The Star Side of Bird Hill: A Novel | 
pickFirst time author writes a coming of age tale that starts with the classic formula (lost mother, grandmother with tough exterior and heart of gold) but manages to break from the formula to a more interesting path. Two teen girls find themselves in Barbados with their grandmother after living up to that point in Brooklyn NYC with their life challenged mother. Barbados comes through with a warm sense of community. #readingaroundtheworld #barbados
”Hyacinth just wanted to know that she could shift her weight to one side and it wouldn‘t be just the air and force of her will holding her up...”
We want to know that someone is there when we need more strength.
pickI've never been to Barbados but after reading this, I almost feel like I have. Jackson is a master at setting the scene in your mind, how the place looks, sounds, &smells. Totally transported me. I really enjoyed this story and getting to know the women and girls, who all felt real and unique from each other. There's some pain but also so much strength and hope. I'd love it if she wrote a sequel, I want to know who Dionne and Phaedra become 4/5 ⭐️
Sixty-three years on this earth had taught Hyacinth that it wasn't so much the mistakes that people made but how flexible they were in their aftermath that made all the difference in how their lives turned out.
Lyrics like "get something and wave for the Lord" were made for Bird Hill, where any news was reason to have a party, and parties could start in the late afternoon and put the stars to bed the next morning.
[I love that way of putting it: "put the stars to bed" - great phrase ✨]
Yellow and orange are two of my least favorite colors but somehow I still love this cover #nowreading #blackhistorymonth #femmeuary
Some library loot for myself.
I've heard great things about this, but am having trouble getting into it. Pretty sure it's me, not the book ...
so-soWhile I enjoyed the library book club discussion, and the audiobook narration was great, I didn't love the book. I just felt kept at a distance. Worth reading for the 1989 Brooklyn and Barbados settings.
The very unstable leaning tower of TBR books for #funfridayphoto (and this doesn't even include all my ARCs/egalleys 🙈)
I thought this book #setonanisland was just lovely. Terrific debut novel. #seasonsreadings2016
Struggling through both of these. Bird Hill is being read for my book club, meeting in 2 days, Lisa Bellow is a Netgalley read and it expires in 2 days. I hate bailing on book club book, but I might bail on the other one. I can tell they are really not doing it for me, when I realized I was happier watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies all weekend than reading them. #currentlyreading #photoadaynov16 @RealLifeReading
I was first in line to meet this trio of great authors 😆😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!!! They were all incredibly friendly and gregarious with us fans. I have signed editions noooow 😎👌🏻! Do you enjoy these three's works?
I went to the Morristown Book Festival, and I got some books signed 😬. The authors were so nice. I'm excited for next year's festival!
#Day15 of #AugustPhotoChallenge is #PeachColoredBooks - #Sweetbitter is my #TBR #LibraryBook - but I gotta give it up to my favorite of the bunch #StarSideOfBirdHill #YayBooks!
What she liked most about their friendship was how much space there was for silence, the kind of quiet she'd never found with girls her age.
This novel was fantastic. Get into it.
