Pants: More than just a leg covering

The second book chosen for the feminist book club I belong to on Goodreads was The Color Purple by Alice Walker. This was the first time I had read this classic despite it being on my radar for a looooong time. (I haven't seen the film either...) I have quite a few thoughts about this novel. In fact, I ended up taking notes so that I could let the story sink in a little further before I wrote up my final review.This is a story of oppression in a variety of forms. The setting is rural Georgia (although we do jump to Africa for a portion). It's written in journal format primarily by the main character, Celie, a young black woman coming into her own in the early 1900's. There are a lot of themes in this book besides oppression. One of the biggest is sexual awakening and liberation (not just sexual). Also, pants. Pants play a major role and symbolize independence, comfort, and self-sufficiency to name but a few. This book is teeming with powerful women. The strength of women is shown in a variety of forms. There is Sofia who is physically strong but is torn down by the constraints of her race. However, she learns how to build herself back up and to be better than before. There is Mary Agnes who is originally called Squeak but finds her voice in more ways than one. There's Nettie who might be my favorite as she used her chance of happiness wisely. She stayed strong in her faith not only of God but her sister. Good can happen to good people. There's Shug who can be a difficult character to like. She does what (and who) that she wants and she doesn't apologize for it which is probably the point. Women are taught that we should apologize for doing the same things men do. It is through her that happiness (and pants) makes its way into Celie's life. Then there is our main character, Celie, who had the toughest time and experienced the most growth. Spoiler alert ahead! The character goes from a frightened, sexually abused child to a confident woman in a polyamorous relationship. The book has been adapted for film, stage, and radio. Its message is a timeless one. If you haven't had the opportunity (or the inclination) to read this classic I think there's no better time than the present. :-)

PS I told you I had a lot to say. XD

PPS This is the second book from the feminist book club on Goodreads called Our Shared Shelf started by Emma Watson.

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Books don't always end at the last page

The book in today's post was generously sent to me by Pegasus Books. There are some publishers that totally get the kind of books that I like and Pegasus is right at the top of the list. They sent me a copy of A Novel of the Lost Colony, Left in the Wind: The Roanoke Journal of Emme Merrimoth by Ed Gray which comes out on May 2nd of this year. It's a historical fiction book about the English that attempted to colonize Roanoke at the end of the 16th century...and were never heard from again. Gray took that concept and ran with it in a completely unique way. As the title suggests, it's the fictionalized journal of Emme who we know was one of the colonists who traveled to Roanoke. The preface explains that the governor who traveled over with the more than 100 individuals (including women and children) returned back to England for supplies, went back to Roanoke, and discovered that the colony was empty. There was no investigation. Gray created an entire backstory for 1. Why the governor really went back to England and 2. What actually happened to the colonists. I have to confess that this area of history is one which I am abysmally ignorant. However, the best works of historical fiction make the reader want to do their own research and if it's a really excellent book it will make you want to go out into the field to see it with your own eyes. I will warn that this book went in directions that I hadn't expected (there are scenes of a sexual nature is what I'm getting at here) but it fits with the characterization of Emme who is very sexually liberated for her time. It was fast paced, engaging, and had me wanting to know just what exactly happened to those people...maybe Gray had it spot on...guess we'll never know. If you're a history buff and/or you like an engrossing read (who doesn't?) then I highly recommend you go out and pick up Left in the Wind which comes out on May 2, 2016.

**If you're interested in buying books like this one while you wait for its release, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

When a book doesn't deliver OR how I felt about After Alice

After Alice was one of those books that had a lot of promise but just didn't quite deliver. I felt so on the fence about this book that I actually did something out of the ordinary...I read other people's reviews. The donsensus of those reviews was that there were a lot of storylines that were begun and then didn't really go anywhere. I have to agree. The premise was basically a look at the world that Lewis Carroll created in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland but from another perspective. The journey through Ada's eyes, however, was basically a rehashing of the original tale. We got tantalizing glimpses into the character of Ada (briefly mentioned as a school friend of Alice) who is stigmatized because of a disability but it never really goes anywhere. The story isn't just focused on her though. In the world of 1800s England, Lydia who is Alice's older sister is having her own difficulties. And then Charles Darwin shows up with a young man and the runaway slave that he's harboring. Did I mention that there are a lot of storylines that are not fully developed? I have to echo the wish of one reviewer that lamented that the issue of gender inequality and the culture of the time period wasn't a bigger theme. (That's a book I'd like to read so if you have any recommendations please comment below!) I'm really unsure of my lasting impression other than I wouldn't buy it and I'm not much inclined to reading anything else by this author. :-/

**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **