The Best Books We Read in May, 2015

The Best Books We Read in May, 2015 We asked our contributors to share the best book they read this month. We’ve got fiction, nonfiction, YA, and much, much more- there are book recommendations for everyone here! Some are old, some are new, and some aren’t even out yet. Enjoy and tell us about the highlight of your reading month in the comments. 1222 by Anne Holt Norwegian crime novel starring Hanne Wilhelmsen, a retired police detective, paraplegic, lesbian, and semi-misanthrope. A powerful snowstorm hits Norway, and the train Hanne is taking from Oslo to Bergen derails. Miraculously, all 269 passengers surviveâ€"the only casualty was the train’s engineerâ€"and hole up in a nearby hotel to wait out the storm. And that, of course, is when the murders start. Hanne Wilhelmsen is my new favorite detective: she’s a woman who takes advantage of the prejudices and assumptions often attached to her wheelchair; she’s more than willing to eavesdrop, to manipulate, to lie; she’s a crankier, less polite Miss Marple. This is actually the eighth book in the series, but the first to be translated into Englishâ€"I can’t wait to read the others! Leila Roy Above Us Only Sky by Michelle Stone-Young I picked up this book as a gift for my Lithuanian friends, and just had to take a peek before handing it off. Long story short: this book isn’t leaving my home! About a young girl in America from a broken home who one day discovers she was born with wings (yes, wings) and is then reconnected with her Lithuanian and German grandparentsâ€"omg. First, it’s told from multiple POVs, which works really well in this instance; second, it sneakily plopped me into WWII and I can’t bear ‘war books’ but this one made me BE in the war and experience it and feel ALL THE EMOTIONS; third, it delivers several family-related sucker punches that just left me breathless. I’m tentatively comparing it to Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, just with Lithuanian rather than African themes. And don’t worry, another copy is on the way to the original intended readers. Alison Peters Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie This has been a GREAT reading month for me, capped off a fantastic late-month streak of Station Eleven, Nimona, and Americanah back to back that made it nigh-impossible to pick just one! All three are excellent in their own completely different ways which made it even harder to compare, so in the end I devised an elaborate coin-toss system with the result of Americanah as the winner. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah is the story of Ifemelu and Obinze, college sweethearts born and raised in Nigeria whose lives diverge sharply when Ifemlu moves to the United States for school and Obinze is pushed into life as an undocumented worker in England. Both grapple with issues of race, identity, and belonging “big” topics that are explored in an intimate, immediate way. Beyond this basic plot description, I can offer only superlatives. Americanah instantly absorbing; Adichie’s story and characters absolutely grab you from page one and pull you along for the full five hundred pages . It is sharp and incisive and unflinching while being incredibly warm and compassionate. It’s the kind of book that elicits a sigh of disappointment at its incredibly well-written, satisfying ending because you just want it to go on forever. I am not usually the proscriptive sort, but I really think Americana is a book everyone should read.   Maddie Rodriguez Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson This eye-buggingly awesome novel follows a group of 2,000 people as their generation starship nears its ultimate destination: a habitable planet in the Tau Ceti system.They were all born on the ship and only know about Earth (which is still inhabited) through stories and ship’s records. When they get to the planet they’ve named “Aurora,” however, their carefully-laid plans evaporate and they must decide whether to roam around looking for other habitable planets in this system, or “return” to Earth. Robinson asks us to consider so many practical and ethical problems associated with generational space travel, terraformation, and colonization. I highly highly highly recommend that you read it. Rachel Cordasco The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates One of our foremost intellectuals takes a look back at his Baltimore childhood, his complicated relationship with his father, and his circuitous journey toward self-awareness. Coatess is a dynamic voice that I look to for perspective and clarity on just about any issue of importance, and given recent events in Baltimore, it’s fascinating to watch him trace the origins of that voice.   His next book, Between the World and Me, doesnt come out until September, so those who cant wait should get their hands on this first-rate bildungsroman. Minh Le Born With Teeth by Kate Mulgrew I listened to this in audio almost entirely so that I could hear Kate Mulgrew say “born with teeth” through her teeth. Listener, it was worth it. I loved watching Mulgrew as Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager because of her strong, commanding presence, the way she was in charge of that whole star ship, the way she’d say “we’re just trying to get home.” (I really like her voice, okay?) People always praise Amy Poehler and Tina Fey for their no-holds-barred attitudes in their memoirs, but theirs are nothing compared to Mulgrew. Mulgrew never says she’s lucky, never thanks anyone for their help, never says that she is blessed: she had talent, she worked, and she was successful. End of story. I’ve never read a memoir by a woman that was less apologetic. It was fascinating and refreshing and almost off-putting to read about a woman who was 100% ego. I kept checking to make sure I wasn’t accidentally listening to Kate Mulgrew Reads Hemingway’s Autobiography or someth ing.   Mulgrew is a better writer than I expectedthere are some lovely sentencesand she tells some great stories about her big Irish family, New York theater, and the Kennedys, but the real reason to read this is to hear Kate Mulgrew talk about her hero, Kate Mulgrew. Jesse Doogan Capture (Elements of Chemistry 3) by Penny Reid Admittedly, I spent some time whining about how silly and unbelievable the previous two books in this series were (Attraction and Heat), but Capture pulled it all together. My personal theory is that books one and two are the longest prologue in the history of humankind and the actual story only happens in Capture. To sum up: college student Kaitlyn Parker is spending Christmas break in NYC playing gigs with her band. But when her sleeping arrangements fall through, Kaitlyn’s only option is to stay with Martin Sandekeâ€"the same guy who broke her heart last semester. Bad idea, or terrible idea? Martin’s previously cartoonishly alpha behavior mellows in Capture, and he shows genuine, sympathetic emotion. I also liked that the book wasn’t just about Martin chasing Kaitlyn around, but about Kaitlyn emerging from her shell and discovering what she wants. Plus, it’s unputdownableâ€"I stayed up until 7am reading! Definitely recommend this one if you’re in the mood for a fun, fast contemporary romance. You can even skip the first two volumes (and the prologue at the beginning of this oneâ€"skip all prologues, that’s my advice) and jump straight into it if you like. Tasha Brandstatter Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine A combination of poetry, essays, scripts, and images, Claudia Rankine examines racial aggressions inherent in daily life and the media. This is a challenging, thought-provoking book in form and content, and it left me thinking and with a compulsion to re-read. Andi Miller Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans (Harper, July 28) An Blitz evacueeraised until recently by a formidable, slightly-off suffragistand a small-time con artist team up to cheat and swindle their way through the war until a quest for justice complicates everything. It’s a good pitch; it got me to pick up the book, after all. But if you stop at the summary, you miss the full richness and delight of this lovely title: the characters are charmingly uncharming, the writing is always strong and frequently beautiful, the history is nicely done, and more. Basically, the book just works, and you should read it as soon as you’re able. Derek Attig Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon (Delacorte, September 1) Maddy, who is half Japanese, half black, has SCID a disease that makes her allergic to everything. She never leaves her house, and her schedule is very regimented and very protected by her mother and attending nurse. But when Olly and his family move in next door, suddenly Maddy takes a shine to him, even though she knows she can never meet him . Doing so might make her sick since she cant go outside. But Maddie decides she likes him too much not to try to meet him. With the assistance of her nurse, Olly visits. And thenso much more happens between them. This is a romance with immense amounts of heart to it. Maddy knows shes risking everything for this relationship, but she doesnt care. She wants to know this boy. Shes watched him and his family and she gets to know him and loves him more and more. Yoon’s debut novel is told in a fun format with doodles, doctor reports, notes, instant message exchanges, emails, and more. There is a fantastic twist in the book that took it from good to great for me it makes perfect sense, but never once did I anticipate it before it happened. Readers who love smart, fun, engaging, fast paced stories will want to pick this up when it hits shelves in the fall. It will be big and it should be. Kelly Jensen God Help the Child by Toni Morrison Morrison’s new novel, her first set in contemporary times, explores issues of race, class, color, and gender through a story about a young woman whose life has been defined by traumas she suffered in childhood. Bride is beautiful, successful, and deeply troubled. Reeling from a break-up, she has a car accident that leaves her stranded with a white family in the middle of nowhere while her wounds heal. There, Bride begins to unpack the experiences that shaped her and grapple with what it means to be a black woman in America today. This is a short, powerful novel packed with the kinds of razor-sharp observations readers have come to expect from Morrison. Though it didn’t go all of the places I wanted it to, I am still thinking about it, and I will be thinking about it for a long time. No one else does what Morrison does, and that makes this a read not to be missed. Rebecca Joines Schinsky Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling These days as an adult you can’t just read Harry Potter; you venture into what is a publishing phenomenon knowing that the series has sold hundreds of millions of copies, that there is a theme park and movie franchise and merchandising. It’s not a book, it’s a company. Anyway, I had a great time with it but was very conscious that I was reading Harry Potter while I was reading Harry Potter (if you know what I mean?). It’s a fun ride of a story and I completely understand kids’ love of it. Great, fun storytelling, well deserving of the praise and millions of copies sold. Johann Thorsson Headscarves and Hymens: Why The Middle East Needs A Sexual Revolution by Mona Eltahawy Mona (an amazing activist who earned my eternal respect by going up against Pam Geller) discusses gender relations, particularly lingering problems, in the Middle East as they relate to recent political upheavals and religious traditionalism. She’s brilliant and incisive and has been in the mix herself, so there’s a credibility here that not many can touch. Michelle Anne Schingler The Heir by Kiera Cass I enjoyed the first three books in the Selection series. I didn’t run around telling everyone to read them, but I liked them. I really liked the Selection Stories, particularly the one about Queen Amberly. It was about an hour into listening to The Heir that I realized what I was loving about it compared to my lukewarm enjoyment of America and Maxon’s trilogy: I hated the narrator, Princess Eadlyn. And I loved that. A lot of complaints I’ve seen about The Heir is that Eadlyn is a clueless bitch. Yeah, she is. I could use more YA with flawed female characters who need to grow their asses up. I’m looking forward to more of her story, and hope to see her grow into the queen she needs to become. Jessica Pryde Lost Boi by Sassafras Lowrey My expectations were so high for this book just based on the premise: a queer, punk retelling of Peter Pan. From the first page I was relieved that this was exactly the book I was hoping it would be. Lowrey’s interpretation works incredibly well, somehow incorporating so many familiar elements and even lines into a whole different setting. Not only was this enjoyable to read, it also left me thinking about gender, consent, and what it means to “grow up.” This is not a book for everyone: it is about living a 24/7 D/s relationship and also tackles homelessness, poverty, and addiction. But that was what made me fall in love with Lost Boi: it is absolutely unapologetic about what it is and who it appeals to, and I think that’s what makes it so successful. Danika Ellis Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry I’m diving into Westerns because of Mary Doria Russell’s fantastic Doc and Epitaph. I decided to start with the classicâ€"Lonesome Doveâ€"and absolutely loved the hell out of it. The characters are complex and interesting. The backdrop is this totally romanticized Western ideal, but its still stunningly beautiful. There are storms of crickets and rivers of snakes and grizzly bears and gunfights and and and… I finished it in a rush, which is a lot, because this is a chunkster of a novel. I basically didnt see my family for two days. Worth it. Nikki Steele Love is Red by Sophie Jaff I cannot and will not stop talking about this book. It’s equal parts creepy and charming, and does a great job blending fantasy into a modern thriller. Katherine Emerson is part of a prophecy, unbeknownst to her, and a serial killer terrorizing New York must get to her before the prophecy comes to fruition. The chapters alternate between Katherine’s POV and the POV of the Sickle Man, which is told in second person. With the perspective of the Sickle Man, the book gave me a Lolita vibe, where the narrator is completely twisted but you find yourself somewhat taken by their prose. It’s the first book in a trilogy and it’s unlike anything I’ve read recently. Definitely check it out. Amanda Diehl My Heart Is an Idiot by Davy Rothbart Full disclosure: Ive read My Heart Is an Idiot before. Ive read all of Davy’s books, and his magazine, FOUND, too. I just needed to read this one again. Davys essays are almost always about traveling the country, propelled or pulled by one love or another, and the strange things, people, places, situations he finds himself in along the way. I love his stories not only because I relate to them, but because one moment Ill myself laughing loudly and the next Ill be stunned into silence by one really real sentence that just gets to the heart of what its like to be a human with feelings. Readers seem to either love or hate Davys stories. I love themâ€"a lot. Lynn Crothers The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi I’ll be honest, Book Riot readers. I’m probably going to be talking about The Night We Said Yes a lot in the coming months. One of the reasons I read Young Adult fiction is for the nostalgia factor, remembering the ups and downs of being an angst-filled teenager, believing I knew everything. And my goodness, Lauren Gibaldi’s debut really brings in the nostalgia factor, with sweet and awkward romance, exciting misadventures, and those complicated friendships that really defined being a growing, teenager-and-almost-but-not-quite-yet-adult. Alternating between the past and the present, The Night We Said Yes tells the story of a group of friends, a lot of dares, and the aftershocks of a breakup and friend-gone-astray. It’s a lovely, breezy contemporary romance that I’m certain teens everywhere will relate to, while simultaneously challenging one another to similar nights full of memories, laughter, and the drama we pretended to dislike, but deep down, seriously loved. Eric Smi th Orient by Christopher Bollen I was wildly delighted by this smart, sexy mystery set in Orient in Long Island. Orient is a small town populated by old school locals and nouveau riche New Yorkers. Under Orients quiet facade hide scandals, crimes, affairs, and shady dealings. The locals are struggling to keep their town from being bought up by millionaires; theres a secretive government facility that might be the cause of the strange dead creature that washed up on the beach; and the accidental deaths of two residents may not have been so accidental. When a stranger arrives for the summer to help a resident fix up his home, he quickly falls under suspicion when a horrific crime is committed, and thats all of Orients hidden ugliness starts bubbling to the surface. This is one of those incredibly well-written mysteries that have such a great narrative and attention to detail that the mystery almost seems secondary. And it has a No way did that just happenOMG IT DID moment that had me reeling. This book is nasty and delicious and I loved it! Liberty Hardy Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire FullerClaire’s father convinces her that the world is going to end and that they need to protect themselves by separating themselves off from society. And he was lying. I love the response to dystopian-based paranoia here and the book has an awesomely clear and casual pace to it. Jessi Lewis The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall I preordered this book last year, and when it arrived last month I realized I needed to reread the first three books in the series to get the full experience. Then I realized that my two daughters were old enough to understand the books now, so I started reading the first book out loud to them at night. We inched our way through the books with me reading one chapter a night out loud while The Penderwicks in Spring mocked me from the dining room table where it sat like a centerpiece. A few days ago my daughters and I began the third book, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to read the fourth one, immediately. I read The Penderwicks in Spring all in one helping, a box of tissues next to me the whole time. Birdsall has made me love this family so much her whimsical, loving writing makes her one of my favorite authors of all time. Karina Glaser The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara I was a ridiculously huge fan of Yanagiharas 2015 second novel, A Little Life,  so I decided to read her debut. The two books are vastly different, sharing only a few similar themes. TPITT has shades of both Lolita and Pale Fire,  so if youre a Nabokov junkie, read it now. It also has two unreliable narrators, with one giving footnotes on the other. They are both pretty terrible people so if youre down for unlikable characters, read it now. But as for the meat of the book, this story of a scientist and a lost Micronesian tribe is about modern man and the way he taints everything he touches. Its also a look into the mind of a man who mistakes perversion for something good and noble. A book with big themes and big ambition. Jessica Woodbury Rat Queens, Volume 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’Rygoth written by Kurtis J. Wiebe, illustrated by Roc Upchurch and Stjepan Å ejic What is Rat Queens? Rat Queens is a gender-swapped Lord of the Rings, if Tolkien had dropped f-bombs instead of elven poetry. Rat Queens is coming home after a night of partying with your girlfriends and playing Dungeons Dragons. Rat Queens is a NSFW Discworld novel. The series follows the adventures of a band of mercenaries: Hannah is a rockabilly elven mage, Violet is a hipster dwarf, Dee is an atheist cleric from a cult that worships a Cthulu-like god, and Betty is a hippie Smidgen thief. This trade paperback, which includes issues 6-10 of the comic, follows Dee’s story as she struggles with her faith. And by “struggles,” I mean “battles,” because her family’s god, N’Rygoth, comes to visit. I have been waiting for this book since I finished the first Rat Queens trade paperback, Sass and Sorcery, months ago. Volume Two was everything I hoped it would be: laugh-out-loud funny, diverse, visually beautiful, and always surprising. If you love fantasy and like seeing genres subverted, check this series out. A.J. O’Connell Red or Dead by David Peace First things first. This is not as good as The Damned United. Bill Shankly, the fabled manager and architect of Liverpool FC’s glittering success during the 1960s and 1970s, is nowhere near as interesting a character as Brian Clough, the focus of Peace’s previous foray into the mind of a footballing genius. Compared to The Damned United’s taught timeline of 40 days in Clough’s career, Red or Dead sprawls over several decades and several hundred extra pages. But enough gripes. Red or Dead is still a cracking read. As usual, Peace marries form and content. Shankly’s likable but obsessive nature is reflected in the endless, hypnotic repetition of dates, names, scorers, and routine. It builds, through the triumphs and the disappointments, until the moment he suddenly, unexpectedly retires. After the onslaught of hundreds of pages of match reports, retirement stretches as an empty, listless future for both the reader and Shankly. When his career at Liverpool recedes, Shankly’s habitual nature is beached, leaving him stranded as a figure of pity. Poor Bill. Edd McCracken  Secrets from the Eating Lab: The Science of Weight Loss, the Myth of Willpower, and Why You Should Never Diet Again by Traci Mann I am a total sucker for nonfiction books about both food and science, so the combination of the two makes me ecstatic. Even if you’re not prone to dieting, Secrets From the Eating Lab has a lot of fascinating information about what drives our dietary habits. I loved reading about the eating studies and how certain cues affect everyone who eats food (which is pretty much everyone, right?). Very informative, very even-handed, and steeped in actual science instead of opinion. Susie Rodarme The Skies Belong to Us by Brendan Koerner Since airport security ramped up to infinity after September 11, 2001, it’s hard to imagine a time when air travel wasn’t a stressful hassle. Yet prior to the mid-1970s, and the idea of making passengers go through metal detectors or body scanners made airline executives so nervous they would rather take potential airplane hijackers to Cuba and meet their ransom demands. The Skies Belong to Us tells the story of a rash of skyjackings that began in 1968, focusing specifically on the love story of “shattered Army veteran and a mischievous party girl” who managed to pull off the longest-distance hijacking in history. This book is an absolute page-turner, made even more unbelievable because it’s all actually true. Kim Ukura Stallo by Stefan Spjut (Faber Faber, June 2) Remember the good old days when trolls referred to magical creatures rather than misogynists with Cheetos crumbs in their neckbeards? This strange thriller will take you back to that time via snowy Sweden. It seems to start as a crime novel about a troubled mother and a child abduction but soon woodland creatures start to act shady and Susso the amateur cryptozoologist has taken an interest. It kept me reading past my bedtime with a mixture of the sparse “Nordic Noir” style and the heavy richness of Swedish mythology, specifically that of the Sami people. Yes, the story jumps between viewpoints and it’s not always made immediately obvious what the characters are dealing with (other than snow, lots and lots of snow) but there’s plenty of tension to hold your interest until it becomes clear. You’ll never look at a lemming the same way again. Rachel Weber Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Translated by Ken Liu) Amidst the chaos of Chinas Cultural Revolution, an alien civilization makes first contact with a secret Chinese military facility. The alien planet is being destroyed, and they make plans to invade Earth. Here on terra firma, human beings split into factions, with some believing we should allow the aliens to destroy us because humanity is beyond saving, while  others want to ask the aliens to spare (but help) us. This is sci-fi at its hardest (hello, astrophysical theories and a hell of a lot of math), but also at its most philosphical: just how much faith should humanity have in itself? At the end of it all, are we really worth saving?   Amanda Nelson Tracks by Robyn Davidson When Robyn Davidson was 25 years old, she decided she was going to walk 1,700 miles across the Australian desert. She spent the mid-1970s training three camels, and with the help of a commission from National Geographic, spent nine months braving heat upwards of 130 degrees, belligerent wild bull camels, and prickly shrubs the likes of which only exist in the Outback. But the dangers were not solely environmental. Fearful, anxious moments after losing a compass, realizing the camels have wandered unusually far from camp during the night, and the increasing eccentricity that sets in after going weeks at a time without interacting with another human being. During her travels, Davidson describes the grandeur of her surroundings- the unyielding rusty earth dotted with crackling brush, the occasional distant rock formation splitting the horizon. And the less grandiose- Aboriginal villages with families squeezed together in tin huts, automobiles, and tents. The unfettered racism of many she meets along the way. A peripheral civil rights activist, condemnation of her homeland’s treatment of its first inhabitants permeates the book as an indelible part of the landscape. The film adaptation by the same name is available on Netflix. Ellison Langford Trash by Dorothy Allison While this collection of stories is slim, odds are it’ll take you a few days to trek through. I was confident it was a two-night read, but the gritty, harnessed prose slowed me up and caused it to take about a week. When you read one of Allison’s stories, it takes time to digest. As a reader I was encouraged to dissect each one, but felt as if the job had already been done for me intentionally. Digging for the deeper meaning seems entirely against Allison’s intention, but at the same time is gut-wrenchingly necessary. Everything is on the table. Aram Mrjoian The Tusk That Did the Damage by Tania James I don’t know what I was expecting out of this novel aside from an elephant narrator, but WOW. There is indeed an elephant narrator, which might sound cute to you. Let me assure you, cute is the last thing this book is. Powerful, compelling, beautifully written, with a stunning ending: yes. Telling the stories of those involved in elephant poaching in South India (including the elephant), The Tusk That Did the Damage will stick with you for a very long time. Jenn Northington Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm I picked this book up because the title/cover caught my attention and I started reading it not knowing a thing about it. I was delighted to discover it’s the type of book that gives you little crumbs along the way, just enough mystery to keep you turning the page. It starts with Grace living in Paris, pretending to be someone else, working for a restorer (jewelry/antiques) and flashes back to her teens up until she fled to Europe from the U.S. Soon you realize pretending is what Grace does, becoming the girl she thinks others want her to be but which, if any, version is the real her? I’ve become (no pun intended) a big fan of the “unlikeable, flawed and complicated female character and this certainly delivered. Jamie Canaves The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth (Graywolf, September 1) Kingsnorth’s novel was on the longlist for the 2014 Man Booker Prize, and it seemed to me the most interesting book in the bunch. I waited and waited for a US release until I couldn’t stand it any longer and ordered a copy from the UKwell worth the trouble. It tells of the aftermath of the Norman invasion of England in 1066, and it does it in its own “shadow tongue,” a modernized and easily intelligible version of the Old English that was spoken before our language got all Frenchified and Latinate. It’s a sophisticated way to recapture the primitive brutality of the era, and the results are powerful indeed. The Wake has all the post-apocalyptic oomph of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and carries all the historical weight of Beowulf. Luckily, Graywolf Press is bringing the book to American audiences in September. James Crossley The Wicked + the Divine: VOL. 1, The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson, and Clayton Cowles I’ve had my eye on The Wicked + The Divine ever since I saw it announced via a two page spread at the end of Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick.   And after reading I’m both happy and sad I waited this long to read it: happy because I got to read a good chunk, sad because this is the best thing I’ve read since Saga.   The set up is this: every ninety years, twelve teenagers become reincarnated gods.  Two years later it’s lights out, no excuses, they all die.  This time around the gods are like pop stars: flashy, over the top, spoiled, and indulgent.  If that doesn’t sound awesome enough how about this: a Lorde-esque goth/punk Morrigan, a Rhianna-double as Sakhmet, a rapper who could be Kanye’s little brother as Baal Hadad, and a genderqueer Tilda Swinton/David Bowie mash up as Lucifer.  And that’s only the beginning.  Into this mix is thrown Laura, a biracial fangirl who very quickly learns that even godhood has its price.  With gorgeous art, an amazing storyline, and a truly diverse cast (so much diversity, beautiful, awesome diversity!), The Wicked + The Divine should definitely be on your list. Justina Ireland Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck Swedish Lapland in 1717. Maija and her family have just arrived from Finland and are struggling to make a living on a homestead given to them by Maija’s uncle. One day, one of Maija’s daughters discovers a dead body on the side of a mountain believed to be the dwelling of the Devil. Currently living in Toronto, Ekbäck comes from Swedish Lapland, which gives her a direct insight to the history, culture, and climate of her debut novel. Apart from a number of historical facts that Ekbäck, considering her knowledge of the Swedish language, easily could have researched, Wolf Winter is an entertaining read. E.H. Kern Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed This is a book that completely took hold of me and didn’t let go until I finished it. The story follows Naila, who is a Pakistani American girl with conservative immigrant parents. As she is finishing up her senior year of high school and excited to leave her home to attend college, her parents find out that she is dating someone the one thing strictly forbidden. Worried that she is headed down the wrong path, her parents immediately book a flight for the family to spend the summer in Pakistan. However, the vacation turns out to actually be an opportunity for her parents to find Naila a husband. The chapters are short, which keeps you pushing through the story until you find out what happens to Naila, and Aisha Saeed does such a great job talking about arranged marriages and the lack of choices available to many girls in a variety of cultures. Rincey Abraham ____________________ Book Riot Live is coming! Join us for a two-day event full of books, authors, and an all around good time. Its the convention for book lovers that weve always wanted to attend. So we are doing it ourselves.

The, Blurred Lines, By Robin Thicke - 1256 Words

On March 26, 2013, Robin Thicke released the single â€Å"Blurred Lines†, a song that went on to be the longest running number one single of 2013 (Dredge 1). Thicke anticipated gaining fame from the song’s catchy beat, but the song would also bring him infamy, as many thought the song promoted misogyny and rape culture. Thicke’s hit single eventually reignited a debate over the role of sexism and misogyny in pop culture and music lyrics in particular. A brief analysis of contemporary popular music evidences that sexist and misogynistic themes are prominent within the lyrical content of many songs. Once one recognizes the almost undeniable sexism in a significant amount of popular music, it begs the question how to address this issue, if at all. Many feminists and harsh critics deride such sexist music and seek to ban and censor sexist songs. Others believe that chastising sexist artists can be useful, but banning such music is an inappropriate response. Others c hose to ignore this issue, as they are ultimately indifferent to the prevalence of sexism in modern culture. In my opinion, many popular songs have disturbingly sexist implications and, while it is inappropriate to ban such songs, it is worth analyzing this issue and denouncing artists who are blatantly misogynistic. A brief analysis of the lyrical content of many popular songs substantiates the fact that sexism and misogyny are significant problems within music today. In an article called Music and Misogyny: why we’reShow MoreRelatedBlurred Lines: The Date Rape Song Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesFor twelve weeks Blurred Lines was at the top of the Billboard 100 charts and could be heard thumping from speakers everywhere. Sung by Robin Thicke and featuring prominent rappers T.I. Harris and Pharrell, this track was proclaimed the anthem for summer 2013 . At the surface the song is seemingly harmless with a cheery rhythmic beat and catchy lyrics, but when examining the song a nd accompanying music video, Blurred Lines is anything but harmless. Dubbed â€Å"that rape song† by many discerning listenersRead MoreAnalysis Of Robin Thicke s The Summer 1172 Words   |  5 PagesIn 2013, Robin Thicke, a relatively unknown but well-seasoned RB singer, found major success in his upbeat song â€Å"Blurred Lines,† which featured the big-named artists Pharrell Williams and T.I. (McKinley). The hit song broke records by spending 16 weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot RB/Hip-Hop Song chart, its popularity earning it the title of Billboard’s Song of the Summer (Ramirez). The uncensored video on Vevo features three female models wearing nothing but shoes and nude-colored underwear dancingRead MoreA Song Analysis: Blurred Lines693 Words   |  3 Pagesthrough speakers singing about blurred lines, but what lines are being blurred? Blurred Lines is a popular summer song that is constantly played on the radio. A song like â€Å"Blurred Lines† should not be played on public radio. A big problem with â€Å"Blurred Lines† is that it attempts to normalize disrespectful behavior towards women. Robin Thicke teamed up with rapper T.I. and singer-producer Pharrell to deliver arguably this summer’s most popular song. The song â€Å"Blurred Lines† has placed number one on theRead MoreThe Song Released By R B Singer1747 Words   |  7 Pagessong released by RB singer, Robin Thicke alongside of Pharrell Williams and T.I., called â€Å"Blurred Lines† was one of the top singles of 2013. While it became very popular and received a lot of praise, it was also criticized for its rough sexual implications throughout the song. The song describes Thicke telling a young woman that while she refuses to admit it, she really wants to have sexual relations with him. This creates the concept of blurred lines because Thicke believes the woman secretly wantsRead MoreIntellectual Property Rights ( Ipr )1413 Words   |  6 Pageswhich is where the legal aspect of musical intellectual property creates some ambiguity. These blurred lines make it hard to define when an artist is stealing and when there are just similarities in their music, which is a lesson artist Robin Thicke and Pharrell are learning about from their hit single â€Å"Blurred Lines†. A court case has been brought against the musicians claiming that the song â€Å"Blurred Lines† has infringed the copyrights of singer Marvin Gaye and his song â€Å"Got to Give It Up†. Gaye’sRead MoreCopyright Infringement Of The Happy Birthday Song, Along With The Walt Disney Company s Lobbying Tactics1180 Words   |  5 Pagesmay view this as a much needed law to prevent infringement, which grants the lawful artist the rights to their respective work. However, continuing this practice is redundant as copyright does not accomplish what it has been set out to do. The Blurred Lines Case is used to convey how the Lay Listener Test fails to determine copyright infringement. Adele’s plagiarism allegation is reviewed t o show the copies of other work, suggesting that copyright cannot determine who holds original authorship. TheRead MoreI Advocate For The Alteration Of Copyright Law1700 Words   |  7 Pagesprotected musical scores and lyrics. Even the â€Å"style† of a certain piece may now be protected, as shown in a recent settlement between the estate of Marvin Gaye and Robin Thicke Pharrell Williams. In this case, the Gaye estate sued Thicke and Williams due to similarities between â€Å"Blurred Lines† and Gaye’s â€Å"Got to Give It Up†. â€Å"Blurred Lines† contains no sampled material or even interpolation from â€Å"Got to Give It Up†, but the court ruled in favor of the Gaye estate because of stylistic similarities (FeldmanRead MoreCopyright Law And The Music Industry : Beyond Blurred Lines1268 Words   |  6 PagesCopyright Law and the Music Industry: Beyond Blurred Lines Introduction Copyright law in today’s music industry has become a tangle of litigation, complications, and bitterness. Overly-complex, multi-layered regulations and laws, double to quadruple fees, and arbitrary enforcement have led to a situation where songwriters and artists are hamstrung, the industry is in crisis, and listeners will be the ultimate losers. In the past, there has been a tendency to settle music copyright lawsuits beforeRead MoreHow Womens Sexuality Is Portrayed By Hip Hop Music Videos2020 Words   |  9 Pageswomen alike intend for women to follow these societal rules. Audiences do not realize the messages they are being fed through hip-hop music videos. The popular, male vocalized, music video for the summer hit of 2013 â€Å"Blurred Lines,† which appeared to be a lighthearted video of Robin Thicke and Pharell dancing with women wearing swimsuits. The male performers make faces at the camera and one another, while the women wear clunky shoes and nothing else. T he men attempt to grind on the ladies legs, but theRead MoreThe Effects Of Fast Food On Americans Sitting At A Blue Bus Stop Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesFlorida Georgia Line, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Robin Thicke. Their songs include talking about how they would like to â€Å"domesticate† their women and how they love that they are â€Å"dead inside† and how they should â€Å"learn to mistreat† the women. Chris Brown refers to his â€Å"girl† as â€Å"fine china† CLEARLY objectifying her. Most of theses songs also include part where the artist calls the girl â€Å"mine† implying that you can OWN a person, which absolutely distasteful. Finally, we all know Robin Thicke s song â€Å"Blurred

Strategic Management The World s Second Largest Pc Vendor

With a fast economic development and an increasingly competitive marketing, it has demonstrated that a successful company has to performance effective strategies through the whole operation for its survival and development. As known to all, a strategy is a overall view, referring to the plans and actions a enterprise selects to achieve its goals, including â€Å"some planned and systematic consideration of how to remain or become successful in that business†, some â€Å"internal factors† and â€Å"external factors† (textbook, ). Additionally, Strategic management regards as how to formulate, implement and evaluate strategies through a series of managerial activities, strengthening an organisation’s core competences, (MGM foundation). In a company, it is usually considered as the key engine of how and where it should invest its resources. It is well known that Lenovo is the world’s second-largest PC vendor ,as well as the China’s second-largest smartphone company, manufacturing desktops, smartphones, tablets and smart TVs and own accessories (Lenovo website, n.d.). Having changed its name to â€Å"Lenovo† since 2003, the company has decided to expand its market outside China by carrying out a series of effective management strategies, particularly in PC+ strategy, multi-brand strategy, â€Å"protect and attack† strategy and global-local strategy. Depending on the seasonable adjustment for the rapidly changing markets, Lenovo currently already has obtained trust and loyalty from millions of consumersShow MoreRelatedDell Computer Corporation – Strategy and Challenges for the 21st Century16130 Words   |  65 Pages....................................................................................11 2.4 Diversification.......................................................................................................11 3. 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INTRODUCTION The Acer Group is one of the worlds largest PC and computer component manufacturers. Associated Acer companies include the worlds third largest PC manufacturer, and Acers mobile computers, network servers and personal computers are ranked in the worlds top ten most popular brands in their respective product categories. Acer is the market leader in many countries around the world, and is ranked in more than 30 countries globally owing to the strength of its core business. On theRead MoreThe Term Of Emerging Market Economy2063 Words   |  9 Pagesfinance corporation of the World Bank in 1981. It refers to country with an underdeveloped industrial base and infrastructure but with a rapid growth rate even more than the developed countries. In addition, emerging market is often unstable in politics and institution, as well as continued demographic growth in some extent. (Tarun Khanna, 2010) Lenovo is a Chinese multinational technology company with headquarters in Beijing, China. 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Differences Between My Best Friend and I Free Essays

It’ is hard to believe that my best friend Kelly and I have a lots of differences. Even though, we love each other we are completely different In our personalities, work experience and how we take care of our family. We both have great personalities. We will write a custom essay sample on Differences Between My Best Friend and I or any similar topic only for you Order Now Kelly and I have been friends since I was 5 years old. We went to the same school and stayed in the same class until we went to high school. For example, Kelly is very friendly and she has a great humor. She is very outgoing and love to talk with different people , even people she just Met . On the other hand, I am very shy and serious kind of person. I do not like to talk with other people. For these reason is hard for me to make new Friend . To illustrate that ,when we are invited to our neighbor birthday party , so we went to celebrate with his family and friends. The party was full of strangers and Kelly began to talk with those strangers. All I did was seat in the table alone and wait for someone to talk to me. Kelly came and start to introduce me to her new friends . I feel so proud of her , because if wasn’t for her , I never have the courage to introduce myself to them. Another example, is that Kelly and I have different kinds of works . She works as secretary and I work as house cleaner . She had this great job in Boston as secretary . It is near her house, she has a great salary and a month of vacation paid every year . Her job is so easy and she just have to answer the phone ,book appointments and be in the office the whole day. However, I work as house cleaner , it is very hard work by cleaning other people dirty houses. One of the problems is that I spend a lot of money on gas, cleaning products and vacuum repairs. My salary is not stable it depends in how many houses I clean every week. Paid vacation forget about it . Finally is our Family, that is the best and important gift that anyone can have . Kelly and I have a wonderful family, we both have kids and we have been married for 5 years. Kelly has two boys and one little girl, their names are Robert 10 years old, Nicholas 8 years old and Amanda 4 years old . I have three kids too ,instead, I have two girls keren 9 years old, Sarah 4 years old and a boy he is 12 years old. We both love Our family very much and we appreciate staying together with our family . Even though, Kelly prefer to stay home and be creative with her kids by doing crafts activities . I prefer to go outside and play with them . Last winter we went to Cocokeys Park and our kids got to play together and they had a terrific time . When the park was closing we decided to sleep at the hotel inside the park, again that was the best part for Kelly stay inside. Besides our differences , we both have a wonderful family and we always share with each other ways to raise and educate our kids. After all our differences we still best friends How to cite Differences Between My Best Friend and I, Essay examples

Most Wanted Collectors Signature Edition by Hilary Duff free essay sample

After two hit albums, one Christmas album and several appearances on soundtracks, Hilary Duff finally has a Most Wanted album and the album is now a Collectors Signature Edition. Featuring hits from both Metamorphosis and Hilary Duff, plus songs which have appeared on movie soundtracks such as A Cinderella Story and The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and three brand new songs written by Hilary Duff and Dead Executives and a bonus song, Supergirl, this collection is a favorite for any fan of Hilary Duff. Featuring the unique sounds of both Metamorphosis and Hilary Duff, Most Wanted shares with fans the Hilary Duff of the past, the Hilary Duff of the present and with the brand new songs and sounds of Wake Up, The Beat of my Heart, Break My Heart and Supergirl, the album also introduces to fans the Hilary Duff to come. These songs give fans somewhat of a sneak peek of what to look forward to from this hit singer. We will write a custom essay sample on Most Wanted: Collectors Signature Edition by Hilary Duff or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Collectors Signature Edition features several bonus tracks not featured on the standard Most Wanted- -Whos That Girl (acoustic) -Jericho (remix 2005) -Supergirl -Party Up (remix 2005) Unless your reasoning for buying this album is purely to support Hilary Duff, I recommend borrowing this album from a friend. Dont get me wrong, the album is great, but if you have already bought Metamorphosis and Hilary Duff and the soundtracks to A Cinderella Story and The Lizzie McGuire Movie, then you already have just about 80% of the album. So borrow it from a friend or download the three new songs/remixes. But if you are buying the album to support Hilary Duff, feel free to buy it; you wont be disappointed.

Hinglish - Definition, Etymology and Examples

Hinglish s Hinglish is a mix of Hindi (the official language of India) and English (an associate official language of India) that is spoken by upwards of 350 million people in urban areas of India. (India contains, by some accounts, the largest English-speaking population in the world.) Hinglish (the term is a blend of the words Hindi and English) includes English-sounding phrases that have only Hinglish meanings, such as badmash (which means naughty) and glassy (in need of a drink). Examples and Observations In a shampoo advertisement currently playing on Indian television, Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood actress, sashays past a line of open-top sports cars, flicking her glossy mane, before looking into the camera and saying: Come on girls, waqt hai shine karne ka!Part English, part Hindi, the linewhich means It’s time to shine!is a perfect example of Hinglish, the fastest growing language in India.While it used to be seen as the patois of the street and the uneducated, Hinglish has now become the lingua franca of India’s young urban middle class . . ..One high-profile example is Pepsi’s slogan Yeh Dil Maange More! (The heart wants more!), a Hinglish version of its international â€Å"Ask for more!† campaign.(Hannah Gardner, HinglishA Pukka Way to Speak. The National [Abu Dhabi], Jan. 22, 2009)Prepaid mobile phones have become so ubiquitous in India that English words to do with their userecharge, top-up and missed callhave become common, too. Now, it seems, th ose words are transforming to take on broader meanings in Indian languages as well as in Hinglish.(Tripti Lahiri, How Tech, Individuality Shape Hinglish. The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 21, 2012) The Rise of Hinglish The language Hinglish involves a hybrid mixing of Hindi and English within conversations, individual sentences and even words. An example: She was  bhunno-ing the  masala-s  jub  phone  ki ghuntee bugee. Translation: She was frying the spices when the phone rang. It is gaining  popularity  as a way of speaking that demonstrates you are modern, yet locally grounded.New research  by my colleagues . . . has found that while the hybrid language is not likely to replace English or Hindi in India, more people are fluent in Hinglish than they are in English. . . .Our data revealed two important patterns. First, Hinglish speakers cannot speak monolingual Hindi in settings which require only Hindi (like our interview scenario)this confirms reports from some speakers that their only fluency is in this hybrid Hinglish. What this means is that, for some speakers, using Hinglish is not a choicethey cannot speak monolingual Hindi, nor monolingual English. Because these Hinglish spe akers are not fluent in Hindi, they are not likely to undergo language shift to monolingual Hindi.Second, bilinguals adjust their speech towards Hinglish when they talk to Hinglish speakers. Over time, the number of Hinglish speakers is growing by adopting speakers from the bilingual community who lose the need to use either language monolingually.(Vineeta Chand, The Rise and Rise of Hinglish in India.  The Wire  [India], February 12, 2016) The Queens Hinglish A testimony is the average north Indians response to the language of the conquering British. They transformed it into Hinglish, a pervasive mishmash beyond state control that has spread from below so that even ministers no longer aspire to imitating the Queen. Hinglish boasts of airdashing to a crisis (famine or fire) lest newspapers accuse them of being on the backfoot. A vivacious mixture of English and native tongues, Hinglish is a dialect pulsating with energy and invention that captures the essential fluidity of Indian society.(Deep K Datta-Ray, Tryst With Modernity. The Times of India, Aug. 18, 2010)[Hinglish has] been called the Queens Hinglish, and for good reason: its probably been around since the first trader stepped off the ships of the British East India Company in the early 1600s. . . .You can hear this phenomenon for yourself by dialing the customer service number for any of the worlds largest corporations. . . . India has literally turned its English-speaking ability, a once embarrassing legacy of its colonial past, into a multi-billion-dollar competitive advantage.(Paul J. J. Payack, A Million Words and Counting: How Global English Is Rewriting the World. Citadel, 2008) The Hippest Language in India This mix of Hindi and English is now the hippest slang on the streets and college campuses of India. While once considered the resort of the uneducated or the expatriatedthe so-called ABCDs or the American-Born Confused Desi (desi denoting a countryman), Hinglish is now the fastest-growing language in the country. So much so, in fact, that multinational corporations have increasingly in this century chosen to use Hinglish in their ads. A McDonalds campaign in 2004 had as its slogan What your bahana is? (Whats your excuse?), while Coke also had its own Hinglish strapline Life ho to aisi (Life should be like this). . . . In Bombay, men who have a bald spot fringed by hair are known as stadiums, while in Bangalore nepotism or favouritism benefiting ones (male) child is known as son stroke.(Susie Dent, The Language Report: English on the Move, 2000-2007. Oxford University Press, 2007)

Photosynthesis Vocabulary Terms and Definitions

Photosynthesis Vocabulary Terms and Definitions Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and certain other organisms make glucose from carbon dioxide and water. In order to understand and remember how photosynthesis works, it helps to know the terminology.  Use this list of photosynthesis terms and definitions for review or to make flashcards to help you learn important photosynthesis concepts. ADP - ADP stands for adenosine diphosphate, a product of the Calvin cycle that is used in the light-dependent reactions. ATP  - ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. ATP is a major energy molecule in cells. ATP and  NADPH are products of the light-dependent reactions in plants. ATP is used  in reduction and regeneration of RuBP. autotrophs - Autotrophs are photosynthetic organisms which  convert light energy into  the chemical energy they need to develop, grow, and reproduce. Calvin cycle - The Calvin cycle is the name given to the set of chemical reactions  of photosynthesis that does not necessarily  require light. The Calvin cycle takes place  in the  stroma of the chloroplast. It involves the fixing of carbon dioxide into  glucose using NADPH and ATP. carbon dioxide (CO2) - Carbon dioxide is a gas naturally found in the atmosphere that is  a reactant for the Calvin Cycle. carbon fixation -  ATP and NADPH are  used to fix CO2 into carbohydrates. Carbon fixation takes place in the chloroplast stroma.   chemical equation of photosynthesis -  6 CO2 6 H2O → C6H12O6 6 O2 chlorophyll - Chlorophyll is the primary pigment used in photosynthesis. Plants contain two main forms of chlorophyll:  a b. Chlorophyll has a  hydrocarbon tail that anchors it to an  integral protein in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast. Chlorophyll is the source of the green color of plants and certain other autotrophs. chloroplast - A chloroplast is the organelle in a plant cell where photosynthesis occurs. G3P -  G3P stands for glucose-3-phosphate. G3P is an isomer of PGA formed during the Calvin cycle glucose (C6H12O6) - Glucose is the sugar that is the product of photosynthesis. Glucose is formed from  2 PGALs. granum - A granum is a stack of thylakoids (plural: grana) light - Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation; the shorter the wavelength the  greater amount of energy. Light supplies the energy for the light reactions of photosynthesis. light harvesting complexes (photosystems complexes) -   A photosystem (PS) complex is a multi-protein unit in the thylakoid membrane that absorbed light to serve as energy for reactions light reactions (light dependent reactions)  - The light dependent reactions are chemical reactions requiring electromagnetic energy (light) that  occur in the thylakoid membrane of the  chloroplast to convert light  energy into chemical forms  ATP and NAPDH. lumen - The lumen is the region within the thylakoid membrane where water is split to obtain oxygen. The oxygen diffuses out of the cell, while the protons remain inside to build positive electrical charge inside the thylakoid.   mesophyll cell - A mesophyll cell is a type of plant  cell located between the upper and lower epidermis that is the  site for photosynthesis NADPH - NADPH is a high-energy electron carrier  used in reduction oxidation -  Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons oxygen (O2) - Oxygen is a gas that is a  product of the light-dependent reactions palisade mesophyll - The palisade meophyill is the area of the mesophyll cell without many air spaces PGAL -  PGAL is an isomer of PGA formed during the Calvin cycle. photosynthesis  - Photosynthesis is the process by which organisms convert light energy into chemical energy (glucose). photosystem - A photosystem (PS) is a cluster of chlorophyll and other molecules in a thylakoid that  harvest the energy of light for  photosynthesis pigment - A pigment is a colored molecule. A pigment  absorbs specific wavelengths of light.  Chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light and reflects green  light, so it appears green. reduction - Reduction refers to the gain of electrons. It often occurs in conjunction with oxidation. rubisco - Rubisco is an enzyme that bonds carbon dioxide with RuBP thylakoid - The thylakoid is a disc-shaped portion of chloroplast, found in stacks called grana.