Contents

Neanderthals were sometimes thought of as primitive, dumb, or barbaric. That is how many of us picture them– just as we’ve seen in movies and TV shows featuring a primitive man covered in animal skins, walking hunched over, and uttering two-syllable words in a guttural voice.

But the book, Kindred, tells us a different story. It doesn’t only describe the physical, social, and cognitive aspects of Neanderthals but also provides significant information about who truly they were based on Neanderthal bones, rock shelters, tools, and other evidence that were discovered in caves from Europe to Central Asia. Contrary to common beliefs, Neanderthals walked upright, were intelligent, and were creative in their own way.

Kindred is written by Rebecca Wragg Sykes, an archaeologist and writer who is passionate about human history and prehistory. She focuses on the lifestyle, behavior, and ancient technology of early humans, especially Neanderthals. She aims to make history easy to understand through her books and talks and to bring people together. 

Our perception of the Neanderthals has undergone a metamorphosis since their discovery 150 years ago, from the losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins. Spanning scientific curiosity and popular cultural fascination means that there is a wealth of coverage in the media and beyond – but do we get the whole story? The reality of 21st century Neanderthals is complex and fascinating, yet remains virtually unknown and inaccessible outside the scientific literature.

In Kindred, Neanderthal expert Becky Wragg Sykes shoves aside the cliché of the rag-clad brute in an icy wasteland, and reveals the Neanderthal you don’t know, who lived across vast and diverse tracts of Eurasia and survived through hundreds of thousands of years of massive climate change. This book will shed new light on where they lived, what they ate, and the increasingly complex Neanderthal culture that is being uncovered, up to and including the very recent discovery of verifiably Neanderthal cave art.

Based on the author’s first-hand experience at the cutting-edge of Palaeolithic research and theory, this easy-to-read but information-rich book lays out the full picture we now have of the Neanderthals for the first time, from amazing new discoveries changing our view of them forever to the more enduring mysteries of how they lived and died, and their relationship with modern humans.

1. What are some common stereotypes about Neanderthals?
2. How has modern research challenged these stereotypes?
3. Were Neanderthals innovative toolmakers or just imitators of Homo sapiens? Why or why not? Cite evidence.
4. How did Neanderthal physical adaptations influence their lifestyle, diet, and survival strategies?
5. In what ways did Neanderthals demonstrate social and emotional complexity?
6. What evidences show that interbreeding happened between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens?
7. What role did climate and environmental changes play in shaping Neanderthal life and possibly contributing to their decline?
8. How did Neanderthals create art and what does this tell us about their cognitive abilities?
9. Has this book changed your perceptions about Neanderthals? How?
10. What questions would you ask the author of Kindred, Rebecca Wragg Sykes?

Here are a few notable things about Neanderthals but the book offers much more. 

1. The media often portrays Neanderthals to be dumb but thousands of pieces of evidence suggest otherwise.
2. Neanderthals left countless artifacts, tools, rock shelters, bones, and other things that baffled researchers even to this time, spawning hunches, stories, and theories that tried to explain their history.  As Rebecca Wragg Sykes said, “Neanderthals infiltrated imaginations beyond the scientific.” Their discovery led to many questions including “who we are, where we come from and where we might be going.” The book is written for us to get to know them, our kindred, who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. 
3. Archaeology and scientific research show that Neanderthals and modern humans shared the same ancestors that came into the picture 2 million years ago. 
4. The first discovery of Neanderthal skulls was in 1829 by a “fossiling hobbyist with a medical background”, Philippe-Charles Schmerling in Engis, Belgium. Since then, more and more sites have been discovered showing Neanderthals lived in many places including Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. 
5. Neanderthals are shorter and stockier than Sapiens, with a powerful robust build. Their hips and shoulders were wider but their limbs were shorter to conserve energy as they adapted to cold environments. Their body build was not from brutishness but from an incredibly active way of life. They were always on the move. 
6. The shape of Neanderthal skulls is different from Sapiens’. Neanderthals had a low skull with a prominent brow bridge. Their mouth and nose jutted forward. They didn’t have a chin. However, their brain was as big as the brain of modern humans.
7. Knapping is a method that Neanderthals use in creating tools. The stone is shaped by smacking it with something harder and parts would fall out. The former is called a core and the latter are called flakes. Over time, advanced techniques were developed to get more control of the tool’s shape and size. The two known techniques are Levallois and Discoid. 
8. When it comes to food, Neanderthals’ diet depends on the availability of the resources in their local environment. However, according to evidence, they chiefly ate meat from horses, woolly mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, bison, and deer. They also hunted small games such as rabbits and birds. Moreover, they didn’t only feed on meat but also some plants such as tubers, nuts, leafy greens, and fruits. 
9. Like us, Neanderthals had a sense of belongingness in a close-knit group living in a rock shelter, working together to find food and create a homey place. Researchers found that they also arranged things in the place where they lived. Neanderthals created hearths where they gathered around to keep themselves warm and cooked food. 
10. Neanderthals interacted with other human species – the Denisovans and Sapiens. Not only that, they interbred. A small limb fragment of a teenage girl was found in Denisova Cave in Siberia and after DNA analysis, it was found that her mother was a Neanderthal and her father was a Denisovan. As for Neanderthal and Sapien hybrid, the Oase man’s DNA showed an intimate relationship between the two human species. 

Pro: The book unravels the human side of the Neanderthals.

Even though we only have the relics of early humans, archaeologists and scientists were able to theorize their movements, interactions, and thinking patterns by analyzing the placement of the evidence in the caves where they were found and the attributes of the surrounding environments. One of their discoveries was Neanderthals were social beings who lived in a rock shelter with their kin, wanted an organized living space, and gathered around a hearth to seek warmth, cook food, and bond with one another. It’s fascinating to know that they share similarities with us when it comes to group behavior.  

Pro: The author includes lyrical prose at the beginning of every chapter. 

Before a chapter starts, the author paints with lyrical words vivid scenes that enkindle a connection to the pre-historic humans by imagining what they saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted during their time. It invites the reader to see the whole picture of us concerning the Earth with its deep past. Isn’t it amazing to think that more than 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals, lived with our early ancestors, breathing the same air, hearing the sounds of different animals in dense environments, and feeling the cold breeze? It’s mind-blowing. 

Pro: The book tackles important issues about the Neanderthals. 

As mentioned above, we have misconceptions about our early cousins, some of which come from how the media portrays them. The book refutes these misconceptions and reveals the characteristics of the Neanderthals through pieces of evidence. The author also highlights the air of superiority in modern humans that tends to create a hierarchy in the animal world. This book uncovers the other side of reality, which can be humiliating—that we are not the superior species, as we are still subjected to natural laws. Yes, we are intelligent beings, but that doesn’t discount the intelligence of Neanderthals.

Con: Even though the book is readable and some jargons were explained, sometimes a paragraph is crowded with complex information that slows down reading. 

The book doesn’t sound like a textbook; it’s digestible and captivating, which is consistent with Rebecca Wragg Syke’s aim to spread the history of early humans to a wider audience. However, the reader will encounter new words, concepts, dates, names, and places that could affect the reading pace. Despite this, Kindred is still worth your while. 

Con: Few visual references to the Neanderthal were included in the book. 

Visual references would have made this book even better. Visual references would have made this book even better. The information about Neanderthals—their homes, food, and way of life—is really interesting, but I wish the author had included photos of the different Neanderthal remains found. Pictures would have helped bring the discoveries to life.

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Rebecca Wragg Syke’s Kindred is an eye-opening book that challenges the common stereotypes about Neanderthals as unintelligent, violent, and unsophisticated. As an archaeologist, speaker, and writer, Syke wanted to re-introduce Neanderthals to a wider audience as humans with impressive characteristics. She emphasized that aside from modern humans, other human species lived on Earth and were equally intelligent, resourceful, and creative in their own way. 

Kindred revealed the human side of Neanderthals by presenting their stories and history based on their remnants found in rock shelters from Europe to Central Asia. The author also included the beginnings of the Neanderthal investigations and the development of scientific procedures in extracting macroscopic and microscopic information from the 19th century to the present. The meticulous study of the pieces of evidence led to logical theories about the behaviors of Neanderthals. They organize hunting, arrange their things in their dwellings, make art, and have close relationships with each other. Sykes’ lyrical prose at the beginning of every chapter also brings the readers into a poignant emotional experience that connects them to their early cousins who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. 

The book is comprehendible but some parts are pregnant with significant information that may hinder the reading flow. Also, it would have been better if there were photos of Neanderthal sites or reconstructions of their faces that would reinforce the descriptions written in the book. However, Kindred is definitely worth reading. 

If you are interested in human history, specifically the Neanderthals, or you’ve watched documentaries such as The Secrets of Neanderthals on Netflix, this book is for you. 

Rebecca Wragg Syke’s website 

Kindred by Rebecca Wragg Sykes

Published on August 20, 2020, by Bloomsbury Sigma

463 pages (eBook)

Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art is a must-read you won’t forget. Find it HERE. 

Hello, fellow bookworm!

I just finished Katie Hafner’s novel, The Boys. 

More intriguing elements and shocking twists that were revealed towards the end of the story made me understand Ethan more, emotions were also getting deeper, and invitations to reflect on personal growth grew stronger. I am excited to share with you my reflections. 

Heads-up! Spoilers ahead. 

The story is about Ethan Fawcett who is an introverted person. He married Barb who is his exact opposite, she’s outgoing and loves to socialize. They were happy at the beginning of their relationship, but everything went south after getting married and factoring in having children. Barb brought home twin boys to foster them. Aggravated by Ethan’s past trauma and the pandemic, he became obsessed with taking care of the boys to the point it affected his relationship with Barb. When they separated, Ethan went to Italy with the boys, and in my previous post, I said that I was scared about what would happen to them. 

It turned out that his time in Italy was the moment of profound realization about his past, his relationship with Barb and the boys, and his future. 

This book resonated with me, and I find myself in Ethan who is introverted, aloof, and solitary. I was shocked at the story’s ending but relieved that he finally saw what was important to him. If he were my friend, I would hope that he began exploring or discovering how to process his past.

I’m not a big fan of character-driven stories but the high quality of writing and great characterization made me enjoy the book so much. 

“You are so much more amazing than you can possibly know…”

Sometimes our past can affect our present. The pain that we experience holds on to our memories, in the deepest parts of our subconscious minds. When faced with a triggering event or challenging situation, our response is clouded with that pain. As far as I’m concerned, self-awareness and acceptance are two of the essential things that we need to dismantle the past’s grip on us. 

Do you like character-driven stories like The Boys? Why or why not? Feel free to share in the comment section. 

So this is the end of my reading journey with this book.  Thank you so much for dropping by. 

If you are interested in knowing my reading experiences in the beginning, check these out: 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

There’s only one plot, “Who am I?”.

I heard this from a teacher who was apparently teaching English to a senior class in the ending scene of The Amazing Spiderman. This got me thinking about all the novels I’ve read. It’s true. Fiction is all about the characters searching for who they are, where they come from, where they belong, and these questions keep their story going until they find the answers.

In Deborah Lawrenson’s 300 Days of Sun, the main characters are looking for something that completes the picture of their identity and the meaning of their life. Joanna Millard wanted to break free from her relationship and career as a journalist so she ran to Faro, Portugal, and Nathan Emberlain wanted to find his true family in the same town.

As their story unfolds, their quest entangled other people into the web and revealed a dark secret not only about Nathan but also about Portugal in relation to Germany during World War II. Lawrenson showed this part of the story through a novel written by Esta Harford. Here’s the thing. I didn’t expect to read a full-length novel within the novel which is about an American couple living in Portugal during the war and the complication of their lives while living closely with the Germans. It was fine with me though. I think the novel was necessary to further explain the role of the Germans in Faro, Portugal during the war.

I was quite astounded that I got hooked by this book even though the characterization was not in-depth. I was drawn by the mysteriousness and willingness of the characters to take a leap for a stranger but the information about them was just enough to fulfill their roles in moving the plot.

Finding out who Nathan really motivated me to go on but I was more carried away by the uniqueness of the book’s setting Faro, Portugal. The author transported me to the town with its famous, long beach, intriguing history, and interesting people. The descriptions were so vivid that I could imagine the scenes.

Although I enjoyed the setting, the action scenes in the story fell flat for me. It was not that exciting and could’ve been developed more. I think this part was a bit rushed.

Overall, Deborah Lawrenson’s 300 Days of Sun is a good read for me.

Discussion Questions

1. 300 Days of Sun is based on the fact that the Algarve region in Portugal has 300 days of sunshine every year. What do you think of the title in relation to the theme of the story?
2. What drives Joanna to help Nathan find his real family?
3. How would you describe Nathan’s personality?
4. Does the novel within the novel work for you? Discuss further.
5. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

Book Information

Title: 300 Days of Sun

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062390163

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062390165

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Paperbacks (April 12, 2016)

Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 201

Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages

Lakambini Sitoy portrays the life of a multigenerational, Filipino family, punctured by a scandal, against the backdrop of colonial mentality and elitism in a small community in the Philippines in her debut novel Sweet Haven.

The story revolves around the Pastor family — Daniel, Luth, Narita, Antonia, and Naia. When her illegitimate child, Naia, appeared in a malicious video,  Narita went back to her town from Manila where she worked to save her daughter from ignominy. As she probed into the case,  Narita faced the hard truths in her life —  lies, manipulation, and rejection of their authentic selves had been haunting her family, and discrimination and corruption had been pervasive in their community. She witnessed her family’s shameful fate after confronting convoluted circumstances they were in.

Lakamibini Sitoy is a respected Filipino writer whose work is also published in the US, the UK and Europe.  She also wrote two collections of short stories, Mens Rea (1998) and Jungle Planet (2005), both published in Manila. She received the David TK Wong Fellowship at the University of East Anglia, UK in 2003. 

My Thoughts 

⭐⭐☆☆☆

Even though Sweet Haven is a difficult read for me, I appreciate the writing prowess of Lakambini Sitoy in creating characters with depth, enhanced by their culture and environment.  Their unique characteristics intersect with some negative aspects of Filipino culture– elitism and colonial mentality. 

The book illuminates the repercussions of Pastors’ bias for being highly educated and for anything Western (white skin, English language, imported products, and living and working abroad) that pushes them to a step higher in the social class. Consequently, they treat others who are below their class as second-rate people. 

Sitoy exemplifies this with a scene at a bank where Luth Pastor, the matriarch of the family, was standing at the teller’s counter when her toe was stepped on by the bank’s janitress who was sweeping the floor. Luth grumbled but the janitress, instead of saying sorry, muttered a phrase in the vernacular that is similar to the line “Who do you think you are?” The janitress was just doing her job and Luth could’ve stepped aside. Luth got back at the janitress with retorts in the native language and in English. She called the janitress a ‘dried-up Monkey’ and a ‘mail-order bride’.

Luth, who was an elementary school teacher,  had also wanted to live abroad but his husband, Daniel Pastor, a highly educated Filipino with a master’s degree and a doctorate degree in England and the United States of America,  had no desire to leave their town. Because of this, she hoped her daughters would take up nursing so they could work abroad. She was able to persuade her younger daughter, Antonia, to become a nurse even though she didn’t want to. Eventually, Antonia left for Finland to find her luck there. 

In the Philippines, it’s a sad truth that having fair skin is more advantageous. Even in the family, children with brown skin could experience discrimination. Narita suffered from being treated as inferior because of her brown skin. Her mother gave her fair-skinned sister, Antonia, more favor, which made Narita angry, insecure, and rebellious. She lived away from her family, working as a writer in a newspaper in Manila.  

Reading Sweet Haven was not a great experience for me. The plot is slow and contains familiar elements that are commonly present in Filipino drama movies and soap operas – a provincial girl searching for a better life in the Philippine capital, a rebellious daughter getting pregnant by a man below her family’s standards, a rich boy harassing and abusing a poor girl, corrupt government officials getting involved in a case, and criminals getting away with their felonies. Besides having a common storyline, the writing style of Sitoy is difficult for me. Reading the book was like riding a vehicle on a road with many potholes. Some highfalutin words impeded smooth reading.

Nonetheless, this book is a wake-up call to address colonial and elitist mentality.  I couldn’t pretend this doesn’t exist in our psyche as Filipinos even these days. I just hope that we will be able to acquire a radically different mentality that strengthens our self-identity and self-efficacy. 

Discussion Questions

1. How do you find the title of the book, Sweet Haven?

2. How does Narita’s mother influence her?

3. Because of the color of her skin, Narita experienced prejudice even from her mother. What are the consequences of this treatment on Narita’s life?

4. What drives Antonia to take care of her sister’s daughter?

5. How does Sitoy show elitism in Philippine society?

6. What other aspects of Philippine society are described in the story? Do you agree with the way the author portrayed them? 

7. Is the story well-placed? Why or why not?

8. Is the book character-driven or plot-driven? 

9. What can you say about the ending of the novel?

10. What questions would you ask the author?

Further Information

Title: Sweet Haven)

Author: Lakambini Sitoy

Genre: Fiction

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anvil Publishing Inc.

Publication Date: January 1, 2015

Print length: 288 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9712731952

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9712731952

Quotes

If you are a budding writer or a professional writer, this book is for you. 

Before I share the reasons why, let me tell you about the author, Bill Birchard, first. 

When you visit his website, the third line you’ll see is this…

“BILL BIRCHARD HELPS YOU WRITE”

Apparently, this is his life mission as he works as a writing coach and a book consultant of leaders from various fields such as economics, the environment, business, health, and technology. 

True to his passion, he wrote Writing for Impact to help writers improve their writing more using science-backed principles.

He also has written other books including Merchants of Virtue (Palgrave/Macmillan, 2011), Stairway to Earth (Birchard Books, 2011), Nature’s Keepers (Jossey-Bass, 2005), The One-Minute Meditator (with David Nichol M.D., Perseus, 2001), and Counting What Counts (with Marc Epstein, Perseus, 1999). 

OVERVIEW

Writing is not easy.

It’s not just about stringing words together to create an email, a report, a presentation, or an article. 

It’s more than that. 

If you look closely,  you can see that with writing, you connect with your readers emotionally and neurologically.

So, if you fail to press the right buttons in their brain centers, what you write can be nothing. 

Articles get rejected…

Reports are misconstrued… 

Books are DNFed… 

Consequently, when your readers don’t understand your message, frustration spreads all throughout your body.

Hours spent on writing goes down the drain.

Impostor syndrome occupies your mind, telling you you don’t have what it takes to become an influential writer. 

But here’s a silver lining…

You can change the situation on its head by learning from your mistakes, fixing them, and growing as a writer. 

The process is tedious but rewarding. 

Now, this is where Bill Birchard’s book, Writing for Impact, comes in.

It has science-backed writing strategies that can help turn your mediocre piece into an effective, influential one. 

Here are the things that you are going to learn from this book…

• Learn how to use the right words to make your writing more engaging and persuasive. 

• Discover eight proven techniques that you can start using right away, backed by scientific research. 

• Find compelling examples of each technique. 

• Learn dozens of tricks to captivate readers using each technique, backed by scientific insights into how the brain understands language.

• Follow a structured plan to develop your writing skills.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

1. What is the purpose of writing? 

2. What is the central principle of great writing?

3. How is human motivation related to writing?

4. What are the eight strategies of writing? Explain each. 

5. How would you apply these strategies to your writing? 

QUOTES

WHAT I LOVED

• Reading the book was a breeze. The format of how the ideas are presented is easy to follow and the explanation of the concepts and principles is clear as crystal. There are a lot of research studies included in the book, which for me can be daunting, but the author was able to break them down into simpler chunks with many illustrations. The fascinating connection between the brain and writing kept me turning the pages. 

• The tips are completely memorable.The specific steps in making my writing have more pizazz are straightforward and relevant. The punchy names of the techniques added more uniqueness to them. 

WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE

• I see myself using this book as a reference for writing. The advice in the last part of every chapter is gold. I just wish there’s a checklist that contains  all of these tips. It would be easier to refer to the principles delineated in the book that I could refer to whenever I am writing.

SUMMING-UP

Writing is one of the common forms of communication that is crucial for a society to have in order for it to survive and thrive. In addition to verbal and nonverbal communication, people get to understand each other more by sending and receiving written information. 

However, putting symbols or letters together to create words, sentences and paragraphs is not enough as the clarity of their meaning must be ensured to make them effective in conveying ideas. This is where the principles of writing come in.  They provide structure and direction by which ideas take form. They are like river banks that define the course of the river to a specific destination. 

In writing, the destination is clarity and substance, and Bill Birchard compiled  science-backed writing principles and techniques in his book Writing for Impact to help writers achieve this goal. True to its objectives, the book is easy to read and understand, the science behind writing is well explained, and the writing tips are practical and relevant. It’s no wonder why some people who read it would have it handy as a reference guide while they are writing. 

Writing for Impact is packed with research studies about writing and its relation to brain science that could change a writer’s perspective on how to deliver their message to the readers effectively. In fact, writing is pushing the right buttons in the brain so the reader would connect with the words, feel the target emotions, and take the desired actions. Failing to do so increases the chances of the writing being tossed in the trash can. Of course, that is not the goal of the writer. 

To make writing more successful, the author also presented easy, practical tips. For instance, to help readers become more satisfied with reading content easily and efficiently, use simple words. Difficult words can hamper understanding as they make the brain work harder. The brain prefers the least amount of effort in getting the meaning of a text. Other helpful tips like this include making writing more relatable, more influential, and more satisfying. 

If you are a beginner or advanced writer, Writing for Impact is a great book to have. You’ll get to understand the brain science that helps you shape your writing in a way that connects more with your readers, influencing them to be inspired and take action. Moreover, the science-backed tips are worth taking into consideration. They are practical, relevant, and easy to follow. 

Thank you Bill Birchard, HarperCollins Leadership, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy and the opportunity to share my honest opinion about the book. 

FURTHER INFORMATION

Bill Birchard’s Website billbirchard.com   

Twitter: twitter.com/billbirchard 

Book Information:

Writing for Impact by Bill Birchard

Published on April 4, 2023, by HarperCollins Leadership 

256 pages (eBook)

Find it here:

Goodreads

Gathering Blue, the Book 2 of The Giver Quartet written by Lois Lowry, illustrates the life of a young, orphaned girl with a disability, living in an unsophisticated community rebuilt after the ruins. Even though the community had no advanced technology and the people were living a simple life, they are held together by rules under the leadership of the Council of the Guardians. The book took the 9th and 10th spot on Children’s Chapter Book Best Sellers list on October 8, 2000, and October 29, 2000, respectively. In 2001, it was chosen as the winner of Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults by the American Library Association.

The novel puts a spotlight on Kira, an orphaned girl whose mother died from a strange illness and whose father died from an attack by a beast. She knew for sure that a group of women, her neighbors, would want her to be thrown out of the community because of her bad leg. Vandara, her neighbor, brought her to the Council of Guardians to have her removed from their community for she would be a burden, and the mothers would like to get her space where she lived. Kira lost her space, but, because of adroitness at threading, she was absorbed by the Council of Guardians to be a Robe-threader, the designer of the future.

Every year, all citizens gathered at the Council Edifice to commemorate their history. The Song, the Robe, and the Cane were the three most important things in the Gathering. The robe and the cane had intricate designs and patterns that showed the rise and fall of their community: “Ruin. Rebuilding. Ruin again. Regrowth.” The robe was under Kira’s care. She possessed the knowledge on how to restore and repair it; thanks to her late mother who was the previous threader. The cane was made by Thomas the Carver, and the song was sung by the Singer, together with the young girl named Jo who would replace the Singer in the future.

Although she was living a comfortable life with a cozy place to stay and delicious food to eat, Kira wanted to be free and create her own patterns. She didn’t want to be a Robe-threader anymore under the scrutiny of Jamison, a member of the Council of Guardians who defended her at her trial against Vandara. Her chance to leave came when her friend Matt, an eight or nine-year-old boy who lived in the filthy Fen, brought to her room a blind man who told her about a village of healing. In this village, people with disabilities like her life without prejudice, get married and have kids, and feel loved and accepted. The man also told her a secret involving Jamison that could sway her to leave. He asked Kira to go to the village with him. After careful thought considering the community and her talent, Kira chose what was best for her.

Thoughts…Thoughts…Thoughts…

It was a pleasure to read Gathering Blue. For one thing, the world was so different from that of in The Giver. Lowry continues to amaze me at her ability to create a well-realized fictional world that helped me imagine the culture and traditions of a crude community; and, the characteristics of the men, women, and their tykes. It’s fascinating that you can tell the age of characters based on the number of syllables their respective names have: young children have one-syllable names; early teens, two-syllables; adults, three-syllables; and senior citizens, four-syllables.

I could also feel the eagerness and hardship Kira went through as she underwent the process of restoring and repairing the robe.

Additionally, Kira’s story coincided with Jonas’ and I was thrilled to read the part where the presence of Jonas in the community was alluded to. There isn’t much information about what happened to him but the information was just enough to make me more eager to read the third book, Messenger.

Lastly, the book makes me reflect on the impact of our choices that we make in life just to get what we want and the sacrifices we can make for the greater good.

Discussion Questions

1. Describe the three young artists in the story.

2. How did the lives of the three talented children change?

3. Which of the characters did you identify with and why do you think you connected to them?

4. How is the community different from the one told in The Giver?

5. In what ways did the story make you reflect on your own life?

Further Information

Title: Gathering Blue

Author: Lois Lowry

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (September 25, 2000)

Publication Date: September 25, 2000

Print length: 225 pages

ASIN: B003JFJHRK

Quotes

Lois Lowry, an acclaimed American author of children and young adult books, describes a society of Sameness that holds a dark truth, learned by a twelve-year-old boy who became the key to bring back humanity to their community in the Giver (April 26, 1993, HMH Books). The novel won the John Newbery Medal in 1994 and was turned into a movie in 2012.

After the ruins, the Elders turned off the memories and colors of the past by creating a society governed by rules that ensures order and peace throughout the community. Intensive emotions such as love, desire, and anger are tempered with the precision of language — say enjoy instead of love; eager instead of frightened.

The community is composed of family units with two children each, a boy and a girl. Every year, children from one to eleven years old are recognized in front of all citizens as they moved up to the next age level respectively, receiving an object that marks a milestone. For instance, children are given a jacket with front buttons at the Ceremonies of Seven; a bicycle at the Ceremonies of Nine; and, an assignment at Ceremonies of Twelve — nurturer, birthmothers, engineers, doctors, laborers, and other important jobs in the community.

Jonas was chosen to do the most important job, the successor to the Receiver of Memory who holds the memory of the people and for the people including all the joyful and painful ones — birthdays, music, fun, starvation, animal cruelty, and war. However, some parts were too painful for Jonas to take that the Giver and he devised a plan to give back the memories of the past to the citizens.

Thoughts…Thoughts…Thoughts…

The Giver is the first dystopian novel I read back in 2000 and it still fascinates me after reading it again. I am amazed at the world Lowry created, the rules, the way of living, and the things they give up just to avoid pain of love, loss, and being human as a whole. To be human is to feel love and pain; rejecting this truth brings more harm than good.

As I read along, I enjoyed getting to know the characters that are memorable. The community with its own unique, bland culture is fascinating. The ending left me hanging though and I was curious as to what happened to Jonas, Gabriel, and the citizens when they remembered the memories.

The Giver is an easy read but enjoyable. You get transported to a world so different from what we know. Our society is far from perfect but with love, life is more meaningful.

Discussion Questions

1. How important are the rules in the community described in The Giver?

2. How do they deal with people who break the rules?

3. How important are the rules in our life nowadays?

4. What is the best way to deal with people who break the rules?

5. What do you think about the precision of language?

6. Every citizen has a role in the story. In the present time, how does a person find his or her role in the society?

7. Which character did you identify with and why?

8. What is the impact of The Giver on you?

9. What do you think about the ending?

10. What could’ve happened to the community after the citizens retrieved the memories of the past?

Further Information

Title: The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1)

Author: Lois Lowry

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian Novel, Science Fiction

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint, Media Tie In edition (April 26, 1993)

Publication Date: April 26, 1993

Print length: 99 pages

ASIN: B003MC5N28

Quotes

Psychotherapist and confidence and mindset coach Kate Crocco exposes twelve lies that discourage women from reaching their dreams in Thinking Like A Boss: Uncover and Overcome the Lies Holding You Back from Success (February 18, 2020, Baker Books), her first book.

Crocco’s own stories of struggles interlaced with advice and mental strategies drawn from her experience as an entrepreneur and as a coach to thousands of women through one-on-one, group, and mastermind programs. This book fulfills her mission to challenge women to break the barriers of self-limiting beliefs and to empower them to achieve greatness.

The twelve lies that hold back success:

1. I need to have it all together.

    The journey to success is imperfect. Embrace it. As you go along the way, you learn from your mistakes and become better. 

2. I’m not ready to start.

    Waiting for the right time to start doing something only impedes progress. The right time is always now. “First be brave and then go and figure it out.”   

3. I’m not qualified (I’m not smart enough, young enough, or old enough to succeed.)

    Age doesn’t matter. Your willingness to try makes you qualified to do anything we want to do. 

4. I will never have enough money.

    The thought of having not enough money comes from having a scarcity mindset. Practicing gratitude is one of the ways to overcome this lie. 

5. Making money is greedy.

    Money is a tool that empowers you to do good in the world; it’s a tool to give back to society. 

6. I need to say yes to every opportunity that comes my way.

    It’s okay to set boundaries. Saying no to things that your gut feeling says not the right things for you to do is actually saving space for better things. 

7. I can’t possibly have a successful business and be a good mom.

    Being a mother and an entrepreneur can be a roller coaster ride but it’s possible to balance these two roles. “You just get to show up, hands open, and ready to receive that beauty that is waiting for you.”

8. I need my friends and family’s understanding in order to succeed.

External validation is unnecessary in self-growth and serving others through your business.

9. I don’t have enough time.

Creativity with time creates time. 

10. It’s already been done before.

Your uniqueness brings something new to the table. 

11. I am my business.

It’s possible to have a fulfilling life and business that is firmly established on your identity, not on your product. 

12. I am not capable of handling success.

You are capable of handling whatever you believe you are capable of handling.  “Through all of this, remind yourself that you will figure it out when you get there. Instead of worrying about what will happen when you succeed, trust that you can handle it when you get there!”

Thoughts…Thoughts…Thoughts…

Thinking Like A Boss: Uncover and Overcome the Lies Holding You Back from Success is an inspiring book not only for women who want to create their own business but also for those who want to live their life to the fullest, reaching their utmost potential and inspiring the people around them. 

This book makes me feel I can make my dreams come true, and I am capable of changing my life into something that I have been hoping to have– a life of abundance, gratefulness, and joy. I find the specific mental strategies helpful in changing my perspective especially when doubts and self-limiting beliefs enter my mind. This book left an impact on me. 

The part that I am not a fan of is the storytelling that is too long for me. But then, the stories of the author and the women she helped made them more relatable and nudged me more to look into my own life, compare it to theirs, and see which of the habitual thoughts and behavior I should change. 

All throughout the book, Crocco speaks to the reader with passion and conviction. I will never forget the words such as “” You’ve got this!”, “If I can do it, I know that you can too.”, and “Love you, lady.” She often used the term ladies in addressing the reader or readers, which made me feel I was a part of this group of empowered women. It actually made me feel good. 

I think this book is perfect for women who don’t know how to start their own business or pursue their passion. The new venture can be daunting and negativity can be overpowering but there is always a way to get a grip on them. Having the proper mindset propels women forward and reading Thinking Like A Boss: Uncover and Overcome the Lies Holding You Back from Success is a good way to start in developing the right mental attitude, which actually takes time to develop but worth a try.

Discussion Questions

1. Does the book change the way you think?

2. Among the twelve lies, which ones hit you the most? Why?

3. Pick a quote that resonates with you. 

4. What part of the book did you like and not like?

5. After finishing the book, what was your first reaction?

6. What are your dreams in life?

7. Do you see yourself as a successful person? Why or why not?

8. What are the things that stop you from starting a business or doing the thing you have been wanting to do?

9. What are the steps you are willing to take to get started?

10. How do you feel about getting started?

11. How do you visualize your future self?

12. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the weakest and 5 being the strongest, how would you rate your belief that what you visualize about yourself is true?

Further Information

Title: Thinking Like A Boss: Uncover and Overcome the Lies Holding You Back from Success

Author: Kate Crocco

Genre: Self-Help

Publisher: Baker Books

Publication Date: February 18, 2020

Print length: 214 pages

ASIN: B07VQMFL4K

Quotes

You don’t know if the information you read or the person sharing it is real. Because appearances matter more than substance on social media platforms, we are not sure about the content’s truthfulness. Is it authentic or manufactured? Not only that. Aside from the content we consume, we also meet influencers who are sometimes over the top. Their lives can be exaggerated to grab people’s attention or promote a brand. The line between who they really are and who they want us to believe they are is difficult to tell. Elizabeth Rose Quinn takes a closer look at these newfangled ways of getting information, connecting with people, and building communities through common social media conventions from the perspective of the influencers, their audience, and the outsiders in her book, Follow Me. Quinn added depth to the story by highlighting modern mothers’ challenges that make them hungry for comfort, support, and freedom. Follow Me is a thriller with hints of dark humor, packed with dizzying truths about social media, the idiosyncrasies of the cultic-vibed mom-fluencer tribe, and flash-bang murder. Elizabeth Rose Quinn is a novelist and screenwriter who lived in Los Angeles for fifteen years working behind the scenes and writing for television. Follow Me is her debut novel and Amazon MGM Studios acquired the exclusive rights to produce it as a feature film. Quinn earned her BA in English from UC Berkeley and has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. One of the things she loves to do is travel and enjoy nature with her family. “Heathers meets The Stepford Wives in this creepy and frighteningly funny dark thriller about a woman who will do anything to find her missing sister. Even pretend to be one of them.
After her twin sister, Chiara, goes missing at a mom-fluencer weekend, Adrienne Shaw will find her no matter what it takes. They may have been on the outs, but no one comes for her sister and gets away with it.
It’s been a year, the authorities have no answers, and her brother-in-law is useless in the matter. It’s time for Adrienne to take the case into her own hands. Following in Chiara’s last footsteps, Adrienne goes undercover, infiltrating the same influencer retreat as the last thing she wants to an Instamommy.
The remote ranch in Northern California is certainly welcoming—in a cult-adjacent kind of way. A charismatic leader, communal crafts, fixed smiles—and a lot of dead eyes. Going on gut instinct and chasing a wild theory—that Chiara came here and never left—Adrienne is determined to uncover the truth before the too-perfect-to-believe women figure out who Adrienne really a threat to be eliminated.”  Source – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216997496-follow-me 

Discussion Questions  

1. How did Chiara become a celebrity?
2. What were Adrienne’s reasons why she got mad at Chiara?
3. How did Chiara find the mom-fluencers?
4. Why did she decide to meet them at a summit?
5. Who are the Matcha Mean Girls?
6. Describe the Mini-Mom Squad. 
7. How did Chiara die?
8. How did Adrienne respond to her twin’s demise?
9. What did Chiara’s husband find in her car that led to a shocking epiphany?
10. The book also explores motherhood, what are the pervasive challenges that mothers face in general?
11. What do you think about mom influencers?
12. What are the implications of personal branding on social media?
13. How does social media affect motherhood in this day and age?
14. Is it possible to be authentic on social media? How? 
15. Despite its flaws, what is the saving grace of social media?

What I Loved The Most 

• The book is so timely. Nowadays, we are hooked on social media, consuming massive content from influencers or even from those who are just sharing whatever they want to share on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok from what they ate for lunch to their breakup. There is so much to see – dances, reviews, mukbangs, hauls, and a whole lot more. Follow Me presents not just the funny side but also the dark side of social media, affecting our mental health, relationships, and reality. It’s a wake-up call to be aware of the double-edged sword effects of social media. 
• Quinn made the characters feel real and relatable. Adrienne and Chiara’s tough lives, which were the result of their mother’s depression, drew strong emotions that maintained my interest in knowing more about them and the consequences of their choices. Amid difficulties growing up, including alcoholism and drugs, they became each other’s fortress. But when Chiara moved on to a better life, Adrienne crumbled with anger, which complicated the story even more.
• The contrast was interesting between the gloomy picture of motherhood when Adrienne and Chiara were still young under the care of their mother who had depression and the “jolly” picture of factitious, Stepford-wives-like community of mom influencers whose motivation was to look happy and perfect on the surface in order get more sponsors for their social media brands. The vibes are different but the underlying problem is the same: motherhood is not easy. For some women, it brings them to a place where they are not heard and seen. Their lives are consumed by responsibilities that society expects them to do even though deep inside they are screaming for understanding and support. Social media is found to be an avenue where they can share their stories and get parasocial connections that give them a sense of validation. Perhaps being a mom influencer is an escape from the struggles of motherhood in modern society.  If this is so, it just shows deeper societal issues. 

• The pacing of the story is slow for me. After the exciting part initially, my eagerness to read went down the hill. There were a lot of flashbacks and memories, which I understand were meant to build the characters’ backgrounds and give context to their decisions and actions, and I think this winded down the plot and the thrill. The part about the creepy, quirky, loud mom-fluencers was fun to read and added an extra layer of flavor to the story, however, I was looking for more twists and unexpected turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. The ending was memorable, though. 

Summing-Up

Instagram plus tired moms equals deadly chaos.  This equation just oversimplifies the book, Follow Me, written by Elizabeth Rose Quinn, a novelist and screenwriter from Los Angeles, California. There is more to the story that provokes the readers to reflect on the effects of social media on mothers who are struggling to survive motherhood and the dark side of content creation and consumption. Quinn brings the readers on a no-filter, unsettling journey with dark humor through the complicated lives of the twin sisters, Adrienne and Chiara, and a factitious cultish-vibe mom-fluencer community stained by a flash-bang murder of somebody who was hated by the mother squad of the tribe for being favored more by the IG algo god. Beneath it all lies the unfortunate truth of the other side of motherhood that is hidden behind the curated, pretty posts.  Follow Me is a timely novel as, in our modern world, social media has hooked people on their devices, imbibing an endless stream of content for validation, connection, and entertainment. I think social media is not at all bad because you can really get helpful information and meaningful connections with people who are true to their intentions to add value to the audience, but there’s also another side of the coin. And this side is what Quinn showed in the book, focusing on mom-fluencers who clamor for more likes and views, higher engagement, and more lucrative sponsorship. In this story, motherhood has become a commodity.  About the main character, Adrienne’s difficult life which stems from her tough childhood, and drug and alcohol addiction, amplifies the story’s theme of unseen struggles of motherhood. Her way of coping with life is the consequence of being raised by a depressed mother. Adrienne draws strong emotions that invite the reader to reflect on deeper issues that moms encounter. Considering this, while sprinkled with funny scenes, Follow Me is a thought-provoking story.  The story idea and the characters are interesting, however, the pacing and rhythm of the story fall short for me. Initially, I was intrigued by what happened but after one intense scene, the excitement started to fade. I think the memories and flashbacks are important to set up the characters and events but, for me, they changed the rhythm of the story, moderating the tension and slowing down the overall momentum. It was compensated, though, with funny moments at the mom-fluencers’ gathering, which brought some lightness and energy back into the story. The ending was intense and memorable, too.  If you are looking for a moderate thriller with dark humor about Instagram and mom influencers, this book is worth reading. Thank you Elizabeth Rose Quinn, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before its publication and to share my honest thoughts.  

Further Information 

Elizabeth Rose Quinn – IMDB

Twitter

Instagram

Book Information:

Follow Me by Elizabeth Rose Quinn

Published on April 1, 2025, by ‎Thomas & Mercer

285 pages (eBook)

Find It Here:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller novel written by British–Cypriot author Alex Michaelides. It tested how much I trust my gut feelings. It blew me away with its twist.

The story is about Theo Faber, a psychotherapist who is obsessed with saving a patient at the Grove, a psychiatric hospital. Alicia Berenson murdered her husband, went mad, and refused to speak to anyone. Theo, who is also the narrator of the story, was determined to treat her.

Michaelides led me to believe in the narrator with his explanations and stories about the effects of childhood, his knowledge about psychology,  his bad childhood and troubled marriage. I have persuaded him to side with Theo. However, several chapters into the story, I felt something was off with him; he is a psychotherapist but acts like a detective. But he seems knowledgeable in his field and sympathetic towards Alicia. He just wanted to help her not harm her.  I felt sorry for Alicia, too, and I wanted her to be able to speak again so she could share what really happened on the day she murdered her husband. I trusted Theo as the narrator but I was wrong. It felt like ten buckets of ice-cold water with big chunks of ice were thrown on me when he revealed his connection with Alicia. I was flabbergasted. 

Personally, The Silent Patient is the most haunting psychological thriller I’ve encountered so far. 

Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis

⭐⭐⭐☆☆

The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis is a story of three women of different generations who hold heartbreaking stories of loss and hope.  It is told from dual perspectives at different points in time giving more insight into Soline’s life as a Resistance volunteer during the Second World War in Paris  and a seamstress and businesswoman in Boston, and Rory’s relationship with her mother, Camilla, both of them are living in Boston as well.

The Keeper of Happy Endings is written well but didn’t captivate me as much as the Last of the Moon Girls, the first Barbara Davis novel I read. Some parts of the plot are familiar and the twist is predictable.  However, it’s still a good read because the characters are interesting, and the themes — war, power of wealth, family, hope, and love — engendered self-reflection questions.

Thank you, Barbara Davis, Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

The Odyssey by Lara Williams

⭐⭐⭐☆☆

I was intrigued by the life of a cruise ship crew member so I chose this book to download on NetGalley. The author, Lara Williams, concocted a peculiar story about consumerism, and people’s strange way of pursuing faith in somebody. The story is about Ingrid and her life on the WA ship as a crew member and a mentee to the captain of the ship, Keith. Ingrid’s idiosyncrasies, her routines at work, her friendship with other staff, her alcoholism, and her married life make her a unique character.

Adding more colors to the life of Ingrid, the people around her are eccentric as well. Her friends on the ship, Mia and Ezra, play this game called Families, and they would act as a family following a storyline they spontaneously created. They would assign a role each time they play the game– father, mother, and baby. One time, Mia played as the baby who was choking. It was so incomprehensible when I read the part saying that she choked herself for real. It was a terrifying situation for Ingrid and Ezra. Mia could’ve died. At this point, I was wondering what I was reading.

Another bizarre character is the captain who is Ingrid’s mentor.  He was a fanatic of a Japanese philosophy that he imposed on his mentees. He gave directives that harmed his subordinates. For example, he continued to have a meeting with Ingrid even though the ship was already sinking.

The Odyssey is an interesting read that reminds me of comedies with peculiar characters such as Derek played by Ricky Gervais, and Mr. Bean by Rowan Atkinson. Each of them has unique characteristics and stories that defy common sense and create absurd humor. The characters in The Odyssey make the novel leaves an inerasable mark in my mind.

Thank you, NetGalley, Lara Williams,  and Zando for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

1414° by Paul Bradley Carr

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paul Bradley Carr’s 1414°, a technothriller, shows the ugly side of progress and advanced technology that comes down to the Silicon Valley as sexual harassment, maltreatment of women and minorities in the society hide behind the top-notch tech giants.  To bring the offenders to justice, a mysterious figure called Fate played like a marionettist, stealthily, adroitly, and indirectly maneuvering events using a powerful algorithm that lead to the demise of companies and CEOs who abused their power to their advantage. Lou McCarthy, a journalist, investigates the mysterious death of two CEOs. Unbeknownst to her, she’s also manipulated by Fate to get involved in the case that endangers not only her life but also her mother’s. 

I enjoyed this book so much. The fast-paced plot, fascinating characters, and inconceivable twist fastened my attention up to the last pages. I have so many questions in the beginning that the book answered in the end: Why is the title 1414°? Who is Fate? Would Lou be able to get out of this mess to save herself and her mother? Would Fate be successful in destroying Raum? The story is well-written and profound, exposing what could happen if technology is in the hands of the wrong people.

If you love technothriller, this book is for you.

Thank you, Paul Bradley Carr, Snafublishing LLC, and NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.