Suck Less - Willam Belli (Where there is a Willam there is a way.)

Oh Willam... I love you. I love how your drag is wonderful, honest, shoot from the hip, slightly buzzed from yesterday's high, and coated in sweat but also strategically placed glitter! This book is intended to be a primer for how to be a "better more interesting person who sucks less at different things". Each chapter is titled "suck less at ___" and it made for an extremely amusing audiobook. I decided to go audio with this on purpose - given my love of Willam's drag, his youtube show "Willam's Beatdown" and also his time on Rupaul's Drag Race (which I can't get enough of, but was Willam's 'Nam).

For those on the fence about reading/listening, or for those who are not extremely comfortable with a gay man speaking plainly about anal hygiene, here is the thing, if you do not get the genius shtick that is Willam, you will likely not understand or appreciate this book. Though, it does pose the question, Why the hell are you reading it then? 

Further, as a special treat on the audio version, I loved the inclusion of other favorite queens. I never expected to hear Bianca Del Rio open with the prologue or Courtney Act and Alaska TF5000 round out the appendix. The "Drag-tionary" was hands-down one of my favorite parts of the book. 

What you also come away with, intended or not is a wonderful self-esteem booster, a guidepost for the wayward, the freaks, and the ones who shine a little too brightly. Willam gives hope where it is needed most, humor in sufficient doses and truth even when it hurts. "Seriously Mary, get it together!" 

I found Willam's personal anecdotes witty and fun. I could definitely see myself being friends with this girl! While it may not be for everyone, Willam's "Suck Less" has become an instant favorite of mine and one I am sure I will listen too and enjoy several times over.

How to Hang a Witch

 

Overall, I enjoyed Adriana Mather's "How to Hang a Witch". While the Salem Witch Trials genre of teen lit is fairly saturated; it was an interesting take on the intergenerational pull and trauma of the trials as told through its descendants. **Further fun fact, Adriana Mather is a descendent of Cotton Mather himself.** I have always enjoyed learning about that period in history, and applaude the author for her ability to use the trials as allegory for modern day high school bullying and "witch-hunting".

While touted as paranormal/horror; it was more YA Mean Girls/Twilight-esque. Or "Craft-light" if you will. At no point was I scared to turn the lights off or go to the bathroom by myself.

Personally, I loved the concept of Elijah and while definitely a bit "out of the box" did not find him as a romantic interest offputting.  

 

***

It's the Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls in a debut novel from one of the descendants of Cotton Mather, where the trials of high school start to feel like a modern day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem’s past.

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with The Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

The Graveyard Book

I finished this morning and I must say that this little book has quickly become one of my "favorites of all time"; on this list I place the books that have evoked the strongest emotional reactions from me, stayed with me well after reading and whose stories are those I plan to revisit in the future. "The Graveyard Book" was pure magic. I was lucky enough to have picked it as an audio book and had the delight of hearing the author Neil Gaiman bring his creation to life. Nobody "Bod" Owens has quic   I finished this morning and I must say that this little book has quickly become one of my "favorites of all time"; on this list I place the books that have evoked the strongest emotional reactions from me, stayed with me well after reading and whose stories are those I plan to revisit in the future. "The Graveyard Book" was pure magic. I was lucky enough to have picked it as an audio book and had the delight of hearing the author Neil Gaiman bring his creation to life. Nobody "Bod" Owens has quickly become of my favorite characters. I loved his well-meaning, complicated, curious, heart of gold personality. I enjoyed growing with him through every life lesson, and adventuring with him through every nook and cranny of the graveyard. Through him I too had freedom of the graveyard! I loved the little details; for example, how Gaiman incorporated the prose on each inhabitants headstone when introducing them to the tale. In the audio version, I also appreciated the weaving of Danse Macabre's melody throughout the chapters- it was beautiful and created a richness to the spoken verse. I am certainly holding back in this review as I don't want to say too much. As with any of my true favorites I would rather others get the experience from start to finish without my bias impeding.  *** "After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own. Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family... Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages."

He Has Done it Again! (Stiletto)

I have long waited for Daniel O'Malley to release his next novel. I have read and re-read Rook a half a dozen times in the mean time, and have recommended it to anyone and everyone.

I preordered Stiletto the minute I learned of it. As I have an hour long commute I decided to do a combo of reading on my kindle and listening via Audible. I love how they sink with each other to make the back and forth easy. What was the nicest surprise was the narration of Moira Quirk- it was exceptional!! Each voice, accent... dead on! She made it come alive to the point where I preferred listening over reading!

I can't recommend Stiletto enough, a page turner from beginning to end and a fun ride of perfectly crafted witty one liners. I can only hope this series continues for a good long time!

***

"In this spirited sequel to the acclaimed The Rook, Myfanwy Thomas returns to clinch an alliance between deadly rivals and avert epic - and slimy - supernatural war.
When secret organizations are forced to merge after years of enmity and bloodshed, only one person has the fearsome powers - and the bureaucratic finesse - to get the job done. Facing her greatest challenge yet, Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between two bitter adversaries:
The Checquy - the centuries-old covert British organization that protects society from supernatural threats, and...
The Grafters - a centuries-old supernatural threat.
But as bizarre attacks sweep London, threatening to sabotage negotiations, old hatreds flare. Surrounded by spies, only the Rook and two women who absolutely hate each other can seek out the culprits before they trigger a devastating otherworldly war.
Stiletto is a novel of preternatural diplomacy, paranoia, and snide remarks from an author who "adroitly straddles the thin line between fantasy, thriller, and spoof" (Booklist)."

©2016 Daniel O'Malley (P)2016 Hachette Audio

The Big Short

A fast read and wonderfully explained. Michael Lewis has a knack for taking the complicated and making it easy to digest and understand. If you have any interest at all into the financial crisis of 07'-08' due to the housing bubble then this is your read. Learning about these key players who were so ahead of the game, gave me chills. Meredith Whitney, who predicted the demise of Citigroup and Bear Stearns. Steve Eisman, an outspoken hedge fund manager. Greg Lippmann, a Deutsche Bank trader. Euge   A fast read and wonderfully explained. Michael Lewis has a knack for taking the complicated and making it easy to digest and understand. If you have any interest at all into the financial crisis of 07'-08' due to the housing bubble then this is your read. Learning about these key players who were so ahead of the game, gave me chills. Meredith Whitney, who predicted the demise of Citigroup and Bear Stearns. Steve Eisman, an outspoken hedge fund manager. Greg Lippmann, a Deutsche Bank trader. Eugene Xu, a quantitative analyst who created the first CDO market by matching buyers and sellers. The founders of Cornwall Capital, who started a hedge fund in their garage with $110,000 and built it into $120 million when the market crashed; and Michael Burry, an ex-neurologist who created Scion Capital. As someone who worked in private equity, as well as for a "premier global financial service" it brought me right back.

St. Valentine's Day

Our first married Valentine's - I would say he knows me very very well! Ravenclaw for life! 

fairytales...

I am in the midst of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas and I cannot say enough good things. Have you ever opened a book, began reading, and felt as though an old dear friend were telling you a story? It is agony having to put my book down every night and then wait all day at work to get the chance to read a bit more! If you have not read the series yet, I cannot recommend them enough. It is true, in the end, I love my fairy-tales most of all!

So dear readers, I pose this question: What was the last book you read that felt like an old friend?