ChaiCity BookWorm

"I feel like I’ve been in a daze for the past few weeks, and I’ve found it challenging to share book reviews or engage in difficult conversations. But the more I want to avoid things, the more I am reminded of how much more we need to have these conversations, especially with our kids.

One of those topics that seems especially heavy on my heart is consent. With women’s rights constantly under attack, I feel the burden to teach both kids about what consent means and how they are in control of their bodies."

Read the rest of my review of "Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent" on

Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent I feel like I’ve been in a daze for the past few weeks, and I’ve found it tough to share book reviews or engage in difficult conversations. But the more I want to…

Is anyone else wondering how it's already a week into October?!! 😱

Here are my September reads! They're definitely a mix of genres, but I've been loving middle school books recently.

Have you read any of these?

📕The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith
📗James by Percival Everett
📙Hoops by Matt Tavares
📘Being a Sanctuary: The Radical Way for the Body of Christ to be Sacred, Soft, and Safe by Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez
📕Beach Read by Emily Henry
📗Betty Before X by Ilyash Shabazz
📙Ruptured by Joann Rossmassler Fritz

"In the last few years, many people in the big “C” Church have experienced spiritual abuse or trauma and have fled their home churches as they have become jaded after hearing scandal after scandal. To be honest, I was struggling with this too. It felt like in 2020, amidst the global pandemic that we were experiencing, I couldn’t go a week without hearing about a Christian leader who was exposed for something immoral. I understood why people were leaving the church. It was frustrating and exhausting."

Read the rest of my review or Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez's book, Being a Sanctuary: The Way Way for the Body of Christ to be Sacred, Soft, and Safe at

Being a Sanctuary: The Radical Way for the Body of Christ to be Sacred, Soft, and Safe In the last few years, many people in the big “C” Church have experienced spiritual abuse or trauma and have fled their home churches as they have become jaded after hearing scandal after scandal. …

Any picky eaters in your home? This is one of my favorite books to read with the kiddos!

Read my review at https://chaicitybookworm.wordpress.com/2024/09/16/every-night-is-pizza-night/

FINALLY getting to my August book wrap-up! I love The Story Graph's new infographic feature. It's a great way to see all my monthly stats. 😍

Which of these books have you read?

With the start of school always being hectic, we decided to carpool to school with someone who lives close to us. My son and this boy did not know each other before we started, so I get the distinct pleasure of listening to the conversations of a six- and seven-year-old.

Most of the time, they have two different conversations (they definitely need to work on listening skills!), but at some point, they start to ask each other questions. While their conversation was hilarious to witness, it made me ponder how kids develop friendships and really get to know each other.

Getting to know people is difficult, especially if you feel different. I struggle with forming new friendships as an adult. Yet, the simple task of asking questions opens up doors of possibilities.

That’s precisely what Sonia Sotomayor demonstrates in her book, “Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You”. I found this book displayed on top of a bookshelf at our local library and checked it out. Little did I know that I would fall in love with it!

Read the rest of my review at: https://chaicitybookworm.wordpress.com/2024/09/06/just-ask/

“There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.”

We have all experienced this. I am keenly aware when I’m the only woman of color in a space. 👀

It is scary to feel like you do not belong.

Read the rest of my review at https://chaicitybookworm.wordpress.com/2024/09/03/the-day-you-begin/

"We all know that siblings fight. I fought with my brother, and my 5- and 7-year-olds fight what feels like all the time. As their parent, I want the fights to end and the noise to stop. But I also know that learning from these fights and seeing the other person’s perspective will make them better communicators, and that takes time and effort.

Raymond Antrobus conveys exactly this in his picture book “Terrible Horses.” We are introduced to a pair of siblings from the perspective of the little brother, who describes all the ways that his sister is annoyed with him and how much they fight. To calm down, the little brother goes to his room and writes a story about terrible horses who gallop, neigh, and trample while a lonely pony cannot play, speak up, or sleep."

Read the rest of my review of "Terrible Horses" here: https://chaicitybookworm.wordpress.com/2024/08/15/terrible-horses/

I had the honor of joining Kimmy Noonen on her podcast, Kimmy Not Kim as we discussed all things books. 😍 It was a fun conversation with laughs, random facts, and book recs! Kimmy is easy to talk to and eased me into my first podcast episode. I'm also amazed at her editing skills, so I don't sound like I'm just rambling!

Take a listen if you want to hear about the essential role of representation in children's books, how hard it is to slow down to enjoy fiction, and some helpful tips and recommendations for choosing literature that helps the whole family grow.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0f1bydjPEIvtymU1fIyonL?si=08887e905d324477

I thought September 11, 2001, would be like any other day—with the exception that it was my birthday. I was away at college, thankful for my friends and family who called to share their birthday wishes that morning. But one such phone call changed the trajectory of that day.

“Turn on the TV. RIGHT NOW.”

I sat horrified in front of the TV as I witnessed the second plane hit the Twin Towers. I couldn’t fathom what I saw as real. And even with all that, that isn’t my only memory of that day.

Walking back from class in a daze, I waited for the elevator to my dorm. As soon as I stepped onto the elevator, I heard two men behind me speaking to me, spewing hatred and vitriol towards me because they thought that every brown skin girl was Muslim.

Read the rest of my review at: https://chaicitybookworm.wordpress.com/2024/08/06/do-you-even-know-me/

You can support the author (and me) by buying the book through my affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/shop/chaicity

Do You Even Know Me? I thought September 11, 2001, would be like any other day—with the exception that it was my birthday. I was away at college, thankful for my friends and family who called to share their birthday wi…

My July reads! I really enjoyed the variety of genres this time around.

Are any of these on your TBR (to be read) list?