This is a DENSE book, ya'll

If you're looking for a book that you can dip in and out of over the course of several days (or weeks if you're me) then I recommend you check out The Portable Nineteenth-Century African American Women Writers. Organized by theme, this book features many writers of different genres. There are poets, essayists, lecturers, novelists, ministers, and teachers to name just a few. The common theme (besides their gender and race) is that they are advocates for equality of the races and sexes. I found that this book was an excellent conversation starter especially if you want to talk about tough topics like economic and social equality coupled with the history of the Americas. It's also an excellent way to discover writers that you may have never heard of as many of them are quite niche. As you might surmise, the topics covered in this collection are quite deep and therefore as a whole it's an emotionally and mentally exhausting enterprise. It's well worth the effort though. It's astonishing to me just how many of these women I had never heard of but when they were originally writing their voices were strong, no-holds-barred, and topical (most are relevant even today). The truths spoken are hard to accept because the topics are still so ingrained and fresh in the memory of our country. It's another reminder that we should continually be expanding our minds and looking beyond what we already 'know'. Embrace learning about new things! 9/10 and only lost that point because by 1/2 way through I was having to hype myself up to pick it back up again.

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang

What I'm Currently Reading: Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart

**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. :-) **

A new perspective

Most would agree that Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species created a stir among the scientific and religious communities when it was first published (some could argue it's still wreaking havoc to this day). However, in America the hubbub was less about where God fit into the picture and more how Darwin's theory solidified the stance against slavery. The Book That Changed America: How Darwin's Theory of Evolution Ignited a Nation by Randall Fuller explores how this one book helped abolitionists build arguments based on scientific fact while at the same time forcing long-held rigid beliefs to be questioned. (I'm looking at you Bronson Alcott.) Until reading this book, I had never thought about its reception in America in terms of its historical context/proximity to the Civil War. These two events seemed to be separate while in reality they were very much interwoven. Leading authors of the day including Henry David Thoreau were well-known and vocal about ending slavery so they not only endorsed Darwin's theories but went on publicity tours to promote it (and give their own opinions). On the Origin of Species showed that all humans had a common ancestor and thus there was no reason why they should not be treated as equals. (The relevance of this book during this time of sociopolitical upheaval in America right now was not lost on me. It just goes to show that we haven't evolved that much since this book hit the shelves.) I was continually surprised by what I learned by reading this book considering that I studied Darwin while I was working on my Bachelor's degree in Anthropology. Instead of solely focusing on the religious impact (which was still significant) it would have been informative to have learned this as well. I suppose that's why Randall Fuller wrote the book! hahaha If you're like me and eager to learn more (especially in light of the insanity that is 2017) then this book is the one for you. 9/10

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: Comics Squad #3: Detention by Jennifer L. Holm (and others)

What I'm Currently Reading: The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories Volume One: Where on Earth by Ursula K. Le Guin

**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. :-) **

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. :-) **

Wherein I get crazy with parentheses (are you jealous?)

One of the reasons that this last book took me a hot minute was because I was reading it on my phone. The other reason was that it was a free Google book which meant the font was extra tiny. That being said, I've finished Twelve Years a Slave! I was expecting a book similar to Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and that's what I got. However, while that was a fiction based off of real events this was entirely a true account of one man's plight as a kidnapped slave. Nothing was held back and the scenes described were oftentimes graphic (in terms of violence not sexual assault although that was slightly hinted at) and heartbreaking. If you're interested in a true account of Slavery (it deserves the capitalization) and you're comfortable with the language of the time period then you'll enjoy (not sure if this is the right word choice but let's just go with it) this book.

How many of you guys know about NetGalley? Well, if you have then read on because I'm about to get all educational on you. Okay, those of you still reading presumably want to learn more about NetGalley. The purpose of the site is to publicize upcoming books by reading and reviewing them. I found out about it while I was still in library school but this will be my first time actually using the service. Basically, you request titles and if you're approved you download them and get to reading.

With that being said, my next book up for review is The Why of Things: Causality in Science, Medicine, and Life by Peter Rabins. The book is all about the causality of actions, i.e. why things happen. Reading the description of the book kinda makes my brain swell so I'm guessing I'm going to be a genius after reading it. The word of the day from the blurb: freakonomic which is apparently the melding of pop culture with economics. See? You're already smarter too!

Wish me luck, guys.

Yep I'm still here.

Life gets in the way once again and delayed me from finishing up my last book in a timely fashion. However, I've finished it now! Yippee!!!!

The Best Tales of Edgar Allen Poe is exactly what it sounds like. A collection of (what the author felt) was Poe's best works separated by categories. At the start of each new category there was a brief explanation as to what the following stories would entail as well as their significance in the timeline of Poe's life. I found that to be most informative as my interest lies not only with his works but with the man himself. Several of the stories were just what I thought they would be based off of the few I had already read in school. They were dark, macabre, chilling, and grotesque.  A few were downright gory (and I loved it!). What I found delightfully surprising was his use of humor to break up the terror of what he was writing about (in most cases death). Also, it turns out he was a great lover of nature and landscape gardening and the last section was devoted to that (my least favorite of the entire collection to be honest). If you want an all-encompassing view of his works then this is definitely the book for you.

Whenever I hear that a film is being adapted from a book I feel a burning desire to snatch up the book and read it. (I'm one of those people that look for inconsistencies in films and chuckle gleefully when I inevitably find them. Deal with it.) So when I found out that one of my favorite actors was going to be in a film called Twelve Years a Slave and that it was based off of a book I made it a priority on my reading list. Twelve Years a Slave is the true account of a black man named Solomon Northup who was born free, kidnapped, and sold into slavery for 12 years. The book came out right after Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and reinforced the reality that was slave labor on southern plantations at the time. I have no doubt that I'll find it a riveting (and eyeopening) read.

Well, I'll be danged

Thank goodness a riveting story is all it takes to get me back into the groove of reading.  I've finished The Ever-After Bird.  I strongly suggest that if you decide to read this book that you be aware of what you're getting yourself into as regards to subject matter.  If you're familiar with anything to do with slavery in the South you know that it's not a pleasant subject.  This book doesn't pussyfoot about what life for a slave was like on the plantations and the attitude of the majority of the people during this time to what they felt was nothing more than "handling property".  The book focuses particularly on a little girl and her growing understanding of what it really means to be a slave and why what her uncle does with the Underground Railroad is so important. The story line was fast paced and gripping.  I'm not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes by the end of the book and I wouldn't be surprised if you fare the same if you give this book a shot.

I guess I'm on a journey of tears because I'm reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne next.    The main character is a small boy named Bruno but this isn't a book for children.  In fact, I'm sure it will give me nightmares and I'm nearly 30.  I'll say this about it only: Holocaust.

Maybe I should watch some kitten videos before I attempt sleep tonight.

Sometimes you just have to throw in the towel...

It's important to remember that you're not always going to like everything that you read and that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself if this happens.

I've been trying my darndest to get through Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling because of the absolutely wonderful experience of the Harry Potter series.  However, her newest book was not AT ALL my cup of tea.  I made it about halfway through it and I just couldn't bear to read one more word.  There wasn't a single character that I could relate to and I didn't find any of them all that likable.  It's difficult to make it through a novel with a host of characters if you can't attach yourself to any single story line for the duration of the book.  Sooooo I gave up and decided it was best if I just moved on.

And move on I did!  One of my friends encouraged me to try a graphic novel interpretation of a book that I've adored ever since I was a child: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.  It was adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson.  I'm not a fan of graphic novels.  This is my third attempt and I would have to say it's been the most successful.  I breezed right through it mostly because I'm so familiar with the content of the narrative.  However, I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed.  A lot of the magic was lost in this adaptation and the writing was pretty abominable.  As I said, this was my third attempt at graphic novels and I believe it will be my last.

For Christmas/graduation, I received several books.  I've decided to barrel my way through these before I tackle my overflowing bookshelves.  Next on the agenda is The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi.  My good friend, and fellow librarian, has highly recommended this YA author who specializes in historical fiction.  This book is about a young girl who learns firsthand what it means to be an abolitionist on the Underground Railroad.  I can't wait to give it a read and give YOU the review!!

Happy reading everyone!!

PS To all of you who have stuck with me on this journey, I really appreciate it!! :-)