A detailed look at last week’s reading habits: three new books read, three re-reads, one DNF and three new books I want to read that humanize heavily politicized issues (immigration, addiction and abortion). I unpack some of the antiracism books I am currently reading (and working through) as well as an upcoming review of an advanced reader copy.
Updates
| Last Week’s Blog Updates | Last Week’s Goodreads Reviews |
|---|---|
| 📖 Weekly Wrap: August 3rd to August 9th 📖 What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali | 📚 The V Girl by Mya Robarts [DNF] |
Contents
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Weekly Review
What I’ve Read This Week
Key: 🔁 re-read| ❌ DNF | 📜 from my Up Next shelf
- A 5-Minute Life by Emma Scott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- In Harmony by Emma Scott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📜
- Sugar & Gold (Dreamcatcher, #2) by Emma Scott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🔁
- Until December (Until Her/Him, #8) by Aurora Rose Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🔁
- Wait For It by Mariana Zapata ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🔁
- The V Girl by Mya Robarts ❌ 📜
‘Up Next’ Reading Progress
This past week I’ve knocked off two books from my Up Next shelf (kinda): The V Girl and What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape. I also reviewed both this week… although I decided to consciously DNF The V Girl (my reasons are in my review).
I’m currently reading Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles, which has been on my list for a while. So far, I’m really enjoying it. Del’s narrative rings very true to a high school boy–Giles isn’t hyperbolic in Del’s characterization. Del is a boy who thinks and talks about sex but he doesn’t see girls as objects. I also love the subtext that is evident in many of Del’s interactions. Being a teenager is feeling a lot but not wanting to or not having the words to communicate them. However, I’ve only read 15%, so quite a bit can change in the coming chapters.
Want to Read Updates
You will like The Dragons, The Giants, The Women: A Memoir if you appreciate:
✨ Memoirs
✨ Mother-daugther themes
✨ Personal experiences of immigrating to the U.S. due to war in home countries
You will like Forever Right Now if you appreciate:
✨ Contemporary romance
✨ Single father Hero
✨ Slow-burn romance
✨ Personal second chances (the Heroine is a recovering drug addict)
You will like You’re the Only One I’ve Told: The Stories Behind Abortion if you appreciate:
✨ Intersectional feminism
✨ how stories can humanize political issues
✨ the unjust politicization of the policing of women’s bodies
Note: Releasing September 1st, 2020
The Upcoming Week
To Be Read
I’ve decided to be kinder to myself this week with the books I’m considering I “must” read. Therefore, in this weekly wrap, I’m only including the two that I’m “behind” on: How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (see here for the details) and Gluttony by Katie May (see here for the details).
I’ve also recently started Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad. I’m currently on Day 3: You and Tone Policing. The book is comprised of two parts: part one, and introduction to the author and the purpose of the book, and part two, a 28-day workbook, with a new topic each day. Each topic is discussed, so the reader understands what is meant, for example, by ‘tone policing’ and concludes with self-reflective questions.
Some reviews have mentioned ‘not everything is about race, Saad forgets about the influence of classicism, sexism, bigotry, etc.’ But, I counter, the purpose of Me and White Supremacy is to interrogate how the reader is complicit in systemic racism. The work focuses on addressing racism, which doesn’t ignore the oppression of classicism, sexism and bigotry but, instead, looks principally at racism.
If you are open and committed to working on practicing antiracism I strongly suggest doing the workbook in Me and White Supremacy.
To Look Forward To This Week
I’m planning on posting two reviews this week, so keep an eye out for them! I’m also planning on doing a book haul this week, where I list the books I’ve purchased. I want to go into detail about why I buy hardback vs. ebook.
I’ve also accepted an ARC (advanced reader copy) of Family in Six Tones: A Refugee Mother, An American Daughter by Lan Cao Harlan Margaret Van Cao. I’m really excited to start reading it–the book seems like a memoir I’ll really enjoy.
Family in Six Tones is set to release on September 15th. Click here for the synopsis.
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