It’s been a while since I did a book art post. I just wasn’t feeling it with my last few reads. But Shelby Van Pelt changed that! This piece is inspired by ‘Remarkably Bright Creature’s’ by @shelbyvanpeltwrites – I took some liberty with our dear Marcellus’ coloring just to make it pop on a digital space. That said, Marcellus is truly one of my favorite characters, ever. And the story itself was very meaningful, especially to those of us who have lost a child. I’ll leave it at that. I recomment 5/5 stars. Available anywhere you buy books.
If The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware were to be adapted, I hope it’s for the small screen. You can’t fit this mystery/horror into a two hour movie. This story of a governess taking care of three little girls in an old estate has many layers, polarizing characters, and a twist you do not see coming. It would be a crime to rush this story.
Whew! American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like for migrants coming from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico…look no further. Immigrants do the work Americans find too low paying, demeaning or difficult, but what you don’t know is that washing dishes, cooking, landscaping and all those other labor intensive jobs are a cakewalk compared to what they went through to get here.
American Dirt is the story of Lydia and her brilliant 8 year old son, Luca. They must get out of South and Central America for reasons I won’t ruin for you. Know that you will care about these characters, and that what they experience is the reality for many. Their travels will keep you on the edge of your seat, because survival against the elements, cartels, and border patrol is unlikely.
This story is really a testament to saying goodbye, grief, and to new horizons. What I liked most was the insight Cummins gives to each character, how they process their emotions and trauma through impossible situations.
I’d heard rumblings about people and critics disliking American Dirt… none of which I read. Given the political climate, any book about crossing the border into the United States would be controversial. I highly recommend you give this a chance regardless of what anyone says. Go into it knowing nothing, and out of it rewarded with the knowledge that those who seek to be near us have good reason to.
Kindred is a timeless novel about time. Imagine going about your day when you just get snatched into history because you have a connection – unknown to you at the time- to a specific individual you are linked to in history. And what if that time period just so happened to be 1815, when slavery was legal. Imagine this happening to you and you’re black. And a woman. That’s what happens to our protagonist, Dana- whose *now* is 1976. She must learn to survive in a world where she is considered property.
Nothing else I could say would do this justice. Parts of the novel reminded me of 12 Years A Slave. So if you’ve seen that film, you know this a story that will break your heart. Despite the tough subject matter, I recommend you read this. You will be better for it.
I love you, Octavia E. Butler!
Note: Kindred is soon to be adapted into a Netflix limited series. Release date TBA.
Piece of Lauren Oya Olamina inspired by Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
She died in 2006. That said, I intend no exaggeration when I say Octavia E. Butler saw Trump and his enablers/supporters coming. Ten years after she died, Trump was elected. Within these pages, there is a destructive and incompetent politician, Andrew Steele Jarret, who actually says he wants to Make America Great Again. No lie. And there are even “maggots” that invade safe spaces and destroy the property and lives of those who don’t agree with said politician. (This made me think of “MAGAts”, a term for frothing at the mouth Trump supporters like those who attacked the Capitol). Butler writes of the spread of disease long before COVID reared it’s ugly head. And most important of all, she writes of the tragic impact uneducated demagogues and their vicious refusal to listen to science have on humanity and the planet. The time period of the books is our NOW and the years ahead, and while there are clear differences between reality and Parable, it’s still scary as hell that there are even more similarities. She wrote these books in the 90s.
These are hard books to read, but worth it. The story of Lauren Oya Olamina, the motherless daughter of a Reverend who can feel what you feel. And I mean, really feel it. Her mother was addicted to a drug that left Lauren with the ability to experience what others do. And it’s to her detriment because she’s living in a violent, collapsed America where survival isn’t likely. If people know she can feel another’s pain or sickness, they can use it against her and harm her. As a result, Lauren has no choice to be violent to protect herself and others. She has to kill, look the other way when she knows she shouldn’t, and never, ever let her guard down. People are rabid with sickness and addiction and communities have fractured, and this existence is hell. Life changes for Lauren, who lives in a compound, when she is separated from her family and must survive on her own. Ever the realist, though just a teen, she forges ahead and connects with others who are also looking for safety. Her intentions change when she realizes she wants to start her own belief system called Earthseed, something she started working on as a child but kept secret due to her Reverend father’s religious leanings. Earthseed is a simple but straightforward approach to viewing and making it in our ever-changing world. A world Lauren has realized humans must leave if our species is to survive.
I was torn about Lauren. Is she well intentioned? Not always. Can she be cruel? She must. Is she just another manipulative cult leader? Kinda. Is she a survivor? Absolutely.
Parable represents one of those rare cases where the genre are multiple things at once. Dystopian, science fiction, black American experience, technology, women’s literature, politics, romance, religion, young adult? Yes. All of it. I was left heartbroken, angry, and speechless by these amazing works of fiction. I cared about the characters, flawed as they were. I was also in awe of Butler, who not only gave us something special and timeless, but a red alert warning for what is to come. And here we are. At each other’s throats, confused, and dealing with people who have a ferocious refusal to put health and safety first. I’m not a religious person, but I pray it never gets as bad as Parable. We still have time to turn things around. Why don’t we?
As an aside, I looked into Octavia E. Butler. A black woman who writes science fiction? A fellow nerd and minority? I feel like I would have been best friends with her if I’d ever met her. Maybe I give myself too much credit that someone so talented would want to be friends with me in return. I wish she was here. I wish I could thank her for writing something so very hard, but so extremely necessary. Why I never read her books sooner, I’ll never know. I just didn’t know about her. So don’t be me, don’t wait another moment. Read these books, and know that you will be better for it.
Rating for both books: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DREAMCAST: 🍿 🎥 🎭
If Hollywood adapted the books, I think it should be a mini-series. You can’t property capture this story in a two or even three hour movie. That said, this is my dream cast. And they all have such kickass names:
Lauren Oya Olamina (Teen/YA): Amandla Stenberg
Lauren Oya Olamina (Adult): Queen Latifah
Doctor Taylor Bankole: Colman Domingo
Reverend Olamina: Samuel L. Jackson
Zahra Moss: Juno Temple
Travis Douglas: Jeffrey Wright
Natividad Douglas: Alexis Bledel
Harry Balter: Domnall Gleeson (older version played by his father Brendan Gleeson)
Quick question to ponder: What happens when our sun starts to dim? And that solar dimming is being caused by material, aptly named Astrophage, literally sucking the life out of it? And it’s happening at such a rate, Earth will find itself in an ice age and all the fun disaster that comes with it in less than two decades? What do we do? We can’t even get people to wear masks during a pandemic so this is a loaded question. But for the purposes of this post the answer is Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir.
Ryland Grace, a molecular biologist/junior high school teacher turned astronaut is our main protagonist. The story swaps from everything leading up to the launch of Project Hail Mary, to Grace’s experiences in a spacecraft charged with finding a solution to the impending disaster by traveling to a solar system unaffected by the Astrophage. Without giving anything else away, he makes amazing discoveries that make this into an adventure worth reading.
My recommendation is to listen to the audiobook. There is a lot of technical “stuff” that can seem overwhelming to understand if science fiction isn’t your thing. And even if it is your thing, voice actor Ray Porter does a great job narrating the confusing or mind numbing portions to help you grasp the science behind a decision made in Project Hail Mary.
I’d also say the reader should be prepared to understand that Ryland Grace is far from what any person could measure up to. He’s a genius, scientist, mechanic, teacher, linguist, and…everything else? His versatility allows the story move forward, but pushes the boundaries of what could be considered realistic. The things Ryland figures out would take a normal, even a genius human being, months or even years to figure out. That said, this was a fun book to get into.
One last thing: Ryland may be our hero, but the real star of the show is Rocky. I’ll say nothing more.
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dream Cast 🍿 🎥 :
Ryan Gosling is already attached to the movie for the role of Ryland Grace. I think he’s a great choice. I also thought Riz Ahmed would be a perfect.
It took author Madeline Miller ten years to write The Song of Achilles. And her hard work paid off. Although it was released in 2011, the novel still pops up on the NYT Bestsellers list and it’s 2021. Ten years of work followed by another ten making its mark!
This epic story about the greatest warrior known to man, Achilles, actually comes from the perspective of his devoted partner and companion, exiled prince Patroclus. This is a story of forbidden love, friendship, expectation, and Achilles’ scary ass mom, Thetis, who just so happens to be a sea goddess.
I loved Patroclus. Despite being rejected, he is always kind, always giving, and forever committed to helping others. And that’s what made the ending of this tragic story all the more satisfying. Unlike others, Patroclus appreciates Achilles not just for his ability to fight, but for his companionship, his bluntness, and most notably his musical talent (hence the title).
Greek mythology is hard to tackle. Miller seems to do it with ease. The first book I read by her was Circe, which I absolutely loved and liked more than this. That said, this is very much worth your time.
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