Sunday Post 20

Happy Sunday! 

Once again, I did not get as much reading done as I had hoped to last week and I think this coming week might be the same. I'm going to gather my paperwork today and work on my taxes on Monday. By Tuesday I want to have it all done. I also have a lot of condo board stuff to take care of this week. Then, later in the week, I have a dentist appointment. As far as know, it will just be a checkup and regular cleaning. After this week, I *should* have more time to read and at that time, I'll dive back into cozy mysteries. I can't wait because I do miss reading them!

Today I am once again linking with Reading Reality, who hosts Stacking the Shelves and The Book Date, who hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (This is posted on Mondays, so be sure to check the link then.)  On their blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in these blog hops, and if you're a blogger you can join too! 

To see how I'm doing with my bookish challenges, click on 2023 Bookish Challenges on the right sidebar.

RECENTLY FINISHED

Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner, is a book club pick for March. The book club meets this Thursday and I finished reading it this morning. Judy Heumann had polio when she was very young, and as a result, she was a wheelchair user. 

I gave the book 4/5 stars. The only reason I deducted one star is because I wanted more details about her life, such as during her time as a teacher. She was the first teacher in NYC who was a wheelchair user. She does explain the grueling process she went through to get there, but she doesn't say much about what it was like being a teacher. Being disabled myself and a former teacher, I was interested in learning more about that aspect of her life. 

Otherwise, it is a well-written, informative book. There is a lot in the book about how she played a pivotal role in making sure there are laws that protect people with disabilities against discrimination. Did you know that disability was not covered in the Civil Rights Movement? Yeah, she changed that. It took years, decades even, but she and many others made it happen. If you're not familiar with the history of disability laws, you'd be surprised to learn what they went through to make it happen.

Sadly, Judy Heumann passed away just yesterday. She was a giant in the world of disability rights and activism. So much of my life would not be possible without her leadership. The book and her life take on a whole new meaning for me now that she is no longer with us. I highly recommend reading this book even if you don't have a disability. Anyone can become disabled at any time, which is why we all need to understand and advocate for disability rights. I'm heartbroken she gone, but thankful for her activism and hopeful that we can all carry on her legacy.

CURRENTLY READING

I am going to try to buckle down and finish Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling, this week. I've been reading it since January and I feel like it's time to move on. So far, I still prefer the first movie over the book. So, I don't think I will continue reading the series, but I will watch the rest of the movies.

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, by Michelle Obama, is another one I have been reading for a while. I need to return it soon, so I want to finish it by the end of next weekend. I'm more than halfway done.

UP NEXT

How We Roll, by Natasha Friend is a book I got from a "Blind Date with a Book" event my local library had around Valentine's Day. I will explain more about this one when I read it, but for now I'll say that I believe it's a YA romance novel about two people with different disabilities who become friends and start dating. Unfortunately, based on some reviews I read, it seems there is a heavy dose of ableism in this book, but I will read it and judge for myself. I may or may not get to it this week.

I am also participating in another blog hop today - Sunday Post, hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. With this blog hop, I'll recap what I've recently posted. If you missed a post you want to read, just click on the link below. 

• Sunday Post 02/26 - What I've been reading and watching
• Monday Review 02/27 - The Secret Ingredient, by Nancy Naigle
• Top Ten Tuesday (On a Thursday) 03/02 - Cozy Mysteries Completed in 2023
• Felines and Fill-ins 03/03 - - Bookish question, weekly fill-ins, and feline fun
• Puzzle 03/04 - Cozy floral theme

As for television highlights, I really enjoyed the latest episode of The Way Home on the Hallmark Channel. It just keeps getting better and better with each episode. It's already been renewed for a second season even though the current one isn't over yet. I hope they can keep it interesting moving forward.

I also watched the movie premieres on Hallmark, Made for Each Other and A Nashville Legacy. Made for Each Other isn't your typical romcom and I loved that about it. You must suspend belief in order to enjoy it. It's quirky and fun. It was my favorite movie during Hallmark's Loveuary line-up. I wanted to love A Nashville Legacy, but I thought it was just okay. It had a nice story and I loved the music (that was the best part about it), but the movie didn't really captivate me the way I was hoping it would.

I also finally finished watching Murder, She Wrote Season 2. I am not sure when I'll begin Season 3 because I want to catch up on some of Hallmark's older mystery series. I have so many of them recorded. I haven't gotten very far with Once Upon a Time, but I did watch one more episode yesterday. I'm still on Season 1.

Did you see any of the movies or read or listen to any of the books I mentioned? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Do you think you will read the book by Judy Heumann or have you already read it?