Welcome to Litsy!

You know how sometimes you‘re reading a book and thinking: Is this a waste of my time? Well, this felt like it. I just couldn‘t get where this story was going…And don‘t get me wrong, I don‘t mind reading about a character‘s day to day, but this just felt like it was leading nowhere.

Bailed at 25%

I was into this audio at the beginning but I found it to drag on the middle—so much so that I found myself skipping and I NEVER do that. I could have missed something vital, so take this with a grain of salt. I know theater doesn‘t work for me in literature so it‘s my fault. I loved the MC‘s backstory and the set up: Sonia returns to her home to discover so much has changed: grandparents have passed, houses sold. Timely: Palestinian experiences.

This new book of essays by David Grossman just breaks my heart. Will there ever be peace in this troubled area of the world?

A complicated novel about a complex topic - lots of characters and identities in the Middle East. A great reflection on identity and resistance.

I struggled some with this collection, partly (I think) because it‘s an ebook and a little harder to keep track of sections. There were some fantastic parts, and others that were less so. Davis, as always, does a great job finding connections between struggles: class/race/sex; domestic/international; and so on. Definitely a worthwhile read, but maybe in pieces.

Coates is never an easy read, but he is worth the time. He forces me to slow down and read each word. I found the last part of the 3-part book especially eye-opening as he recounts his time in Palestine and draws parallels to colonization across time and specifically to our own storied history of oppression.

I take the information in this book with a grain of salt, but as a therapist who sees several Islamic women struggling with their identity, this novel is eye opening. I am on the side of empowerment and self-confidence, and that‘s what this book is about. This is a movingly powerful book about American-Islamic women who are trying to find their place in the world.

A friend suggested I read Between the World and Me, but it wasn't available, so I thought I'd get the next best thing.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, It was thought-provoking and I found it very interesting, even learning a thing or two.
The second half I found a bit boring and laborers to get though. I'm not denying the importance of the subject matter, it was just that I didn't really feel a connection to it.

“Oppressive power is preserved in the smoke and fog and sometimes it is smuggled in the unexamined shadows of the language of the oppressed themselves.” Ta-Nehisi Coates The Message If books weren‘t political they wouldn‘t be trying so hard to ban them. Especially books that challenge the norm & the “correct” narrative.

I always learn so much when I read or listen to a Coates book. I listened to this one, mostly because I love his voice. This one is about his first trip to Senegal, a visit to South Carolina to defend his book from being banned, & his experience in Palestine & Israel. The last one was the longest, & I feel I learned the most from that one. I think Coates is a wise person who is always trying to grow & learn more.