Favorite of this month was far and away Son of a Trickster and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. I enjoyed the bookclub conversation better than the book this month but I still enjoyed the premise of The Midnight Library.

Read This Now 🤯
Son of a Trickster - Eden Robinson

Pretty Darn Good 😀
Elatsoe - Darcie Little Badger
Beowulf: A New Translation - Maria Dahvana Headley
Furia - Yamile Saied Méndez
This Way to the Sugar - Hieu Minh Nguyen

Sure 🙂
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

Taking into Next Month 🌊
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe

#julyreads #julywrapup #bookclubbooks #bookstagram #sonofatrickster #elatsoe #beowulf #furia #thiswaytothesugar #themidnightlibrary #readinginstead

This is such an excellent young adult novel! Each of the conflicts within the plot were so interesting and kept me wondering what would happen next.

Furia" by Yamile Saied Méndez, in audiobook format, presents a compelling narrative set against the backdrop of soccer and the pursuit of dreams. While the story is engaging and provides a vivid portrayal of the challenges faced by its protagonist, some listeners may find that the overall execution falls short of being truly outstanding. The audiobook, though well-narrated, may lack the depth or intensity needed to elevate it to a standout experience. While "Furia" is good, it may not leave a lasting impression for those seeking a more exceptional audiobook journey.

Probably one of my favourite books ever. Camila was such an incredible character. She is such a fierce character who refuses to be held down by any man in her life, be they father, brother, lover, etc. Her unwillingness to compromise her dreams and values was so fresh and beautiful to read. She’s such a sweet character with an inferno inside her!

I enjoyed reading Furia. First because it gave me a realistic glimpse into the life of a young Argentinian, her struggles with what we would consider an antiquated patriarchal society, and the more familiar family and romantic struggles of teens everywhere. And secondly, because the writing was so fresh. I enjoyed the authentic smattering of Argentinian phrases and colloquialism. They were just enough to feel like you were visiting another country without being so much that I needed a translator to follow the story. I love the main character's determination even through her challenges. For many young women the first step to knowing what we want out of life is first identifying what we know we don't want. La Furia reveals her character and the strengths and weaknesses of the people most important to her through this process. Lovely book.

As far as the narration of the audiobook, I really enjoyed the characterization of La Furia's "voice". I could really feel her heartache and frustration. I would have liked to hear more distinction between the narrator's voice and La Furia's voice. It didn't detract from the enjoyment of the story though. I felt the tonal variations were well done, clearly showing the characters' emotions. A challenge that was well met, was in meeting the need to hear the accent of the Argentinian language while still retaining the clarity for non-Spanish speakers. It was a pleasure to listen to.

I love a good YA book told in first person that is an #own lives narrative. Curia is especially impressive because it is a debut. It is also a celebration of Argentinian culture, a denunciation of/rising above patriarchal society, and a tale of friendship and love. I read it during #LatinxHeritageMonth, but read books by Latinx authors year round and encourage all to do this. Loved this strong, determined protagonist.

I really enjoyed this Argentinian contemporary novel about Camila Hassan, a teenage girl who just wants to fall in love and play soccer (futbol). Girls don't have a lot of freedoms even in modern-day Argentina, I was surprised to learn. And many teenage girls wind up pregnant by older men. Camila has a chance to get on an American soccer team and she goes behind her parents' backs to do so. Meanwhile, her childhood friend and crush, Diego, has become a famous soccer player so while she's navigating hiding her soccer-playing, she's also navigating hiding her boyfriend! It's always interesting to learn about other countries and cultures and this book did a very good job showing that. I loved the narrator.

A powerful Latinx voice that is a must read for so many! I loved this coming of age story that features so much grit, development, and confronted both the tough and painful, yet beautiful parts of Latinx culture and family.

This challenges stereotypes in an unapologetic way and is fiercely feminist. The writing felt mature and self assured, confident, which was so engrossing. I was sad to see this story end but will absolutely read more from this author!

This was a phenomenal YA book!

LIKES:
1) strong female characters… all of them. Despite being in a place where women are kidnapped, murdered, abused, they were able to rise above and have their voices heard.
2) learning about Argentina
3) a fútbol story! This was cool and so interesting
4) a quick read!

DISLIKES:
🚫

Wow this was an excellent YA read. So many passion for such young people. I loved it! The narration was done very well and I would highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this book and will be recommending on my social media. This coming of age Ya was great on audio too

Absolutely incredible narration on an amazing book. I loved everything about this book from the strong feminist views to the soccer to the Argentinian culture. This was an incredibly well written book.

📖My Thoughts📖

Wow, this was such an inspirational and empowering book! The strength, passion and courage to never give up the MC had was so admirable. My heart ached so many times knowing that though this was a story, it’s tragically very similar to the lives of so many. This story is a good reminder to never give up no matter what, to pursue your dreams. I loved how well the characters were portrayed and just seemed to come to life in this book. What an absolutely powerful story. I can’t say enough about it. I received the audiobook version of this story and I think the narrator did a phenomenal job. This is a must read, but be prepared, it’s going to hit you in all the feels!
Thank you Netgalley, Yamile Saied Mendez and Workman Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FURIA!!!! This book brought to life a fire inside me as I listened. Mendez paints her words artistically and brings a passion to the page! Furia lives a life that is full of fun and love but also struggle and the harsh reality that things are not always just handed out to make life easier. As life changes and shifts; she finds out that life isn't exactly as she first expected. When an unexpected passing of someone close to her occurs she needs to learn to adjust and survive; she has done this always but now she might just have to do it on her own. As new things come to light she realizes that life isn't what she always assumed and now she might have to understand a new reality. Beautiful character development, depth and complication. A story that will leave you breathless.

Everyone needs to read this book! I made both of my teens listen to it after finished and we had a great discussion about feminism, economic depression and the struggles in other countries. Camila puts herself first and it's a great message for girls and women of any age.

Thanks to Workman Audio for the gifted copy.

5 stars, Love this book that I know so many of my students will see themselves in. I can think of a student specifically who this is her story. I love reading things that feel so real and that I know my students will connect to.

Camilla has always wanted to play futbol, but once girls reach a certain age, it’s seen as not feminine and discouraged. But she’s really good at it, and is hoping to get a scholarship to play in the US after she graduates. This book is about Camilla trying to balance her family obligations with her desire to play the sport she loves.

There are serious issues that are dealt with in this book as well. I learned that violence against women is a huge issue in Argentina (and Latin America in general), and it’s covered in this book, although not in a graphic way.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters do sometimes speak in Spanish, but it’s always easy enough to understand based on context, so don’t be discouraged. I definitely recommend it.

The audiobook narrator - Sol Madariaga - does a wonderful job with the story, and portrays Camilla’s spirit perfectly.

I was wary going into this book but ended up LOVING IT! It's too bad that I put it off for so long. I think it had a somewhat slow start, but picked up quickly after. I love that it touched on so many important themes. I loved many of the characters, the writing and how descriptive the novel was. While listening, I was transported to Argentina, and I feel like I really got to know Camila. I wish there was a more conclusive ending for her and Diego, but I do like that the author left it up to the reader to decide how their story ends.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this audiobook!

I love that so many authors of Latin American origin are having the opportunity to publish their stories in English and are not afraid to show their roots and the problems that Latin Americans like me see and experience directly or indirectly.

The title, cover, clues left around, various excerpts, and reviews had me hoping for a different book.
I was a little disappointed instead with what I read.
Disappointed and bored.
This book is nothing more than the story of a girl who is good at football.
If there was any hidden message between the lines I didn't catch it, but it's not a read I would recommend this novel.