Hey friends,
May was a rough month for us. Dan and I were both back at work, and Lincoln started daycare. He was there for three days and then immediately brought home a virus that made all of sick for the first half of the month. We didn’t go a full week without someone home sick in May. June was looking a little better, but someone brought home another virus, and we all took turns being sick again this week. We’re holding out hope for July.
I did get some good reads in and among being sick including a comedic reinvention of US history and a great book about the new commercial space industry.
Let me know what you think of these books and if you have suggestions for further reading.
Cheers,
Tonya
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry
Rating 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: Perry takes her readers on a journey to the American South from Baltimore to Atlanta, Birmingham, and even Cuba, she talks about her own lived experience as a black woman in the United States and how the contradictions wrapped up in US, and southern history, impact our lives to this day. Perry is a beautiful writer, and her prose is a pleasure to read. Speaking about gun violence, she says, “There isn’t any safe place when the instruments of war are always within reach. They promise a fantasyland of power and action films, and underneath there is always wasted love.” While I enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot that I didn’t know about slavery, racism, and how the history of the south defines and reflects the history of our nation, I’m struggling to recall specific anecdotes and stories that stayed with me since I read it. Could be a me issue. I have a tendency to read too fast to really absorb what’s being said, but I also think that there were some parts of this book that weren’t super memorable. I guess you could call that a pacing issue. In any case, it’s a great read, and I recommend it.
Alexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents by Alexandra Petri
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: I’m a fan of Petri’s writing, and this book didn’t disappoint. She both makes me laugh and delivers great insights about her subjects. This book is a collection of made-up historical documents that read as short comedic pieces satirizing different aspects of US history. My favorite was “John and Abigail Adams Try Sexting,” in which Mr. and Mrs. Adams try exchanging spicy letters every 4-6 weeks across the Atlantic Ocean but are interrupted by not just spotty postage but a saucy Benjamin Franklin. It literally made me laugh out loud. Petri also riffs off notable poems and literature including a re-writing of the Ride of Paul Revere. Some of the references escaped me as I’m not super well-read in American lit, but I did find the ones I understood to be hilarious and fun to read. Recommend for anyone who’s tired of fighting about US history and would prefer to take a moment to laugh instead.
The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart
Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Recommendation: maybe
Review: This is the third and final installment in The Drowning Empire trilogy, the debut works of Stewart. I really enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy. I loved the magic system, the world building, Lin and Jovis and their awesome animal companions. However, I was really disappointed with this last book. I felt like Lin was off chasing ghosts for no good reason while Jovis was struggling with the same things he has in previous books without moving on or resolving his character arc. I thought the antagonist was lacking good motivation and not very believable, and my favorite part about the first two books -- Lin and Jovis’s relationship -- was sidelined for most of the novel. I kept reading because I was attached to the characters and wanted to know what would happen, but for me, this one didn’t stick the landing. Mephi was one good point amid the sea of disappointment.
When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach by Ashlee Vance
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: I’ve learned a lot about the commercial space industry for my job, so I really enjoyed this in-depth exploration of the origins of four “new space” companies” including Planet Labs, Rocket Lab, Astra, and Firefly. My take-away was that I would not like to work for any of these companies. Some of the things that I like about my job are predictable hours and good work-life balance, neither of which are features of any of these start-ups. Each one seems to be led by men who are a little larger-than-life and have big dreams. I really enjoyed learning about New Zealand’s Rocket Lab and its founder Peter Beck. He basically started the aerospace industry in New Zealand and managed to not only build an almost-flawless launch vehicle but to also maneuver with the likes of Silicon Valley investors and the United States government. Vance experienced uniquely impressive access to the minds behind these companies, and it shows up in his story-telling, which is immersive and easy-to-read. Although this book just came out a few weeks ago, one of the companies it features -- Astra -- is looking like it might be going bankrupt pretty soon here, so we’ll see what happens with that. New space giveth and new space taketh away.
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: I really enjoyed Lee’s The Greenbone Saga, so I was eager to pick up her latest work. This novella is short and punchy. It’s told in first-person point-of-view and tells the story of a girl who witnesses the traumatic murder of most of her family by mythical monsters called manticores. Driven by a need for revenge and with nothing to lose, she becomes a roc keeper. In this fantasy world, rocs are birds of prey that tower over men and are the only predators of the feared manticores, whose preferred meal is humans. In just 150 pages, Lee explores themes of family, trauma, and recognizing and embracing the monster inside all of us. I really liked the main character’s arc and how her development felt true-to-character and natural. The roc and manticore hunting were also exciting to read about. I highly recommend for fans of Lee or epic fantasy in general.
Mommy Corner
I had very mixed feelings about Lincoln starting daycare in May. The good news is that he's adjusted well to his class and likes his teacher. He's the youngest baby in the class and the only one that's not mobile yet. His teacher tends to stick him places that the other babies can't step on him. 
For Memorial Day, we went to Eldorado Canyon State Park and climbed with some friends. The kids' favorite part was not the climbing though. It was definitely throwing rocks in the river. 
I love me cuties!
