There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.
I loved this book. The author took us to a place of fantastical realism so simply and so tenderly that the book was impossible to put down. The protagonist, A, is living and surviving the only life he knows how with unwarranted maturity for a 16-year-old boy. In my opinion, the book stands in the YA category only because of the many lives he inhabits that deal with the “hot topic” teen problems that face them: obesity, depression, gender issues, rules, sexuality etc. Those issues are completely upended by A’s plight to fall in love and be “normal” as best he knows how. Highly recommend!
Quotes I liked:
I feel such a tenderness for these vulnerable nighttime conversations, the way words take a different shape in the air when there’s no light in the room.”
– “Justin appears to hanging on my every word, but he isn’t listening at all.”
– “I know our nakedness means something. I know our nakedness is as much a form of trust as it is a form of craving.”
– “I wanted love to conquer all. But love can’t conquer anything. It can’t do anything on its own. It relies on us to do the the conquering on its behalf.”
– “Ultimately, the universe doesn’t care about us. Time doesn’t care about us. That’s why we have to care about each other.”
Review:The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride is a moving and powerful novel about community, our differences, and having each other ‘s back. I listened to this on audio which was narrated amazingly well by Dominic Hoffman.Although James McBride is probably most well-known for his first book, The Color of Water, which I adored, this too will make a mark on readers everywhere. Although I thought this would be a plot driven book based on the very first scenes, I could not have been more wrong. This story is driven solely on these perfectly flawed and nuanced characters. I adored Shona and Moshe, Nate and Addi and of course, Dodo, who the town is trying to save from the “school” he’s been sent too.I don’t want to give spoilers but know that the heart of this book is about humanity and connectivity to one another no matter your religion, color or ethnicity. @jamesmcbrideauthor @riverheadbooks @prhaudio 📘: When is last time you wrote a letter? #bookrecs#newbookreview#igbookreview#igbookreviews #TBR #addtoTBR #historicalfiction #histfic #jamesmcbride #readersmatter #booksmaatter#goodbookfairybookreviews #goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less
Reading cookbooks is one of my favorite ways to relax. As an empty nester, I don't cook as much as I'd like to, but I still love to read new recipes. I made these amazing Mashed Potato, Kale and Feta cheese pancakes. It was easy, delicious and I cut the recipe in half!Copy and paste this link to purchase: amzn.to/48L0xxR{affiliate purchase}📘: What's your favorite thing to cook? (besides re#cookbookreader##cookbooke#cookbookreadersc#NewRecipese#cookinge#recipeso#goodbookfairy #goodbookfairy ... See MoreSee Less
this book seems great. such an interesting premise. thanks for the suggestion goodbookfairy!!