Marsupial Literature

Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World  Author: Emma Marris Publish Date: June 29, 2021 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wild Souls provides a deep look into the  relationship between wild animals and the environment, and how humans not only impact this relationship but also struggle to protect and preserve it. These concepts that may seem to go hand in hand can end up at odds with each other, and there may not be a clear or easy answers to address both pressing issues. Wild Souls is thought-provoking, well researched, and often an incredibly frustrating book to read. The author provides detailed and specific examples to examine the issues between conservation science and the protection of animals, all of which support the notion that these two important causes are finding themselves at odds with each other. The book is very well written, and brought me way back to my college environmental studies degree days. I found myself struggling as much now as ...

The Way She Feels  Author: Courtney Cook Publish Date: June 29, 2021 Publisher: Tin House Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Way She Feels: My Life on the Borderline in Pictures & Pieces is a graphic memoir of the author's life with borderline personality disorder. A combination of an overview of the disorder, details of the author's memories and experiences, and lighthearted moments in between, this book uses illustrations throughout each chapter to provide the reader with a unique look into the numerous aspects of the disorder. I was drawn to this book based on the topic of borderline personality disorder alone and was surprised and impressed at this specific take on a memoir, especially one based on a mental illness. The author did a fantastic job detailing an often misunderstood disorder and is very brave in the amount of information that she shared; this is so important in increasing understanding and eliminating stigma surrounding mental illness. Thoughtfully illustrated throughout the...

Backroads of the Great American West: Your Guide to Great Day Trips & Weekend Getaways Author: Editors of Motorbooks Publish Date: June 22, 2021 Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Motorbooks Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Backroads of the Great American West is a guide to multiple road trip ideas in the western United States. Instead of the standard road trip directions, this book focuses on backroads and lesser traveled options to get the reader where they want to go. A great deal of history, photos, and maps accompany each suggested trip.  Backroads of the Great American West is another great book for COVID-era vacation ideas. Road trips, especially on roads less traveled, are so very welcome right now. This book is beautifully illustrated; colorful photos throughout each chapter and a great collections of maps as well. I liked a lot of the suggested routes and definitely made note of several for future family vacations. The sections for each trip include great detail and history, and i...

Can't Knock the Hustle  Author: Matt Sullivan  Publish Date: June 22, 2021 Publisher: Dey Street Books Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Can't Knock the Hustle: Inside the Season of Protest, Pandemic, and Progress with the Brooklyn Nets' Superstars of Tomorrow follows the 2019-2020 NBA season with a focus on the updated roster of the Brooklyn Nets. The author offers a look into the lives of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, and all that went into their decisions to move to the Nets. But even more so, the focus of the book is everything that went on surrounding this season, including the sudden death of Kobe Bryant, the Covid pandemic, and a new civil rights movement after several instances of police brutality.  The 2019-2020 NBA season was certainly one that was unlike any other, and Can't Knock the Hustle does a great job covering the whole host of events that occurred during this time. There are many parallels to past events presented throughout the book, and I thought that it really adde...

The Art of Breaking Up  Author: Elizabeth Stevens Publish Date: June 8, 2021 Publisher: Sleeping Dragon Books Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Art of Breaking Up is the story of Norah, a high school senior with a sharp tongue that is fiercely loyal to her best friend, Lisa. That is, until a life-changing event finds her in the arms of her best friend's ex-boyfriend (and recipient of Norah's strong opinions), Wade. Torn between her heart and her best friend, The Art of Breaking Up follows Norah's between a rock and a hard place situation with a lot of funny banter along the way. The Art of Breaking Up is a fun and mostly lighthearted book, and one that took me very little time to finish reading. Norah is an engaging main character, and her friendship with Lisa is interesting to read about throughout the book. While the plot wasn't always the most original, I want to give this book extra praise for bluntly and appropriately addressing male mental health issues. This theme is not highligh...