Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and the War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow

 

Last night, I finished reading Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and the War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow. This nonfiction book is about how a radio drama, based on H. G. Wells's War of the Worlds and performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre players, caused some listeners to really believe that America was being attacked by aliens from Mars. When they found out that the invasion wasn't real, they were angry that they were tricked and wrote letters to both Orson Welles and the Federal Communications Commission expressing their outrage. Afterwards, there was a national discussion about whether or not radio should be regulated more heavily because it could be used to spread fake news and propaganda.

I thought this book was utterly fascinating. I saw the War of the Worlds film in 2005 and heard about how people thought the 1938 radio play was real, so I wanted to know more about why the radio play incited so much panic. Based on what I knew about the story, I didn't really understand how people could think it was anything other than science fiction. The book definitely answered my questions, though, and it's very relevant to current issues relating to fake news. It really made me think about how important it is to have critical thinking skills, especially when using social media. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in hoaxes and the spread of fake news.

The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

 

Over the weekend, I read The Lost Sisters by Holly Black. This fantasy novella is part of the Folk of the Air series and takes place during the beginning of The Cruel Prince from the perspective of Jude's twin sister, Taryn. After she receives a note from Prince Cardan's friend, Locke, Taryn sends a message back with the encouragement of her older sister, Vivienne. Although Taryn has her doubts at first, Locke begins to visit her at night, wanting to keep their relationship a secret. As the conflict between Jude and Prince Cardan escalates and she gets caught in the crossfire, Taryn becomes angry with her sister for not backing down and frustrated that Locke won't stand up for her. When Taryn hears a fiddler, Edir, singing about her after Jude wins the Summer Tournament, she decides to make a daring proposal to take control.

I was more than happy to read another story taking place in the Folk of the Air universe when I learned that there was a novella that I hadn't had the chance to read yet and thought it was definitely a valuable addition to the story. It was interesting seeing events from Taryn's point of view because I don't think Jude considered how her actions would affected Taryn. I also liked how it made Taryn an active participant in the story, rather than a passive character. While she sees her life as similar to the fairy tales she read as a child and takes lessons from them, she also doesn't want to make the same mistakes her mom did. That really resonated with me because of how The Cruel Prince opened. I actually liked this book so much that I wish the whole book series was re-written from Taryn's viewpoint, especially knowing the fate of Taryn and Locke's relationship. If you enjoyed The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters is a must-read.

Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra

 

Yesterday, I finished reading Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra. This realistic fiction graphic novel is about Marlene, a young Dominican girl who feels pressure to straighten her hair at the salon from her mom. Marlene actually hates the salon, though, and doesn't understand why her curls aren't considered pretty by the people around her. After her cousin Diana's quince, Marlene and her best friend, Camilla, look for videos online for how to style her curls. When that doesn't go well and some of her classmates bully her the next day, including putting tape in her hair, Marlene gets into big trouble for standing up for herself. Then, Marlene's day gets even worse when Tío Ernesto and Diana come over and she gets into a fight with Diana about her hair. Afterwards, Marlene's mom decides to allow her to spend the weekend with Tía Ruby. Wondering if she'll ever find a way to style her hair in a way that feels like herself, Marlene learns to appreciate her curls with Tía Ruby's help.

Although this graphic novel does have emotional moments, it was definitely a joy to read. I felt really bad for Marlene because her mom couldn't see how much she hated straightening her hair at the salon and she was made fun of by not only some of her classmates, but her own cousin. On the other hand, I laughed during parts, like when Marlene spent time with Tía Ruby, and thought she had an awesome best-friendship with Camilla. I definitely loved the message that all hair is beautiful. It was also enlightening how self-esteem issues are passed down from generation to generation of families with Black ancestry because of anti-Blackness. All in all, Frizzy is a sweet story of self-acceptance and all girls should read it.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

 

Yesterday, I finished reading The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. This fantasy novel is about siblings, Hazel and Ben, who live in the town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist together. Hazel has always wanted to be a knight while Ben has always wanted to fall in love. In the woods by Fairfold, there is a glass coffin with a horned boy who has been sleeping there for generations. One day, the glass coffin is found destroyed and the boy is gone. As a monster from the forest comes to attack the residents of Fairfold, Hazel must remember her years pretending to be a knight and figure out her connection to what happened the night the horned boy, with whom she and Ben have been in love since they were children, disappeared.

I have wanted to read this book ever since I finished the Folk of the Air trilogy because it takes place in the same universe and I enjoyed it just as much as I thought I would. It was definitely interesting to learn about the origin of Severin, who was an ally of Jude Duarte and Cardan Greenbrier. Hazel and Ben were definitely the stars of the book, though. I loved how determined Hazel was to protect and help Ben, even if she made some mistakes along the way, and it made me happy how Ben's dream was to fall in love like he read in fairy tales. I thought it was pretty cool how he was musically inclined, too. The romance in this book was sweet and the action scenes were full of suspense. If you like faerie-based fantasy, I would definitely recommend The Darkest Part of the Forest.

Dance of Fire by Yelena Black and American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow

 

Just before spring break, I read Dance of Fire by Yelena Black. This book is the sequel to Dance of Shadows, which I read last summer. In this paranormal thriller, Vanessa and Justin go to London to try out for the Royal Court Ballet Company. Although Vanessa is there to look for her missing sister, Margaret, the Lyric Elite needs her, Justin, or both of them to win the contest to infiltrate the Royal Court Ballet and find the dark society of necrodancers. Vanessa can't leave behind the past few months, though, and she's been followed by the demon that Josef had her summon.

I was very excited to read this book, and it had me on the edge of my seat, wondering if Vanessa would win the ballet competition and find Margaret while she was in London. I was a little disappointed that Vanessa and Justin still had disagreements and didn't work together more, but their slow burn romance did reach a satisfying conclusion by the end and I was very happy. I also really enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Margaret after she disappeared. It was compelling reading her diary entries because it turned out that two young men helped her leave New York and make a new life for herself in London. I liked the parallel that both Vanessa and Margaret tried out for the Royal Court Ballet Company. Overall, Dance of Fire was full of suspense and plot twists and anyone who liked the first book should read it.

During spring break, I also finished reading American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow. This nonfiction book is about the discovery of hookworm, a parasite that made people sick in the southern United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. After hookworm was found in other parts of the world, a zoologist, Charles Stiles, worked with doctors and others to treat ill Southerners suffering from hookworm and teach them how to protect themselves by wearing shoes and using outhouses in order to slow the spread of the worms. Despite the fact that hookworm is now under control in the United States, it is still a serious health issue in other parts of the world, particularly among poor people.

Although this book was seriously gross at times, it was also very fascinating. I liked learning about the science behind hookworm disease and how Charles Stiles and others educated the public about how the parasite spread and what they could do to protect themselves. I also thought it was very timely and relevant because I couldn't help but be reminded of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the struggles of misinformation and some people not taking a public health issue seriously. American Murderer has plenty of photographs and quotes from primary sources and the backmatter includes a timeline, a glossary, a list of web resources, an author's note, source notes, a bibliography, an index, and picture credits. If you have an interest in medical history or gross stuff, I would highly recommend this engaging book.