Reported by Ambrea
I finished some new
books for my Read Harder Challenge, and I've completed more reading tasks:
- Read a biography (not memoir or autobiography)
- Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel
- Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction)
First up, I finished Florence
Foster Jenkins by Nicholas Martin and Jasper Rees, which inspired the
recently released movie of the same name. Florence Foster Jenkins was not
a traditional singer. At a young age, she was well known for her skill
with a piano and her love--and, more importantly, support--of music; however,
it wasn't until she was 76 years old that she undertook to become a concert
singer. She's best remembered for her concert at Carnegie Hall and her vinyl
recordings, which introduced the world to her rather...unique voice.
I enjoyed reading Florence
Foster Jenkins. Drawing from multiple resources, including Florence
and her common law husband, St. Clair Bayfield, Martin and Rees' book does
an incredible job of shedding light on Florence, her work, and her time.
It's intriguing without becoming dull, amusing without ridiculing its
rather unorthodox subject, and chock full of interesting historical facts about
Florence and the New York artistic scene of the early 20th century.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I highly recommend for any readers to take a
moment to listen to Madame Jenkins on YouTube to get a better idea of how her
singing voice sounded. You (probably) won't regret it.
Next, I completed Rook by
Sharon Cameron. The Sunken City--formerly Paris, the City of Lights--is a
place of danger, desperation, and despotism. Ruled by the corrupt Premier
Allemande and the bloodthirsty LeBlanc, the Sunken City is brimming with
discontent and revolution--and, at the heart of it all, is the mysterious Red
Rook who spirits people from their cells and wreaks havoc against the Premier's
puppet government.
A story packed with
action and adventure, political intrigue and danger, Rook has
quickly become one of my guilty pleasures. I know it falls under the
rather broad category of dystopian young adult fantasy (think Hunger
Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, Life as
We Knew It or even The Giver), but I really enjoyed Sharon
Cameron's novel. I enjoyed the characters, the unexpected twists and
turns, the ambiguous references to the past, the complicated political climate.
I wasn't a fan of the love triangle and, yes, I will admit that the story
seemed to drag in a few places; however, altogether, I really liked it and I
think it settles in nicely next to Cinder.
Last, I rounded out my
reading with God in Pink by Hasan Namir. Ramy is a young
Muslim man living in Iraq in 2003, right in the midst of a war and a cultural
revolution--and he also happens to be gay. Struggling with what he knows
his brother would term a "sexual deviancy," Ramy tries to balance his
feelings with his obligations to his family and his faith.
Truthfully, I struggled
with this novel, because I was not comfortable with all the depictions of
heinous violence and wanton savagery. I understand that mindless cruelty,
thoughtless barbarity is simply a fact; that it's not something you can ignore
if you live on the planet Earth. I know it exists, but it's still hard to
read about terrible things happening to other people.
I didn't hate this
novel; rather, the opposite. I thought God in Pink was a
magnificent book depicting life in war-torn Iraq for a gay Muslim man.
It's poignant and it's guaranteed to make an impact, but, at the same
time, it will tear out your heart. I recommend reading it with great
caution, like I would for Native Son by Richard White, Beloved by
Toni Morrison, or The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
Read it, but expect deep emotional turmoil.
Note: We'll have a Nevermore report next week. In the meantime, here's a photo of Malala, darling kitty of a Nevermore member. Malala likes to go outside with her owner in her very own stroller! She especially likes to watch the ducks.
Note: We'll have a Nevermore report next week. In the meantime, here's a photo of Malala, darling kitty of a Nevermore member. Malala likes to go outside with her owner in her very own stroller! She especially likes to watch the ducks.
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