pickOh no, am I headed for a book slump? Reading this I liked the writing, appreciated the story, yet remained on the surface, not that interested, skim reading parts, although loving the cover. With this one, I‘m not sure whether it‘s me or the book 🤷♀️. After deliberating I‘m giving it a light pick, as I suspect it‘s me!
pick#2023Book52
I love Gyasi‘s writing. The characters were well-developed and realistic and while everything they went through was heartbreaking, the story still held onto a hopeful tone.
Finally getting around to finishing this gem. (Ahem, months later) I need to stick to reading one book at a time
pickI‘m a fan of Gyasi‘s work for sure. Coming from the perspective of an ex-Catholic pursuing a career in stem, I found myself relating to Gifty in a profound way. Typically I don‘t read books with religious themes because they often trigger me in certain ways, but I picked this up because I loved her book Homegoing. I think this book was beautifully written. It definitely brought my trauma to the surface though, so overal 4.8/5⭐️
pickGyasi pulls the curtains back to expose addiction and depression. She welcomes us to a first row seat to the numbing pain and smothering despair of surviving but not living. Be in a good place mentally before picking this one up.
so-soGifty was raised to be a good Christian girl. To believe that God will always protect her. However, when her brother dies and mother succumbs to depression, she finds that religious piety isn‘t enough to console her. Thus she turns to science in search of the answers and meaning. She interweaves both to create an extensive acceptance of the world. Beautifully told and simply written, this is a novel about unlearning the shame of your existence
pickA lot has been said about this book so I won‘t add my clumsy synopsis, but I will say that I really loved it. I put off reading it for so long because I didn‘t think it would hold up to Homegoing. It was different but still just as heart wrenching in all the best ways.
#ReadingAfrica Ghana
pickHer first book remains one of the best books I‘ve ever read, and this one joins that distinction. Outstanding in every possible way. As someone with a background in neuroscience, I loved the neuroscience stuff in here. A fun note: the protagonist‘s research is so similar to the research being done in Karl Deisseroth‘s lab at Stanford that I figured she must have talked to someone in the lab. Turns out I was right! :)
Can an animal restrain itself from pursuing a reward, especially when there is risk involved?
There are some interesting scientific considerations in this book!
#currentlyreading #bookblurbs
pickI feel like it‘s been a while since I‘ve finished a book 🤔 This one was good, very different from Homegoing which I like in authors. This book was about growing up with immigrant parents, addiction, mental health and more or less finding yourself and where you fit in, in the world. It was enjoyable and I liked how the narrator compares her work and her life throughout the story but not a favorite.
“What‘s the point of all of this?” is a question that separates humans from other animals. Our curiosity around this issue has sparked everything from science to literature to philosophy to religion. When the answer to this question is “Because God deemed it so,” we might feel comforted. But what if the answer to this question is “I don‘t know,” or worse still, “Nothing”?
#currentlyreading #bookblurbs #life
Now, I said, “Most people‘s immune systems are highly capable and efficient. Overprescription is a huge problem in this country, and if we don‘t take charge of our own health, we‘re susceptible to all kinds of manipulation from pharmaceutical companies who profit off of keeping us ill and—“
YES, thank you!! My thoughts exactly about Big Pharma
#currentlyreading #bookblurbs
pickI loved this multi-layered story about a brilliant young girl, Gifty, born in Ghana and raised in Alabama. It is a story about addiction, grief, loneliness and mental illness but the writing is so pure and clear that I did not get tangled in the horrors but rather fully engaged in Gifty‘s life and her search for answers from both God and Science. I thought at first the ending was too pat but upon reflection it was the perfect ray of light.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I have been singing Gyasi‘s praises since Homegoing came out in 2016,& I have been anticipating her next work since.This is not as intensely, immediately striking as Homegoing, but it is a deep, relatable story impeccably told.The tug between science &religion, the difficulty in relationships, the own voices represented in the first generation American - it‘s all written with care,talent &strength. I will always read anything she writes.
pickA novel that oozes pain and sadness. The whole family feels it. It‘s not without love and hope though. It‘s about the choices we make, addiction, depression, how we cope with it and who is there to help, but so much more than that too. Beautifully told and I loved the way she wrote about religion and science. I could see parts of myself in Gifty. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Took a mental health day and I‘m curling up with this book for #lmpbc and I can‘t wait to share it with you ladies! I love it more than Homegoing!
pickI was skeptical of this sophomore work by the author as I was unable to finish her debut. This was a welcome change in tone, setting and plot. Raised Pentecostal in AL, Gifty faces racism, an absent father and terrible loss. Her beloved brother dies due to addiction and her stalwart mother succumbs to catatonic depression. Gifty is driven to study and cure addiction and to reconcile her faith in both science and God. A poignant novel. 4⭐️s
“But this tension, this idea that one must necessarily choose between science and religion, is false. “ p. 198
"The truth is we don't know what we don't know. We don't even know the questions we need to ask in order to find out, but when we learn one tiny little thing, a dim light comes on in a dark hallway, and suddenly a new question appears. We spend decades, centuries, millenia, trying to answer that one question so that another dim light will come on. That's science, but that's also everything else, isn't it? Try. Experiment. Ask a ton of questions."
Only 29 pages in, very different from Homegoing but I am glad the author can write in such different ways. I am starting this while I wait for a library copy of Homegoing to come back in; then I will continue with that one and see which book holds my attention the most! 😝 I'll probably still finish them both. I look forward to whatever Gyasi publishes. Good night!!
#currentlyreading #fiction #novels #librarylends #Africanvoices #diversereads
pickThis book had moments that hit me emotionally.Gifty is a neuroscientist studying behaviors related to addiction and depression.The book goes back and forth between the present and her past.She grew up in Alabama, the daughter to immigrants from Ghana. She saw her mother work long hours, her father leave and her beloved brother become addicted to opiates. It was beautiful and painful the way her history tied in with what she‘s doing professionally.
Tell me all about this one. I am also currently reading "Homegoing" by the same author. Her writing is beautiful.
#currentlyreading #fiction #novels #librarylends #hardcovers
It was good reading month, some very good stories, some not so good ... and I can‘t remember when I DNF for the last time, but I put aside the book this month. Transcendent Kingdom was my favourite, and Bellini and the Sphinx by T.Bellotto was my DNF book.
#bookspinbingo
#bookspin
https://litsy.com/p/UjFaSkw1SHR6
#doublespin
https://litsy.com/p/T3Zwd2U2VjRm
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What an excellent second novel from Gyasi. I loved everything about this book. The discussions and struggles of faith, the very realistic hardship and hurt felt by a family who loses a loved one to drugs, the need to find a solution through science, and the dynamic between mother and daughter. Everything was so honest and realistic. Recommend! This was my #bookspin No 2 pick and my #tbrdeckofcards 8♣️ a book with Kingdom in title.
She would see me, my worry and fear and embarrassment and anger, and she would say, "There will come a time when you will need someone to wipe your ass for you," and that would be that.
so-soMeh. I didn‘t really like all the religious talking. I also wasn‘t happy with the multiple mentions of parents punishing their children by beating them.
#YaaGyasi #novel #kindle #transcendentkingdom #womensprize
My #bookspinbingo board for March. My favorite book is tagged. I got 2 bingos—a rare occurrence. @TheAromaofBooks Excited to make a new board tomorrow!
bailedUnpopular opinion: I listened to the first 10 or so chapters and didn't want to continue. #triggerwarning I think it was related to all the bad stuff happening to animals. The main character experiments on mice and does brain surgery on them, the mice get in a fight and one is basically left to die, her mother killed a baby bird that she and her brother saved, and someone threatens a dog with a rifle 👇
pickWhat an exquisite novel. I couldn‘t possibly put into words how profoundly and in how many different ways this novel affected me. My Women‘s Prize reading is off to a flying start. 4/16
pickTotal binge listen. So many relatable moments as far as being raised by a non American family, growing up religious and finding solace in science. Such a solid book, kinda sad but also inspiring, but not in a condescending way... I dno, this is different than other stuff I‘ve read before. Def recommend if you want a beautifully written memoir
#2021 #BlackAuthors #WomenAuthors #WomenInScience #Memoir
🎨 ig @ khari.raheem
It‘s cold and wet outside - so it didn‘t take much convincing Woodford that sofa cuddles and a few chapters was the way to go! 👍🏼
Saturday mornings are the best
pickIt‘s only February and I‘ve already picked this as a favorite of 2021. Beautiful writing and a lonely, touching story that I devoured in four days. Absolute must read. 5/5.
pickWhat. A. Book. It's a simpler narrative than Homegoing but it's just as powerful. The ideas are deep and the interplay of faith, religion and science fascinating but Gyasi's strength is in her wonderful characters and her graceful, emotionally resonant writing. My first new 5⭐ read of 2021 #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks
pickNicely written novel detailing a mother–daughter relationship torn apart by the death of a son|brother. Gifty‘s mother falls apart after the death of her son from an overdose. The death of Nana sends Gifty‘s mom into a deep seemingly everlasting depression and Gifty into a whirlwind of scientific discovery to determine why her brother just couldn‘t end his drug addiction.
I'm considering buying Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi because I loved Homegoing so much. But is is a little pricy so I was wondering if anyone had read it yet and what your thoughts were.
#botm arrived today! The candle smells great. Kind of strong on first sniff, but I think it will be beautiful burning. And I love that TK has the gold foil. 🥰
Was super surprised that #botm had 3 of my most anticipated September releases! Esp considering how popular Yaa Gyasi and Susanna Clarke are, I had convinced myself that none of these would be options. I rarely end up picking 3, but I had to this time. Really excited! 📚
Transcendent Kingdom | 
