Review: I Hate Everything: A Day in the Life of a Teacher

I Hate Everything: A Day in the Life of a Teacher by Robert Lantana
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a unique book. I am not a teacher, although I have given lectures and taught students at a graduate school level, so the beginning of the book was a bit of a shock at first. Then many of the points mirrored my own experiences as the parent of four children, with the youngest in high school now. So many of the points made, very loudly in this small book, resonant as true in almost any public school system in the US. My children have gone through a magnet sort of school and yet it is underfunded, teachers underpaid and overburdened with responsibilities and everyone loses. The only people not losing are the administrators who earn the real money, what little there is of it, to be had in education. It feels like a reward for failing at the highest levels. Failing the teachers they serve, failing the students they serve, failing the schools they manage. Some of the answers are alluded to in the problems presented, such as in bringing up a study of failure rates on the "End of Course" tests while these same students earned their diplomas. I have seen the same thing, for instance, last year, my child took an advanced science class and earned 99-100 throughout the entire school year and just barely passed the EOC bringing her yearly grade down to a low A. So, is this a problem with the school, the teacher or my child? Was she too confident? Did she not study? Was the class watered down compared to the test?
This brings up another excellent point in the book, "Students should be held 100% accountable for their OWN learning". This is an absolute brilliant point and should be made by schools and educators daily. But, how are students to do this if they do not have the tools or the knowledge of what is expected of them in a course in order to successfully learn the material? The author mentions previously students having to work through problems in a textbook and then ask questions from there, whereas now there is a "learned helplessness" to education on the student's side. From my own kids' perspective I can see this is a huge issue as school budgets are crunched and there aren't textbooks or online books for everyone. The kids are left without the resources to do the work themselves thus relying even more on overburdened teachers for adequate and frequent communication. Unfortunately, this turns into a vicious circle of spotty communication, poor planning on everyone's part and missed learning opportunities.
There are many other, wonderful and correctly made points in this small book that are well worth the time.
My only criticisms are in the approach and some of the word choices. I am assuming, not knowing the author, that his rants are meant tongue in cheek out of frustration but as a parent I certainly do not want to think that teachers are constantly wanting to physically harm my child, even in their imaginations. So I am not sure this is the best way to win over the audience that may actually be on the same side of this fight. The other negative comment is that, while I agree wholeheartedly with the opinions of Trump and his election, it appears hypocritical to call him out for all of his -isms and then throw around the words "retarded" and "special ed" like its nothing. It seems to me that some degree of insight into the importance of being respectful towards the very people that Trump has openly mocked (especially those that cannot defend themselves) would be a better look.
Thank you for this ARC.
#Netgalley #DogEarPublishing #RobertLantana

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Review: The Majesties

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I appreciated some of what this book was trying to do. This is a story that centers on the tumultuous relationship between two sisters and their extended, large, Asian family. It begins explosively, with a mass murder/suicide by one sister killing 300 members of the family while leaving her sister barely alive, in a coma. She is piecing the events together from her hospital bed and so the story then goes into the build up of events.
Parts of this story are interesting, but while I was intrigued by the wealthy Asian family business background, it quickly became odd and not interesting really. This feels like it is trying to be a darker Crazy Rich Asians but it doesn't quite pull it off.
Not really my cup of tea. 2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3 stars
Thanks for the early copy #netgalley #atriabooks

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Review: The Dutch House

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went back and forth between reading the written book, which is gorgeous and listening to the beautifully read audiobook narrated by the voice of Tom Hanks as Danny. The book itself it wonderful. It is a family saga, following the Conroy family throughout their lives as they moved into "The Dutch House" while Danny and his older sister, Maeve were still children and into adulthood. The character develop was terrific and the interaction between the characters was so realistically portrayed.
I loved this family but even more so with the choice of Tom Hanks as the narrator as Danny. He was the perfect choice.
The spell that The Dutch House held over the lives of this family was extraordinary. Over a fifty year life-span, Maeve and Danny attach so much meaning to the icon of this house that it takes on a life of its own. Even when they move into adulthood and the life of careers and family and children, they are still focused on the house where they occasionally return to sit and observe it.
This is an amazing book that is highly recommended.
#TheDutchHouse #AnnPatchett #Harper

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Review: Tweet Cute

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tweet Cute was a truly engaging and surprisingly entertaining read. This book really was a fun read. It is a story about two families, one is focused on the teenage girl who is highly driven and living with her corporate mother in Manhattan after recently moving from her home in Nashville. Pepper, as she is called, is being pushed to handle the corporate Twitter account for her family's business. The other family is a local, "boy from the wrong neighborhood" kind of kid who is self-described as the class clown and is a twin. He feels himself to always be in his brother's shadow despite the two being identical. He winds up responsible for the tweeting for his family's small business account while juggling the responsibilities of a competitive high school.
This story brought a little of everything into a sweet YA contemporary setting. There are the usual high school issues for kids in a super competitive school would encounter, like every second being filled with an activity or tutoring or test prep for padding the applications. But there is so much more. There are family dynamics, including some that you don't anticipate. There is romance, relationships, friendships, cyberbullying and real life bullying and pranks. What crosses the line and what doesn't? And family dynamics....what makes a family tick?
This book handles some great topics with a balance between light and heavy extremely well. This is a highly recommended book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks for the eARC! #TweetCute #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #EmmaLord

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Review: The Better Liar

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is twisty story about two sisters whose complicated background resurfaces when their father passes away and his inheritance is contingent upon both of them being present to collect the money together. The complication is that the younger sister was a runaway many years before and therefore her older sister had to track her down in order to obtain her part of the money.
The older sister, Leslie is a working woman and new mom who takes a road trip to Los Vegas to try to track down her long lost sister. She thinks she has found her when she goes to the address given to her and instead finds her sister OD'd in her room. She is distraught at the idea that she may lose her inheritance because of this so as she befriends a waitress who happens to resemble her sister, she realizes that this woman could play the part of her sister, Robin for a few days to allow them each to have access to the money. There are many twists in the story and an interesting social/mental health commentary that was an important part of the story but one that at the outset I didn't necessarily see coming. I appreciated this part of the story and the direction it took.
All in all, this is a solid read. I would call it more mystery than thriller maybe. Definitely not a traditional thriller.
#TheBetterLiar #Netgalley #TanenJones #RandomHousePublishingGroup #BallantineBooks

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Review: The God Game

The God Game by Danny Tobey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I did not expect to be sucked into this book as much as I was! What a ride. The G.O.D. game if you play you are promised all your dreams come true but if you lose, you die. The catch is that this is a virtual reality game that merges the real lives of a group of techie high school kids with a game they have been drawn into as a group. The teens discover an internet game that is based on the input from all the religious texts out there as well as the philosophies of the World. This is then the AI version of GOD and answers as GOD would be expected to answer given these bases of knowledge. They decide to play as a group but the stakes are high. It becomes very reminiscent of "Ready Player One" or "Black Mirror" in the back and forth between the real and virtual worlds. The story highlights the highs and lows of each of the main characters lives and how these facts influence their decision making within the game.
An interesting aside is the occasional introspection of a character to reflect on subjects such as morality or what it really means to "be saved". I found these sections to be a nice addition to the rest of the story, adding depth to the group's story.
I was never bored. The story is compelling and weaves many different tales into a whole thread that leaves you truly invested.
Really well done and highly recommended.
#TheGodGame #Netgalley ##DannyTobey #StMartinsPress

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Review: Such a Fun Age

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a wonderfully rich book full of terrifically challenging situations and misunderstandings. The basic plot is a 25-year-old AA woman is hired to work as a sitter for an upper-middle class family in Pennsylvania. One night an incident occurs that the family feels would be too traumatic for their 3-year-old daughter to witness so they unexpectedly call their sitter in on her night off. She had been at a friend's birthday party and not dressed in her usual childcare attire, but she leaves the party and goes to their aid. She takes the child down the road to a upper crust grocer where a female customer alerts the security guard that a young girl might not be with her mother, thinking that this woman has taken the child. For some reason (racism), these folks believe that she is not being honest about why she has this little girl with her and detain her until the father arrives. This is the backdrop for the various situations woven through the story. This is an interesting character study regarding many aspects of social and racial interactions among others.
There were a few issues with the plot that seemed less than plausible which I found slightly distracting. Overall, this was really great and highly recommended.
#SuchAFunAge #Putnam #KileyReid

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Review: Dear Edward

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a poignant book, based on a true story and alternatively told through the eyes of the sole survivor of Flight 2977, 1 of 192 on board, a 12-year-old boy at the time. The story shifts back and forth between the aftermath of young Edward Adler's life following the loss of his family and his entire way of life to the happenings on board the flight itself. I found this alternating storyline to be intriguing and engaging. I was fully invested in the details of the atmosphere on board the flight during the cross country trip from NYC to LA and then the crash. I was equally invested in Edward's post-crash life and recovery.
This story was engaging on so many levels. I was drawn into the coping mechanisms that Edward used to try to go from enduring daily life once he moved into his aunt and uncle's home to his attempt to form a life for himself. The interactions with his aunt and uncle were interesting but the other relationships were predictably stilted in most cases, but expectedly so. His acceptance by the mother and daughter next door was beautifully written and explored.
I was also really drawn into the events on the airplane flight itself. Almost all of us have endured the airports and flights and hassles associated with traveling so to empathize with these characters prior to the crash, knowing the "way it ends for everyone but Eddie" was an interesting exercise in patience as I read. Part of me wanted to zip through those sections out of order to get through the painful parts of the actual crash and events leading to it. I loved the unique position Edward was in with respect to the family and friends who survived their loved ones and how this was discussed.
Highly recommend.
#DearEdward #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupRandomHouse #AnnNapolitano #TheDialPress

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Review: At the Wolf's Table

At the Wolf's Table by Rosella Postorino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Intense, historical fiction about young women in WW2 Germany who are called to serve Hitler directly as his personal food-tasters to ensure that he was not given poisoned food. The women were called from the local area and expected to do it for Germany. The trade-off benefit for them was to be well fed throughout the war while most were starving. The risk was dying from poisoning or other violence. Most of the women were either wives, sisters, relatives or friends to a young man who was serving in Hitler's military so their service was expected. The author did a good job at capturing the fear that would have permeated the initial situation facing the tasters who did not know each other, being sent into the dining room to eat their meals and fearing that the meal before them would be their last. Then, the transition that naturally happens as people start to become comfortable with each other and let their guard down, making light of what is intrinsically a grave situation. There are many difficult and tragic relationships throughout this book that do well to capture the atmosphere of the time well.
This was a captivating story for history buffs.
#AttheWolfsTable #RosellaPostorino

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Review: You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you have read anything else by this writing duo, then you are in for a treat. In my opinion, this is the best yet. This is a psychological thriller that is told from different points of view so you are never quite certain who the most reliable narrator is. The main protagonist is Shay Miller, a young woman who lives and works in NYC and is in an unsatisfying temp job currently who winds up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She witnesses a tragic death and has a difficult time dealing with the aftermath of her feelings about that. In the meantime, many of the other aspects of her life are changing and she is making some reckless decisions. Shay is then suddenly embraced into the world of friendship and caring from a group of friends that make her feel more at home in the city than she has to date. As strange things happen all around, the plot shifts and twists and turns occur to make for a compelling and eventful and even mostly believable story.
Highly recommended for the psychological thriller lovers out there.
#YouAreNotAlone #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #GreerHendricks #SarahPekkanen

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