When I Should Be Studying

Reasons For Reading This Book: While visiting my sister-in-law, who is also a reader, I was telling her about Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall and she recommended The Alice Network by Kate Quinn . She had a copy so when I visited a couple weeks later and was ready to start a new book, I borrowed her copy. When she was telling me about the book she told me it was about a female spy network during the war. Other than that I had not idea what else the book was about. Content of This Book: Its 1947 Charlie St. Clair is a  pregnant, unmarried, American college student living in the  chaotic aftermath of World War II. Due to her situation her parents have threatened to throw her out of their proper family. Charlie is desperately hoping that her cousin Rose is still alive after disappearing in Nazi-occupied France during the war. Her parent's plan is to send her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, while there Charlie breaks free and heads to London, o...

Reasons For Reading This Book: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel  came recommended to me by my mom. I can't remember exactly what made her recommend it but she enjoyed it and thought I would too. When recommending it she told me that the plot involved a pandemic which resulted in an apocalyptic-like world. I have a history of either really liking or strongly disliking books revolving around a pandemic, knowing this I went into it with an open mind. Content of This Book: During a production of King Lear , Hollywood actor Arthur Leander had a heart attack on stage. Kirsten Raymonde, a child actor in the production has never forgot this night. This is also the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrives in the city. Civilization as we know it has come to an end within weeks of the pandemic. It is now twenty years later and Kirsten is traveling between settlements with a small troupe of actors and musicians. The troupe, The Traveling Symphony, are dedicated to bringing the arts...

Reasons For Reading This Book: Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See was Jackie’s choice for  The Readheads Podcast Book Club  for June 2024. I read and reviewed this at that time. I was extremely excited to read this book because I am in a phase right now where I want to read books that do not relate to present time. I want reading to be my escape from my reality. This book was perfect for that because it was set in ancient China and involved a lot of learning about ancient China and Chinese medicine which is something I knew little about before reading this book. To say I was excited to read this book would be an understatement.   Content of This Book: According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chine...

Reasons For Reading This Book: One of my favorite book Instagram accounts to look at when I need a book recommendation is @bookedwithrook . I saw Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez on her Taylor Swift/TTPD post. The comment was Take My Hand: history they don't teach you in school. I looked up the book at my library and read the description. I was instantly interested, so I checked it out.  Content of This Book: Its 1973 in Montgomery, Alabama and Civil Townsend, the daughter of a local doctor, and recent collage graduate is starting her first job at the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic. Her goal in taking this position is to help women make their own choices for their lives and bodies. The first case she is assigned is to administer birth control to 11 and 13 year old sisters. Not only is she shocked by their age, but also their living conditions. The sisters live with their father and grandmother in a one-room cabin in the country. Upon learning that the sisters have never eve...