My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain
This book’s premise can be distilled down as New Kid meets Bring It On but with swimming instead of cheerleading. It’s a story that imparts a lot of hard truths about why so many Black Americans never learned or teach their kids to swim, but it’s mostly a page-turning story of friendship, teamwork, and overcoming adversity.![]() Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country by Kelly Yang
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@bibliophilebeth #booktok #PrimeDayDreamDeals #selfcare #mentalhealth #librariansoftiktok ♬ Reading when the world is a dumpster fire - Frankie Love
@bibliophilebeth When this is the weather in July, you mark yourself as unavailable in your calendar and sit outside and read #librariansoftiktok #schoollibrarian #booktok ♬ original sound - catherineoharasbebe
MJ, with her tiara and rainbow-colored braids, absolutely slays on her first day of kindergarten... by being helpful and kind and having a great time while doing it. |
"When we learn to identify the emotional inheritance that lives within us, things start to make sense and our lives begin to change. Slowly, a door opens, a gateway between present life and past trauma."
I wasn't planning on reading AND finishing this book in one day. I was just going to sit down and read the introduction to see if this was a book I wanted to keep reading or if I would take it back to the library. But before I knew it, I was on page 100 and couldn't stop reading. The only reason I didn't finish it in one sitting is because I needed to come up for air since the subject is so intense. Otherwise I would have finished it in one sitting; I was that riveted.
Emotional Inheritance was not what I was expecting. When I picked it up, I fully anticipated a book full of psychological jargon and written in expository format. Instead, the book is written entirely in narrative format, and each chapter is the story from one of Atlas' clients as it illustrates anecdotally how someone inherited the trauma they are currently wrestling with in their lives. While many people will say the anecdotal nature and lack of cited research discredits this book, I would argue that Atlas' intended audience means she used this format to compel the reader to seek out more information in the field of epigenetics and inherited trauma. The page-turning nature of this book will mean that the reader likely will seek out more information about this field and want to learn more.
But speaking of lack of citations, my only issue with this book is Atlas' frequent references to Freud which, I get that Freud got some things right, but given his lack of credibility in our present day, it feels like there should have been more context to citing his work since many people now find him so problematic.
Overall though, I thought what made Emotional Inheritance an effective read is how it compels the reader to learn more about the way trauma is baked into our DNA.
Chip is a very smart dog. He knows all of the things dogs should and shouldn't eat. Maybe.![]() A Sky-Blue Bench by Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins
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"First you march, then you run."
John Lewis' story doesn't end with the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Run Book One is the story of tension within the membership of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, that John Lewis was the leader of. What stands out most in reading this first book in the series are the comparisons the reader can make to what was happening in the 1960s to what is happening now -- how despite the progress that African Americans have made, white Americans always find a way to push back in an attempt to continue their oppressive behavior, both systemic and on an individual level.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how difficult it is to live in these turbulent times, thinking that every time you turn around something horrible is happening in our country or the world, but reading Run was a good reminder that this era does not hold a monopoly on continuous terrible events. The difference is, we just have instantaneous access to those events, therefore flooding our brains with constant anxiety and existential dread.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, which makes sense because it is intended to be a trilogy just like March. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book and if it were already available, I would be picking it up immediately.
Purchasing from the above Bookshop affiliate link supports independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.
Publisher description:
All his life, Alex Weakerman has had one passion: baseball. Specifically, the Hurricanes of Weakerville, Iowa—the scrappy independent-league team owned by his Grandpa Ira.
Even as team and the town have fallen on tough times, there’s no place Alex would rather be than at the ballpark—a hot dog in one hand, a pencil and scorebook in the other, keeping track of each and every statistic. Alex has never been all that great at playing baseball, but that doesn’t matter. For someone as painfully awkward as Alex, being a fan—and a wiz with baseball stats—is all he needs.
When Grandpa Ira passes away, though, Alex is crushed. He’s lost his best friend, and he doesn’t see any way that the team will survive. But Ira, it seems, has one last trick up his sleeve: his will names Alex the new manager of the Hurricanes.
Alex is as excited as he is terrified at the chance to finally put some of his fantasy baseball genius to use. But as he sets to work trying to win over the players, he soon learns that leading them to victory is about more than just stats. Will he be able to save his team, his hometown, and his family legacy?
The Hurricanes of Weakerville by Chris Rylander is The Sandlot meets Field of Dreams meets A League of Their Own. As someone who is not a lover a baseball the sport, but loves a good baseball story, this book fills all the satisfying notes of a good baseball story: quirky characters, a David vs. Goliath trope, and a satisfying resolution.
About the Author:
Chris Rylander is the author of the acclaimed and bestselling “Fourth Stall” saga, the “Codename Conspiracy” trilogy, and co-author of book three in the New York Times bestselling “House of Secrets” series. He lives in Chicago, where he eats a lot of raspberry jam and frequently tries to befriend the squirrels on his block.
Publishing June 28, 2022
The Hurricanes of Weakerville Blog Tour Stops
6/21 Nerdy Book Club @nerdybookclub
6/22 A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust @bethshaum
6/23 Teachers Who Read @teachers_read
6/27 LitCoachLou @litcoachlou
6/28 Bluestocking Thinking @bluesockgirl
6/29 Walden Tumblr @waldenpondpress
7/1 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers @grgenius