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This wasn‘t the horror book I thought it might be. But it asks, what happens when we don‘t value the lives and dreams of women, instead placing more value on their capability to reproduce? Themes of class, race, capitalism, misogyny. I think this is an important read considering the fall of Roe, continuous abortion bans, and now the threats of losing contraception and IVF too. However, it should be remembered that the white supremacist⬇️

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#boleybooks #thefarm #JoanneRamos #bookbeast #libby #bookbuds #bookchat

#HumbleHarvest #Farm

Not at all what I was expecting but I enjoyed this quick read. It felt a bit too plausible to be dystopian, but universal in terms of social inequality and the framing of motherhood. I was initially just drawn to the cover so it was a nice surprise to find a thoughtful novel.

This was just okay for me. Golden Oaks, or “The Farm,” is a spa-like facility where women (mostly poor immigrants) are paid very handsomely to be surrogates for the wealthy who either can‘t carry their own babies or just don‘t want to. It‘s thought-provoking - race, class, privilege, and reproduction rights are prevalent - but I was mostly bored. I thought it would be more sinister and WTF, so it just wasn‘t what I expected.

#bookspinbingo

I really enjoyed this one and devoured the whole thing in a weekend! This book is timely and captivating. I was drawn in to Jane's pov as she went through the process of being a very well paid surrogate. This book has some important messages about race, gender roles, and procreation in a time when women want more. The only thing that disappointed me was the outcome, however I realize it's probably the most likely end to a situation like this. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

So far this book has kept my attention without any problems! I'm not sure why so many people didn't like it, perhaps because it's not a traditional thriller but I've enjoyed the audiobook so far. It's not exactly knocking my sucks off but it's a very interesting concept and I'm eager to see how it ends!

I'm always looking for hidden gems and I saw a review for this here on Litsy and I thought okay let's get it started. I have high hopes that this will keep my attention!

The Farm, where surrogates live in luxury whilst they bear the babies of the wealthy for a healthy bonus. Or do they? This was immediately gripping and gets darker and darker. You think it could be some dystopian future, but I suspect it‘s very much not. Scary and timely.

Told from the points of view of several different women, some more interesting than others. Pretty good, but wouldn‘t re-read. I did love the long, drawn-out ending/epilogue 🙌🏽

#expecting #maymoms @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

That cover though. 👀 After 2 months, my best friend and I finally met up, and had our annual book exchange, which usually happens at Christmastime. Life happened on my end though. But look at that gorgeous thing. 😍

(And a blurb from Madeline Miller!)

Abandoned after 17%

The Farm is a 2019 novel by Filipino-American writer Joanne Ramos. The debut novel was published on May 7, 2019 by Random House. It is set in a fictional facility named Golden Oaks, also called "The Farm", where women serve as surrogates for wealthy clients. The novel switches between four perspectives of the women involved, including Jane Reyes, Evelyn "Ate" Arroyo, Reagan McCarthy, and Mae Yu.

Don‘t really get all the negative reviews for this one…thought it was a pretty solid read. Well-paced novel about a “farm” where surrogates for the uber-rich are monitored. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • I don‘t have anything insightful to say, but I really enjoyed reading this!

Joining in @Lauram #summer2021 #litsyversary #giveaway Head on over to her page to check out the details for this neat summer photo challenge and giveaway!!
Checking one of the prompts off the list by starting The Farm in my favorite #comfychair this afternoon. The Jane chapter had me like 😲!!

Bailing 😕 I made the mistake of taking out two books that were kind of similar and The Birth Yard snagged me and I couldn‘t get into The Farm. Sad but I‘m not going to renew again. To revisit at a later date! I still want to read it, just not the right time 🤷🏼‍♀️

Eh. I liked the first half of this book, but then it just sort of floundered from there. Not terrible, not great.
⭐️:3/5

When I managed to get by the seemingly endless chapters about breastfeeding I did enjoy this book. The Farm is an interesting concept - it could be out there somewhere - where poor immigrant women are payed to be pregnant for rich career women who don‘t have time to get pregnant. A lot of ethical topics are touched upon but that‘s about it.
A fun read, no more no less. Between a pick and a so-so

#WeeklyForecast 16/21

I am taking a long time to read last week‘s forecasted My Year Abroad but it is good.
I also started the tagged one on both audio and in print. Not sure what to think of it yet.
Skylark is up next, for the #NYRBBookClub.
And I really want to start Chatterton Square too!
So I hope for a lot of reading time this week but am very busy at work at the moment. Wel‘ll see.

🎧 OK I thought this was going to be HORROR ... instead it‘s horrible. An hour & a half in and it‘s about immigrant lactating mothers. That‘s it. Seriously! I just can‘t take any more graphic talk about breast feeding. I‘m certain there‘s an audience for this book. I still haven‘t read the summary but I suggest reading it before picking this one up. The cover ... it‘s why I thought this was horror ... LOL

Homemade bao from a friend of mine! So sweet, and we also got lemongrass chili oil which I am now obsessed with. Got some new restrictions here but honestly, I am just so exhausted of what seems like the absolute worst leader we could have. So I hope The Farm is an uplifting read!

I thought this was an interesting read! Immigrants who need money coupled with rich clients who want babies and you have a page turner in your hands. Pretty solid for a debut, so I will probably forgive the ending - I felt like all the loose ends were tied up too neatly.

#PopSugar2020 A medical thriller

Interesting so far!

The Farm is a place that finds surrogate mothers for those women who have chosen to climb that corporate ladder and for those women who are having a hard time carrying a baby to term. Set in NY, Jane passes the test to be in the program. Money is the key to the surrogates and to the Farm developers. This book has you look at both sides of the equation. Not sure about the ending, it seems to have been the hardest part of ending this story.

I really liked this one and it is written very well. I found it very interesting and very different The ending is sweet and not awful but I wish that as the story climaxed that there was a little bit more drama to it.

First...listen in 3 weeks..Have you read this?

My @penguinrandomhouse book horoscope and it‘s already in my TBR stack

This novel teeters on the edge of sci-fi & never crosses the line, but I think the plot would have been more gripping if the author explored the issues around capitalism and surrogacy through the lens of “what if.” Science fiction as a genre is excellent for bioethical questions (see Ursula Le Guin and Octavia Butler!); Ramos never lets the plot get too terrible, the situations too heartbreaking and by the end I shrugged at the major plot points.

While this has been described as dystopian fiction, it seems pretty realistic to me. A propulsive and thought-provoking novel about ethics and race and class. In the #audiobook, Fran de Leon nimbly narrates the shifting voices.

Sign posted outside the library. #Audiobook on my ears, but still paying attention to my surroundings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me. It tells the story of Jane, a Philippine immigrant, who gives herself over to The Farm. Here she lives a “perfect” pregnant life. In exchange she will make more money than she can dream of.
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I wanted more of the day-to-day resort life and less of the background drama but I did also just read Nine Perfect Strangers, which has a premise along these same lines. Maybe just the wrong time for me to read this book?

I am hovering between a pick and a so-so for this one... it had a very slow beginning and that got just weird enough to keep reading to find out what was going to happen and then it all kind of fell apart for me at the end...

I‘m going to DNF this one at 28%. I‘m not impressed with the character development and I‘ve already made up my mind about the titular farm. There‘s no reason for me to keep reading. On to the next book!

Spending this cloudy Sunday afternoon with my book and Chewie cuddles!!

It's a thinker as THE FARM dives into subjects of race, privelage, and reproductive rights, but there isn't much of a resolution. Jane is a multi-dimensional character, but I wish we got more of that character development for the other perspectives.

It kept me entertained, and I finished it within a day.

3.5 stars

Feliz Navidad everyone, thanks for all the cards and pressies from #jbuk littens @Caroline2 and @RachelO i am saving until i get home - many thanks indeed 😊

Also @LittleBug am saving my #jolabokaflodswap too - to cheer me up on return! I really hope yours arrives soon. Many apologies.

Reading this week on my kindle - tagged book plus trying Noughts and Crosses - has anyone read it before?

I wanted more. I love the premise but the execution was lacking for me. Nearly abandoned but I'm glad I didn't. It doesn't necessarily get better, but there is a complete plot that was nice to see through until the end.
Very into class, race, feminism and privilege...I felt slapped in the face with it; as a reader I felt told and not shown which is never fun.

Currently reading and a bit skeptical about it already. The reviews I've read are not all stellar so that's a little concerning also. 🤔
I'm going to give it a bit more time though before I give up.

Pick with reservations! I thought this was going to be a great dystopia, but then it didn‘t go there. Instead it normalizes the farm—which is for pregnant surrogates to live at and be monitored, see the cover artwork. So, yeah, actually not a dystopia but I found it somewhat creepy. I wonder if such a place exists today? Maybe it‘s likely.

The book follows Jane, single mom, immigrant to America, and her struggle to provide for her family and live the American Dream. The characters of the book are incredible. They‘re well written and step out of the pages and seem real. The story and their struggles are also real. Their strength, through all the drama of the book, is empowering. Overall, The Farm was one of my most anticipated reads this year and did not disappoint.

Overall, I wasn't a big fan. The concept was interesting, the writing intriguing, but the characters fell flat. The author addresses many social issues in this book, and I appreciate that. In the end though, if I don't feel connected to the characters I get bored.

Spotted at the book tent while waiting in line to meet Jean Kwok (Searching for Sylvie Lee) - Joanne Ramos (The Farm) and Lauren Wilkinson (American Spy)! #morristownfestivalofbooks #mfob #mfob2019 #bookfestival

No, not that kind of farm, although there are alpacas. Ramos offers an interesting portrayal of privilege (racial, economic, educational) within a system that sees women and women's bodies as commodities. I quite enjoyed this book even though it pissed me off. Especially Mae. It brought back the objectification and powerlessness I felt while pregnant, even as it highlighted just how relatively not-objectified and not-powerless I was.

Why, yes! That is another book I've started that's not on my TBR!