Blog Archives - JARED R. LOPATIN

CONCRETE ROSE by Angie Thomas (Audiobook)

4/17/2025

Read by Dion Graham.
#0 - The Hate U Give

Having just completed THE HATE U GIVE, I saw that the prequel, CONCRETE ROSE was available so I dove right in. Getting the backstory to Maverick was interesting, especially knowing how it all turns out. I was disappointed that I didn't get more detail on his sacrifice for King, but the development and devolvement of that relationship was fascinating. Also loved seeing more of his relationship with Lisa. Thomas has great ability in making the reader understand the inner turmoil of the characters, especially the protagonists. While the circumstances are different, one can easily see the similar personalities and struggles that present themselves in Maverick and Starr. Perhaps that's the voice of Thomas herself coming through. I really enjoy her work.

5/5

THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas (Audiobook)

4/15/2025

Read by Bahini Turpin.
#1 - The Hate U Give

A student read this last year and did her independent reading project on it. I had heard of it, of course, but I had never read it. Now, I wish I had read it before she did her project. I can understand why this is such a popular book. Thomas's writing is working on many levels. She addresses racism and bigotry with a personal eye, filtering everything through a young Black female narrator who is living among gangs and going to school in a mostly-white establishment. She is wrestling with her identity - a universal condition - and how to be "just Black enough" in each situation, which is not universal. The grief, the heartache, the frustration...it's all on the page and it seeps into the reader. I can't help but be affected by this book, galvanized even, which I think is Thomas' point. It reminds me of DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone. Both books start with a tragedy involving the police and the fallout that occurs. Both handle it in different ways but the message is relatively similar - drawing the spotlight back to the issue of racism in America. I think more people should be reading Thomas and Stone.

5/5

CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas (Hardcover)

4/15/2025

This has been sitting in my classroom for a few months and I finally picked up for the Trans Rights Readathon. Admittedly, I'm a little late in finishing it, but I'm glad I picked it up. I really enjoyed Thomas' creation of character and story as well as the culture involved. Some sentences were written in Spanish with no translation and I liked that. Yadiel and Maritza were such well-defined characters that I fell in love with them even from the start. Julian was a welcome addition. The writing was decent and I guessed the ending, which is always a surprise for me (I rarely can figure out the endings to novels). Also a surprise were the tears that pricked my eyes as I read the final chapters. Thomas does a wonderful job of making those emotional scenes count.

4.5/5

TRUE HOSPITALITY by Jamie Cooperstein (Paperback)

4/12/2025

I enjoy a memoir every so often. This is not exactly a memoir. It's the story of a girl working her way up through.a mostly man-dominated field: hospitality. Cooperstein talks about her experiences at two different hotels in Philadelphia, detailing the challenges and successes that lead not only to her expertise in the field but her development as an individual. She chronicles the characters of the story in such a way that the reader is given snapshots of hotel life, one in a fully established and famous building and one from the ground up. I found myself wanting to know more about her as a person (she does give us glimpses into her personal life as well) and was disappointed that the book was as short as it was. I am hoping for another volume. Cooperstein's conversational tone draws the reader in and makes you feel like you are there with this colorful cast. Even better to know that it's all real!

4.75/5

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE by Emily Austin (Audiobook)

4/12/2025

Read by Natalie Naudus.

Done. I'm an Austin fan. I know I said it before but I just want to make it official. I love her writing, her characters, her character work, her quirky prose...I love it all. Another wonderful novel that has a mystery to it but is really about character and relationship study. Enid doesn't know how to communicate love, so she speaks in facts about space. She has an unusual relationship with her family and struggles with romantic relationships. Of course, she's dealing with some mental health (because that seems to be an Austin staple) and though she seeks traditional help, she's also getting assistance from some unexpected quarters. I don't know if it's primary bias but I think Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead appealed to me more. That doesn't mean I didn't love this novel. Austin can do no wrong in my eyes. I can't wait to read more of her work.

And, of course, quotes:

"I wish watching myself as a teenager required that I fly lightyears away from Earth."
"Sometimes, when thing are broken, I find they fix themselves if you just pretend that things are fine and give them time."
"I managed to overcome aspiring to appear normal, but not really figured out what I should aspire to be."
"You could kill yourself with anything if you try hard enough."

6/5

CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS: TOOLS FOR TALKING WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny , Ron McMillan , Al Switzler (Audiobook)

4/9/2025

I don't always love nonfiction but this was interesting. It was recommended by a friend who was also reading it. It talks about the responses that we have during crucial conversations which can manifest at a moment's notice or be planned in advance. The authors talk about the responses of silence and violence. I know most decisions are not a binary (which is also addressed in this book) but those two do tend to be the most common reactions. There are strategies offered in this book to help one deal with the silence and violence gut reaction - introspection and observation are two of these. I couldn't help thinking of my own life while reading this which I think is the point. Rather than being terribly dry, the book has some good examples and a bit of humor to keep it moving. I'm curious to discuss with my friend when they are finished with it.

A few standout moments:

"In the worst companies, poor performers are first ignored, then transferred. In good companies, bosses eventually deal with problems. In the best companies, everyone holds everyone else accountable regardless of level or position."
"[...] respect is like air; if you take it away, it's all people can think about."
"Younger people don't see themselves as a pair of hands seeking direction. They want to think. They want to decide. They're willing to take on more responsibility. So as you face a potential command position, consider the following: don't pass out orders like candy. [...] As a general rule, if people can make choices, allow them to do so."
"Don't pretend to consult. If you've already made up your mind, don't go through the charade of involving people only to do what you wanted to do all along."

4/5

QUEENIE by Candice Carty-Williams (Audiobook)

4/7/2025

Read by Shvorne Marks.

Maybe I have a thing for spiraling narrators - I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know where I was or where it was going at first but I immediately adored the protagonist, Queenie. Her family, her friends, her journey all became increasingly fascinating as the story wove on. Carty-Williams has a great sense of character and she wields that power with gusto; every voice is distinct and rich. I'm certainly not the clearest match for Queenie's experiences but the beauty of this book is that her desire for love, her self-doubt, her choices made are all relatable. Carty-Williams has created a wonderful blend of universal experience (wanting to be loved, not just romantically) with a singular character (a young Black woman of Jamaican heritage living in Britain). It's heartbreaking and heartwarming.

4.75

CHILDREN OF ANGUISH AND ANARCHY by Tomi Adeyemi (Audiobook)

4/6/2025

Read by Cynthia Erivo.
#3 - Legacy of Orïsha.

I was eager for the final book in the Legacy of Orïsha series and it finally became available. Thrilled to reunite with these characters, I cannot see any other way this would have ended. I don't know if I'm satisfied but it's not about me. I think, if anything, I wanted more. It felt like it didn't go deep enough for me; I don't know that adding anything would have been anything but filler. It's a conflicting feeling. No matter what, I loved diving back into Adeyemi's prose and passion and I would be happy to embrace more of her writing. Without giving away too much, there's an enemy of my enemy situation here, not to mention a host of new characters. Perhaps I'm unsatisfied because my time with them was too brief. It was certainly jam-packed. There is no time to breathe. Adeyemi creates such a sense of urgency that is delightful torture to experience. Not my favorite of the series and yet still enjoyable.

4.25/5

THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt (Audiobook)

4/3/2025

Read by Donna Tartt.

This was recommended to me in 2023 and I waited until now for it to be available on Libby. I didn't know what to expect but it certainly was not this. I suppose I was thinking of something more historical, more about the whitewashing of our textbooks. I was not expecting a collegiate, backstabbing, pack of Scoobies set apart from the masses by a singular professor. Even the description on Goodreads does not do it justice. It has a Cruel Intentions feel to it that seeps in throughout the novel. I had no idea where we were heading but I was along for the ride. I don't know how much I enjoyed it, but I didn't dislike it. The writing is good, the character work is fleshed out, and the plot is twisted. I felt relatively satisfied with the ending, though I don't know what other ending would have been more fitting. Glad I read it. Wouldn't mind reading another Tartt but not going out of my way for it.

4/5