The Final Revival of Opal & Nev | 
I didn‘t actually listen to the tagged book on Jade‘s walk because it‘s SUPER windy and impossible to hear anything, but let me pretend I did so I can show you this view we experienced.
I wasn‘t in the right mood for this book the last time I picked it up, but I sure am now. I like it a lot as of 23% and I‘m looking forward to my next listening session. #audiowalk #exceptnotreally
I‘m enjoying this audiobook. It‘s like Daisy Jones and the Six, but with more cultural relevance. Somebody please make this a movie and cast Lupita Nyongo/Viola Davis as Opal!
pickI‘ve seen this compared many times to Daisy Jones and the Six, and while it has a similar topic and is written in a similar format, it‘s a very different story.
I liked this one better, as it feels more important. Opal shines as an oddball character I really related to.
I was planning on using the photo of Sietje sleeping with the book, but then Venkman got all dramatic and supermodelesque and I had to add him 🙂.
#doublespin for February.
pickOstensibly, the story of a short-lived punk duo told oral history style, mostly through interviews with the duo & many influential people in their lives. At its heart, though, this is Opal‘s story, especially how it intersects with the interviewer‘s story. I really enjoyed this one.
I‘m reading The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, and Venkman gives me a little blep face. 🐈⬛🖤
I do often have to try to read around his head. Totally normal, right?
pickI finished another #AuldLangSpine rec from @Librarybelle and it was superb! I‘m not that into music but through the lens of this pseudo memoir I felt like I was. Opal and Sunny really felt like 3 dimensional people and we got to know them over many years. The racism and other societal problems at the heart of the book were portrayed vividly. I liked the writing style. Overall, I can see why this was on a lot of people‘s lists from last year!
My favorite book of July was The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, which was the June selection for #LiteraryCrew. (I was a bit late to the discussion!)
@Librarybelle #12BooksOf2023 @Andrew65
I finished this one in #July , and I loved it! Another #LiteraryCrew pick, this one had so many Daisy Jones vibes but is in a class of its own. The narrative dives into class and race issues and the struggles a female artist has in a male dominated industry. So good! #12BooksOf2023
pick21-4 Nov 23 (audiobook)
Faux history documenting the early punk duo of Opal (a fiercely original Black woman from Detroit) and Nev (a red-haired British misfit). Despite the title, the central characters are actually Opal and SarahLena, a Black journalist with a personal connection to the story.
Similar in style to Daisy Jones but tackles issues such as misogyny and racism in the music industry, Black Lives Matter and the integrity of journalism.
pickThis book lifted me up and infuriated me (on behalf of the characters) in equal measure. What an accurate portrayal of the music industry and how Black women have to work twice as hard to be half as liked. Opal and Sunny have my heart! #oralhistory #contemporaryfiction
Thanks for the tag, @Eggs !
1 and 2. I loved the tagged book - Daisy Jones and the Six, with a bit of an edge, as it delves into much deeper topics. Maybe I like the interview-style novels??? It‘s a bit slow in the beginning, but then…wow!
3. I should probably say the UK, because I seem to read quite a lot of books set there. 😂 I enjoy both historical and contemporary settings as well.
#WondrousWednesday
pickOh my…I loved this one! Definite Daisy Jones vibes, and it starts off slow, but the interview-designed narration, and the revelations made, are just powerful. It‘s an amazing work on the disparities between male and female artists, and White and Black artists. #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
#52BookClub23 #AFashionableCharacter
There were so many emotions that this book brought me, took me down the rabbit hole of the juxtaposition of white artists wanting the soulful black sound as backup on their records all while taking the credit as front men, or still flying their confederate flags and singing their southern rock anthems. Merry Clayton added her beautiful vocals and epic scream to one of the most famous rock songs-The Rolling Stones‘ Gimme Shelter. ⬇️⬇️
pickThis has gotten so many comparisons to Daisy Jones and sure, it is - on the surface. But this has more depth and deals with more complicated issues. Such a great book!
Thank you to @Librarybelle for hosting this #literarycrew buddy read!
Book 3 for #14books14weeks2023
It‘s time for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead discussion! I have questions posted under spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, and by searching the above hashtags. Join the discussion whenever!
janeycanuck, LaraReads, mcctrish, Julsmarshall, Cinfhen, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Readergrrl, kspenmoll, Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick, mrp27, Sargar114, MoonWitch94, julieclair, AllDebooks6. How were Opal and Nev‘s rises to fame different because of their races and genders? Why does Nev find more success later in his career than Opal? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
5. After a startling revelation in the middle of the narrative, the issue of complicity comes to the forefront. In what ways is the act of complicity demonstrated by Opal and Nev as individuals and as a pair? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
4. In an Editor‘s Note, Sunny describes the visceral experience of hearing Opal and Nev‘s records for the first time as a 14 year old girl. Think back to the music you listened to at that age. Which songs and artists left the deepest impression on you? Do you still look at those in the same way? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
3. What is symbolic of the legendary photo of Opal riding on Nev‘s back out of the chaos of the Rivington Showcase? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
2. Bob Hize, who produced Opal and Nev‘s first record, recalls that Nev “needed to be pushed, needed to be surrounded by fresh sorts of influences that would take him unfamiliar places.” Why do you think Opal was that “fresh sort of influence” Nev needed? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
1. Opal Jewel comes of age in Detroit, with the Vietnam War, the popular success of Motown, and resistance to police brutality as a backdrop. How do you think that shaped her personality, personal style, and life of protest? Compare and contrast Opal and Nev‘s upbringings and how they influenced their actions later in life. ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead participants: tomorrow is discussion day! I have an early morning meeting, so I will not be able to post questions until the evening, US East Coast time. But, they will be posted!!
janeycanuck, LaraReads, mcctrish, Julsmarshall, Cinfhen, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Readergrrl, kspenmoll, Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick, mrp27, Sargar114, MoonWitch94, julieclair, AllDebooks
pickI have really enjoyed reading this one & the #sendsyoudownarabbithole effect it had on me. I have loved reading about all the people the characters were based upon. Can‘t wait for the #literarycrew #buddyread discussion tomorrow!
#JoysofJune #Readathon #Bookreport
Had a great weeks reading in the sun. 🌞
* Over halfway through George III.
* Finished Brotherless night and 21 things to do with a tree arcs for #Netgalley #Summersmashup
* Finished 2 non-fiction audiobooks
* Started the tagged and love it so much, I'm 3/4 thru
* Continued with #NaturaLitsy #buddyread - Islands of abandonment
@Andrew65
Check in time for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! We are a smidge over halfway through the month…any thoughts to share? Don‘t forget that the discussion will take place on June 30th!
July‘s book is The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher…graphic to come soon!
janeycanuck, LaraReads, mcctrish, Julsmarshall, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Readergrrl, kspenmoll, Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick, mrp27, Sargar114, MoonWitch94, julieclair, AllDebooks
pickThis was a very good book. It‘s a bit slow to start in introducing our main characters, but once you get into the story it is hard to put down. It is sprinkled with some factual people to make it feel like it could have happened. It‘s an interesting look at American culture and how we view women and minorities. I wish it had “pictures” as so much of it is visual, but it‘s very well written that you can picture the scenes and outfits.
I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!
#ABookADay2023
repost for @Librarybelle:
I forgot to post this on the 1st!
June‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book. We‘ll read at our own pace during the month, and I‘ll post periodic checkins. Discussion on the 30th.
If you would also like to be tagged in this month‘s post, comment below! All are welcome!
original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2595195
I forgot to post this on the 1st!
June‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book. We‘ll read at our own pace during the month, and I‘ll post periodic checkins. Discussion on the 30th.
If you would also like to be tagged in this month‘s post, comment below! All are welcome!
janeycanuck, LaraReads, mcctrish, Julsmarshall, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Readergrrl, kspenmoll, mrp27, Sargar114, MoonWitch94, LitsyEvents, julieclair, AllDebooks
repost for @Librarybelle:
I‘m extremely late posting this, but the June selection for #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book.
All are welcome to join! I will post periodic checkins throughout the month, with discussion questions posted on June 30th. Comment below if you would like tagged!
original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2591704
I‘m extremely late posting this, but the June selection for #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book.
All are welcome to join! I will post periodic checkins throughout the month, with discussion questions posted on June 30th. Comment below if you would like tagged!
Tagging those who have expressed prior interest!
janeycanuck, mcctrish, Julsmarshall, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Readergrrl, kspenmoll, Sargar114, MoonWitch94, julieclair, AllDebooks
Hurray for #Blitsy and @Chelleo and @Readergrrl ! It was so much fun to open my Black History Month swap boxes of carefully chosen books, beautiful postcards of brave Black women (each is a mini artwork!), and yummy snacks. I‘ll take a photo of my cool poster once I put it on the wall at school. 😉 I can‘t wait to get reading once back at home. Thank you!!!
pickWe meet Opal and Nev in their very different childhoods and watch them begin to forge their musical career in the 1970s, and the fallout that follows. Their story is interspersed with that of Sunny, a female music journalist trying to figure out their past. This covers early punk, racism, white privilege, feminism and a woman trying to make her way in a man‘s world. I couldn‘t tear my eyes away from the ending, the final revival.
pickSo, I was super nervous to pick this up because I hated Daisy Jones (found it so boring and bailed🤷🏻♀️) #sorrynotsorry
However, this book was so much more interesting! I‘m so glad I picked this one up. I‘m using it for about a band or musical group #pop22
It‘s an oral history of Opal and Nev starting in the 70s and working to the present/2016.
#novelnovember - book 2 finished
pickThis book was good but not the greatest. I really feel like I would have liked it better had I never read Daisy Jones. This was just too similar to that one, and I found it to be more realistic. This is good, though. I liked Opal as a character. She would be very interesting to be able to know in the real world.
pickI love oral histories, and this fictional one, about the rise and fall of a proto-punk duo, was excellent. Opal is a young Black American and Nev is the British singer who picks her from obscurity to balance out his music. But what if they were never what they seemed, either separately or together?
bailedI loved the cover and the blurb. Format wasn‘t for me. It sounded good, but I just couldn‘t get into it. Maybe the print copy isn‘t the right medium and perhaps one day I‘ll try the audio. As it is, time to move on.
#unpopularopinion
pickHi! It's been a minute! In fact it's been 5 years, 4 moves, and 3 states!
I recently finished The Final Revival of Opal & Nev and immediately added it to my favorites corner on my small bookshelf, taking its rightful place next to Daisy Jones and the Six. A must read for people who love 70s music and culture. Interview style fiction is quickly becoming of favorite of mine. I also cannot recommend the full cast audiobook highly enough
#bookshelf
pickI really enjoyed this book, which sadly didn't make the shortlist for the Women's Price for Fiction. I liked the format of interview style and thought Opal was really fantastic. I enjoyed the history of how the band got together and the family relationships too.
pickIn the 70s Opal and Nev were THE Punk duo. A fierce African American woman and a white British male. This is their story to fame and potential reunion.
Looking at racism, sexism, white male entitlement and doing what you believe is right.
#BookReport
I finished Summer, read The Final Revival of Opal & Nev and have just started Flamingo.
Not much reading done this week, but on Tuesday I was at a Whitney Houston tribute and Thursday my work had its Spring Party. Sometimes you have to be a little social too.
Totally understandable why this won the Audie award. The full cast reading is perfect for a story told as an oral history about a music duo who lost a band member to racial violence at an event and the different ways that affected their lives.
The tagged book already started and loving it. Next will start The Great Godden, it is a short read.
pickStrong pick for me. Really unique organization of the novel, from POV of MC who‘s an investigative journalist. Refreshing approach when you read as much as I do. Walton excels at suspense, twice building towards a pivotal scene, tension so taut I read late into the night. Such a good story and one that puts a spotlight on black and white personal and professional relations over the course of 40 years.
Book and breakfast: pulut hitam (black glutinous rice) with a drizzle of coconut milk. And this book about a fictional interracial Afro-punk band. I‘m still waiting for my hold on the audiobook to come in but thought I‘d start reading the ebook first. What are some books about music and musicians that you‘ve loved?
The Women's Prize longlist was released this morning _and_ the Morning News Tournament of Books starts and still, for some reason, this is not a national holiday and I must go to work.
This is an outrage, obviously, but for now here is the Women's Prize longlist:
* The Bread the Devil Knead, Lisa Allen Agostini
* Salt Lick, Lulu Allison
* Careless, Kirsty Capes
(continued)
pickOpal, the Afro punk singer at the heart of this novel, is an unforgettable character. Utterly unique and ahead of her time. If you enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six, check this out because it‘s even BETTER! Multiple viewpoints are interpreted in the audio production by a full cast of 17 readers, with Janina Edwards and Bahni Taupin narrating the lead roles.
