![]() This book begins in 1690 in Western Africa when Doro, a man in appearance but with extraordinary powers, finally tracks down Anyanwu, a woman who is almost equally as supernatural. Together, they travel to Doro's colony in the New World where he "collects" people like them, people with special abilities. However, things take a turn when Anyanwu learns she is not as special to Doro as she believes she is. I really admire Butler's novel Kindred and so this other novel of hers seemed like a natural reading selection. Interestingly, I began reading Wild Seed back in February, and then left it at school when the building closed on March 13th... it was only a week ago that I was allowed back in the building and could finish the story! I want to like this book more than I do. I see a lot of important themes rushing forward alongside the narrative, but I wish there was a fmore compelling plot to structure the whole thing. As it is, Anyanwu is a formidable protagonist and I would say Wild Seed is worth the read!
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![]() In this book, artist and writer Mari Andrew describes "the loop-de-loop zigzagging journey to adulthood" that she is still on. Andrew is a visual artist and many of her most humorous or relatable pieces are sprinkled throughout the book. More than sprinkled actually. It is probably 70% drawings and 30% writing about her life and how she got here. A couple of my friends had read this book and one let me borrow her copy. I loved it and read it in a few hours. Andrew is empowering, relatable, funny, and smart. Even if you are not yet trying to be an adult, I think you will find this book comforting and fun! ![]() Bess Kalb writes this cutie book in the voice of her grandmother, recently passed away. The reader hears about Grandma Bobby's mother, her childhood, her children, and even the author herself. Interspersed in the narration are actual voicemails and phone calls from Grandma Bobby to the author, Bess Kalb. There is a lot of heart in this book and some very relatable grandmother-granddaughter moments. It is that last point that endears me to this book. I see both of my own grandmothers in Grandma Bobby and I treasured celebrating them as I read. I think this book was recommended on a weekly newsletter I get, and so I patronized Nicola's Books to get ahold of it. A quick read, this book was lovely and I will pass it along to as many others as will read it! ![]() The subtitle of this book is, "A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed." This is an apt description of the narrative threads in this book. Gottlieb describes her path to becoming a therapist, her recent stint seeking therapy, a few character strands that are a mishmash of real stories, and even a layer of science and theory behind therapy. This is next month's book club book, and I really enjoyed reading it. At times I was saddened by the stories and realities, while at other times I felt the triumph of success along with the "characters." It was a poignant experience to read a book about social and emotional health and progress at this time as the pandemic has really shaken those areas for me. Regardless of your personal experiences with therapy, this was a great book. ![]() This book is a collection of articles from Vanity Fair. Each piece profiles a prominent woman and was written by a woman, hence the title. Edited by Radhika Jones, the profiles span time and social space, from Grace Kelly to Lena Waithe, Emily Post to Michelle Obama, and Frida Kahlo to Lady Gaga. All of the women are exceptional in their fields but the pieces vary as much as the subjects. This book was a birthday gift from my sister this year. I really enjoyed learning about some of the subjects whom I had not heard of, or simply am intrigued by. The piece on Barbara Bush was a highlight as she is a woman I know peripherally, and I believe the piece portrayed her honestly rather than only spewing praise. Two other similar favorites were the pieces on Meryl Streep and Cher. I like learning about people I like! ![]() Bill Browder had what he thought was a good idea back in the 1990s: As the Soviet Union dissipated and its businesses became public, he would invest in those businesses and make billions of dollars. This was true and good for a while, until he got on the bad side of some Russian law enforcement individuals who did not like hearing "no." What comes next is horrifying and true, and results in major legislative action in Russia and the United States. This book was recommended by a friend who claims it as a favorite book. Because of the lockdown, I waited for the book to arrive from Literati, and in the meantime pitched it to my fledgling book club (they picked it!). Red Notice has a strong narrative voice and purpose. As in any true story of good and evil, there are some blurry lines that Browder sketches but does not address, which I love. Red Notice has added to my understanding of Russia- and stocks and government- in a way that I think will be lasting. Thanks for the recommendation, William! ![]() Elsa and Granny are best friends. They share secret stories and jokes and they cause trouble as a pair. However, when Granny leaves the story, Elsa has to navigate her reality with a thick layer of fairy-tale spread across it. She meets monsters and princesses, she eats dreams and chocolate milk. Elsa learns how to say goodbye as things end and to welcome new beginnings. Ms. Deacon loaned this book to me because we share a love for this author's other books, Beartown and Us Against Them. I appreciate the imagination in this book and how different the writing style is from the aforementioned books. However, I had a difficult time making the connections the author seems to have intended, which I believe may be due to the text being translated from Swedish to English. Regardless, it was a lovely read with some nicely illustrated lessons and unique characters. ![]() In her premier memoir, Beck Dorey-Stein was surprised to find that the stenographer gig she applied for was actually a position at the White House. She got the job towards the end of President Obama's first term and stayed on through his second. As a stenographer, Dorey-Stein writes a bit about the meetings she sits in on and the travel she does with the president. However, this book is dominated by Dorey-Stein's personal life. When she starts hooking up with a staffer at the office, he takes over much of her decision-making and many, many pages of this book. The book was recommended to me by my mother and when it came in at the library, my best friend snagged a copy, too, and we read it in a little book club. I found the beginning of the book to be very relatable as Dorey-Stein is a 26 year old in Washington DC, just trying to figure out what to do with herself. However, once the narrative is taken over by hooking up with "Jason," it was hard to reconcile how smart this woman is with how much she gives to this man. Regardless, this was an intriguing read and I would not write off Dorey-Stein yet. ![]() This book kind of like a creative writing exercise in how to take a single prompt in a myriad of directions. It is kind of like a series of stories that never get off the ground. It is a bizarre collection of chapters. This book is and is not about trout fishing in America. A friend recommended this book to me and then handed it to me a week later, so I figured I would give it a read. I knew that it would be odd from the get-go, but it is tough to even compare this to any other piece I have read. I recommend this book to you if you enjoy nonsense, silliness, and bits of (what might be) fiction. ![]() In Where the Crawdads Sing, little Kya is left by one family member after the other until she is alone at 10 years old in the marshes of North Carolina. She learns how to survive and eventually gets close to thriving, despite deeply-rooted classism of the townsfolk. Then, when a hometown hero is found dead and foul play is suspected, all eyes turn to Kya. So, I've recently been asked to join a book club. A couple of my friends are starting it and they invited me, and clearly Where the Crawdads Sing is the first book. I feel like I am entering a new phase of my identity: book club years. This book is gripping and had a creative plot, which was all enjoyable. The setting was spectacular and the mystery kept me on edge. The book club meeting is in a couple weeks and I hope that discussion will increase my investment in the book. |
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June 2020
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