Children of Men - Review

I usually like to read books before they are turned into films. I like to create the story world in my mind before I see someone else's interpretation of it. For instance, when I was reading this book, I couldn't help but see Clive Owen's face whenever Theo was narrating, or Julianne Moore's face when Theo is talking about his wife. It's possible those are the people I would have attached to these characters on my own, but I will never know that.

All of that is to say, my general rule is books before films, but every now and again I'll see a movie, a really impressive movie, and then find out it's a book. at which point I'm caught between the struggle of "Should I read it?" or "Should I not read it?" Something feels ruined in having seen the film first. The flow of the story feels interrupted because I already know what will happen (and for some reason I'm not as bothered by that when I read a book and then see its film). But, I loved Children of Men the movie, so I needed to read the book.

Children of Men reads more like a historical account than a piece of fiction. James covers all of her bases and has answers to questions you didn't even know you had making this story of a world in which humanity has lost its ability to reproduce seem not only plausible, but like a terrifying inevitability. I kept thinking about the rising rates of infertility in the real world and wondered how long it would take for the children of men world to become our world. I actually felt physically uncomfortable and anxious at some points while reading and contemplating all of this.

P.D. James seems to have created a genre all her own with this book. It transcends science fiction, and crosses into a realm of futuristic historical fiction. I'm thrilled I added this on as my bonus book.

The Singer: Irin Chronicles Book Two - Review

*SPOILER ALERT - If you have not read Irin Chronicles Book One, do not read this!!*

At the heart of the Irin Chronicles there is a beautiful love story. That fact is undeniable. But it's so much more than that, and I was reminded of this when I picked up The Singer. The time Hunter has taken to describe this rich world with such lush details is incredibly admirable. The story is spun in such a way that seems entirely plausible. I often made myself wondering if there might be whole worlds (possibly full of angels and half angels, etc.) hidden within our own, existing just beneath the surface. That is the power this story has.

The agony you experience as a reader waiting for Ava and Malachi to be reunited is a mere shadow of the misery those two feel in the other's absence. I often found myself wanting to literally insert myself into the book and tell them what was going on, to end their agony. I raced through the pages simultaneously absorbing every delicious detail and anxious for Ava and Malachi's inevitable reunion. It does not disappoint.

I am more than excited to see how Hunter will bring closure to this amazing series in The Secret. There are so many questions to be answered and so many mysteries to be solved. Luckily, we don't don't have to wait long. The Secret was originally scheduled to be released on March 31st, but Hunter surprised all of her readers earlier this week announcing an early release on March 19th, a whole twelve days before the original date. Owing to my fancy Advanced Release Copy, you can check out my review of The Secret here on my blog the day it comes out!

Silver Sparrow - Review

The second book from my Winter Reading List brought me back to the familiar world of fiction, but I have never read anything like it before, and I doubt I will at any point in the future. Silver Sparrow broke my heart in the best way possible. I sat there with the book in my lap turned to the last page feeling like I was going to cry, but also feeling like I understood something about myself that I hadn't before.

Dana Yarboro is the narrator for the better portion of the book. We learn early on that she is a "secret." Her father has a wife and a child who must never know about Dana and her mother, and thus begins Dana's life, which is orchestrated to accommodate that secrecy. She is not able to take a job where her father's other daughter does. She must wait to find out where that daughter will go to high school before she knows if she can attend her top choice. The narrative created the feeling that Dana lives her life on her sister's leftovers, and the air of Dana's illegitimacy is a storm cloud that never strays far from over her head.

The only difficulty I had with the book was when the narrator shifted and we began to hear the story from Chaurisse's (the "legitimate" daughter's) point of view. I had a really hard time warming up to her. She was likeable enough, but Dana's pain came first, and that pain was such a tangible thing; it was difficult to empathize with someone who had any part of that pain, though I held her father more responsible than anyone.

I wonder about Dana from time to time like she is a real person. Is she ok? Why would her father say that to her? No one should have to grow up like that, and on and on. This is a book that lingers in the corners of your mind long after you've put it down. If you are looking for that kind of book, you need to read Silver Sparrow.

(1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race - Review

I have been a bit ambitious with my book lists in the past, and had some trouble getting through them, so I was incredibly surprised when I completed my Winter Reading List with just under a month until the start of spring. Looking back on it, I shouldn't have been that surprised. Winter is the perfect breeding ground for hours of uninterrupted reading. Really, what could be more perfect than to be snuggled in a comfy chair with a quilt pulled over your lap, mug of tea at your side, while nose deep in an amazing book? And this winter's books were just that: amazing.

I started winter with Dr. Yaba Blay's (1)ne drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. I don't often have non fiction titles on my reading lists. Every once in a while I'll read a piece of non-fiction that blows me away, but I am a fiction girl at heart. However, I stumbled upon the amazing Dr. Yaba Blay in an article about the Pretty Period project, a visual tribute to brown skin, and visional testimony of Black beauty, and I knew I needed to read her book. I am so happy that I did.

Nuances of identity and colorism are handled masterfully in this book. Blay weaves a page turning synopsis of the history of color classification in America, followed by a personal account of her own identity story, and then she spends the bulk of the book with pages and pages of people sharing their experiences with race and ethnicity all over the world.

This book really made me think more deeply not only about the way I choose to identify my race and ethnicity, but also the assumptions I make about other people I see in passing, and how those assumptions inform who I think they are... the snap judgements they lead to. This is the kind of book that warrants a second and a third read, as it allows for continual discovery. I devoured this book like I would a fast-paced thriller, and found myself hoping there would be a second volume one day.