Oh my goodness, friends! I finished The Warmth of Other Suns WAY ahead of our buddy read schedule and it fits solidly into my category of nonfiction reads that I can’t even review because they impacted me so much. This book completely revamped my understanding of US History, and I think about it daily. Thanks so much to @spinesvines for introducing me to it!
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The rest of these shown here are heavy books that I read quickly and that have stuck with me. They have influenced the way I see our society and systems, and I reference them on a regular basis, both in conversations and in my understanding of current events, as well as in my reviews of other books I read.
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So, happy Friday, and if you are looking for a book to rock your world, I highly recommend ALL of the above!
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In addition, the amazing @definitelyra just shared a bunch of her favorites and of course we also have you covered over at @nonfictionwomen ❤️
Finished. It is literally changing my life.
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If you are interested in hearing about all of the changes I made starting yesterday, please shoot me an email at kateolsonreads@gmail.com - I’d love to chat about it, but not in this vast public and anonymous space and not via DM.
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One thing I am willing to share here is that I am no longer posting or watching Insta stories as a part of my digital decluttering. I’m throwing things back to early 2016, my friends 😉 Again, if you’d like to talk more about that change, I’d love to talk via email!
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See that? I’m setting BOUNDARIES 😘
“Let it Shine” is a fabulous historical romance (novella) set in 1960s Virginia featuring the Civil Rights movement and the love between a Black woman and a Jewish man. I will read ANYTHING Alyssa Cole writes because she has never once let me down. The audio version from Audible is fabulous. If you don’t do Audible, it is also available in Kindle and paperback formats.
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If you are someone who would prefer to read only “issue” books, but want something lighter, this story tackles some pretty hefty social justice issues and explores an interracial romance that also crosses religious lines. It 100% fits the “historical romance by an author of color” category for the @bookriot #ReadHarderChallenge for 2019!
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It’s worthy to note that this novella was originally published in “The Brightest Day: A Juneteenth Historical Romance Anthology” which features stories by Kianna Alexander, Alyssa Cole, Lena Hart, and Piper Hugely. I’m intrigued about the entire collection now - it’s available on Amazon in paperback but sadly does not appear to be available in Kindle or audio formats.
[free review copy] 🇺🇸 Military stories are ones I definitely want in the world, especially stories like this one - about PTSD and the hardships that military families face, but until recently I haven't actually been able to read them. Due to a personal reason, the stories have either been way too close to home, or infuriate me by romanticizing something that isn't romantic in the least. With time being a healer, I just this winter have been able to read stories like this one, and am so happy that I did because it means I can recommend them to others.
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The Military Wife is a full-hearted story of a young widow of a Navy SEAL and her relationships with other military families, as well as one of her husband's friends. There is a strong romantic element, which makes sense given the author's history as a romance author, but the book is about so much more than that too. It's about the trauma of war, PTSD, the struggle of military spouses, and the indoctrination that military personnel endure to be able to do the jobs they do. While the author is not herself a military wife, the book was written with the input of a former Navy SEAL as well as a military wife - this definitely adds to the authenticity of the story.
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I loved this book, and am so happy that Trentham wrote it - I hope it brings much wider awareness to the struggles that our military members face when returning from combat, and also the unique issues that military families face on the home front. The characters aren't perfect, but neither are real humans, and the character of Noah was so reminiscent of young men I have known who have joined the armed forces.
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If you read women's fiction and appreciate romantic themes, I definitely recommend this one. There is sex in the book, but it's not at all steamy. I really like how consent was handled in the book, as well. I haven't found a review yet by an actual member of the SEALs or a military spouse, but please do let me know if you've written one or have read one! I am sure this book might be a tough read for either of those groups, and I completely understand them not wanting to read fiction based on these experiences.