Final #MustReadin2017 Check-In

Since my last check-in post, I read one of the books on my list, bringing my total read to six out of twenty-four and my total attempted to nine. 1/4 read! I’ll take it.

Here are the books on my list:

Since my last check-in, I finished:

Trade Me by Courtney Milan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, that was delightful. I really enjoyed the characters here, and while there are some sex scenes, every time I would think, “yeah, that’s enough,” they would be over. So no complaints there. Also, while the basics of a romance plot are there, there were some nice and unexpected bits throughout. I also didn’t figure out Blake’s problem, though it made sense once revealed, so kudos for that as well. Also, it must be said that Tina’s dad is the best. And while the fake dating wasn’t as fraught as I like my fake dating to be (er, in very specific ways–Tina and Blake’s fake dating was fraught for other reasons), it still worked for me.

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Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, this was absolutely delightful. I loved the look at the creative process from all the people involved with the show (including lighting and costuming!). I also loved the little tidbits about choreography choices (Burr moves in straight lines! Hamilton is all over the place!) and the highlights of all the cast members, including a shout-out to my boy Neil Haskell who I was just waiting to see mentioned.

And, of course, all the literary references (yes, I am the one in a thousand who got the Lady Macbeth reference) plus the libretto in general was all A++. Highly recommend if you are a fan of the show (obvs) or just want to know more about the creative process (in general)/behind the scenes working of a show from conception to performance.

View all my reviews

Next year, my list will be a little less heavy and way more fun. Because, whew, this was super ambitious and then I just wanted to read fun stuff most of the year. Escapism is good. And I needed more delightful things in my life as the year went on.

1. Black No More by George S. Schuyler

2. 1984 by George Orwell

3. The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway and the Slaves’ Civil War by David S. Cecelski

4. The Mother by Yvvette Edwards

5. Not a Self-Help Book: The Misadventures of Marty Wu by Yi Shun Lai

6. The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner

7. Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women and the Radical Men They Married by Nancy Rubin Stuart

8. Ida: A Sword Among Lions by Paula J. Giddings

9. Josephine Baker: The Hungry Heart by Jean-Claude Baker

10. The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refused to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan by Dahr Jamie

11. Rebel Without a Crew, or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player by Robert Rodriguez

12. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

13. March: Book One by John Robert Lewis

14. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

15. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

16. Trade Me by Courtney Milan

17. Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho

18. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

19. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

20. Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story by Peter Bagge

21. Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda

22. Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit

23. True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life by Sarah E. Farro

24. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Interested in participating next year? Head over to Carrie’s blog for the details.