Originally intended to simply focus on book reviews, over time, KaliDesautelsReads has morphed into its own entity.
I write about issues that are near to my heart, be they political, feminist, motherhood, mental health, or, as the title holds, books.
A thirty-something Canadian woman in my mid-thirties, I have been “super married” to my high school sweetheart since 2006, and together we have two crazy, clever, kind, hilarious, wonderful kids.
My first book – How Not To Blog: Finding Myself, One Post at a Time is available on Amazon (in eBook formats for you clever tech readers, and paperback for those of us who love that new book smell!)
I have tried a podcast – it’s still on Apple and Google Podcasts – but writing is where my heart is.
My life changed dramatically when my husband was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in 2018, and I am now a writer for a leading Canadian Cancer Non-Profit.
I am lucky enough to have a family that loves me and pushes me to be my best, even if it is outside of my cushiony comfort zone. I have a village of friends that nourish me, mentally, and spiritually.
Welcome to my thoughts. Sit down. Stay a while. Enjoy a cup of coffee!
For more than a month, my loving grandmother has put her entire life on hold, given up the comforts of her home, and slept on my couch, in order to provide support, both physical and moral, to the kids, Dave and I. I can never thank her enough, not let her know how grateful I am in words. This is the epitome of love.
My bean is back!!!! Bringing back treats from San Francisco, and a zillion stories and a happy happy energy!! Thank you, Memere, and Auntie Danielle and Uncle Ty for making this the happiest girl in the world.
I am so grateful to everyone who has been kind enough, interested enough, supportive enough, amazing enough… to follow my blog page, as I have been working to develop my content and my voice. Starting out simply as a place to post book reviews, you all have made this a place where thoughts are expressed, mental health and equal rights advocacy can occur and have created a community through the sharing of posts, and interaction. So from the bottom of my heart, I quote my father who quoted James Cagney…
Though styled as a memoir, But You Did Not Come Back is more of a love letter from a young girl to her father, remembering the last time they saw each other at Auschwitz-Birkenau. At 15, Loridan-Ivens and her father were captured in France by the Nazis, and taken to the concentration camps. The book is written directly from the author to her father, using the first and second person, recalling their last meeting, and describing her imaginings of what he would have thought of her life, had he lived to see her grow up. The basis of her thoughts are the words her father said to her while at Drancy, before they were separated. “You might come back, because you’re young, but I will not come back.” For Loridan-Ivens this became a prophecy that she would fight against her entire life; the one true thing that she could not endure after surviving the camps. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. At a mere 100 pages, the book took approximately 45 minutes to read, but the poetic prose is without a doubt the most beautiful writing that I have read this year. Please, do yourself a favour and pick up this book for yourself. I promise that you will love it. (100 pgs)
So, this picture does not do justice to how steep this hill is, but believe me, it’s steep. I have made this my personal Everest for the summer. By the end of the summer, I intend to be able to climb this hill on my walk WITHOUT huffing and puffing at the top. Today is the second attempt. I still have a long way to go, but Mel Robbins Five-Second Rule had me up there again today. As Rachel Hollis said – 👏that fast you can change your life. 👏that fast you can be the woman you want to be. 5,4,3,2,1 – GO!
Alright, you guys, she has done it AGAIN! Rachel Hollis has written another book that speaks to my soul. Her follow up to Girl, Wash Your Face – Girl, Stop Apologizing – is freaking “money”, as my brother would say. I am all fired up and excited and as soon as I get my flipping computer to finish updating, I will be posting my review! The summary here and the full on, knock your socks off, all in review over on the blog. Let’s just say – you need to read this book. Seriously.
Mary Beard’s 115 page manifesto is a well-researched and clever reminder that Western women have been publicly shushed since Classical periods of Greece and Rome. With an acerbic wit, Beard reaches back to the epic poems and plays (i.e. Lysistrata and Agamemnon) and deftly compares them to our current treatment of women in power and in public spheres. She matches the Twitter attacks of women who speak out to Thelemachus sending his mother, Penelope, out of the room and telling her that “speech will be the business of men”. She discusses the infamous excluding of Elizabeth Warren (which famously resulted in the feminist slogan “Nevertheless She Persisted”) from a debate, but not excluding Bernie Sanders and other male Senators from sharing the same letter she was attempting to read, in conjunction with Telemachus. She discusses that many of the famous androgynous speeches attributed to women may have been rather the fiction of angry male authors, including Elizabeth I’s speech at Tilbury, where she is said to have referred to her body as that of a “weak, feeble woman”. Readers with an interest in history, feminism, politics or power, and looking for a quick read, for a plane ride, or a bath, this book is a must. As Beard is a Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, there is little doubt that all who read this will learn something of value. (115 pgs)
My gratitude is overflowing this week! My suddenly-grown Girl is on her very first girls trip with her Auntie. No mama, no daddy, no brother, just everything she wants to do. Auntie Danielle took her to her version of heaven yesterday – the Lip Lab by @bitebeauty – where she got to design her own custom lip shade and even name it. I cannot even express my gratitude in words, the way my family has been showing up for my kids, and me, while Dave is going through his treatments. Instead of a spring break spent shuttling to and from the hospital, my kids are each going on unique adventures with their Auntie Danielle and/or Uncle Ty. I am sure the Little Miss will have looooots of news and stories to tell when she comes home from San Francisco and I can’t wait to hear them all. ❤️❤️❤️
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Kali J Desautels 