Yes, folks; I did it again. Two books in two days. Hooray for me.
Girl on the Train was a good, compelling page-turner. I liked it for the multiple perspectives and the tension and suspense created by several unreliable narrators. However, I figured out who killed Megan fairly early on. Always look for the least likely suspect. And I don't even read that many mysteries.
Mama Day is another thing entirely.
I am teaching this book tomorrow night, and I feel humbled at the task, as well as by the fact that my 21-year-old self would just die of joy if she knew that I was teaching this book in a women's prison. So, okay, maybe I have made a few good choices in life after all. But seriously -- this book is everything. Everything. And I can see now why it has taken me (Jesus) 17 years to re-read it. The end hits way too close to home. And to think that I read this book probably 2 years before I was to experience this.
"And it was the oddest feeling, as if we'd just left that morning. My bathrobe was still in a pile on the floor, a few hairs in the sink from when you had shaved, there was even a sprinkling of coffee grounds on the kitchen counter. Straightening it all up, I knew you had to be coming back in the evening. "
Yes. That is exactly how it is. My heart breaks for the girl who read this in 1999, having no idea that just 2 years later, her whole world and her whole self would break forever. The girl who lived in their home for a year, not even moving the crumpled tissue by the now-empty left side of the bed. The girl who is still waiting for someone to come home, 17 years later, who is buried in Burlington, Vermont.
Not sure how to teach this book. And with all the pain and the excruciating details of my students' lives they have shared with me, I might just owe it to them to share with them what this book means to me. But this book also tells me to just let the spirit guide me. So if I need to do that, I will.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
What?? Two books in one week?? I know, right? I am definitely out of my reading slump. Teaching literature this summer has really helped with that, for obvious reasons (i.e. I HAVE to read the books I'm teaching, duh), but it's also gotten me back into reading all the things, and wanting to read all the time, which is fantastic. It's also showing me that I would probably like teaching a lot more if I got to teach literature, but I also wouldn't have a job at all if I had stayed in that field, so I know it's all for the best.
Anyway, I found out about Not Otherwise Specified through the Barnes & Noble Teen blog because I was researching recent LGBT YA novels, and this one was listed as one of the hottest releases of 2015. I read the synopsis and literally bolted to the library and checked it out the same day. It's about a former anorexic bisexual ballet dancer. Hello! Clearly I had to get my hands on this one immediately.
The most compelling thing about this book is the voice of the main character, Etta. One reviewer talked about Moskowitz's trademark stream-of-consciousness style, and after I read that, I was like, oh yeah, I guess it is kind of written that way. I also think this got more intense as the book went on. So you are really all up in Etta's head, and she is funny and sassy and all the things I like about a character. She is African American and Moskowitz is white, which I have some feelings about, but the only time I really objected was in the section where Etta is talking to someone about the difference (and similarities) of being gay and being African American and I'm thinking, you don't really have the right to weigh in on this . . . but then that's me conflating the author and the character, but in this situation, the identity of the author does matter if she is trying to write from the perspective of someone of another race. Anyway, it's tricky. I remember having this debate in one of my African-American lit classes at State; one student, a white fiction writer was arguing that he should have the right to write from the perspective of characters of other races, and other members of the class had a lot of feelings about that, myself included. But I also wouldn't make the argument that all writers are confined to only writing from the perspective of characters of their own race, because that just feels too limiting. That said, I don't have a problem if a non-white writer wants to have a white protagonist , but I definitely have some feelings about it when a white writer tries to write from the perspective of a person of color. I just think it's really complicated. And Moskowitz is really young. Not that that should matter either, but knowing that both made me give her a pass and made me almost dismiss her at the same time. I don't like either of those reactions, but I'm just being honest here.
Anyway, the book was a fun read overall, despite my race consternation. I would like to read more of her books, especially since she seems to often feature LGBT characters, and experiment with different protagonists and voices. She is clearly a writer with prodigious talent -- I think she sold her first book before she was even 16 years old. I'm interested to see how her writing develops over the next few years.
Anyway, I found out about Not Otherwise Specified through the Barnes & Noble Teen blog because I was researching recent LGBT YA novels, and this one was listed as one of the hottest releases of 2015. I read the synopsis and literally bolted to the library and checked it out the same day. It's about a former anorexic bisexual ballet dancer. Hello! Clearly I had to get my hands on this one immediately.
The most compelling thing about this book is the voice of the main character, Etta. One reviewer talked about Moskowitz's trademark stream-of-consciousness style, and after I read that, I was like, oh yeah, I guess it is kind of written that way. I also think this got more intense as the book went on. So you are really all up in Etta's head, and she is funny and sassy and all the things I like about a character. She is African American and Moskowitz is white, which I have some feelings about, but the only time I really objected was in the section where Etta is talking to someone about the difference (and similarities) of being gay and being African American and I'm thinking, you don't really have the right to weigh in on this . . . but then that's me conflating the author and the character, but in this situation, the identity of the author does matter if she is trying to write from the perspective of someone of another race. Anyway, it's tricky. I remember having this debate in one of my African-American lit classes at State; one student, a white fiction writer was arguing that he should have the right to write from the perspective of characters of other races, and other members of the class had a lot of feelings about that, myself included. But I also wouldn't make the argument that all writers are confined to only writing from the perspective of characters of their own race, because that just feels too limiting. That said, I don't have a problem if a non-white writer wants to have a white protagonist , but I definitely have some feelings about it when a white writer tries to write from the perspective of a person of color. I just think it's really complicated. And Moskowitz is really young. Not that that should matter either, but knowing that both made me give her a pass and made me almost dismiss her at the same time. I don't like either of those reactions, but I'm just being honest here.
Anyway, the book was a fun read overall, despite my race consternation. I would like to read more of her books, especially since she seems to often feature LGBT characters, and experiment with different protagonists and voices. She is clearly a writer with prodigious talent -- I think she sold her first book before she was even 16 years old. I'm interested to see how her writing develops over the next few years.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
A Visitation of Spirits
This is the second time I've read this novel, but it feels like the first, because the first time I read it was during my first year of grad school and I was dumb enough to take 5 courses, so I was reading 5 or 6 books a week and barely retaining anything of any of them. Therefore, it was wonderful to be able to just read this novel, to fully absorb its haunting and chilling beauty, and now I even get to teach it to my literature class on Tuesday night. Visitation is the story of the suicide of 16-year-old Horace Cross, told in a magical realism, Southern gothic style where demons and talking bison appear as characters in Horace's Dickensian journey through his life and everything that led to his tragic end. Part of the novel is narrated by Horace's cousin Jimmy, a pastor who blames himself for not being able to save Horace. This novel serves as a warning for anyone tempted to judge, or bully, or convert, or condemn young queer kids, especially in a place like the rural South, specifically Eastern North Carolina in this novel, where it will already be painfully obvious to them that they don't fit in. Kenan shows his readers that when you are a teenager, your town and your family and your immediate community are your whole world, and if that world rejects you, there is no reason to believe that there is any world out there that won't. It is about the abject loneliness and despair of being in that situation, and how simple and seductive a "solution" like suicide can seem. I am so glad I assigned this book, and while I can't imagine that many high school English classes have adopted it into their curricula, I sure wish they would. Because though this book was published in 1989, in this age of cyberbullying, I would think that the themes presented here are more relevant and urgent than ever.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
I'm not gonna lie -- I am far from qualified to give this book a proper review. So I'm not even gonna try. Except to say that everyone should read this book, and coming from me, who generally only reads YA and romance, that's saying a lot. First of all, I feel very accomplished having finished this novel. It took me about three months, and I barely read anything else in between to be sure that I actually finished it. It was worth it. I am usually a person who thrives on plot, but this one was a study in how to write a novel in many different voices. There was certainly a plot, that got more interesting as the novel progressed, but the main reason to read this book is because James has a gift for getting into the heads of a whole chorus of characters and making them so distinct that he was able to stop titling the chapters after the characters who were speaking in the last section, and I was able to figure out who each voice was (this is saying a lot because I am not very smart, especially when it comes to character identification). There was a LOT in this novel that went over my head for various reasons, but it was still compelling throughout and not only do I feel proud of myself for finishing such a complex and difficult novel, but I really enjoyed it. I wonder how long it's going to take me to stop thinking in Jamaican curse words now.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
The Beast Side: Living and Dying While Black in America by D. Watkins
I finally read an an entire book! And it wasn't even something written for children! I'm quite proud of myself. Here is the review I posted on Goodreads:
This book should be required reading for every single person in America. It is a stark portrait of what it is like to be a Black man living in a country determined to kill him. The next time I teach writing in men's prison, I would like to assign both this book and Between the World and Me if I thought I could get away with it. The end of the book gets a bit repetitive because several essays are placed back-to-back about the same topic (the murder of Freddie Gray), and all of the essays were previously published in different media outlets, so they all open with the context of Gray's murder. That said, I really don't think we can read about these situations enough. I do hope that Watkins writes a book though that is written as a book instead of a collection of previously-published essays (I'm not saying the latter is a bad thing -- I would just like to see the former from this author). I know he has a new book either out or forthcoming, so maybe that is the case with his latest. Either way, I look forward to reading more from this author, and even more so to assigning his writings to my students.
This book should be required reading for every single person in America. It is a stark portrait of what it is like to be a Black man living in a country determined to kill him. The next time I teach writing in men's prison, I would like to assign both this book and Between the World and Me if I thought I could get away with it. The end of the book gets a bit repetitive because several essays are placed back-to-back about the same topic (the murder of Freddie Gray), and all of the essays were previously published in different media outlets, so they all open with the context of Gray's murder. That said, I really don't think we can read about these situations enough. I do hope that Watkins writes a book though that is written as a book instead of a collection of previously-published essays (I'm not saying the latter is a bad thing -- I would just like to see the former from this author). I know he has a new book either out or forthcoming, so maybe that is the case with his latest. Either way, I look forward to reading more from this author, and even more so to assigning his writings to my students.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Epic Reading Slump
Yup, that's what's going on right now. That's why I haven't been posting in here at all -- because I have nothing to post about. These are the periods in life where I think, "Wow, maybe I just really don't like to read anymore?" But I suppose if that were the case, it wouldn't bother me so much. And it does. A LOT. Hence why I am wasting time at work writing this post and googling things like, "how to get out of a reading slump." Which is the topic of this post. I am going to compile, mostly for myself, some of the best advice I've gotten from around the web. Oh, and how bad is this slump, you ask? I don't think I've read a book, or even a substantial segment of any book, in about 3 months. I should also comment on the fact that for me, reading slumps and writing slumps always go together, and they also always correspond with massive depression, misery, and just generally hating life. All of these things have been going on for various reasons since January. But I digress. Here is the advice I've found. Maybe if I can get back into reading I can also get back into writing, and maybe at least I can find a small amount of enjoyment in life from those things again. One can dream anyway.
These tips are from the blog Lauren Reads YA (http://laurenreadsya.tumblr.com/post/21211897149/how-to-get-out-of-a-reading-slump):
1. Start reading a book you know you'll love.
For me that includes YA from the 80's and 90's, romance novels, and anything YA but especially non-fantasy YA if I am in a really bad slump because I can't deal with the complicated plot lines of sci-fi and fantasy when I am like this. Also Stephen King. And anything about eating disorders, gymnastics, ballet, or crazy girls, fiction or non-fiction. Also addiction.
2. Read the synopsis, or positive reviews of a book you are already reading.
I tried this with The Witches of East End. I started this book so long ago that I have no idea what's going on, and I refuse to start at the beginning, because if I did that, I would never finish a book ever. And by "tried this" I mean I pulled up the synopsis on my phone and then didn't read it. So maybe I should actually read it. The synopsis, that is.
3. Just ride it out.
Basically what I've been doing.
4. Make time to read, and make it comfortable.
I like this idea of blocking out time, putting on music, lighting candles, etc., but that seems too overwhelming. Or maybe the idea of doing this for a whole evening seems overwhelming. Maybe if I set aside like 30 minutes for this I could actually follow through. I know I'd enjoy it, but that applies to a lot of things in life that I am currently not doing.
5. Do something other than reading.
For me, that is my current NCAA gymnastics obsession, which I have no desire to give up because it is pretty much my only source of enjoyment in life right now.
6. Re-read one of your favorite books.
This could definitely work. Re-reading Twilight has gotten me out of many a reading slump. It is currently on loan, but I might pick that up (for the fifth time) when I get it back.
7. Focus on writing reviews.
Clearly that hasn't been working for me. I rely on that more to keep me reading once I get started, but the thought that not only do I have to read but also write about it seems more paralyzing than helpful right now.
8. Step out of your comfort zone.
This could work. The last book I finished (I think) was Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory which was WAY out of my comfort zone. Then again, I definitely wasn't in a slump when I started (or continued, as I'd started it like years ago -- see #2).
9. Maybe listen to an audiobook while you're doing other things.
Check. Currently listening to The Martian while commuting to and from work on Tuesday nights.
10. Read books other people say are fast-paced.
I just checked out Tana French's Into the Woods so that might do the trick. I also have plenty of books by James Patterson, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Dan Brown, Dean Koontz, Stephen King . . . lots of options there.
11. Get inspired.
Yes, watching BookTube definitely inspires me, so I need to check out some of those videos again.
12. Read a shorter book.
That has also helped in the past -- my go-to are 80's/90's YA novels -- they are super short and easy. Sometimes I even go middle-grade if I am in a particularly tricky place (like now).
13. Find a reading buddy.
Nah. That would involve having friends. Though I have started messaging with one of my lifelong friends again in Facebook and she is a big reader -- we have swapped books our whole lives and she has gotten me out of many reading slumps, so maybe that isn't such a bad idea. My mom is also good for this; even though our reading tastes are very different, it is fun to talk to her about what she's reading, even though I usually have nothing to contribute to the conversation, so we just switch to talking about TV. I am never ever in a TV slump. I'm pretty sure that isn't a thing.
14. Set yourself a (daily) goal and stick to it.
Not gonna happen.
15. Visit a bookstore or library.
I tried that. It just made me sad and overwhelmed.
16. Re-organize your books.
Again -- more overwhelming than helpful.
Other tips not covered in this list:
From Bookriot (http://bookriot.com/2014/09/24/5-tips-getting-long-term-reading-slump/)
See if one of your favorite authors has a new book out.
I keep obsessively checking Julie Cross's website to see if the next Letters to Nowhere book is out yet . . .
Consider going digital.
It's true that I did blow through most of the above mentioned series on my iPad. But then I get into the overwhelmed what-to-read-next trap. But I could select a book from #1 above -- I have plenty of book lists that match that criteria, so that is a thought.
And here's one last tip from Bookish (https://www.bookish.com/articles/how-to-break-out-of-a-reading-slump/):
Watch Netflix.
Clearly this is my favorite, but oddly enough it does work sometimes. What they suggest is watching movies or TV shows either based on books, or about reading (like The Jane Austen Book Club which I am now planning to check out from the library -- oh the irony lol). This also reminds me that maybe I need to listen to My Reading Life by Pat Conroy again, and/or On Writing by Stephen King because both of those books really inspire me to read.
Okay, well now I have wasted over an hour of my work day both on these Google searches and on this post, so I suppose I should go attempt to do my job. I know I'm not going to read today -- I have a 14-hour work day. And I'm not sure why I can't justify reading at work, when I seem to have no problem justifying writing this post, but whatever. Very little about me or my life makes sense these days.
These tips are from the blog Lauren Reads YA (http://laurenreadsya.tumblr.com/post/21211897149/how-to-get-out-of-a-reading-slump):
1. Start reading a book you know you'll love.
For me that includes YA from the 80's and 90's, romance novels, and anything YA but especially non-fantasy YA if I am in a really bad slump because I can't deal with the complicated plot lines of sci-fi and fantasy when I am like this. Also Stephen King. And anything about eating disorders, gymnastics, ballet, or crazy girls, fiction or non-fiction. Also addiction.
2. Read the synopsis, or positive reviews of a book you are already reading.
I tried this with The Witches of East End. I started this book so long ago that I have no idea what's going on, and I refuse to start at the beginning, because if I did that, I would never finish a book ever. And by "tried this" I mean I pulled up the synopsis on my phone and then didn't read it. So maybe I should actually read it. The synopsis, that is.
3. Just ride it out.
Basically what I've been doing.
4. Make time to read, and make it comfortable.
I like this idea of blocking out time, putting on music, lighting candles, etc., but that seems too overwhelming. Or maybe the idea of doing this for a whole evening seems overwhelming. Maybe if I set aside like 30 minutes for this I could actually follow through. I know I'd enjoy it, but that applies to a lot of things in life that I am currently not doing.
5. Do something other than reading.
For me, that is my current NCAA gymnastics obsession, which I have no desire to give up because it is pretty much my only source of enjoyment in life right now.
6. Re-read one of your favorite books.
This could definitely work. Re-reading Twilight has gotten me out of many a reading slump. It is currently on loan, but I might pick that up (for the fifth time) when I get it back.
7. Focus on writing reviews.
Clearly that hasn't been working for me. I rely on that more to keep me reading once I get started, but the thought that not only do I have to read but also write about it seems more paralyzing than helpful right now.
8. Step out of your comfort zone.
This could work. The last book I finished (I think) was Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory which was WAY out of my comfort zone. Then again, I definitely wasn't in a slump when I started (or continued, as I'd started it like years ago -- see #2).
9. Maybe listen to an audiobook while you're doing other things.
Check. Currently listening to The Martian while commuting to and from work on Tuesday nights.
10. Read books other people say are fast-paced.
I just checked out Tana French's Into the Woods so that might do the trick. I also have plenty of books by James Patterson, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Dan Brown, Dean Koontz, Stephen King . . . lots of options there.
11. Get inspired.
Yes, watching BookTube definitely inspires me, so I need to check out some of those videos again.
12. Read a shorter book.
That has also helped in the past -- my go-to are 80's/90's YA novels -- they are super short and easy. Sometimes I even go middle-grade if I am in a particularly tricky place (like now).
13. Find a reading buddy.
Nah. That would involve having friends. Though I have started messaging with one of my lifelong friends again in Facebook and she is a big reader -- we have swapped books our whole lives and she has gotten me out of many reading slumps, so maybe that isn't such a bad idea. My mom is also good for this; even though our reading tastes are very different, it is fun to talk to her about what she's reading, even though I usually have nothing to contribute to the conversation, so we just switch to talking about TV. I am never ever in a TV slump. I'm pretty sure that isn't a thing.
14. Set yourself a (daily) goal and stick to it.
Not gonna happen.
15. Visit a bookstore or library.
I tried that. It just made me sad and overwhelmed.
16. Re-organize your books.
Again -- more overwhelming than helpful.
Other tips not covered in this list:
From Bookriot (http://bookriot.com/2014/09/24/5-tips-getting-long-term-reading-slump/)
See if one of your favorite authors has a new book out.
I keep obsessively checking Julie Cross's website to see if the next Letters to Nowhere book is out yet . . .
Consider going digital.
It's true that I did blow through most of the above mentioned series on my iPad. But then I get into the overwhelmed what-to-read-next trap. But I could select a book from #1 above -- I have plenty of book lists that match that criteria, so that is a thought.
And here's one last tip from Bookish (https://www.bookish.com/articles/how-to-break-out-of-a-reading-slump/):
Watch Netflix.
Clearly this is my favorite, but oddly enough it does work sometimes. What they suggest is watching movies or TV shows either based on books, or about reading (like The Jane Austen Book Club which I am now planning to check out from the library -- oh the irony lol). This also reminds me that maybe I need to listen to My Reading Life by Pat Conroy again, and/or On Writing by Stephen King because both of those books really inspire me to read.
Okay, well now I have wasted over an hour of my work day both on these Google searches and on this post, so I suppose I should go attempt to do my job. I know I'm not going to read today -- I have a 14-hour work day. And I'm not sure why I can't justify reading at work, when I seem to have no problem justifying writing this post, but whatever. Very little about me or my life makes sense these days.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)