This is my 10th read for the 2020 Tournament of Books (2nd post-release of the field) and definitely one that I would have read as only had been perip This is my 10th read for the 2020 Tournament of Books (2nd post-release of the field) and definitely one that I would have read as only had been peripherally aware of it prior to ToB. One thing about ToB is they always pick interesting books, I might not like/love all of them and as they often remind folks they are not the "best" books of the year, but again - they are interesting and, more importantly, discussion-worthy. And that is certainly the case with Maria Gainza's 'Optic Nerve.'
As a gay male, I often joke about the gay DNA when it comes to art and culture. There is the high/fine-culture gay male who has a love for opera, ballet, art museums, etc. and then, like me, there is the pop-culture gay with the love of television, popular music (divas, boy bands), Broadway musicals, etc. And not saying the two can't (or don't) mix, but I've seen enough in my 50-something years to know it exists.
So what does this have to do with this novel? Well, to totally appreciate it - you have to be a high/fine-culture person (regardless of sexuality) as the plot-less novel is just random moments in the characters life (perhaps loosely based on the author?) and how that is connected to works of art, artists, and art-history. It's not that I did not appreciate the novel (I did!), but the focus on and correspondingly by lack of knowledge of along with intellectualism about art was just not something I could totally achieve a breakthrough on here. Again, I blame it on a to-be-discovered genome.
If you are, like me, also not that that person, I would not discourage you from reading this novel. It's short (just over 200 pages), accessible, interesting, and quite good -- even tho my rating may seem low, in ranking the ToB books I have read I'd still rank it higher than books I "got" more or even rated higher (star ratings are indeed a strange animal, especially when comparing books that are the proverbial "apples to oranges). An unofficial 3.5 stars, that should probably be rounded up to 4 for the quality of the work - but alas, a round-down for to 3 ("liked it") for the overall experience.
Well, this book -- the first of my new reads for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) (have eight other entrants already under my belt, which I am prettWell, this book -- the first of my new reads for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) (have eight other entrants already under my belt, which I am pretty sure is a personal record going into ToB) -- certainly exposed my lack of knowledge of world history! So, while I knew there was British rule over India in the past, I did not know there was Portuguese rule in a region named Goa and the Portuguese also ruled Angola until several conflicts lead to them gaining independence in the 1970s. Put that all together and we have this novel(la) of Goan immigrants in Angola in the years leading up to independence... and just to make it even more global, written by an Australian born author of Goan ancestry, whew!
So while this novel is indeed historical fiction, I would hardly classify it as such (all the above was quickly wikipedia'd and googled) but more a fleeting coming-of-age story of a young girl born in Angola, but to Goan parents ahead of those troubled times.
The title is a Portuguese word that intangibly means "the presence of absence" or a melancholic longing, if that helps any! It's good and Peres Da Costa captures this essence, but the work is so brief (120 pages, tho other editions have it as low as 70) that it just a glimpse into that moment in history and this fascinating mix of cultures and countries.
I'm glad I read it (plus being a super quick read to add one more book completed this year) as it was most certainly a book that was not on my reading radar at all prior to ToB. But honestly, I am not sure what to make of story - it was kind of there, but then gone and just wished was left with more than a pleasant story and a new awareness of Goa and Angola. But alas, perhaps what I am feeling is "saudade"! And if that was indeed the intent... well-played! ...more
After reading two of her other books ('Lucy Barton' and 'Anything is Possible'), finally getting around to what is widely considered to be Elizabeth SAfter reading two of her other books ('Lucy Barton' and 'Anything is Possible'), finally getting around to what is widely considered to be Elizabeth Strout's best, 'Olive Kitteridge.' Why now? Well, I had a hunch that 'Olive, Again' was going to be part of the 2020 Tournament of Books (alas, while in the I was reading it, it did not make the cut) and also that Oprah christened it as a selection in the latest revival of book club (and while I may be reluctant to admit it, Oprah does tend to pick out books that are in my lane). So it was mostly a preemptive move to read the original before the sequel and I am glad I did!
That said, I have never been totally knocked out by Strout. While her prose is stellar, there has always been this *too* charming/folksy quality to it and some nagging issue (interestingly enough, both having to do with an LGBT angle - which also makes a brief appearance in this one) that has knocked a star off my rating. And while this one still lives in that same folksy/small town universe, 'Kitteridge' had more of an edge with more darker issues and secret lives and longing and much more so with the cantankerous Olive being the center of the action - or even just the periphery, as she is occasionally side-lined in this linked-stories novel. It also felt like one of the better works that I have read in a long time to deal with aging/old(er) age, which is right around the corner for me!
Given my ever-growing/ever-evolving to-be-read pile, I don't often get around to older books and/or to an author's back-catalogue as it always just seems easier to read their newest/latest book - so I am glad I had an "excuse" to go back and read this one. And the good part here is that now I don't have to wait a decade+ to read 'Olive, Again' and see where one of the more memorable characters in contemporary literature takes us next....more
I don't even know where to start with this, other than to say it's as good as everyone says it is - and now add me to the list. If you read Machado's I don't even know where to start with this, other than to say it's as good as everyone says it is - and now add me to the list. If you read Machado's debut fiction work, the short-story collection "Her Bodies and Other Parties," you already knew you were in for a bold and inventive work. Here, Machado totally re-invents/flips over the concept of a memoir, chronicling being on the wrong side of a same-sex abusive relationship, in a fast-hit chapters where she takes on literary tropes and explores culture, being a woman, being LGBTQ (tho, in this case, "B"), being a person of color, being a person of size, and simply being a human being with precision in essay-like rifts. In skimming reviews, someone called it "propulsive" and I wish I could remember where I found it as if there is one work to sum this work up it is that one.
It's raw, sad, heartbreaking... but given the subject matter, perhaps a surprise that it is funny, witty, and entertaining as well. Machado doesn't give the reader a rest here. If something isn't working for you in the book or it's just too sad or disturbing or explicit (even as a gay man, I'm guessing my eyes widened a few times in a "Well, HELLO!" fashion over some of the sex stuff), Machado quickly shifts gears in often under a minute or two of reading.
If you've read "Her Bodies," I'm sure you recall the tour-de-force "Law & Order: SVU" - for me, it was fun for a while, but it dragged on and on (and on), and smacked of being a bit gimmick-y (plus it didn't help that I never have watched an episode of any L&O)... but I'm guessing some folks would find this "too cute" (again, totally wrong phrasing given the gravitas of what it is all about - but again more in a gimmick sense) and I have to admit somewhere more than halfway through started to experience fatigue with all of Machado's literary gymnastics (thus my ultimate, but minor, 0.5 star deduction to my rating), but again she pulled it out in the end and with the book as a whole.
Totally like no book you've ever read both in either structure and subject matter and in these last days of the year, vaulting up to near the top of my best books of 2019. 4.5 stars with a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ round-up to 5. ...more
Picked this one up as it made the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) longlist, had some good buzz on the ToB Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ group, and that I am just a fan of Picked this one up as it made the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) longlist, had some good buzz on the ToB Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ group, and that I am just a fan of Italy. And while I have romantic notions of Italy, after reading this one as well as Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan series - apparently it's not a great place to grow up/be a kid. It's a rough life! This one very much felt like it existed in the same universe as the Ferrante novels - probably even more so, since translator here, Ann Goldstein, is Ferrante's translator as well - but it felt like unnamed protagonist here, l'arminuta (the girl returned) could have easily crossed paths with Ferrrante's Lenu and Lila (tho I am not sure of the geographic possibility/proximity).
And while this was consistently good, it was just a bit slow and introspective for me. It felt like a very full novel despite its novella length (~160 pages). While questions I hoped would be answered were, it still did not feel very satisfactory - but alas, maybe it is truer to life that one doesn't always get these big a-ha! motivations and resolutions of why things happened. Likewise, we know the protagonist is an adult and the novel is a reflection/memories of her childhood, but again I just wished for more of a connection and an increased insight of how this unsettled time in her life affected or created the present-day woman recounting this story....more
Finally got around to this one after nearly a year of critical buzz and book award nods, but more so as my spidey-sense is tingling that 'Disappearing Finally got around to this one after nearly a year of critical buzz and book award nods, but more so as my spidey-sense is tingling that 'Disappearing Earth' will likely vault from the long- to shortlist for the upcoming 2020 Tournament of Books (we shall see)! Amazingly enough, I did not know much about this one going in - so I was slightly surprised when it ended up being one of those "linked stories" novels... and more so that it centered around the disappearance of two young sisters on the Kamchatka Peninsula in far west Russia!
I have a checkered past with linked-story novels and this one did not change my feelings all that much. While it is cool/neat to try to figure out the connection (some easier than others), it does get frustrating at times having to hit a reset button with each new chapter/story. Additionally, with any short story collection, there is variance in the degrees of success of each story, but more so in this "linked" approach in how much they add to overall work - mostly successful here, but some not as much.
The larger issue I had was that while I was initially stoked about the unique locale of this novel, as it progressed it felt like - as long as you swap out the lengthy and ever-changing nicknames of the characters - it could be taking place in any remote location. The author in the afterword noted that it was "inspired by Russia but written in America" (or something to that effect) -- and while I appreciated being transported (in a literary sense) to a place I'd never been, it still felt like a very American novel - not that there is anything wrong with that!
Finally, with this linked approach a lot often bends on tying everything (most? enough?) things up, and here I thought it was a tad too convenient and tidy, but still done in a pretty satisfactorily manner - so a split decision there.
An unofficial 3.5 stars, but a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ round-down to 3 stars for being "good"/"I liked it."
Jacqueline Woodson is an amazing author and I am very confident on stating that even with a sample size of two ('Another Brooklyn' and, of course, thi Jacqueline Woodson is an amazing author and I am very confident on stating that even with a sample size of two ('Another Brooklyn' and, of course, this one). It's a perfect (well, at least to me) marriage of poetry and prose, where Woodson effortlessly flows from time and place and generation to generation. It's a slim work, simultaneously sweeping and intimate.
That said, I preferred 'Brooklyn' over 'Bone.' I had difficulty here finding my footing with each character/perspective/time shift with each chapter (which yes, I an fully aware I noted as a strength above), but again Woodson impressively creates such a vivid multi-generational story with so few words and pages that any "failings" are certainly my own. I also think it would reading this more slowly would have been beneficial as Woodson packs so much into her prose (without it being dense).
I need to read more of Woodson's earlier works, but my ever-growing, ever-changing TBR pile doesn't allow for many back-catalogue reads - but she is certainly one of the top authors out there today. ...more
I am a big fan of NY Times TV critic James Poniewozik (pronounced pony-whoa-zik, don't know why I struggled with that so long before finally hearing iI am a big fan of NY Times TV critic James Poniewozik (pronounced pony-whoa-zik, don't know why I struggled with that so long before finally hearing it while he was publicizing this book)... his Twitter feed, particularly in relationship to the current President, has been one of the things that has kept me sane during these insane times. It was a no-brainer that I would get this book, but then I came to the realization that why in the world would I want to spend my leisure time reading about Trump, who is holding I'm guessing many (most? some?) our minds hostage these days.
I finally relented and I was kind of pleased that, as not unexpected, while Trump is certainly central to this book... it is more Donald Trump thru the lens of being pop-culture and television character. Not that this angle makes it any less infuriating, mind-boggling, etc. that this con-man character got elected President of the United States, but it was particularly interesting to me to view it through the rise of the television anti-hero (i.e. Tony Soprano, Walter White) and ubiquity of "reality" television, which is now playing out 24-7 in the "highest" office in the land.
While I have largely backed-off on watching reality television of late, I still can't help find myself thinking of Survivor/Big Brother strategies during this current impeachment (Fall 2019) inquiry. I keep on hoping that if (when?) there is a Senate trial that Republican senators will do the great backstab move of showing public support and kissing @ss, but vote the guy off the island. But alas, I have little confidence that will happen -- which is sad given that so many elected officials at this moment in history seem to lack the integrity of a reality show contestant.
Again, it's hard for me to recommend anyone voluntarily spending any more time on Trump these days, but if you have a love of pop-culture and particularly television, I'd give this one a chance. I feel a bit guilty saying it was an enjoyable read given that it's about current real-life dystopia....more
First off, thanks to Macmillan Publishers/St. Martin Press for this Advanced Readers Edition and my first ever Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway win (it does and canFirst off, thanks to Macmillan Publishers/St. Martin Press for this Advanced Readers Edition and my first ever Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway win (it does and can happen)! Look for it to hit the shelves February 4, 2020.
Therese Anne Fowler's "A Good Neighborhood" should definitely please fans of Liane Moriarity and Celeste Ng as this one has all those 'Big Little Lies"/"Little Fires Everywhere" vibe. Alas, I was not a huge fan of either of those two books and thus no surprise that I have similar thoughts about this one - guess neighborhood (melo)drama is not my thing. And “Neighborhood� is lacking the fun/guilty pleasure of the above-mentioned books as it tackles race/racial discrimination and also takes some, shall we say, uncomfortable/unsavory sub-plot detours.
Fowler notes in the forward/acknowledgements section about "doing the homework" as a white author writing a black characters' perspective - so reading this *before* reading the novel very much (over)heightened my attention to this particular aspect of the novel and lead me to feel that things were too "on the nose" at times and most certainly when one of the characters expressed the thought "What normal cis male wouldn't?" Even in these "woke" times, I can not imagine a heterosexual male teen having this thought and with those words.
It's a very slow burn to the events that are foreshadowed on the opening page, much of it ultimately predictable while the more unexpected things are not terribly believable in the rushed ending along with and odd, and often inconsistent, use of "the neighborhood" as a Greek chorus of sorts. So all a bit messy for me, but still a book that I didn’t mind picking up and read at a pretty good clip. Just not my proverbial cup of tea....more
What an odd book, a true monster-mash of narratives that (debate-ably) pulls together in this unique, and never boring, novel. First up is a 19th cent What an odd book, a true monster-mash of narratives that (debate-ably) pulls together in this unique, and never boring, novel. First up is a 19th century historical fiction-take of the genesis of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein" as well as her later life filled with many a tragedy which is then paired up with a contemporary (or near-future? post=Brexit) plot-line of a trans male doctor named Ry meeting up with a Dr. Victor Stein whose interests lie in the field of artificial intelligence and cryogenics. Take those two main ingredients and mix in a highly meta-fictionalized Shelley subplot, sexbots, Jesus freaks (well, just one), and even a World War II twist of lemon -- and this is Winterson's wild creation (and I am sure I am forgetting a thing or two... or three).
I likely did not "get" everything Winterson was going for here and while I felt some of the satire of the contemporary storyline was a bit too on the nose for me and would have preferred the Mary Shelley-to-Ry/Victor pages ratio be flipped this was one of those novels where I appreciated the author swinging for the proverbial fences, even if it resulted in some whiffs. But it did motivate me to purchase a copy of Shelley's 'Frankenstein' - a classic I've never read as well as getting me back to my abandoned side-reading challenge of reading books selected from last year's PBS' Great American Read. Unofficial 3.5 stars, but a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ round-up to 4 stars for boldly creative fun read. ...more
The book to beat as my top read of 2019 - pretty impressive given the high expectations I had going in thanks to having read Ta-Nehsis Coates' stellar The book to beat as my top read of 2019 - pretty impressive given the high expectations I had going in thanks to having read Ta-Nehsis Coates' stellar "Between the World and Me" (and now wondering why the heck I never got to "We Were Eight Years in Power" - but alas, that can be corrected) as well as its coronation as the first book club selection in the mega-merger of Oprah & Apple. While I had little doubt that Coates could make the transition from non-fiction to fiction, I have seeing other writers not succeed to anything near this level.
Forgive me for my political incorrectness, but subject matter/eras that have been tackled in literature over and over (slavery, the Holocaust, war), while still typically deeply moving and effective often feels like retreads. But what Coates does here feels fresh and bold. It feels like something you've never read before (tho there are certainly echos of Toni Morrison's lyricism) - which again, is impressive coming on the relative heels of another high-profile novel, by a high-profile African American author with Colson Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad." It's impossible not to want to compare how each author approached the same subject in totally different, but still fantastical ways.
I will admit to some difficulty digesting the magical realism aspects of "Dancer" (whereas Whitehead's was just so over-the-top it was just easy to accept it and go along for the ride, literally and figuratively!) - but again, like Morrison, there is such a beautifully spiritual quality that it ultimately ended being a very small quibble, plus it is used pretty sparingly (tho, a heads-up, the first chapter is very "out there" in this respect, so hang in there if it's not your thing).
While I have given out 5 stars on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to a few books over the past year or so, it's been mostly non-fiction or based primarily on personal enjoyment/entertainment level - but "The Water Dancer" was a relatively rare slam-dunk (for me) as far as literary quality and amazing storytelling. ...more
Well, this book was always going to be interesting. How do you live up to the hype of following up a modern classic 30+ years after its publication al Well, this book was always going to be interesting. How do you live up to the hype of following up a modern classic 30+ years after its publication all in the midst of a highly successful/lauded TV series adaptation. How would Atwood deal with the expanded universe of he TV series that only used her original source material for one season? How would Atwood box-in the series by creating new realities that the already announced TV adaptation based on this sequel would need to direct its end-game to? How will readers react (or even understand) a lot of what is going on in this sequel and who the characters are if they have never seen the TV series? Hulu viewers certainly know a LOT more of what is going on vs. a relatively slow (but perhaps predictable) unveil to those who are only familiar with Atwood's written work.
This was what was constantly going on in my head while reading 'The Testaments.' I will leave all plot details aside as part of the enjoyment of this book is seeing what Atwood does. Was this book necessary? No. Does it harm the legacy of the original? Maybe from a purely literary stance (it smacks of fan fiction - granted fan fiction with Atwood at the helm), but certainly does no harm to this new-found Handmaid's cash cow franchise and fueled by these current dystopic times.
It's not any stretch to say, that this sequel very (very!) likely would not have happened were it not for the TV series. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the faults of the show: plot holes you can drive a car through, things that could never be gotten away with, stretching plots thin for dramatic effect, etc. are all in play here. I don't blame Atwood for succumbing to the temptation and/or feeling pressured to write - and thus have some artistic control over - this sequel, but maybe it just should have remained in screenplay-land much like the 2nd and 3rd (and upcoming 4th) seasons of the series that was launched off the original.
Again, it's still Atwood. Still interesting. Tho maybe not for all the right reasons.
Let's be honest - given the subject matter (historical fiction based on true-life "reform" schools in the Jim Crow era) and the fact that it was writt Let's be honest - given the subject matter (historical fiction based on true-life "reform" schools in the Jim Crow era) and the fact that it was written by Colson Whitehead, there was no way this book was going to get less than 4 stars... but also, to be honest, it almost didn't.
I typically avoid reading peer reviews here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ while in the midst of eading a novel, but the fact that I felt I wasn't full engaged in the book, felt like there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on had me searching for some reinforcement (which btw, I did find). It is not that I didn't care for the characters or that I certainly did not feel the weight and foreboding of the story, but there seemed to be a sterile quality to it. Tho, reading in the afterword, that Whitehead was inspired by newspaper reporting perhaps provided the "click" in my mind to explain the tone/feel of the novel.
I also looked back at my (2-star!) review of "Sag Harbor," the first Whitehead I ever read, and see I had issues engaging with the characters as well as sorting out the supporting cast - which was another case in point here. And alas, to not ignore the proverbial elephant in the room, Whitehead had a gargantuan task in following up "The Underground Railroad" - perhaps this was a conscious effort to pull back from all the bells and whistles of that boldly creative work.
But again, this was never not another incredibly important contribution from Whitehead in chronicling the African American experience in this country especially in these contemporary times where "Black Lives Matter" and peaceful protests fall on deaf ears or, even more troubling, are met with backlash and disdain.
While I wavered a bit on my final rating based on the overall execution/technical merit, but (keeping this spoiler free) the ending and epilogue stuck the landing good enough for me to give this one an unqualified 4-stars.
Where do I even begin with this one? For those that are not aware of this novel, well... it's something else. I read Valeria Luiselli's "Lost ChildrenWhere do I even begin with this one? For those that are not aware of this novel, well... it's something else. I read Valeria Luiselli's "Lost Children Archive" earlier this year and was kind of stunned (and pretty impressed) with an approximately 20-page long sentence near the end of the book. So what can top that? Well, how about Lucy Ellmann exceeding that x50! Yes, this is a 1,000+ page -- as so wonderfully described in the book blurb -- "torrent of consciousness" of the thoughts, feelings, and fears of an Ohio housewife, mother, baker, daughter, sister, etc. that is ONE. sentence. long. Well, it is broken up with short and traditional prose (i.e., multiple sentences, paragraphs, etc.) a lioness/mountain lion (and, to boot, in a surprisingly touching/emotional way). So yes, this isn't an easy sell/recommendation of this novel... or shall I say... reading experience as calling this merely a novel seems inadequate.
It was intimidating, funny, infuriating, engaging. It was endless, but upon arriving at that final punctuation mark it was almost sad to have it end. Almost. It was about everything and, in a Seinfeld-ian way, about nothing. It felt like a product of our current time: A.D.D, short-attention span, 240-character twitterverse, 24-hour new cycle, and yes... Trump (who is oft-mentioned). A door-stopper's worth of Facebook statuses that go from diatribes about the environment and gun violence to fleeting thoughts/remembrances about 'Little House on the Prairie' and movie musicals to daily minutia about pie-baking and a visit to the dental hygienist.
It took me approximately 2 months and 1 week to get through it. For the most part, I maintained a modest, but still surprisingly challenging, goal of reading at least 1% of it a day (think that tells my fellow Kindle readers how much a behemoth this truly is). I also read 5 other books concurrently with this one as I could not imagine devoting 100% of my reading time to 'Ducks.' And what a one-sentence, 1000+ page book does is teach you to have to put down a book in the middle of a sentence (ha!), which is a wild thing for a reader to have to do (and over and over and over and over again).
Alas, I also don't know how to rate this one. I almost want to give it 5 stars for Ellmann's effort... and, to be perfectly honest, my own time (over 35 hours?!) and effort to successfully tackle it. But I'll settle on 4 stars for the impressive literary experiment/experience - it's one I won't soon forget, tho guessing large parts of it and can, even now, hardly remember!
On a personal note, kind of cool that this ends up being my 500th book read since I joined Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ! ...more
Cute, heartwarming, and pleasant... tho guessing I am not really the target audience for this slice... or should I say... this pint glass... or, even Cute, heartwarming, and pleasant... tho guessing I am not really the target audience for this slice... or should I say... this pint glass... or, even more accurately, this slice-of-pie in a pint glass helping of chick-lit (not a diss, honest!) despite being a craft beer aficionado... or dare I even say craft beer "expert" as Untappd, a beer tracking phone app, shows I've sampled nearly 1700 unique beers - including, quite recently, a strawberry rhubarb blonde ale. I'm guessing many readers of this novel would wonder if beers like that actually exist, they do!
It took awhile for the novel to get around to craft beer (early parts calling Coors a great beer had this beer snob concerned - and also, lagers in general... meh!?! haha!), when it did get there I found it very interesting and did learn a thing or two about the process - tho thanks to following local breweries on social media, I already knew cleaning is a huge part of brewing.
So that was fun, but otherwise the challenge was navigating around credibility issues (Stradal spends a lot of time describing the challenges of creating a first beer, but later a new team of apprentices seem to do it with relative ease). Also, in this tale of two sisters - one almost totally fades away until the somewhat inevitable (predictable?) conclusion. But kudos to Stradal - while I guess sexist to say, I am surprised he wrote an almost totally female-centric so convincingly - which, given the quite high overall ratings for this second novel, I am guessing many (most!) folks agree.
A totally pleasant read that I zipped right through... not my pint of beer per se, but given the title alone, I knew what I was ordering and it fit the bill! I ordered the fruited wheat ale - and it was good and I'm glad I tried it! - but overall, I'm more an IPA and Imperial Stout kind of guy!
Definitely a 5-star read for the content/message and the "didn't see *that* coming" ending - plus I truly think one can never read enough about the ex Definitely a 5-star read for the content/message and the "didn't see *that* coming" ending - plus I truly think one can never read enough about the experiences of minority populations, and none more so than African Americans with the "legacy" of slavery. Unfortunately, this is also a case of a book where the people who really need to read it the most, will not - and while there is not much "new" for those of us who strive to have empathy and a better understanding and for equality (if I can be bold enough to include myself in this group!), Kendi still provides moments that made me think differently or something entirely new about different aspects of racism (and other -ism's too).
While the book has a serious tone, I couldn't help but thinking of the song from the Broadway musical AVENUE Q "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" as it is really true. And it was fascinating hearing Kendi's accounts of overcoming/addressing his own racism again his fellow African Americans, immigrant people of color, the LGBTQ community, etc. As a gay white male it is a unique perspective of living in a world of white privilege but still experiencing the internal and external homophobia - tho again, certainly not to the same level of a person of color or woman of color or an LGBTQ woman of color, etc.
I noted above of this being a 5-star read, but alas you are seeing 4 stars - so what's the deal? Well, I have to knock off a bit for the execution (ducking for cover) as it did get dry and repetitive (tho, at times, I think the reinforcement was needed and necessary) and maybe a bit too scholarly or overly researched (heavily research-focused?) with it feeling like it was just a bunch of quotes strung together vs. Kendi's own words and thoughts (to prove the point - for Kindle readers, the book ends around the 70% mark with the rest being footnotes for all those quotes). While this did provide valuable and interesting (and often jaw-dropping, cringe-worthy) historical information, it was just overdone for my taste.
But really minor quibbles for a book that I wish more Americans (or heck, any citizen of the world!) should read. ...more
Yet another victim of the hype machine and too high expectations for this this multi-decade family (melo)drama. While not as "bad" as Hanya Yanahigara Yet another victim of the hype machine and too high expectations for this this multi-decade family (melo)drama. While not as "bad" as Hanya Yanahigara's "A Little Life," this one was just a wee too tragedy-porn for me as Keane puts her characters through the emotional, mental, and/or physical wringer, sometimes for little of no reason. Sure there's perseverance, forgiveness and redemption and all that, but I just never felt fully attached to the characters to care enough to wonder how they were going to make it through until the next life crisis. It was also this odd mix of the plot feeling slow and stretched out, with a lot of waiting around for the inevitable - but then, these sudden time jumps where I felt a bit cheated that we missed out on some stuff.
All this sounds far harsher than my actual reading experience as I was happy enough to pick it up at every chance I got and I read it at a very decent clip. The writing is solid and the story and structure linear, but alas nothing that jumped out of the page and grabbed me to elevate it beyond a "I liked it" 3 stars - a good read (ha!), that - if anything - will make you appreciate your own slightly dysfunctional family.
A moving personal graphic memoir from George Takei (it rhymes with "okay"?) of his family's experience in Japanese internment camps during WWII. Sadly A moving personal graphic memoir from George Takei (it rhymes with "okay"?) of his family's experience in Japanese internment camps during WWII. Sadly, as I am sure is the case with many, my own knowledge of this dark chapter in American history is pretty cursory - coming more from historical fiction novels vs. any type of actual history book - so this was indeed both educational and eye-opening. The graphic novel/memoir approach definitely makes things more accessible. It very similar in scope/tone/feel to John Lewis' 'March' trilogy - so it was no surprise that when I got to the end I saw both had the same Editorial Director. 'Enemy' felt a bit more skewed to young(er) readers, in its simple language and "here's the lesson to learn" tee-ups, so I felt it could have been edgier and darker - but really can not quibble with making it more palatable for readers of all ages - especially in this era where this type of history is unfortunately repeating itself when it comes to racism and xenophobia and locking families up who are deemed a national security risk by those in power.
Selfishly, I would have liked a tad more about Takei's personal coming-out story and civil rights activism as an adult. While I certainly appreciate a same-sex marriage being handled as no big deal and know Takei - thanks to his activism - is one of the more famous gay actors, we're still not at the a stage where you can just throw in a line (and, in this case, a drawing/panel) like "Florence, this is my husband Brad." without any mention being gay and getting married to a man before that. But again, I realize this was more focused on the history and not per se Takei's personal life story - and kudos, for it being included at all! I am sure, not terribly long ago, it would have been left out entirely. ...more
While I have read (or at least, attempted to read!) many Toni Morrison books, I had not read 'A Mercy' - but when Tournament of Books (ToB) announced While I have read (or at least, attempted to read!) many Toni Morrison books, I had not read 'A Mercy' - but when Tournament of Books (ToB) announced there would be a Tournament of Champions next year, this 2009 champ got on my to-be-read list and quickly jumped the line with the passing of the legendary Ms. Morrison recently.
While I was a fan of Morrison's early works, I have had challenges with her later works which I found not quite accessible - tho I am fully putting the blame on me, Morrison clearly is operating at a higher level than I guess many of us, even us hardcore literary fiction readers. So I was not totally surprised, that within a couple of pages (ok, Kindle screens) I found myself wondering what the heck was going on and the odd effect of reading a novel written in English but feeling like it was a foreign language.
Given that I really wanted to give this book a chance, I found an excellent reading guide with a detailed summary/analysis from LitCharts.com that got me on solid footing and which I doubted I may have not needed once things settled down/sorted themselves out in the next few chapter. That said, I still followed along with the guide for the entire book -- and while I got most of it, there was certainly some stuff that I would have not necessarily "got" (tho I often wonder, if the author really intended all this deep meanings and intentions that are in these analyses -- tho if anyone does, it's probably Toni Morrison and it's likely still not deep enough!).
I am guessing this one won't achieve the heights or popularity of her most famous and acclaimed novels --The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved seem to top that list -- but this certainly was a deeply moving examination of slavery, motherhood, sexism, and racism. And c'mon, even a so-called second-tier Morrison novel would still qualify as top-tier for most any other author. While Morrison often never makes it easy on a reader (and she shouldn't!), and even more so with her recent passing, it is very much worth the effort to read her powerful and wise words....more
This is one of those books where it is pretty impossible to talk about it without spoilers or giving away the hook -- which ultimately ends up being c This is one of those books where it is pretty impossible to talk about it without spoilers or giving away the hook -- which ultimately ends up being crucial in one's thoughts about the book. It's clear that Brodesser-Akner with this debut is a talented author - funny and insightful. I admit for good majority of the time I was surprised and impressed that a woman could have written what seemed liked a classic WMFUN (White Male F&ck-Up Novel) until it isn't... but still a xxFUN on my many levels.
Ultimately, it just too messy for me with Brodesser-Akner doing to much literary gymnastics where I think a more straightforward approach would have been more successful in my opinion. I was a bit distracted by why the narrator was the person it was and how that person could have possible known stuff they weren't present for or allegedly heard secondhand... but then that's "explained" by this whole meta-author-character-fiction angle... so yeah, messy... and I've probably said too much already in wanting not give away too much. Also, I thought it was too much of slow burn to figure out what was going on and then not feeling totally satisfied with the resolution (would real people - even fictional characters - act or, more accurately, not act that way?).
But despite my quibbles, it was still a book I was glad to pick up and found enjoyable and interesting. An unofficial 3.5 stars with a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ round-down to 3 stars for leaning more "like" than "really liked/love."
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