Oh, how I’m really loving these historical/memoir graphic novels. There’s something about violence, about protest, about resistance and war that makesOh, how I’m really loving these historical/memoir graphic novels. There’s something about violence, about protest, about resistance and war that makes this medium so much more - compassionate. So much is done with so few words. I truly think the graphic medium is a great way to get people who think history or even just reading is boring.
Anyway, March (in 3 volumes) is the story of John Lewis. In volume one, we are introduced to Lewis, who begins as a child preaching to his chickens. (Chicken farming, like most farming, is not for everyone.) He meets Martin Luther King Jr for the first time, when desegregation becomes law, and Lewis thinks he wants to go to Troy. When his family says they aren’t up to the battle, Lewis goes to Nashville instead.
All this is juxtaposed against Congressman Lewis getting ready for Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration.
I picked these up in light of the rest of the world asking why we don’t protest like they do, and also to just refresh my memory of the Civil Rights movement. Written for the YA and younger crowd, this was super accessible and chock full of facts and info. I really appreciated all the insight into what they went through to start the lunch counter sit-ins -
These were are all very carefully thought out and planned acts of non violent protest. They went through training before they started their sit ins, intense training in being verbally and physically assaulted and not turning to violence.
March Volume 1 covers the beginning of John Lewis’ life through the lunch counter sit ins and the development of SNCC. ...more
I was looking for an audiobook for a long drive, and I felt like this would be a good one. Was I ever right!
“Born a Crime” is the story of a mixed raI was looking for an audiobook for a long drive, and I felt like this would be a good one. Was I ever right!
“Born a Crime” is the story of a mixed race boy born in apartheid South Africa. It’s the story of family, of language, of racism, crime, poverty, culture, belonging, being an outsider, violence, and hope.
Central to the story are Trevor Noah (famous in the US for his stand up comedy and Daily Show hosting - famous in South Africa for being a DJ and big time American rapper), and his loving, rule breaking, strict mother. How do you raise a child that doesn’t belong anywhere, that is literally evidence of a crime? With a badass, straight shooting, loving Jesus big heart.
The audiobook is excellent not just because Noah speaks as if he is telling these stories to you and your friends in your living room, but because he gives life to the languages. The story of his Mactric dance illustrates just how complicated language can be, and how isolating not understanding must be.
Of course, 8 years after its publication, somehow the stories have even more weight. I truly appreciated the insight into apartheid, and life after it, and how a cycle of poverty and crime are so hard to break. The hustle requires constant hustling. It made me wonder if we could get more people to understand these cycles - to see people are real people - as Trevor and Tom and Hitler - could we finally begin to change the cycle?
Anyway, it’s an excellent story, full of wit and wisdom, encouraging everyone to step into someone else’s shoes, with an open heart and mind. Like his mother, calmly knowing the reality and making her own way through - never blaming anyone, just doing.
Highly, highly recommend not just for knowing more about Trevor Noah, but South Africa’s history as well. ...more
From 2003-2004 I was working on my thesis about history and memory in France regarding the French-Algerian War (1956-1962). So when I stumbled across From 2003-2004 I was working on my thesis about history and memory in France regarding the French-Algerian War (1956-1962). So when I stumbled across “Algeria is Beautiful like America”, I grabbed it immediately. It promised to be a bit of an Algerian “Persepolis” (another graphic novel I adore).
The author, Olivia, is French. Her family is what was known as the pied-noir, European settlers to Algeria in the 1800s. Her grandmother speaks with longing to go back to Algeria. Her mother has many memories growing up there. Yet no one wants to go back and visit. But Olivia does.
My main problems with the book have to do with the translations - why call the pied-noir “Black Foot”? Yes, that’s the word for word translation, but read anything else and they are known as the pied noir. Other things bothered me as well, to the point that I wanted to see if I could get a French copy - and then I remembered how I have let my language skills lapse.
The other thing the book did - which, it’s a memoir - was completely ignore the existence of the Harkis (Algerian Muslims who fought for France, and then were either slaughtered by the Algerians who fought for independence, or moved to France where despite being French citizens, they were treated as less than.) But. A colonial war and a subsequent civil war is a difficult topic to encompass in a graphic memoir.
Olivia realizes that the places her relatives talk about with wistful longing are very different than they imagine. (Ahhh, history/memory!) She wonders what her family did during the war. I would have appreciated a more thoughtful discussion of post-colonialism, but again, that’s not fair to this story.
I loved Djaffer, I appreciated Olivia’s openness to new perspectives, I was kind of fascinated by the Catholic retreat and the expat society. The illustrations are phenomenal. It may sound otherwise, but I didn’t want to put it down - I read it in one setting.
I highly recommend it, with the caveats in mind. ...more
I went back and have been doing a re-read before The Enigma Game, because who doesn't like to revisit the fabulous world of the Oh, JULIE. Oh, JAIME.
I went back and have been doing a re-read before The Enigma Game, because who doesn't like to revisit the fabulous world of the Beaufort-Stuarts?
I love this. I love seeing young Julie figure out how to make her way in the world of 1938, as a woman, as a landed gentry, as a friend of so many. Julie doesn't truly understand how the world works - everything is a bit of a game. Even the war itself is sort of a game, and she is busy being selfish thinking about what she is losing, not what everyone is losing. How horrible it is to love things you can't keep, Julie says, while Ellen teaches her the way of giving.
It's a lovely unpredictable mystery that kept me thinking. I love the introduction of the Travellers and how Julie doesn't understand prejudice or violence. I love them all. SO many modern day values and questions hidden in the trappings of 1938 United Kingdom.
I love the story of the river pearls, I love that you can't even buy them today. I love the gift of willow bark, Sandy, JAMIE, Ellen, Euan, Mary, Memere - and ROSE BUSHES.
Not necessary to read Code Name Verity or Rose Under Fire, but I think it's better after CNV since that was developed first. ...more
If the romance wasn’t in there, and the ending didn’t wrap up so quickly, it would have been a 5. Love me some H! Actually interested in seeing this aIf the romance wasn’t in there, and the ending didn’t wrap up so quickly, it would have been a 5. Love me some H! Actually interested in seeing this as a movie, as sacrilegious as that is. ...more
I didn't realize how much I wanted this book until I read it.
I have read every Karin Slaughter book, starting back with book #Please read this book.
I didn't realize how much I wanted this book until I read it.
I have read every Karin Slaughter book, starting back with book #4. And as much as I loved every book before this, I truly think this is her best writing to date.
Perhaps because it's not a series, the characters are forced to develop faster, but they retain depth and humanity and horror and realism. The story is played out over the first week in Kate Murphy's Atlanta PD career and nothing feels rushed or lost or forced.
I adored the interplay of Kate and Maggie and Gail and Wanda, the "colored girls" and the old boys club. I had no trouble imagining the setting, and for some one that hates historical fiction because of inaccuracies, I loved this one because it left no stone uncovered.
Sure, Nixon has just left office. There's a black mayor and a black police chief, and women are dealing with the enforcement of Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts. But people have a hard time with change, especially when it's forced upon them.
This book had so many levels - the difficulty with women supporting women (you never knew if they were going to last), how class affected world view (Kate vs. Maggie), marginalization of minorities, racism, homophobia, sexism, anti-immigration, Vietnam and WWII vets, neighborhoods that still prevented Jews from moving in and thought that Kennedy took directions from the Pope.
IT IS SO GOOD. It asks all the hard questions - people can be mean, and awful, but they can also be good - how is that possible? What happens when your world is split not along dichotomies, but what day it is? How each of us in the right situation has no idea what we would do, if we would pull the trigger, if we would have hidden people in our attic, if we just would have walked by.
There were some loose threads at the end, I noticed, and so I am desperately hoping that there will be another story in this time period - maybe not a sequel, but a companion.
Because the only thing that would have made this book better was a glimpse of Amanda Wagner.
Honestly, one of my favorites of the year. Great plot, great characters, excellent pacing. I picked it up to start reading again the minute I finished. ...more
so, the second books are even better because the stakes on the mysteries are even higher. plus, ROB. (yes, there are stars in my eyes.) he's the typicso, the second books are even better because the stakes on the mysteries are even higher. plus, ROB. (yes, there are stars in my eyes.) he's the typical bad boy, except he's not. he's protective without trying to change who jess is and what she does, but he still asks the hard questions and . . . i just love it.
safe house was really kind of creepy, with how close everything was. i liked the development of jess as "popular" and the spunk and sass, and DOUGLAS, are just awesome.
sanctuary was more high action blowing-things-up, but still had DOUGLAS and irritating great-aunt rose, and jess punching people and stupid karen anne haney. i loved the kid, i loved the baking, i loved rosemary on vacation. and chick! a total biker dude named chick. who knows people. i mean, it sounds so far fetched that you couldn't get on board, but i'm telling you, cabot is just that good.
every character has a flaw, every character has something that makes you care. plus there are actual comments on society and "moral of the story" moments, but you don't see them that way - you don't even really know they are there, which is another one of cabot's strengths as a writer.
though i have to admit, she doesn't make me want to visit southern indiana very much . . . ...more
dude. i LOVED this. fast paced with characters that are revealed slowly, and the plot twists and how things still keep moving and how you don't know .dude. i LOVED this. fast paced with characters that are revealed slowly, and the plot twists and how things still keep moving and how you don't know . . . you don't know until the end.
sorry. first off. TIME TRAVEL. i am normally not a fan of anything time travel related, but this is awesome. plus it digs into all the kind of issues that would come up if you could really, you know, go back in time.
second. FINN. the threesome. i just. i really liked the characters and was totally pulling for them.
third. alternating POVs that totally worked in this really awesome way.
fourth. the way that the POVs and tenses and non-linear story-telling TOTALLY WORKED TO EVERY ADVANTAGE.
oh, heck. just read it. please. you won't be disappointed. it's pretty freaking awesome. ...more
i loved the secondary characters (Thomas! Hailey! Jack!) and i really liked the setting. walden and hank,i really liked this. a little shockingly so.
i loved the secondary characters (Thomas! Hailey! Jack!) and i really liked the setting. walden and hank, the living historian, the way our brain works.
so much. really liked it.
i might even rank it higher when i read it again. oh, brains. ...more
i don't know where the recommendation for this came from, but i am quite glad that i picked this up. granted, this would normally be something that i i don't know where the recommendation for this came from, but i am quite glad that i picked this up. granted, this would normally be something that i would poo-poo at, but i am thrilled that i didn't really know the premise.
(love triangles - so over them.)
HOWEVER, i really felt like this wasn't a love triangle. i thought kiera cass did a wonderful job of setting up what a first love is like, and then what happens when you see the world beyond. besides, this is like a dystopian version of THE BACHELOR (something i have also never watched).
so props for keeping me entertained. for making me care about politics and niceness and meanness between girls. it felt realistic despite being such a structured and almost forced plot. i really had to run and download the next book, and am BUMMED the third book doesn't come out until may!!...more
oh this was beautiful. i loved the narrative, but also the sense of mystery and disjointedness . . . the name of the bird was a little obvious, but i oh this was beautiful. i loved the narrative, but also the sense of mystery and disjointedness . . . the name of the bird was a little obvious, but i felt for the characters. i loved them. i wanted to know where they were going and why and with you and i wanted to go with them.
it's been a while since i read something like this that has grabbed me - no supernatural elements, no romantic triangle, no forced whatever. it didn't feel forced, and yet it felt well crafted. it was smart and funny, heartbreaking and depressing. cullen's father, the weird connection between alma and the book of enoch.
i might bump this up to a five, but i need to reread it. which i will do as soon i can.
wow. i found this to be amazing. i only really knew of the Black Panther party in Oakland (my US history is a little weak, especially in the midwest) wow. i found this to be amazing. i only really knew of the Black Panther party in Oakland (my US history is a little weak, especially in the midwest) and i loved this look into chicago. i am eager to read the sequel.
it also makes me want to read more non-fiction about the time. fascinating.
the characters - oh, i cared about sam, and stick, and maxie . . . and the interaction with the known players of the time (dr. king, etc.)
perfect read for MLK day. hard to believe this was set in 1968, and 50 years later we elected an african-american president.