Book Review: Finding Me by Viola Davis

Title: Finding Me    

Author: Viola Davis    

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction, Adult

Pages: 304

Publisher: HarperOne

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.

This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn't always see me.

As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgemental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be... you.

Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you."

My Rating: 5/5

I am excited that this year I am being more open to nonfiction reads. Hearing each other's verbal stories is so valuable, and the idea of verbal storytelling is sitting with me more and more. I knew of Viola Davis, but hearing her story was entrancing. Her past and her path to her current life are filled with hurt, racism, and reflection. It made me reflect on how piece of who we are get us to where we are. Even the parts that hurt. That being said, therapy (as Viola Davis mentions frequently in this memoir) helps us confront parts of our past and who we are to help us live with it all.

Sidny

Book Review: We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan

Title: We Were Never Here

Author: Sophia Hannan

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Horror, LGBT, Young Adult

Pages: 352

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2026

Format: Audiobook

"The remaining members of a ghost hunting show return to the haunted manor that may have killed their friend in this atmospheric, contemporary gothic debut perfect for fans of She is a Haunting and Delicious Monsters.

In July, Georgia Perry and Jules Park- secret girlfriends, covert art thieves, and cohost of a popular Youtube ghost hunting show- step into a haunted house to steal a priceless painting. A few short hours later, there's a knife in Jules chest and Georgia is is waking up in a pool of blood with no painting and no memory of how she got there. 

Now it's October, and Georgia is underwater. She hasn't been to class in weeks, and she's avoiding her old crew- and only friends- like the plague. But when the three remaining thieves get a call from the man who paid a hefty sum to keep them out of jail, demanding that they return to finish the job, Georgia has no choice but to return to her old life.

As estranged friends scramble to steal the painting with no cover story and no leader, they quickly realize that something is very, very wrong, and it's not just the suffocating memory of Jules or the prying eyes of their viewers. Between the strange shadows that begin to trail them and the nightmares plaguing Georgia's sleep, only one thing is certain: something followed them home from De Lys manor and it will do anything to keep them from going back."

My Rating: 1.5/5

This was one where I realized that I'm getting too old for YA, which is not the book's fault. My issue was that if you are a major criminal, you are not hiring these idiots to steal art for you. I should really read the blurbs on the YA books I pick up because when picking this up I had no idea this would involve art hiests. And without it I might have enjoyed it, but with it, I was distracted. Also, the horror didn't feel as terrifying as I would have liked. It seemed like everyone was just lacking communication skills. I don't think I would read anything else from the author at this time but hey, if this seems like your cup of tea, give it a whirl.

Sidny