For What It's Worth


Monday, June 4, 2018

monday minis


Happy Monday everyone!

Reading has been a struggle for me lately. I’m been having fun gardening instead but living in Florida’s heat and humidity puts a limit on that sort of activity. I expect to start my summer hibernation and dive back into reading soon.

I’ll also be heading to ALA (the American Library Association conference) later this month so I need to sprint to the finish to clear out more of shelves before…adding more books to my shelves. lol

So here are a few books I did manage to read the past few weeks.


32333296A summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream.

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind… ~
Goodreads

Source: Library

My thoughts: I had the hardest time getting into this one at first due to the 3rd person pov. It felt like Amelia was running through a shopping list rather than telling a story but once the drama kicked in Stay Sweet was a perfect summer concoction of a read. It has an innocent, retro feel with complicated and changing friendships, a touch of romance and ice cream! Amelia’s story is tied in with the diary of the woman who founded the all girl ice cream shop and both narratives tie in nicely together by the end. I thought bringing a boy into the mix was going to make this a war of sexes kind of story but Grady is a good guy and other than a few differing opinions – he wasn’t made into the enemy.

A little slower and quieter kind of story but cute.



34499234A YA memoir of surviving sexual abuse in the Air Force academy. This is a story that needs to be told and refuses to go away.

I want to be in the Air Force someday.


These are the words Polo Tate engraves on her junior dog tags at age eleven. An unpopular dream for most young girls, but her hard work pays off and at age eighteen, Polo finds herself in Basic Training at the United States Air Force Academy.


She does everything right, except fly under the radar. No one prepares her for what comes next. Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of her superior. Betrayal at the highest levels of authority. Harassment from her peers, who refuse to believe her story.


Deep Dark Blue by Polo Tate is more than a memoir about sexual assault. It’s about breaking boundaries but also setting them. It's about learning to trust your instincts. It's a story of survival, resilience, and finally, finding your joy. ~
Goodreads

Source: ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

My thoughts: I kind of hate reviewing memoirs because it is a persons real life story. I don’t really want judge that in any way - you know? Deep Dark Blue tells Polo Tate’s story of abuse – physical, sexual and emotional – after she embarks on her dream of joining Basic Training at the Air Force Academy. It’s clear right away what the culture is and that a certain amount of abuse is both encouraged and tolerated or ignored.

Tate bravely tells her horrifying story and how she fought her way out of the self doubt and pain from her experience. Not an easy read, obviously, but a story that is as powerful as it is harrowing. And ultimately hopeful.

Currently Reading:

36373464

I’m about 30% in and it’s cute but….eh. Not loving it as much as I had hoped but maybe it will kick in. I seem to be having a lot of slow starts with my books lately but end up enjoying them. We’ll see…

What are you reading this week?

36 comments:

  1. First person is hard to do well, it seems, but I'm glad the book turned out well! I don't really read memoirs, so I've never really thought about how it might be strange to review them!

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  2. Oooh the ALA! I seen an announcement that Michelle Obama is speaking at the conference, what an amazing opportunity to hear her speak, I'm so incredibly envious. I've been watching all the convention posts this week and really excited for all the new and upcoming books in young adult especially. I'm absolutely dying for a copy of A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi so if you see one, make sure to grab it so I can live vicariously through you. From Twinkle, With Love is on my immediate TBR as well, I've heard that it's not as great as When Dimple Met Rishi but hopefully it picks up for you soon Karen ♥♥♥

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    1. Unfortunately, I'm going as a blogger so no MO for me *cries*

      I finished Twinkle last night and it was okay - IMO of course - but there was a lot going on.

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  3. ALA sounds awesome. One day I want to make it to one. Stay Sweet sounds cute but I don't love 3rd person POV.

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    1. It was a struggle. There were also a few passages by the ice cream shop founder written in tiny script and man that was tough to read - even with glasses lol

      I'm looking forward to ALA. It's more laid back than BEA.

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  4. I really want to read From Twinkle, With Love. It looks like such a cute book.

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  5. I get that way and struggle to sit still and get into a book when I have other tasks to do, especially gardening which I enjoy. Hope you get through your shelved books before ALA.
    It's interesting you say that about memoirs. I never know what to say beyond I liked reading it. It should just be like a fictional book critique, but it isn't.

    Have a good week, Karen!

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  6. Thanks for sharing. I haven't read any of these, but I'm glad they were mostly good. It's definitely hard to review people's life stories! I'm curious about Twinkle, but I don't know when I'll get to it - I hear mostly mixed things.

    I'm so jealous you're going to ALA. I'd love to meet you, and it's in NOLA! You'll have to let me know about any fun LGBT+ books you find.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I didn't love Twinkle. There's a lot going on and she got to be pretty frustrating at times.

      Did you go to BEA this year? I know you've been to some of the cons.

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  7. I would die in Florida, I can not even imagine it

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    1. Yeah - while everyone else hides in winter - I hide in the summer lol

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    1. Thanks Mary. I'm actually having a great week - just not with reading or blogging lol

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  9. You are getting ready to start hibernating while we are coming out. I don’t miss living in Phoenix in the summer. I hear ya, I have been hit or miss with reading and it will get worse over the next few weeks as I will be so busy. I just finished Twinkle this morning on audio. I wasn’t loving it at first either. It was good but it not fantastic. It does turn around and gets way better at the end.

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    1. hehe - winter is my active time of year. It's too hot to do anything in the summer!

      Twinkle was okay. Not awful but not as cute as I was hoping.

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  10. I've seen SO MUCH hype for From Twinkle. I'm sorry you aren't enjoying it more!

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    1. I finished the other day and thought it was just okay. Bummer

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  11. Deep Dark Blue doesn't sound like an easy read at all

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    1. No, it wasn't - that's for sure. But it ended on a hopeful note.

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  12. ALA. Wow, sounds exciting Karen. Have fun :)

    xx
    Vanessa
    Blushing Geek

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    1. I haven't been to a book conference in a few years so I'm looking forward to it.

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  13. Yup, I'm having the same problem here in Texas. I'm paper crafting like mad but with the heat I have to have multiple fans and the not so good AC on and that is a disaster with paper. Lol. Here's hoping the summer passes quickly and the heat goes away soon.

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    1. I'm imagining paper flying all around lol

      We;ve had so much rain too so it's sooooooo humid already.

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  14. I've been a bit slumpy with my reading too lately! Hopefully Twinkle catches your interest soon and you can power through it. It isn't too hot yet in my neck of the woods, which is good because we've been outside a lot with our new puppy! YES THAT'S RIGHT, NEW PUPPY. Her name's Freya and she's a Wheaton. She is an angelic demon baby and I love her. 😍😂

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    1. PUPPY!!!! Congratulations!

      I finished Twinkle and it was okay. Cute enough to not regret reading but not WOW lol

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  15. I know what you mean about writing reviews about memoirs. It's hard to decide what to say without judging the person themselves. I usually just focus on the writing and if the book as readable and interesting.

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    1. I had a few issues with how she told the story but honestly, it's her story to tell and it was still powerful and raw and I can't add anything to that doesn't make me sound like an ass so...

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  16. I feel about the same as you right about now. I want to be reading all the books but bringing myself to stay focused has been a struggle. Best wishes on getting through a few before ALA!

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    1. I'm like...read 10 pages - i need a snack. Gets distracted by everything else. Don't get back to reading until bed time. Reads another 10 pages. goes to sleep. lol

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  17. As a fellow Floridian, I feel your pain. The humidity has been brutal lately.

    3rd person POV is so hit or miss with me. Sometimes it really hampers my ability to connect with the story because I feel so removed from it all.

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    1. I didn't know you were in FL! The rain and heat have made it feel like a sauna!!

      I have read 3rd person pov and liked it but in this case - she was very young sounding to begin with - and this just made it worse.

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  18. Personally I hate summer. Any hot weather really and the last time I went to Florida I swore I would never go back in the summer. So I feel sorry for you. I don't think I could handle Deep Dark Blue-I would get so angry I wouldn't finish- know myself.

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  19. It's just too bad because I had hopes that Twinkle would be better than Dimple!

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  20. LOL yeah North Carolina is killing me with the sauna experience today. We have very similar weather to yall (unfortunately). I'm an inside only girl at the moment. Hope some of your books catch your interest soon!

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  21. I never managed to get into From Twinkle WIth Love and I want to try again because I was in to no books when I tried to read it. Fingers crossed it's a slow starter for you. Stay Sweet seems like it's appropriately named being a cute YA read that I would totally enjoy over the summer months.

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