era convinta che  William esistesse solo nella sua immaginazione.  Ora, vent'anni dopo, Bronwyn eredita Thorne Manor. E quando torna,  William la sta aspettando.  William Thorne non è più il ragazzo che ricorda. È un uomo difficile e  tempestoso, la sua stessa vita segnata dalla tragedia e da uno scandalo  che lo ha costretto a ritirarsi in un esilio autoimposto nelle sue amate  brughiere. Inoltre, non è molto contento di Bronwyn per averlo  abbandonato tanti anni fa.  Mentre la loro amicizia si riaccende e si trasforma in qualcosa di più,  Bronwyn deve anche occuparsi dei fantasmi nella versione attuale della  casa. E presto si rende conto che sono collegati a William e allo  scandalo segreto che lo ha riportato a Thorne Manor.Kelley Armstrong di  solito non scrive historical romance e si sente nello stile che usa in  questo libro che è a tutti gli effetti un historical romance con un  pizzico di paranormal e di giallo. Lo stile a volte stride se penso ai libri delle mie  scrittrici preferite in ambito romance, ma questa piccola imperfezione  non cancella il fatto che è un gran bel libro, molto adatto a questo  periodo natalizio. Una favola romantica con viaggi nel tempo,  sicuramente adatta a voi se avete amato La straniera o il film Kate  & Leopold.

- Somewhere in time, di Richard Matheson

Link: https://amzn.to/3gWzaub

Ospite  di un vecchio hotel, Richard Collier vede la fotografia di Elise  McKenna, un attrice che si era esibita lì nel 1896, e mentre inizia a  fare ricerche su di lei, se ne innamora, finchè un giorno viene  trasportato nel passato, esattamente nel 1896.

- The Wizard of Seattle di Kay Hooper

Link:https://amzn.to/3HdgtNo

A magical story of timeless love and mesmerizing  fantasy. Set in modern-day Seattle and ancient Atlantis, Hooper spins a  tale of a young woman with a wild talent and the handsome wizard who  would risk everything to teach her a forbidden art–and taste a  forbidden love.

- Replay, di Ken Grimwood (questo ho scoperto è disponibile anche in italiano se vi interessa!)

Link: https://amzn.to/3GZLbtv

Jeff  Winston non sapeva di essere un replayer—almeno finchè non morì. Poi si  risvegliò più giovane di venticinque anni, visse un altra vita e poi  morì ancora…e visse ancora….e morì ancora….

- Flash forward, di Robert J. Sawyer

Link: https://amzn.to/3EWAC7Z

A  causa di un problema un esperimento scientifico fallisce in modo molto  grave e causa gravi ripercussioni. Infatti causa a tutte le coscenze  umane un salto in avanti di venti anni.

[bargainsleuthbooks]

WWW Wednesday December 23

WWW Wednesday December 23

It’s Wednesday, so it’s time to take a look at what I’ve read, what I’m reading, and what I’m planning on reading. The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next? It’s been a week of quarantine here with my oldest daughter testing positive for the virus. So far, no one else has displayed symptoms, and luckily my…

[bigtickhk]

Learning to See by Elise Hooper https://amzn.to/2MLlGOt

[dontdenymeshakespeare]

Christmas & Birthday Book Haul

My birthday is two days after Christmas, so I’ve gotten in the habit of writing one combined list and sending that out. It usually culminates in me having masses of new books by the end of December.   The first book was one that wasn’t on the list, but Mum got for me because of my travel blog (there’s a link to it on the home page of this one.) It’s The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2008. I’ve read…

[mixedbagofships]

Well, that sucks. That’s why you control your emotions, Adam.

[mercerislandbooks]

50 Years of Island Books: Elise Hooper

A native New Englander, Elise Hooper spent several years writing for television and online news outlets before getting a MA and teaching high-school literature and history. Her debut novel The Other Alcott was a nominee for the 2017 Washington Book Award. Three more novels—Learning to See, Fast Girls, and Angels of the Pacific—followed, all centered on the lives of extraordinary but overlooked historical women. Elise now lives in Seattle with her husband and two teenage daughters. You can read a great interview she did with Kelleen back in 2020 for the release of Fast Girls here.

Miriam: I loved The Other Alcott and Fast Girls. We're big fans and happy to have you on the blog. Let's start with your first visit to Island Books. Where were you in your career then, and what stood out about the store?

Elise: If I remember things correctly, I was on Mercer Island because my younger daughter had swim practice at the Mercerwood Shore Club. This must have been sometime in the winter of 2017 because it was already dark and rainy and my first book, The Other Alcott, had not yet been released. Usually when my daughter had these practices, I'd find a spot in the clubhouse and work on my second book, but I was feeling restless and had just heard about Island Books, so I decided to drop off the swim carpool kids and go on a little literary island adventure. Because, duh, why work when you can visit a bookstore? 

When I walked in the bookstore, I found the staff gathered around an opened bottle of champagne and they were celebrating, although I can't remember what the occasion was. The amazing part was that they poured me a glass and we started chatting. Instantly I felt at home. Books, bubbles, and smiling, welcoming faces on a dark and rainy night? Clearly the store was my kind of place. That evening marked the beginning of a great relationship.

Miriam: Seriously, why work when you can visit a bookstore? I love that you jumped right into our party. One of the reasons I enjoy your books so much is they bring often-overlooked stories of female perseverance into the spotlight. Do you have a theory as to why those stories resonated so much with our Island Books customers?

Elise: People always seem to enjoy stories about ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things. I think it's because we all hope we're capable of extraordinary things--and for the record, I firmly believe we are! We like to be inspired and what's more inspiring than a good underdog story? Let's face it, most of us, especially women, can relate to being underestimated. All my books are about women who are underestimated, but who then strike back to defeat the odds stacked against them, and sometimes we all need a nudge to remember that we too are capable of greatness. Does this mean we all need to run out and become Olympians, award-winning photographers, or survive a world war to be great? Nope, not at all. Each of us needs to figure out what greatness means for us. 

Miriam: That's insightful, and when I think about it, some of the bestselling titles over the years at Island Books have been underdog stories, like the The Boys in the Boat and The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo. The survival of an independent bookstore in the age of Amazon is also an underdog story, so it's no wonder we like to champion those books. Perhaps a 50th anniversary is the nudge we all need to remember that we, too, are capable of greatness.

To our Island Books customers, we're getting dangerously close to the big 5-0 anniversary, so it's almost time to wrap up this series. For my next-to-last installment, I dragged the Island Books staff into a conference room and played detective. If we went to work with them in the store for a month, what would we learn about bookstore life? What are their biggest challenges? If they had a million dollars to improve the book industry or promote literacy, how would they spend it? All this and more will be revealed next time we meet.

—Miriam

[bballinspiration]

It is no secret that second-year guard Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat has become quite the celeb, and internet sensation very early in his career. He bursted onto the scene last season, especially in the bubble, averaging 16 ppg in the playoffs to help take the Miami Heat to the finals.

Herro, who has dubbed nicknames such as Wonder Boy and Baby GOAT, has certainly shown flashes of some star potential. However, he is very early in his development still, at just 21, and some think his celebrity lifestyle is a big cause for concern.

For starters, his high-profile “celebrity” romance with social media influencer Katya Elise Henry is quite public on the internet, including some provocative videos on the internet.

Herro’s twitter handle is raf_tyler, meaning ‘rich and famous’.

Along with the relationship, Herro also has ties with rapper Jack Harlow, who famously titled a song after the hooper which released in October of 2020. Herro was featured in the music video, and has been seen with Harlow at many events since.

Tyler does his own rapping as well, making a few tracks with teammate Kendrick Nunn.

The concern comes from these being Tyler’s priorities, above developing and potentially reaching his superstar potential. Amidst his recent struggles, and the Heat clinging to 7th in the East standings, there are questions being asked.

Ira Winderman, a reporter for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, said in a recent interview “Tyler Herro chose to be a celebrity, to become something outside the game, as is his right”. Winderman went on to mention that a player doing that so early in his career can raise eyebrows from veteran players, specifically Tyler’s teammates in Miami.

Co-host Ethan Skolnick added on “Ultimately, the team starts to get a level of concern. In this particular case, the team has been concerned for months now.”

This is not a good look for Herro, who seemed like one of the league’s brightest stars less than a year ago, but may be losing even the trust of his teammates.

[letterboxd]

Satisfied?

We examine what Letterboxd reviews of Hamilton reveal about the musical’s cultural currency in 2020.

In this absolutely insane year, when our love of movies feels helpless in the face of pandemic-induced economic collapse, some extremely good decisions are being made on behalf of audiences. Studio Ghibli on streaming platforms. Virtual screenings to support art house cinemas. Free streaming of many important films about Black experience. And: Disney+ releasing the filmed version of Hamilton: An American Musical—recorded at the Richard Rodgers Theater in 2016 with most of its original Broadway cast—a year ahead of schedule, on Independence Day weekend.

“Superlative pop art,” writes Wesley of the filmed musical. “Hamilton wears its influences and themes on its sleeve, and it’s all the better for it. Lin-Manuel Miranda and his team employ an unlikely cocktail of not only hip-hop and showtunes, but also jazz (‘What’d I Miss?’), British-Invasion pop-rock (‘You’ll Be Back’), folk music (‘Dear Theodosia’) and Shakespeare (‘Take a Break’) in service of developing an impressively vast array of themes. This is a testament to the power of writing, an immigrant narrative, a cautionary tale about ambition, a tragic family drama, and a reevaluation of who decides the narrative of history.”

2016 may only be a half-decade ago, but it feels like an eon in American political years. With theaters dark and America’s long record of racism under urgent scrutiny, the complex smash-hit lands back in the spotlight at an interesting time. Is Hamilton “the most offensive cultural artefact of the last decade”, as Lee writes? Or “timeless and wholly of the moment”, as Tom suggests? The answer, according to a deep read of your Letterboxd reviews, is “all of the above”.

First things first: why now?

Sophie has a theory:

“Disney executive: Hey we’re losing a lot of money because our parks are closed. How do we start making money again?

Other Disney executive: It might be nice, it might be nice… to get Hamilton on our side.”

Sure, business. Still, it’s historically unprecedented that a Broadway show of this caliber (a record-setting sixteen Tony nominations, eleven wins, plus a Grammy and a Pulitzer) would be filmed and released to the public while it’s still, in a Covid-free universe, capable of filling theaters every night. Will people stay away when Broadway reopens because they’re all Disney+’d out?

No chance, reckons Erika. “I’d still kill to see Hamilton live with any cast… I get why producers are afraid that these videos might hurt ticket sales, but I’m fucking ready to buy a ticket and fly to NY one day just to see as many shows as I can after watching this.”

Not every musical fan has the resources to travel, often waiting years for a touring version to come near their hometown. And even if you do live in a town with Hamilton, the ticket price is beyond many; a daily lottery the only way some of us get to go. So Holly-Beth speaks for many when she writes: “I entered the Hamilton lottery every day for almost two years but I never got to be in the room where it happens… however, this 4K recording of the original cast will do very nicely for now! Finally getting to see the context and performances after obsessing over the music for years was so, so satisfying.”

“Finally” is a common theme. Sydnie writes, “I love this musical with every fiber of my body and it was an extraordinary experience finally getting to watch it in Australia”. Flogic: “To finally be able to put the intended visuals to a soundtrack that I’ve had on repeat for such a long time: goosebumps for 160 minutes.” Newt Potter: “Now I fully understand people’s love for this masterpiece of a musical!”

I’ve got a small query for you.

Where’s the motherfucking swearing? Unsurprisingly, Disney+ comes with some limitations. For Hamilton, it’s the loss of a perfectly placed F-word.

“I know Disney is ‘too pure’ to let a couple of ‘fucks’ slip by,” writes Fernando, “but come on, it’s kind of distracting having the sound go out completely when they sing the very satisfying ‘Southern Motherfucking Democratic Republicans!’ line.”

Will agrees: “Disney cutting ‘motherfucking’ from ‘Washington on Your Side’ felt like sacrilege akin to Mickey Mouse taking an eyebrow pencil to the Mona Lisa.”

Nevertheless, sings Allison:

“Even tho Disney stripped the story of its f***s, Don’t think for a moment that it sucks.”

(Yes, she has a vegan alert for Hamilton.)

Does it throw away its shot?

The crew filmed two regular shows in front of live audiences, with additional audience-less sessions for a dolly, crane and Steadicam to capture specific numbers. The vast majority of you are satisfied. “It’s the most engaging and expertly crafted life filming I’ve seen since Stop Making Sense,” writes ArtPig. “The film does an incredible job of placing you right in the action. It feels like the best seat you could get in the theater. You can see the sweat and spit.”

“Translates perfectly onto the small screen,” agrees Ollie. “There’s a level of intimacy that feels hard to replicate in any other filmed production. We see those close ups, the passion and gusto behind every actor’s performance.”

“Shockingly cinematic for something filmed on such a small stage,” is Technerd’s succinct summary, while Paul praises director Thomas Kail: “He knows when to back away along with moving nearer when appropriate, and the choices always serve to govern the power and stamina of the performances.”

Though cast members’ voices were recorded on individual audio tracks, Noah had a few quibbles with the sound quality. “Some of the audio capture is off in the recording, sometimes voices being too soft or too loud. It’s not immersion breaking, but it is noticeable enough to irk me a little in pivotal moments. Some of the shot composition doesn’t fully work either. Of course nothing is going to be as good as seeing it in person.”

Robert, recalling another recent cinematic escapade of musical theater, lets his poetry do the talking:

“This will do for now until the true movie’s made, Though if Hooper directs, there’ll be an angry tirade.”

I think your pants look hot.

Hamilton fans have their cast favorites, but something about being able to see Jonathan Groff’s spittle and Leslie Odom Jr’s scowls in 4K has you losing it all over again. Several specific shout-outs we enjoyed:

“Daveed Diggs the Legend! Go watch Blindspotting (2018), it’s one of the best movies ever!” —Kyle

“It’s hard to believe anyone will ever top Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr. I already loved him from the original cast recording, but seeing his full performance in all its glory was just godly.” —Erika

“Thankful that it was made possible for me to view with such clarity the phenomenon that is Renée Elise Goldsberry and spectacular Phillipa Soo.” —Thea

“Daveed Diggs was electrifying and Jonathan Groff was absolutely hilarious. If they interacted together the stage would’ve combusted from the sheer will of their talent.” —Nick

This is not a game.

On one hand, the release of Hamilton is sweet relief for music theater nerds riding out the pandemic. A generation of kids knows every word by heart, rapping (this version of) American history like it’s no thing. On the other, the Obama-era musical already feels behind-the-times, even for many Hamilton lovers, and the filmed version has brought that into sharp focus.

“I listened to the OG cast album about 50 times when it came out, the production is about as good as I’d always hoped,” writes Josh. “Since then however there’s been a very important and broader reckoning with the failures of neoliberalism and the Obama years ([from] which this has to be the most emblematic piece of art) and for me personally a drifting further to the left that has resulted in a very different relationship with the material. So my feelings today are a bit more complicated.”

“Hamilton is extremely non-committal about its politics,” writes Sting. “It doesn’t examine much of what Hamilton dictated besides ‘he wants complete financial control of the country’ (which would sound like a fucking supervillain in any other context, including reality).”

That lack of political commitment, reckons Morgan, is what helped Hamilton as a musical become so popular: “It’s fun. It’s catchy. It interweaves trendy and socially relevant artistic tools to infer a subversive subtext, while simultaneously sanitizing and, at times, flat out fabricating the historical narrative and downplaying the brutality of the true origin story, for the sake of appeasing those in power. Classic Bill Shakespeare stuff.”

History has its eyes on you.

Much criticism lies with the fundamental storytelling decision to make a modern ruckus about America’s Founding Fathers, the men (including Alexander Hamilton) who in the late eighteenth century united the thirteen colonies and co-wrote the Constitution. Undisputed titans of history, they also have blood on their hands, and HoneyRose writes that the musical “glorifies these men, and paints them as self-sacrificing heroes, and honestly normalizes and validates slavery, as well as the behavior of slave owners.”

Stevie, who saw the Broadway production as well as the filmed version, confesses: “I’ve tried (I’ve really tried) to understand what makes people lose their minds over this but I’m still completely baffled by the hype… These were horrible men and a romanticism of them through song and dance just seems entirely misguided.”

Sean is not convinced that Hamilton is a hagiography. “I can’t imagine anyone watching all of this and thinking it paints a portrait of the Founding Fathers as anything other than childish, greedy, venal and self-aggrandizing.” Wesley agrees: “I don’t think Hamilton is trying to be a history lesson, so much as a lesson about how we think about history. It’s a compelling human story told in a revolutionary way.”

That “revolutionary way” is the musical’s central conceit: that of a cast-of-color playing the white founding fathers as they bumble towards independence. Journalist Jamelle Bouie, who regards the musical as “fun, exciting, innovative and, at points, genuinely moving,” wrestles with the “celebratory narrative in which the Framers are men to admire without reservation. Through its casting, it invites audiences of color to take ownership of that narrative, as if they should want to take ownership of a narrative that white-washes the history of the revolution under the guise of inclusion.”

It’s complicated for Matt, too: “It’s widely agreed upon that the show encapsulates the Obama era better than anything, how it coddles white liberals with a post-racial vision of history in a superficial sense, overlooking the insidious and oppressive systems that they benefit from (hearing the audience clap to ‘Immigrants, we get the job done’ unsettled me). Of course hopefully its legacy will be that it opened up more Broadway roles for POC. But I really think that the show doesn’t make Broadway more appealing and accessible to POC, it just makes hip hop more accessible to white people, a launching pad of course to listening to Watsky or something.

“No hate though to anyone that’s completely in love with this, it’s definitely worth seeing despite any hang ups.”

I wanna build something that’s gonna outlive me.

The story doesn’t end, just because the music does. Kai_Kenn has a suggestion: “I have been a part of discussions that dissect the culture that created Hamilton, as well as the culture that Hamilton created, and whether or not Hamilton appropriately addresses the modern issues [that] the cult following proposes it does.

“This is an ongoing discussion that I am trying to be an active listener in and, if you consider yourself to be a conscientious consumer of art, you should too.”

Noah is on board with that: “Reflecting on the past and focusing on the future are not two mutually exclusive actions. Both are a must, regardless of who you are or what you do. A five-star experience in a four-and-a-half-star film. I think that’s just fine.”

Related content

Want to see more of the key cast? Watch Daveed Diggs in ‘Blindspotting’; Renée Elise Goldsberry in ‘Waves’, Jonathan Groff repeat his role as Kristoff in ‘Frozen 2’, Lin-Manuel Miranda in ‘Mary Poppins Returns’, Leslie Odom Jr. in ‘Harriet’, Phillipa Soo in the forthcoming ‘Broken Hearts Gallery’, Christopher Jackson in the forthcoming ‘In The Heights’, Jasmine Cephas Jones in ‘The Photograph’, Okiereriete Onaodowan in ‘A Quiet Place II’ and Anthony Ramos in ‘Monsters and Men’ and ‘A Star is Born’.

Ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement

Official Black Lives Matter’s Resources

Teenagers that have ‘Hamilton’ stuff on their bedroom walls

Films where they mention ‘Hamilton’

[kryptonkaleidoscopes]

“The Other Alcott” review has been posted!

https://robyntocker.weebly.com/the-other-alcott.html

[disneybooksandanimearemylife]

The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper

Just finished reading this novel and let me tell you,  there were a couple passages that hit too close to home.

PLOT: May Alcott (sister to Louisa Alcott; author of Little Women) had received a few reviews concerning her illustrations that were published along with her sister's novel. While the novel itself received high praise, her drawings however were slandered to the public. Not one critic like a single thing about her sketches. At first, May takes this as hint to perhaps quit drawing and lead the life of a normal girl in the 1800's. But through shear will and determination;  not to mention travelling to the otherside of the world to countries such as Italy, France, London, and Switzerland she may just make a name of her own.

PROS: May Alcott Is a truly fleshed out character.  She can be selfish and a bit bratty, stubborn for sure. At the same time though she care about her family as well as her art and trying to improve on it. Which is why we as the reader can understand her internal struggle when multiple times In the story either she herself goes back to America or Louisa tells her to. The characters she meets along journey range from delightful to kind of mean spirited. Her husband Earnest is one of the sweetest men I have ever read. Even after their marriage he does not stop her from pursuing her dreams and he grants her every wish. What a selfless and caring man (I wish I had one).

CONS: while the side characters are fun to think about, there are just WAY too many of them. There were even a couple of timesmall where I got a friend Alice confused with May's sister Anna. Plus maybe I'm just reading too deep into it but I'm thought Louisa was perhaps a bit too cold. I mean she's the oldest sisterms in the family but that doesn't equal to her being the wisest. There are time where I caught myself thinking " why don't you do it Louisa? You've earned more than enough!"

All in all I enjoyed it very much. It even reins paired me to continue my artwork despite what others have said to me. I give this an 8/10.

[authorstalker]

My October Reads

Startup, Doree Shafrir - Tech bros and journalists, fun-loving millennials and moms returning to the workforce, all together in open-plan office hell where Slack is always on and HR departments don’t exist. This is a fast book, a funny book, and from my experience working in a New York City startup, a depressingly accurate book! Pair this book with any article about a Shitty Man in Media and pour yourself a yuuuuge glass of wine -- you’re gonna need it.

The Beautiful Bureaucrat, Helen Phillips - I brought this with me on my Miami vacation and it was a perfect contrast to sunshine and bikinis. It’s creepy and super short, a nice little palate cleanser of a book. 

Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham - I love Lauren Graham, I love Gilmore Girls, I love Parenthood, I love reading about how people built their careers. Basically, there was no way this book could disappoint me, but I was delighted by how much it exceeded my expectations. If you’re a Gilwhores fan, you’ll love the chapter where Lauren Graham rewatches the show and gives a season-by-season recap of her memories on set. If you’re a writer or aspiring writer, she has a chapter of the BEST writing advice. If you’re a fan of romance, get ready to swoon over her relationship with Peter Krause.

The Wedding Date, Jasmine Guillory - Tacos & doughnuts & sex, oh my! I was lucky enough to borrow an ARC (thaaaank you, Kate) and no joke, I read this book in one sitting, start to finish, with an evil grin on my face the entire time. It’s a perfect romance and it comes out on February 6 -- mark your calendar this instant.

Still Life, Louise Penny -  An intelligent, cozy mystery, and lucky for me, it's the first in a series! 1) I love Chief Inspector Armand Gamache; 2) I love the town of Three Pines and all of its residents; 3) I love the (MANY) descriptions of sandwiches and baked goods and scotch and cafe au lait. Deeeelicious. 

The Other Alcott, Elise Hooper - Alright Little Women fans, I’m going to be real: you all think you’re a Jo, but you’re probably closer to an Amy, right? Right. And you shouldn’t be ashamed! Amy wanted to be an artist and she wanted to be rich. She wanted to see the world and she wanted a hot guy by her side. I can relate! Whether the real life Amy (Louisa’s sister, May) could relate is the question at the heart of this novel, which is so interesting and you’ll learn so much about history and art and how women artists were shunned and mistreated. I couldn’t shut up about this book, just ask my hot husband. 

[bargainsleuthbooks]

Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympic Team by Elise Hooper

Do you like watching the Olympics? I Sure do, which is why I was so eager to read Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympic Team #abebooks #amazon #kindle #fasthgirls #elisehooper #1936olympics #olympics #bookreview #bargainsleuth

I love everything about the Olympics. I’ve thrown parties on the opening nights of Olympic ceremonies. I watch as much coverage as I can. Summer or Winter Olympics, it doesn’t matter. I enjoy it all. So when I saw a fictional account of women vying for the 1936 Olympics team, I put Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team (Amazon) (AbeBooks) on my TBR list. Then, Amazon had a kindle…