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My #NonFiction $BookOfTheYear

Not sure if I am going to do this next year, as my “favorites“ change frequently, sometimes I look back and remember how much I liked a book and it has lasting power, then i have books that I thought I loved but then, not so much- I feel like I am too finicky to determine “best of“ type of things.

My favorite photo of Martin and Joanna!

This memoir reminded me a little of Brain on Fire. Martin was trapped inside his body for years, suddenly and without warning. A compassionate caregiver believed in him and knew he was still in there, despite what was visible on the outside—and this changed everything. He was diagnosed with ‘locked-in syndrome‘ but refused to give up, and later met the love of his life. This is his story. A reminder of how little we understand about the⬇️

Love this author ♥️

The book is split into two parts, and, while the language and characters are wonderful, I just didn't feel engaged with the story for part one, to the point I almost stopped reading; however, just before the split, the story explodes, and it was a quick read after that. There is a beautiful normalcy in the interactions between the deaf and hearing characters on Martha's Vineyard, and the author takes great care to describe the signing.

“Instead of focusing on what Victor cannot do, the book celebrates who he is as a person and friend. It teaches readers to see others for their abilities and personalities, instead of their limitations.“

Read more here: https://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/review/xviii-1/7/

I started this the morning before Alice Wong passed, so it took me a bit longer to get through, it was sad and inspiring to hear her mentioned so often throughout LLPS's book. This is hard to rate. It isn't really about the future, it is mostly about 2020-2022 and how GD hard it was. I think this is a good read for people who want to understand the community and life more, but overall it is a bit meandering

"It turns out the end of the world is easier to read about in a book, then to know how to respond in real life "

Oh my god... so freaking adorable! Poor Frank wakes up one day and one of his legs is missing. He's not sure he is a spider anymore with 7 legs. He's on a mission to find his missing leg. Will he find it or be a lesser than spider? Cute artwork and super sweet story.

Soft pick because I've struggled with the writing style and how the book skips around. But that does actually fit the author and her life. It's a rough memoir, an open one. It must have taken a lot of courage, energy and heart to write all this down. An eye-opener, for sure, and a important voice to listen to.

@TheAromaOfBooks #DoubleSpin