While at a plantation….

During my vacation, I visited a few plantations. Three, in fact. The plantations were beautiful and they exuded their history…completely with slave quarters. 

It inspired me to read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. I have always been fascinated with reading the novels that delved into the lives of slaves. Especially when they are written by a slave and they are as authentic as this. 

I always root for the slaves of course and I cry or cheer for them depending on what is happening in their lives. I am frequently enraged with the “masters” and find them quite despicable because I am so drawn into the characters. This story was exactly that. It is an autobiography and Harriet Jacobs is an extremely sympathetic character. 
As a matter of fact, all the characters draw you in one way or another and it was rich in plot. It highlighted a devestating story of the sacrifices a mother must make but especially a mother who is also a slave. Though you can sympathize with the character, thankfully we are not so unfortunate that we can ever empathize. 

I am always most enthralled with the slaves that were literate and consequently with the masters who were not so threatened or heartless to teach them. The complicated dynamics wherein a young white child is the master of a black child in the same age range as themselves but also simultaneously build the closest of relationships that rival the relationship with their own siblings have tugged at my heartstrings. 

It wasn’t the best of all the books I have read in the same genre but it was right up there. I would give it at least

  .

Some may say, that visiting plantations may have influenced my opinion of this book and they may be right. I was in the right place to really get into this story and envision the characters working the land while I toured. Perhaps  because of timing,  I would even dare to put this book right up there with the likes of Book of Negros and Cane River (which happen to be my two favorites). I don’t think there will be a dispute on that one. 

What do I do with myself now J.K Rowling?

You will be happy to know that I FINALLY finished the Harry Potter series. Now I am all about the memes, the jokes, the references and my new obsession with going to Universal Studios! I finished the Deathly Hallows on Sunday and I haven’t been able to pick up a book since. 

LONGEST BOOK HANGOVER EVER! Thanks J.K! 

But now what? What am I supposed to do exactly? How do I go on? What is left for me now? I am Hermione in a world without a library right now and nobody seems to understand the severity of my situation.  I do sound slightly compulsive, I realize, but you have to understand; this fantasy stuff was never my bag. I admit,  I was part of the Oprah’s book club  and other mainstream reads while I waited for my favourite authors {Maeve Binchy and the Margarets} to release another. But now….NOW! I’m hooked and ever since Sunday I have been trying to get my fix by visiting Pottermore {Slytherin…} looking up each character, imagining a movie with the new generation, and researching support groups in my area for HP Infatuations. 
I had my favourites for sure. The Philosopher’s Stone was what hooked me but I have to say The Order of the Pheonix, The Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows were my all my time faves! I was so immersed in the world that all I wanted to do was read. I contemplated taking a leave of absence just to give the series the time it deserved. 

Like Star Wars fans that have to analyze the proper way of watching the movies,  my hubby and I decided the best course of action was to read the book, then watch the corresponding movie. That usually left me angry with the producers and running to my Kobo to make things right again. I still have the last two movies to watch because someone {the man I love dearly who reads entirely too slow for my liking} is still reading the 7th book…..though he is reading them for the second time so I don’t think it should count. 

Yes, you are going to find holes in the plots, and the characters to be adorably inconsistent but you aren’t going to care. Because it is fucking magical dammit. 
So, I think you get a sense of how I feel about this series but in case I was blurry, here is the rating!

…ooh sorry did I get carried away? 7 Stars, 7 books….coincidence? I should think not!

Fates and Furies – Frustrating and Forgettable

While I was cruising, I read a couple of books. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff was one of them. It is about a young couple and reads in a way  that both people give their perspective of how their marriage went and the background of who they really were before they got together….and essentially who they still were deep down.

The characters weren’t one dimensional BUT they were irritating. It wasn’t just the two characters in the marriage (Mathilde and Lotto) but most of the supporting characters as well. 
Though I got into the story, I couldn’t sympethize with the characters. Even when they went through awful times,  I really didn’t feel like the protagonists were pulling me in. Most had very loathesome characteristics and the others had NO personalities. Oh and then there are some serious emotional issues that border on sociopathic. But still….not riveting.

So while I read it, I was frustrated and then when I got back I forgot I had read it at all. Sorry Lauren, but girl this wasn’t my thing. I give it . 

I will review the other book I read while on vacation, next week. Incidents in the Life of a Slave by Harriet Jacobs will yield a much better review. You may ask why I didn’t start with that one but that is the order in which I read them….and hey for awhile there I had forgotten I read it at all!!

Today is brought to you by the word RELATABLE

I decided to take a break from Hogwarts to read The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan. I read this book…today… in one sitting {taking a break to roll meatballs for dinner}. 

The introduction, written by Anne Fadiman, a former writing  professor of Marina’s at Yale; was a story in itself. It really provided a necessary background that rendered some elements of the stories bittersweet. 

Marina’s characters were all very relatable. Whether it is because you see you yourself in their thinking, have the same afflictions or appreciate their point. I can’t even pick my favorite of the stories. These characters are damn relatable and so are their relationships. The relationship between mother and daughter is highlighted in more than one story.  I also enjoyed that some of the non-fiction essays read more like the fictional stories. 
I did get confused because some characters’ names were repeated in other stories but without back story, you aren’t sure whether it is the same character at another point in time or that the author recycled the name. I was able to get past that foible easily enough and appreciate the timeframe/relationship/character development. This aspect is so strong that you are able to fill their backstories using your own feelings. 

She wrote from the viewpoint of a university aged student and it brought me back to those times, the insecurities of that age, the confidently unsure mindset and the relationships I had. Now as a mother, I can commiserate with both the mother and daughter. See….relatable! 

 It would actually be simpler to say what stories I didn’t enjoy rather than the ones I fully enjoyed or at least appreciated. “Challenger Deep” was probably my least favorite. 

I am quite sad that we won’t have a chance to spend more time with Marina and her complex characters as she died in a car accident after graduation from Yale. It makes some of her stories even more tragic…you will know exactly which parts when you read the book. I don’t want to give it away so that you can experience that feeling in your stomach the same way as I did. They are tiny moments {but you will recognize them right away} and they pack a punch.

 I totally recommend this book {not just to college aged girls but definitely so} and give it   ! 

And now I screw up my first book review

Hey Everyone,

Here is my first book review. Kind of. I titled this blog post in such a way as to lower your expectations.

First off, I have been reading Harry Potter (1-3), {which I will review as a series later on rather than individually} then I took a break to read Hidden Figures.

I can’t even decide what star rating I should give it! I shamefully couldn’t get through it! I got as far as page 70 before I saw the movie. I know, I know…I base the whole one star rating on not being a quitter. I am not quitting…but I am putting this book…. on hold??? I mean I had to start Memoirs of a Geisha twice before I loved it on the third round.

My steadfast rule is to never see the movie before reading the book. I wanted to love the book from Margot lee Shetterly. I really did. I set out with very high expectations. There was a lot of hype around this book and movie.

Not this time meme….not this time. {It pains me deeply to say this! To even think it tears me apart}.

It was a bit like reading a text book from a correspondence course but I tried to keep plugging through. I found it hard to settle in and be invested in these dynamic ladies who were pioneers of the era and who’s craniums were worldwide contributors to the making of history. I even felt all the racial  injustices of the era in all the right places. But alas, that wasn’t enough to get me past page 70.

The book didn’t allow me to be engrossed in the characters or get invested in what would come in the story.  I couldn’t get behind any of them without confusion as the character development just wasn’t there. I found this to be strange since, it is a character driven book. The beginning is where you have to hook us.

The movie however was amazing! I mean girl power right through the glass ceiling kind of story. I am not here to review movies though. I could…you’re not the boss of me….but no I will stick to books. {After this one}.

I will rate this book  FOR NOW.  I am hoping that I can pick this up again and love it…but maybe Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is just too hard an act to follow?!

 

 

 

 

Introduction to book hoarding.

Hello fellow bibliophiles,

I just wanted to acquaint you with the way I will be framing my book reviews.

As a kid, I was frequently being threatened with charges of loitering at my favorite book store. I called it hanging in heaven…but there was some definite disagreement. Apparently you can’t read the entire book while snuggled in the bottom shelf. Suffice it to say, I am a pretty avid bibliophile/book hoarder/book nerd/book lover/reader… whatever term you identify with.

I love the security blanket of carrying a book everywhere. Well actually, 350 books….thanks Kobo!

As a bibliophile, I totally mistrust the current star rating guide used on common reading or book store sites. Because their 5 stars says I really loved it profusely and though I may have enjoyed it….maybe five stars is just a bit too serious of a commitment. I really enjoy a plethora of books because I am a discerning bibliophile that appreciates the writers and what they are trying to convey. But this is the real world and not everyone gets a trophy!

Though I don’t have a book review posted yet, I felt we should all first get on the same page on the star system and the rating they will represent. I also pledge to live by the NO SPOILERS rule! I will talk about the engagement factor, flow and the character development in the typical format while not disclosing more than the book jacket in terms of plot.

Ah now let’s get down to my distinctive rating guide:

 : I finished this book only because I am not a quitter.

 : This book had its quirks and foibles and was dry as a textbook but I got through it.

 : I liked this book. It took zero effort to get through it.

 : This book was pretty damn good. I enjoyed it profusely!

 : I force this book on unsuspecting people every chance I get!

We will soon see if you share my tastes in literature and you will be encouraged to rate them as well in the comments. We may have to agree to disagree 😉