https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w Share your recommendations here. (I've left off re-read a favorite, local author, local history, and recommended by a friend, since those will be personal to you.) en-us 2022-01-18 01:10:39 UTC 2024-07-22 22:20:09 UTC hello@padlet.com heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996811478 This is an interesting family story, especially if you've liked Reid's other books - Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Mick Riva plays a bit part in both of those books. This one dives into his back story, but is centered on his children. ]]> 2022-01-18 01:19:56 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996811478 heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996815362 This would also work for memoir. Qian tells the story of her life as an undocumented child of two Chinese professors who are forced to take demeaning, low-paying jobs in New York City, when they try to ensure a better life for their daughter. ]]> 2022-01-18 01:23:18 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996815362 heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996820001 The author, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, is one of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard. She has committed herself to tell the stories of undocumented Americans who have not had her good fortune in escaping the struggle, interwoven with her own experiences. ]]> 2022-01-18 01:27:36 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996820001 heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996855435 At 94 pages, this book takes a tough, autobiographical look at the women in Dorothy Allison's family (author of Bastard Out of Carolina). ]]> 2022-01-18 01:56:36 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996855435 heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996862989 Jenny Lawson manages to write personal essays about depression and anxiety in a way that is simultaneously humorous, honest, and touching. I find her hilarious, and think fans of David Sedaris will appreciate her style. As with his books, I appreciate her work most when read by her. Right after listening to this one, I tracked down Furiously Happy.]]> 2022-01-18 02:03:01 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996862989 heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996898677 Phuc immigrated with his family to a small town in Pennsylvania in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. Finding his place isn't easy, and he faces abuse and racism, but he manages to share his path through with humor. As different as our personal experiences growing up were, I found this very relatable. ]]> 2022-01-18 02:35:49 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996898677 heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996902241 I really enjoyed reading Michael J. Fox's thoughts on life after battling a debilitating disease for thirty years. He manages to be real, while maintaining hope and humor. ]]> 2022-01-18 02:38:33 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996902241 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996997742 Reviewed by Penelope Riley

Written in free verse with Mary Rand Hess. High school juniors, Noah and Walt (aka Swing) want to lose their geek image and become the cool kids. Noah and Sam have been best friends since 3rd grade but he wants to move that forward. Walt loves jazz, baseball, factoids about people’s deaths and the girl from the thrift store. The end is shocking but maybe not surprising. You will care about these characters. Definitely recommend.]]> 2022-01-18 03:59:40 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1996997742 heatherpurcell3 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1998606601 Gorman is such a singular talent. Her poetry is gorgeous and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this in audiobook format, with her reading her own work. ]]> 2022-01-18 17:51:23 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1998606601 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1998970690 I absolutely loved this book, it was beautiful and I enjoyed every second of it and highly recommend it to everyone. ]]> 2022-01-18 20:43:18 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1998970690 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999037594 A collection of speeches from a variety of incredible women including Malala, Sojourner Truth, Michelle Obama and Jacinda Ardern. ]]> 2022-01-18 21:28:53 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999037594 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999039587 2022-01-18 21:30:20 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999039587 angiemc https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999491793 The story starts with Tiffany in jail for drug possession. We learn that she is an addict and the power of her story is the candor in which she helps us understand how hard it is to fight addiction. There are many surprises within this memoir that the author reveals along the way. Also, Tiffany tells her story with humor! 5⭐️]]> 2022-01-19 04:08:13 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999491793 angiemc https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999504518 This book! Her telling of being a teen embarrassed by her mom, and especially as a Korean-American, is eye-opening. Yet, as she describes her heroic attempts to save her mom from cancer, and how she calls on  making Korean dishes to reconnect with the memory of her mom—here lies the true heart of the story. ]]> 2022-01-19 04:18:11 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999504518 angiemc https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999513546 Fantasy like I haven’t encountered (and I’m a huge fantasy reader)! Set on the Yale campus—houses are the secret societies and Alex is supposed to keep them in line😳

So many praised her Shadow and Bone series, but this is her masterpiece. ]]> 2022-01-19 04:25:17 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999513546 angiemc https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999517035 Middle eastern magic and a corrupt government. I could not put this series down! ]]> 2022-01-19 04:27:59 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999517035 angiemc https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999527671 A great memoir about growing up in the Appalachian mountains. ]]> 2022-01-19 04:36:26 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/1999527671 angiemc https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2002956880 Singer’s concepts on spirituality and understanding how life is meant to be experienced, rather than survived, are messages for all regardless of your brand of faith. ]]> 2022-01-20 14:23:04 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2002956880 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2006697763 Recommended by Heather

I don’t even know how to begin to describe this book. It’s a memoir like none I’ve ever read. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful and thoroughly bizarre. If you are a fan of Nigerian mysticism, this is a must read. If you enjoyed the author’s novel, The Death of Vivek Oji, you will enjoy this. Powerful. ]]> 2022-01-22 21:50:17 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2006697763 pennyriley https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2009892243 This fits lots of categories on your cards! As well as immigrant focus it could be used for Person vs. Self, Person vs. Society in Literary Theme and Written for Children and Female Protagonist on the Historical Fiction Card. It's seemingly a simple story of a father and daughter moving to Dakota territory to settle, superficially similar to the Little House books. But the twist is that the daughter is half Asian and the book focuses on how she deals with the problems this causes while enabling her to look at the Indians in a way that was not common at that time. ]]> 2022-01-24 22:05:34 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2009892243 pennyriley https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2012339122 I found it a thoughtful and delightful book. On a gifted month when gardener May travels to visit her oldest friends, she learns that like her plants, friendships have different requirements and need to be nurtured differently. ]]> 2022-01-25 22:36:35 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2012339122 pennyriley https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2014534888 This beautifully written free verse novels tells Reha's story as she navigate her two cultures as a first generation Indian American. It's also very sad in parts - tissues were needed. It also works for Immigrant Focus on this card and Identity on the Literary Theme card.]]> 2022-01-26 21:00:18 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2014534888 pennyriley https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2020062861 I have very mixed feelings about this novel, perhaps more so than for any other novel I have read, at least recently. I loved the first half and thought it was heading straight for five stars. I was much less enamoured of the second half, particularly the end which almost seemed like a cop out. That would have got three stars. So four stars it is. Full review at the end of the month. Would also fit in Justice and Desire to Escape.]]> 2022-01-30 16:58:55 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2020062861 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2029890712 Her three essay books (Meaty, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, and Wow No Thank You) are all so funny and playful. I listened to the audiobooks read by the author and it was just like having a long gossipy car ride with your funniest friend. ]]> 2022-02-04 17:50:41 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2029890712 pennyriley https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2043311464 If you like Elizabeth Strout, read it. You learn more about Lucy's life during the time she was married to William, but the book lacks interest and is measured and mannered in the extreme. If you've not read her, don't start with this one, and not just because it's part 3 of a trilogy. ]]> 2022-02-12 00:23:38 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2043311464 https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2424376051 4 book series about a girl in the Métis who goes back in time to learn about her ancestors. ]]> 2022-12-19 03:12:26 UTC https://padlet.com/heatherpurcell3/uxyed4h5t420tf3w/wish/2424376051