The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
Ok did I pick this book simply because the plot mentioned murders at a Blockbuster Video? Yes. The book goes beyond that because there are not only one set of murders, but a second timeline with another set of teen murders. Both time, there was only one survivor. The final girl from the Blockbuster murders is now trying to help the new girl survivor to go through her trauma and figure out who is the murderer – the same person, or a copycat?
I loved: the strong woman characters, the alleged original killer set free who disappeared, and the short binge-reading format.

How to be an antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
I am not gonna lie it was not an easy read. It does require your full attention. I really enjoy that the author looked at his younger self and applies his theories to himself, enlightening the moment he was himself racist while thinking he was fighting racism. For hi, not being racist is not being antiracist, and this is maybe the most important idea in the book and I will surely take it with me. However, I had troubles with some of the extreme he goes to, for example the fact that you are an activist only if you make the laws change, which, in my opinion, you are an activist if you are actively trying to make the laws change. I am unable to say if some of my disagreements come from a possible internalized unconscious racism in me, so for sure the book raised some thinking.

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
9 strangers each receive a list of names of strangers, except for their own. Quickly after, the people on the list start being murdered…
It was “fun” that one of the investigators was also on the list and overall it was entertaining enough, but I was really disappointed by the big reveal.

The book brings awareness to the deaf community’s struggles in education (when no access to deaf schools) and shine a loving light on the deaf culture. It is centered around the unfortunate issue of deaf schools being closed down, and the spread pressure for cochlear implants.

 

This was a quick read, the book is hard to put down even though it just makes you soooo angry at the stupidity and cruelty of the men (males) in charge of that society. When they are 16, the girls are sent on exile in the woods for a year to “get rid of their magic(k)” while trying to survive the wild – which involves killing each other – to return to their village pure and ready for marriage (often times to a much older man, that of course they had no say in choosing).
The book does have some problematic developments and miss the true feminist mark but it was fast-paced and suspenseful enough to go through it in a very short time.

 

It’s an autobiography so it’s hard to critique but it was interesting to get to know more about someone you come across to on internet and what their journey was. Laura’s was much darker than I expected.

 

I liked me some Paris location and I was quite into the book, the search, the mystery, but the resolution… It started strong but ended up being disappointing.