Year 3, week 49: White Fragility / So You Want to Talk About Race

Two books this week, focusing on anti-racism.

White Fragility

By Robin DiAngelo

This is the book that has been on every list of anti-racist books you should read since the day the book was released. Our church even did a book discussion about the book a while back. I would have participated, but I had just had our youngest, or I was pregnant and overwhelmed with two kids and being so pregnant when the weekly discussion was happening. 

I decided that I would take each chapter one at a time to fully understand and digest what the book was saying. The book is only one and fifty-three pages, but every page packs a punch. I think this book is very, very educational. The book breaks down how being white can really lead to so many privileges and advantages than people with different color than white skin might not get. 

I would definitely recommend this book to educate yourself about so much. 

So You Want to Talk About Race

By Ijeoma Oluo

This book was another book that has been on lists of books that should be recommended to understand race issues. The book was also recommended by a friend who is also a big reader, and I took that as a good sign to pick it up and read it. 

I thought this book was very interesting and easy to relate to. The author seems like a down to earth lady that lays out the topics straight forward, but also by not belittling her audience. I have been reading a lot of books that are educational for people trying to understand racism, and many of the authors of these books talk down to their audience and treat the people trying to learn like idiots for not knowing about race relations. 

I would say this book would be a great first step in a lifelong education about not being racist or at least learning about being a better rounded person. I would highly recommend this book. 

Year 3, week 48: Untamed

This week's book:

Untamed

By Glennon Doyle

This week's book is one of those books that has constant buzz around it. I ordered it as an add-on for my Book of the Month order last month and then ended up listening to it while reading too, because the author read it for the audio book. I went into reading/listening to it not having read Doyle's other books or knowing much about her, other than she married a famous female soccer player a while back and that shocked a lot of people. 

The book is a collection of four essays that cover different topics of essentially becoming a better you. It's probably really great for people that read the book off and on over a long period of time. I read a few books at a time, and this isn't really my reading style. That being said, I just don't think this was written for where I am in my life. The author had been cheated on by her husband and really never came to terms that she has been a lesbian or bisexual her whole life. I on the other hand am insanely happily married to my husband of ten years this week, and confident in my sexuality. I haven’t been through the same struggles that the author has experienced, so I had trouble relating to the author as a result. 

I know this book is amazing for some women, it's their Bible of self help, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I think I would still recommend the book if you are looking for a book of self discovering.

Year 3, week 47: If It Bleeds

This week's book:

If It Bleeds

By Stephen King

This week's book is a collection of four novellas by King. I like the stories of Stephen King, but I haven't read his whole catalog, as some of his fans have. The fact that it's four novellas means I'm probably going to have to review each story separately.

Mr. Harrigan's Phone

The first story is of a boy that has made friends with an older man of some wealth. The connection remains even after the elderly man passes away. As a whole, I like this one. It was creepy but still interesting and kept my attention.

The Life of Chuck

This story is about a man named Chuck. The plot is broken up into three parts and told backwards. It's an interesting concept but I kind of didn't enjoy it. It's very interestingly portrayed, just not my cup of tea.

If It Bleeds

I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what was going on with this story. The plot is kind of a spin off of The Outsider, which is another Stephen King book, which he actually made into a series as well, but I couldn't get into that series either. This story was a hard pass for me because I didn't have past experiences with some of the characters.

Rat

This story is kind of a rematching of the monkey paw and Rosemary's Baby. An author has writer's block and makes a deal of sorts with something creepy in order to have a best seller. This wasn't King's best story, but interesting. 

Year 3, week 46: The Boyfriend Project / Lock Every Door

Two books this week.

The Boyfriend Project

By Farrah Rochon

This book was a Book of the Month book. I originally picked it because the book was written by an African American woman, and the story is of an African American woman web developer genius and a biracial federal agent who fall in love. It's important to keep reading books written by not only women, but women of color. It was also interesting because the heroine of the book explains that being a web/app developer is a man's world, and being an African American woman is unheard of. She explains that everything she does has to be twice as good as everyone else just to be taken seriously. 

I'm glad the Book of the Month had a biracial romance written by a woman of color, but I kinda was bored while I was reading it. I've been reading really heavy reads about racism and such, so trying to read this at the same time kind of gave me whiplash. It was a real paint-by-number romance. I'd probably still recommend it, but it's utter mind fluff. 

Lock Every Door

By Riley Sager

I ordered another Riley Sagar book from BOTM last month and I am dying to read it, but I want to read it with the hubby so I put that book on the back burner and listened to this book while I walked with my kids around the neighborhood. 

This book is about a girl apartment sitting for three months in an old New York apartment building that has a lot of rules. It seems like a dream come true for this struggling young lady, but when her fellow apartment sitters start going missing, she gets scared. I thought I had the ending figured out but I wasn't right, and I was kinda disappointed in the ending. I would still recommend it.