Book Thoughts - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
published 1970
291 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local "powhitetrash." At eight years old and back at her mother's side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man any times her age-and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns about love for herself, and the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors ("I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare") will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

My thoughts -

I have to admit that I'm not QUITE done reading this.....but Diversiverse ends tonight, and I really want to get this in before it's over, and I'll finish it before I go to bed, so......

And then, of course, there is the finding of the right words to say to describe this book. It has been a hard read, not because of it's execution but because of it's content. It makes my heart ache to think of the things that happened to this little girl - of the things that are happening today to little girls around the world. Angelou writes these events with honestly, but never gratuitously - she's not writing tragedy porn, but rather a record of the events that led to her becoming the person she finally was. It's hard reading, but so worthwhile.

Her writing is beautiful, generous, funny, and smart. She paints pictures with her words, and that leads to the difficulty in reading at times - I can see what she sees, feel what she feels, and it's often painful. But ultimately, it doesn't feel hopeless, and that's why I can keep reading.

I don't know how the story ends, but I know I will keep reading to the end. This is a powerful book. I can understand why parents would be concerned about their high school aged kids reading this, but I think it could potentially foster so many wonderful conversations that it would probably be worth it. I'm glad I finally took the chance and plunged in. I know this is a book I will not soon forget.

Finished - 9/27/14 (I AM gonna finish this tonight!
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - definitely R, for lots of places
My rating -     (TBD)


I read this book for

#Diversiverse (it's over today, so go and look at the amazing number of books I haven't read yet, but.....

And Banned Books Week, because I'm a rebel! 

Book Thoughts - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
published 2010
427 pages

Synopsis -

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.

My thoughts -

My first book for Diversiverse this year, and it was a great one. 

I should start by saying that I am predisposed to enjoy fantasy. I've seen several reviews of this novel that explore various problems readers have with the story, and while in retrospect I understand and can even agree with many of the problems - the weird, somewhat uncomfortable relationships; the abrupt transitions in time and place; the "telling" rather than "showing"; and even some issues with Yeine herself. But I have to tell you, as I was reading the novel, I was completely swept away. 

Something about fantasy just allows me to roll with elements that would normally by problematic for me. Something about fantasy lets me open up my mind in a way that completely immerses in the story - I can allow for things that don't make sense, really, because the rules of the world are already different. If the story is engaging, the critical parts of my brain just shut off, and I read for pure enjoyment. I think that's why fantasy is almost always what I choose for a "guilty pleasure" read - because I can so fully escape into this type of novel.

So after saying all that, I have to admit I loved the reading of this novel. I did not find anything in the story itself that was extremely groundbreaking, but Jemisin uses traditional fantasy tropes very well. It is quite refreshing to read a heroine in a fantasy novel that is not clearly designed to be European, and I would enjoy exploring more of Yeine's background in future novels. And I am generally a sucker for a good antihero, and Nahadoth is that in some really interesting ways. 

Sooooo.....not a particularly insightful review (but then, let's be honest - I don't have time to write those much anymore. I'm just happy to be reading!) But boy, did I enjoy reading this novel, and I will definitely read more by this talented author.


Finished - 9/19/14
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - R for fantasy violence & adult situations
My rating - 4/5


If you are interested in reading more reviews of books read for Diversiverse 2014, make sure to check them out here!!

A More Diverse Universe 2014

If I am being completely honest, one of the reasons I am creeping back into the blogging world is because I knew I REAAAALLLY wanted to participate in A More Diverse Universe 2014 this year. So it's time to sign up!

What is this, you ask?

For those who have not heard about #Diversiverse before, it's a very simple challenge.  For those of you who have participated in the past, it's even easier this year.  The criteria are as follows:

• Read and review one book
• Written by a person of color
• During the last two weeks of September (September 14th - 27th) 

 Yep, that's it! ONE book. That's it. You might ask, why in the world is one book written by a person of color that important? Here's what Aarti, the originator of the challenge, has to say:

"I know your TBR list is huge.  I know your commitments are many.  I know that there are so many things on which you must take a stand, and it can be exhausting to make reading a political activity.  But this is so important to me, and I really think it should be important to you, too.  None of us lives in a monochromatic world, and yet the fact that terrifying hate crimes still occur makes it clear that we do not fully understand or trust each other.  And maybe part of the reason is because the media we consume does not accurately reflect the diversity of our society.  And books are such a massive part of the media we consume that we should demand and fight for those that do represent minorities and those that do present the world from a different perspective than the one we are used to.  So please - participate.  You may just discover a character or an author or a setting or a story that will completely change your life."

And she's right. The beauty of reading is that is can open up worlds for us that we would never have experienced - introduce us to perspectives that we would never know on our own. I think this is important, and I'm so excited to participate this year.

What am I going to read? Here are a few authors I'm considering -

N.K. Jemisin - The Hundred Thousand Kingoms

Nnedi Okorafor - Who Fears Death

Gita Mehta - Raj

Heidi Durrow - The Girl Who Fell From The Sky

Abraham Verghese - Cutting for Stone

Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Space Chronicles

Am I going to get through all of these in two weeks? Nope. But they are a great place to start. Join me! You can sign up here. Let's diversify our reading lists together!