Beloved by Toni Morrison.

"A heart wrenching, story of violence, loss and death but told in such beautiful prose, Morrison's writing is transcendent. This book will stay with me forever."

5 Stars

Pros: This was so emotionally and mentally heavy, that sometimes I had to put it down and walk away. Like, take breaks and remember to breathe because Morrison doesn't pull any punches, nor should she. It's no surprise she won the Nobel Prize 👏. And yes, when a book hits me that hard, I consider it a Pro, not a Con. You want books that stay with you.

Cons: The part where Beloved, Sethe and Denver are all one and the same, those chapters were trippy and threw me for a bit.

Full Review

Almost told in reverse, we learn of Sethe, a former slave, who ran away to Ohio, to her Mother in Law, having sent her children ahead of her. They were free, at least for awhile but then something threatened that freedom. We learn that Sethe did something drastic then, to try and preserve what they had.

She's lived with it, shunned by others but she pays it no mind. She just goes to work, comes home and takes care of her daughter Denver. They try their best to simply live their lives and ignore the ghost that haunts the house. The reason why no one visits and why Howard and Buglar, Sethe's two oldest, ran off years ago.

But when one day, an unexpected face shows up on the porch, everything changes.

It's Paul D from Sweet Home.

That place calls up all sorts of memories for Sethe but the most prevalent is that of running. They all ran from Sweet Home when Mr. Garner passed unexpectedly and School Teacher took over. And they've all suffered their fair share after that fateful day but so many years have passed, Sethe realizes, it's good to see a familiar face again. Paul D stays awhile and eventually things almost feel normal. And that's when, of course, everything changes.

When walking home from a Carnival in town, they spy a young girl, sitting in high top shoes, waiting for them down a ways from 124. The appearance of the silent stranger unsettles Sethe on a primal level but she remembers her manners and invites the girl in. Her name is Beloved.

Truly beautiful, truly haunting, this is a book that has to be experienced to truly be appreciated.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

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