and middle-aged suburbanites whose new home, a crumbling magic tower, isn't quite what they thought they signed up for. Every step in this journey is a delightful surprise. 3/3
Cal

The writing style is clever and funny in a dry sort of way. The myriad of references to Lord of the Rings absolutely killed me. The characters were enjoyable and surprisingly relatable for being an evil band of goblins undergoing a regime change 2/3

There are also excellent examples of how to apologize to people we love. I would recommend this to anyone, but especially kids. There's so much that we can learn from Nadia and her family. 4/4
Cal

There's a lot about how kids can make a big difference, so they shouldn't think themselves too small or insignificant to change things. We learn about how global warming is affecting people we might not hear about. 3/4

I learned so much about Ramadan and the spirit of self-control, sacrifice, generosity, and community that comes with it. There's a lot about journalism and how it can influence people and help them. 2/4

I learned a great deal and hope to practice these behaviors so I can be a better friend and a better ally to people of all races. Stumbling does not mean we stop. Stumbling means that we stand back up, figure out how to stop stumbling the same way, and we keep marching. 5/5
Cal

It gives actionable advice for white people who want to be receptive to feedback and learn to be better allies. This includes not demanding this feedback and a list of very good resources for people to learn more without putting the onus of their education on POC acquaintances and friends. 4/5

and the idea that a racist act makes one a bad person altogether when it really can be as simple as an ignorance to be corrected. But the book does more than that. 3/5

This one is more action-oriented, which certainly helps it stand out. Of course the subtitle tells us that it explains the reasons that white folks have trouble talking about race- the society we're raised in, the messages we get about how to avoid talking about race at all, 2/5

displayed, and provided some methods for mitigating the effects of them. I hope to utilize those methods to reduce bias, but also to use what I learned in this book to at least evaluate when those biases might be occurring so I can act better than my instinct. 3/3
Cal

I loved that I could go to the website and test my own internal biases while contributing to scientific data! As a science and statistics nerd, that really hit for me. I appreciated that the authors explained how those biases are created, reinforced, 2/3

The actual data still shook me. And there were a lot of graphs that illustrated the points well with clear data that was reported in a way that felt full and not manipulated to fit the narrative. 4/4
Cal

...in favor of rhetoric that further disenfranchises marginalized communities to the (proported) benefit of white people. As someone who grew up in Kansas and now still lives there but a stone's throw from Missouri, I've seen a lot of what's being addressed here. 3/4

The first section focuses on gun control in Missouri, the second is healthcare in Tennessee, and the last is education in Kansas. This book explores the history of these issues and explains how they fit their thesis that white people are voting against their best interests... 2/4

Any concerns I had about the storytelling after Songbirds and Snakes were blown away as I read. I would honestly say this is my second favorite story of the series.
-Cal 2/2

This is a pretty quick and fascinating read with very approachable writing, clear statistics, and engaging storytelling. 4/4

The book discusses how a lack of fact-checking on the internet (even less for Spanish-language media than English), Spanish pride overwhelming black and indigenous heritage, trauma from communist rule, patriarchy, and religion encourage right wing alignment in spite of people's best interests. 3/4

The phrase "tribalism, traditionalism, and trauma", repeated through the book, really encapsulates the thesis. This book is largely based on interviews with Latino immigrants and first generation Latino Americand who are part of the US's far right, including Proud Boys and Border Patrol. 2/4