Friday, July 30, 2021
Review - The Vanishing Half
AUTHOR: Brit Bennett
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
REVIEW: This book was beautifully written, but when I turned the last page there was one emotion that stood out to me above the others - sadness. Although the story was very poignant and profound, it still saddened me how some of the characters wanted so badly to be someone else - so much so that they lied to their loved ones for many years and caused them unimaginable pain and suffering. To me, that’s just heartbreaking and tragic. Still, I would recommend this book to everyone, but with a word of caution...if you don’t like sad stories, then this might not be the one for you.
Thursday, July 8, 2021
Review - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
AUTHOR: J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): The eighth story, nineteen years later...
It was always difficult being Harry Potter, and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and a father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son, Albus, must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is the complete and official playscript of the original, award-winning West End production. This updated edition includes the final dialogue and stage directions, a conversation piece between director John Tiffany and playwright Jack Thorne, the Potter family tree, and a timeline of events in the wizarding world leading up to "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
REVIEW: First off, I was very surprised to see this story is actually written as a play. (Am I the only person who didn’t know this?) Reading it in a screenplay layout took some getting used to, but once I got past that, I quickly became engrossed in the story. I’ve been a huge Harry Potter fan for many years now, and this new addition didn’t disappoint. It begins where Deathly Hallows left off, nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts. I loved reading about Harry as a grown man with a family. I won’t give away any spoilers, but let’s just say that one of his three children has a tendency to find trouble wherever he goes, much like his dad did when he was younger. *wink* I would LOVE to see a movie adaptation of this book! If you're a fan of the Harry Potter series, then I encourage you to read The Cursed Child. You’ll be glad you did.
Monday, July 5, 2021
Little Free Library Construction Update
Shawn and I got up early this morning to put a final coat of paint on my Little Free Library. All we have left to do now is buy the glass for the door and put some shingles on the top. I hope we can finally get it in the ground next week.
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