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Diving into a complicated re-read

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by Nameless

February 28, 2021 by bonnie 3 Comments

It’s really hard to talk about Harry Potter without acknowledging the problematic things we know about the unnamed author now. Those of us who have committed ourselves to a lifetime pledge of eradicating bigotry are actively wrestling with whether or not we talk about a series that meant so much to us and was foundational, I would argue, in helping us make love and acceptance a core element of our moral values. My husband and I have decided to embark on a “Sacred Text” practice, […]

A charming Superman tale.

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

February 28, 2021 by bonnie Leave a Comment

I adore Gene Luen Yang. His graphic novels are always interesting and engaging, even those geared towards younger readers. When I saw Superman Smashes the Klan at my local bookstore, I had to take it home. Historical alternate fiction? Graphic novel? Superheroes? Gene Luen Yang? Yes. Roberta and Tommy have moved to Metropolis from Chinatown, because their scientist father has been hired to take on a new project. Tommy quickly makes new friends, but Roberta has difficulty adjusting to their new life, particularly the many […]

WHAT DID I JUST READ

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

February 6, 2021 by bonnie 4 Comments

THIS BOOK IS BONKERS. My husband had so much fun watching me read it, especially when a Part would come up that made me shout “Oh, no!” or give a start at something that had just unfolded. I texted my sister throughout with many exclamations or observations. I noted that this book reminded me a LOT of Jordan Peele’s movies or Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. I’m not a usual fan of horror, but this book compelled me from beginning to end. I’m not going to say […]

Fans of Middlemarch, rejoice!

By the Book by Amanda Sellet

February 6, 2021 by bonnie 1 Comment

This is a VERY niche book, made especially for young women who read classic novels and use big words they read in said novels. Spoiler alert: I was that teenager, and so fitting into that niche meant I greatly enjoyed myself. I realize that not everyone will have the same experience, so I will recommend this book with a few qualifiers. Mary Porter-Malcolm is your stereotypical Bookish Girl Who Reads 19th-century Novels. I’m not judging, because I *definitely* read those novels as a young teen […]

Does my plate really affect the planet?

We are the Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer

February 6, 2021 by bonnie 1 Comment

I read Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals years ago and found its arguments about reducing meat intake to be convincing. I decided to try an experiment and go vegetarian. I’ve not eaten meat since 2014, and it was the right decision *for me.* In We are the Weather, he expands the argument by noting how our turn to a plant-based diet can have greater ecological impact than electric cars or other climate-change initiatives. The book takes on several parts, some of it more logical in […]

Family is everything.

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

February 6, 2021 by bonnie Leave a Comment

I’m a huge fan of Thanhha Lai, so when I saw this book on clearance at my favorite indie bookstore, I was more than eager to snatch it up. The description intrigued me, so I am glad that the book lived up to my high expectations. Lai is a really talented writer, and here she embodies several characters and voices that could not be more completely different. Hằng is a young woman who has survived unspeakable horrors trying to get to the United States. At […]

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