The Whispers--"I don't see any harm in praying to the Whispers. Maybe they're listening."

Title: The Whispers

Author: Greg Howard


LGBTQ+ Representation: Male main character is gay (does not explicitly describe himself as such, but claims he has "a condition," kisses boys, and is not interested in girls)


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Eleven-year-old Riley's mother disappeared four months ago, and he is determined to find her. She used to tell Riley bedtime stories about the "Whispers" that lived in the woods and granted wishes--could the Whispers be real? And could they help Riley find his mother? Riley is determined to find out, but what if his "condition" is what caused his mother to disappear?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Three years ago, my kids and I moved from Indiana to North Carolina. My two older children reacted in a way that I had not anticipated: acting strangely around my father, accusing him of doing and saying things he never would.

So I got to meet Bill Konigsberg!

So I got to meet Bill Konigsberg at the Greensboro Bound 2019 Literary Festival a couple of days ago. I was so excited to hear him talk about The Music of What Happens and answer some audience questions. 

He was taller in person, but everyone seems taller in person for me:

Why thank you, I also think we're adorable.

If you are scratching your head and saying "Who's that?" then for shame. Read the following reviews and then come back to this post:

• The Music of What Happens
• The Porcupine of Truth, Part 1 and Part 2
• Out of the Pocket
• Honestly, Ben
• Openly Straight

The Music of What Happens--"This was Different. This was Real."

Title: The Music of What Happens

Author: Bill Konigsberg


LGBTQ+ Representation: Both main characters are gay.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Max and Jordan couldn't be more different: Max plays sports and hangs out with "his dude bros" while Jordan writes poetry and shops with "his wives." Max agrees to help Jordan run his late father's food truck for the summer, and their friendship turns into something more. However, both boys are keeping secrets (Max was raped recently; Jordan's mother's gambling is becoming more problematic) that threaten their newfound relationship.


What I think: Every time I read a Konigsberg book, I am always inspired to write a lot about it. 

I think this is a compliment to his books--plus, I am a former English teacher who analyzes books and runs book clubs for fun. So for this review, I am going to discuss what I found fun and sweet, and reasons that I want to hug both Max and Jordan.

A Baker's Dozen of Favorites--"They're good books, y'all."

The one-year anniversary of this blog was March 22. Let's celebrate!!! 

But first, a few thoughts:

I started with a specific format for my reviews, with which I have *mostly* been consistent. When I started this blog, I tried to give each book ratings, first out of 5 stars, and then letter grades. I even contemplated creating a rubric to grade each book (once an English teacher . . . ).  Soon, I realized that in order for me to not give each book a high rating, I had to focus on what was wrong with instead of what I liked about them. 

Trying to be extra critical wasn't working for me; besides, most of the books I was reviewing were award-winning because they're good books, y'all.

So my "reviews" mostly became examples of literary analysis, which doesn't sound very interesting. Therefore, I am working on figuring out another word for analysis--dictionary.com is failing me--to use in a blog re-title. All suggestions welcome.

I wanted to highlight my favorite "literary-analysis-posts-essays-reviews" I've written in the past year. I started with 16. Tried to narrow to 10, but then narrowed it down to a baker's dozen.

My Baker's Dozen of Favorite Posts (oldest to newest):

Cis folks: "What can we do to help the trans community?"

Yesterday was Trans Day of Visibility, and last month I participated (or read, mostly) a Twitter discussion in which trans folks gave advice to to their cis peers. Here's the original Tweet with my reply:

You'll have to wait in suspense for the gherkin part. 😉

So here, in their own (edited for clarity and brevity) words, is a list of advice from transgender people.

Do I support/endorse/agree with every single part of this list? Who cares? This is not the time or place as a cis-woman to insert my opinions. This list is directly from trans people. LISTEN TO (read) what they have to say with open minds.

CLICK HERE for the list.