My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann

Title: My Eyes Are Up Here

Author: Laura Zimmermann

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult 

Greer Walsh lives mostly in her head. She remembers a time where she was normal, and didn’t need to hide, safe with her friends and being the smart girl. There was a time her life was more than XXL men’s t-shirts and sweatshirts, and coming home from school didn’t mean lying flat on her back braless to enjoy a moment of relief from just standing and walking and trying to control something she didn’t want or ask for.

In fact, from meeting a cute new boy, to making the JV Volleyball team, everything seems to be marred by her desire to hide what is really there, two large breasts that seemingly came from nowhere.

My Eyes are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann is one of those light books that packs a punch when it comes to a strong message. Greer is a fun character who is truly living in her head. Her fear of people looking at her breasts and not noticing her brain or anything else about her does keep her from enjoying life.

This is a Young Adult book, and it is a book I wish was around when I was a teen. I don’t want to spoil it too much, but the struggle with body acceptance is very genuine, and the place Greer ends up at the end of the book is very inspiring, even for this adult reader.

My Eyes are Up Here is for anyone who wishes their body was different, and knows that people are always defined by more than one thing.

- Katie

Check out My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann @ the library!

Books! Live with Katie April 28th, 2021 Books for Mental Health Month

April’s Books! Live with Katie is all about Mental Health Books, and May’s Mental Health Community Read events. These events are organized by the West Allis Mental Health and Substance Abuse Task Force, and are intended to start discussions about mental health in our community. 

This year we are discussing Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, and we will be holding two book discussion sessions on May 11th and May 20th at 6:30 PM on Zoom. Register online or by calling the library and we will send you a link for the Zoom discussions: westallislibrary.org/events or 414-302-8500 

Books discussed on 4.28.2021

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

Tweak by Nic Sheff 

High by David and Nic Sheff 

Broken by Jenny Lawson 

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh 

Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx 

Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler

Other Things for Mental Health: 

TikTok follow: KC Davis @domisticblisters 

Podcast: Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best, (March 24th episode with guest Dr. Harold Kopelwicz has a great discussion on mental health and kids) 

For more information on Mental Health resources in West Allis: westalliswi.gov/stopthestigma

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar

Title: You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism

Author: Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar

Genre: Memoir, Humor

Meet Lacey, Amber Ruffin’s sister. She is, “Polite, beautiful, tiny, and Black”. Because of this people say the most ridiculous things to her. From being told it must be nice to have her picture on her checks (it was Harriet Tubman) to having someone put their hand into her hair, Lacy experiences racism in ways that are, frankly, unbelievable to a white reader.

Told by both Amber and Lacey, Lacey’s stories give readers a lot to think about. Some readers will nod their heads knowing this is all too real an experience, and others will have their eyes opened. Keep in mind, all of these stories happen from about 1980-today, so it isn’t just the past we are hearing about, it’s the now.

Raised by strong parents and growing up with other siblings, it is never left unsaid that a book about another family member would be much darker. Lacey is lucky in the sense that this is all that happened to her, however, as a white reader the fact that these things have happened to her at all is equal parts horrifying and eye-opening.

You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism is a book of stories told with humor about things that are still happening to Black people today. Highly recommended for light reading on a heavy subject.

- Katie

Check out You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar @ the library!

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Title: The Guest List

Author: Lucy Foley

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

A remote island is the scene for the wedding of a TV reality star and a magazine publisher. They are surrounded by boyhood mates, past flings, less-than-supportive parents, and other sundry people. Despite the storm that keeps them isolated and threatens to dump on them all, they are having a killer time. Of course one person takes that a little too far. When a body is discovered, can anyone really be let off the hook? Motives abound and this one will keep you guessing.

This book was a Goodreads Choice 2020 Winner for the Mystery & Thriller category. Read it to see if you agree.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Guest List by Lucy Foley @ the library!

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Title: Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents

Author: Isabel Wilkerson

Genre: Non-fiction, History, Race Relations

Wow. This is a thoroughly researched, thought-inducing look at how the treatment of race is similar to the caste system of India. Wilkerson walks you through history, and takes you through political, economical, social, and other aspects of race. It is not a short read or an easy one, but a soul-searching look at how stacked the deck has been, and without question still is, against people of color. Highly recommended.

- Sarah R.

Check out Caste by Isabel Wilkerson @ the library!

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Title: Anxious People

Author: Fredrik Backman

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

From the author of A Man Called Ove comes a tale of a botched robbery, an unwitting hostage situation, and a group of people at an apartment viewing who have more than one reason to be anxious. You get the chance to peek into the lives of the hostages, the hostage taker, and the cops that are trying to bring everyone out of the situation alive. It's more character driven than full of action, but there were moments of comedy sprinkled in, too.

This story reminds of the kind of movies where the people end up having connections to each other. I could definitely see this as an ensemble cast sort of flick.

- Sarah R.

Check out Anxious People by Fredrik Backman @ the library!