The annual San Antonio Book Festival always helps me discover at least one or two new authors, and this year, Ijeoma Oluo is one of them. Her book, So You Want to Talk About Race, is an honest, upfront, no nonsense look at the issue of race in this country and what it truly means to confront it head on, not only with open dialogue, but also decisive action.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that focuses on the racial landscape in the United States, and how it has shaped the society we live in ways that are both incredibly obvious, and dangerously subtle. Each chapter title is a question, and with titles like "What is racism?", "Is police brutality really about race?", "Why can't I say the 'N' word?", "What is cultural appropriation?", and even "I just got called a racist, what do I do now?", Oluo breaks down plainly and simply what certain terms mean, offers tips and strategies for having conversations about race, clarifies the confusion over privilege, and also gives a thorough explanation as to why it is not okay to simply reach out and touch a black woman's hair. Addressing people of all races, Oluo does not shy away from difficult subjects, while also acknowledging that difficulty, but still insisting that these issues need to be addressed, and these conversations need to be had, no matter how uncomfortable or painful they may be. The issue of racism is only made worse when ignored and pushed aside, when people choose comfort and silence over a desire to see change. And Oluo addresses this discomfort, but at the end of chapters 9 ("Why can't I say the 'N' word?") and 10 (What is cultural appropriation?"), she also takes time to address any feelings of injustice that may be felt by the majority, but ultimately, that injustice is not against them.
My Verdict: Although I missed Oluo's talk at the San Antonio Book Festival, I was able to have her sign my book, where she wrote, "You deserve to be heard." She makes this same point in many different places throughout her book. So You Want to Talk About Race is about the importance of listening to people of color, and engaging in conversations that are hard, often painful, but ultimately need to happen if we are going to see any real change in this country. Even as a person of color, reading this book was difficult in spots, if only because it brought up memories of microaggressions, or it gave helpful tips for potential conversations about race, conversations that I will have a hard time with no matter how prepared I am. Oluo is helpful in the information she provides and the examples she gives. Do I wish she talked a little more about the Black Lives Matter movement? Sure. But it is not necessary for her to address every facet of today's racial climate to make the point that things need to change, and these conversations need to happen, followed by practical application and action.
Favorite Chapter: Chapter 4: Why am I always being told to "check my privilege"?
Favorite Quotes: "Racial oppression should always be an emotional topic to discuss. It should always be anger-inducing. As long as racism exists to ruin the lives of countless people of color, it should be something that upsets us. But it upsets us because it exists, not because we talk about it. And if you are white, and you don't want to feel any of that pain by having these conversations, then you are asking people of color to continue to bear the entire burden of racism alone." - from Chapter 3 "What if I talk about race wrong?"
"At its core, police brutality is about power and corruption. Police brutality is about the intersection of fear and guns. Police brutality is about accountability. And the power and corruption that enable police brutality put all citizens, of every race, at risk. But it does not put us at risk equally, and the numbers bear that out." - from Chapter 6 "Is police brutality really about race?"
Recommended Reading: I recommend Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward, as well as The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Many will recognize today's book as the most recent selection for Oprah's Book Club. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones explores the life of two newlyweds whose young marriage is struck by tragedy. Now they must navigate the consequences of a situation they did not create, and do their best to hold themselves and their marriage together.
The Situation: Roy and Celestial are married only a year and a half when they are suddenly, and brutally, forced to be apart. During a visit to Roy's hometown, he is falsely accused of a crime and ends up being sentenced to 12 years in prison. It is a devastating blow to their young marriage, which was certainly not perfect, but they were making it work. With him in Louisiana, and her back at home in Atlanta where she is a successful up and coming artist, the two write each other letters (not emails) to stay connected in between visits. It is not easy of course, especially when the letters turn to more difficult matters such as Roy's desire to have children; the opinions of both of their parents; the continued efforts of Celestial's uncle for Roy's release; and the closeness of her best friend Andre, something Roy has never been completely at ease with. Twelve years is a long time, and at about three years in, Celestial says she cannot do it anymore and stops visiting and writing, leaving Roy feeling more lost and alone than ever.
The Problem: What is supposed to make Roy's life better ends up being the thing that makes everything more complicated for everyone. When Celestial's uncle manages to get Roy's conviction overturned, he is set free seven years early, but the only person that seems ready for him to come home is his father. And though Celestial may have formally ended things two years before, she never sent Roy divorce papers, something he manages to hold onto as a hope that he can still save his marriage. But he does not know that she has moved on, having found comfort in her best friend, a relationship that no one seems to approve of but them. The confrontation between Roy and Celestial is inevitable, and everyone will have some serious decisions to make. And as the story slowly moves toward this interaction, the big question becomes whether these two will stay together, or if simply too much time has passed.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel set mostly in present day southern U.S. Roy is from a small town in Louisiana called Eloe, while Celestial is from Atlanta. The narrative is split almost evenly between the two states as Roy's parents still live in Eloe, and this is also the state where he will end up being incarcerated, while Celestial stays in their home in Atlanta, the city where she grew up. Of course, the plot line involves a black man being falsely accused of a heinous crime and consequently sentenced to twelve years in prison, something that happens more often in this country than anyone cares to think about. The time in prison causes Roy to lose his freedom, his job as a promising executive, his sense of who he is, and finally, his wife and what could be their growing family. But the book does not dwell too much on that stuff, though it is there. The real issue involves where Roy and Celestial's marriage stands once he is released. She told him she was done with their relationship, but never drew up divorce papers. And when she comes face to face with the early release of the man who is still her husband, Celestial's fierce independence almost evaporates when she must reconcile herself between the man she married, and the man who has been there for her since Roy was sent to jail. It is not a cut and dry situation, no matter how much anyone tries to claim it is. If anything, it is an issue created by terrible circumstances, and now Roy and Celestial have to deal with it.
My Verdict: This is a book that is well-written, but hard to read. The characters are often unlikable, but still interesting and relatable. And the situation seems hopeless at many different points, but I still found myself turning the page, wanting everything to work out. Jones presents a situation with no easy solution, but it is incredibly easy for everyone except Roy and Celestial to say what needs to happen. And while I appreciate the complexity of the issue, I had a hard time with Celestial's willingness to take a back seat when dealing with the ensuing conflict. Before Roy went to prison, she seemed brave, independent, and outspoken. But when faced with a difficult decision, she becomes passive and quiet, and hopeful that someone else will take care of it for her. What Jones does so well is write the situation in a way so that no one is presented as the villain or the hero. These are simply two flawed people who attempted to start a life together before things went horribly wrong. Ultimately, it is a problem that none of these characters created, which is what makes the whole thing that much more cruel.
Favorite Moment: This may be a bit of a no brainer, but I pick when Celestial's uncle is able to get Roy's conviction overturned and he is subsequently released.
Favorite Character: Big Roy is a man who adopted another man's son as his own, and gave him not only his last name, but his first name as well. He is also a man who took on the task of burying his own wife, despite professional gravediggers standing by.
Favorite Quote: "I respect his ambition; I had mine. But you don't want to spend the rest of your life with a man who has something to prove." - Celestial's father before she married Roy.
Recommended Reading: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward tells a different kind of story also about a southern family torn apart when one spouse is incarcerated.
I am once again extremely late to the party for a YA series that many have been excited about since the first book came out in November 2016. Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1) is the first in what will be a three-book series by Neal Shusterman. The second book, Thunderhead, already came out earlier this year and will be making a DSN appearance in June for YA Fest. My explanation for just now getting to this book is simple: I avoided it. I read the synopsis, and decided that it would be too much for me. But then I saw that Shusterman was scheduled to appear at the 6th Annual San Antonio Book Festival, and after hearing him speak, I felt like he was the kind of writer I could trust.
The Situation: It is the distant future, though no one knows exactly how distant, as the human race lost the need to number the years once death ceased to be a natural thing. There is no more hunger, or disease, or war, or misery; everyone can live forever. Of course, if everyone did live forever, while more people are still being born, Earth would become desperately overcrowded, so the Scythedom was created. With every need they could possibly have taken care of, and death taken almost completely out of the equation, humans fear very little and are not motivated to do much. The only exception is when a Scythe is spotted in the vicinity, as anyone can be gleaned at any moment, including children. The Scythes are the only people allowed to "glean" other humans as a
means of population control. Those who are picked for the job are chosen
carefully, and must undergo a year of training and several tests before
they are ordained. This year, Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch are two of the newest apprentices.
The Problem: To be chosen to study under the Honorable Scythe Farady is no small thing. Though neither Citra nor Rowan had any previous desire to be a Scythe, such an aversion actually makes them a suitable choice, and having Scythe Farady as their mentor certainly works in their favor. Unfortunately, even the Scythedom is not immune to the petty politics of an organization run by humans, and those who wish to cause trouble decide to object to Scythe Faraday having two apprentices instead of one. The discussion ends with Citra and Rowan's apprenticeship being tagged with a critical stipulation, one that will be upheld despite it being unprecedented and unnecessary. Training to essentially become an expert in taking life is hard enough, but now the two pupils must compete against each other for their very lives.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel set in a future where years are no longer numbered, but instead are named after animals. People can now live forever, unless a Scythe gleans them, and they are ruled only by Thunderhead, which is essentially what we know of as the Cloud, but much more powerful. Technology has finally achieved the sentience that science fiction writers had warned us about, only Thunderhead is not evil and has no desire to turn against us, or use us for its own aims. It provides everything we could ever need, and this goes beyond simple clothing, shelter, and food. Thunderhead also holds all knowledge, and has made it easily accessible to anyone who wishes to know...well...anything. The only thing Thunderhead stays away from is the Scythedom, who live by their own rules and govern themselves. If a Scythe appears to be showing bias, either in their gleaning or in their granting of immunity, they are punished as the Scythedom sees fit. It is not a perfect system, and removing death as a primary threat has not made for a perfect society. Most things that humans do are useless and unnecessary endeavors, as Thunderhead can provide anything ever needed. What do humans strive for after everything is given to them? And is someone whose job it is to take life, even in the name of aiding society, anything more than a killer?
My Verdict: I was incredibly afraid that I was going to end up in another Strange the Dreamer type situation where after reading the first book, I had to make the ugly decision not to continue with the second and subsequent ones. But it turns out I was right to feel like I could trust Shusterman after hearing him speak at the San Antonio Book Festival. Make no mistake: this book is intense, and troubling, and it describes a world that honestly disturbs me. Given a choice between the world I know and the one Shusterman described where death and disease and war and famine are no longer a thing, I actually find myself choosing my present reality, as messed up as it is. And while the two main characters of Citra and Rowan are thankfully easy on the nerves as well as easy to root for, the trials they go through are nerve-wracking and brutal and painful and sometimes cruel. Even so, this is a great book and another wonderful addition to the dystopian YA collection.
Favorite Moment: The word "favorite" does not really fit how I feel about this scene, but it is certainly the one that sticks out in my mind the most and had the biggest effect on me. There is a moment early on in the book where a man sitting in an airplane, waiting for take-off, sees a group of Scythes walk onto the plane. Only when he notices one of the stewardesses running away from the plane does he begin to understand what is happening.
Favorite Character: Scythe Faraday is a character in the tradition of Atticus Finch or Jean Val Jean, or even Gandalf. His mere presence makes you feel as if everything is going to be okay.
Recommended Reading: Speculative fiction is fun. Or at least it can be. I recommend Nnedi Okorafor's Binti series as a follow-up.
Today's post will cover An Ill-Fated Sky, the second book in the A Star-Reckoner's Legacy series by Darrell Drake. Last year I was given the pleasure of reading and posting about the first book, A Star-Reckoner's Lot, where readers first met Ashtadukht, her cousin Tirdad, and their half-human/half-div traveling companion, Waray. Now we follow the latter two on another journey across various lands of the Sassanian Empire in a quest for answers and revenge. Naturally, I must issue a serious spoiler alert for anyone who has not read the first book.
The Situation: To say that Tirdad is filled with guilt after what he did to Ashtadukht would be an understatement. He has plenty of reasons at his disposal that he could use for justifying what happened. In the end however, he is only left with guilt and sadness. When Tirdad becomes cursed by the very sword he used to kill his cousin, he also inherits her planet-reckoning powers, and gains insight into what led her to do what she did. Now Tirdad's guilt and sadness are joined by anger and revenge. Fortunately for him, his old half-human/half-div traveling companion, Waray, is up for another adventure. She may be as cryptic and violent as ever, but she is also helpful, and knows how to wield an axe when it is needed most.
The Problem: Learning the truth behind what really happened to Ashtadukht, and what really caused the fall of Tirdad's House will not be easy. For one, he is not a young man anymore. And two, learning the truth and possibly getting revenge means hunting down star-reckoners in a land filled with kingdoms at war with each other, and ill-meaning divs who think nothing of causing trouble and ending lives. Also, traveling with half-human/half-div Shkarag (Waray's true identity) often proves challenging. She can be enough trouble on her own, but it does not help that other humans are wary of her mere presence. If Tirdad is to find out what he wants to know, and take the revenge he feels Ashtadukht is owed, it will be more than a simple matter of finding the people responsible and making them pay. He must first manage to stay alive that long, but he also must not allow himself to be consumed by the same anger and hatred that Ashtadukht fell victim to.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction/fantasy novel that, just like the first book, is once again set during the Sassanian Empire of what is now Iran. The story picks up after the events of the first one, with Ashtadukht's unfortunate death still fresh in Tirdad's mind, especially since he was the one who caused it. Up to this point in Tirdad's life, honor has been incredibly important. But can the thing that caused him to take the life of a family member really be all that great? Especially when his House would end up ruined as a result? Tirdad is ready to be done with honor and the past altogether, but fate has decided to bind him to his dead cousin, her powers, even her memories, and her dangerous thirst for revenge. If there is anything that helps him hold it together it is the presence of Shkarag, though she has issues all her own. Just as in the previous book, trust between humans and divs (even half-divs) is a tricky thing. Though Tirdad and Shkarag become close, he still does not know everything about her. And one thing about Shkarag is that there is always more to her than what she chooses to reveal, and she knows more than she would ever tell, even in her own cryptic way. Much like the first book, this one is filled with adventure, strange creatures, and epic battle scenes, all against the backdrop of the Sassanian Empire.
My Verdict: I was once again treated to a unique story with incredibly vivid and often terrifying creatures and characters, some of which don't even stay dead after they have been killed. And though Ashtadukht is dead, she still makes the occasional appearance in the way of memories, feelings, and the sword that Tirdad must carry. She is the invisible third character in a journey that is clearly going to be tough, but entertaining. What Drake does so well is making it clear that there is more to the journey than what Tirdad sees, but this truth is not revealed in any obvious way. It is the subtle sense of unease that comes from almost every conversation and encounter that tells the reader that things are not as Tirdad wants to believe them to be. It is another successful blend of historical fiction and fantasy, with an adventure that will keep any reader entertained.
Favorite Moment: Any moment when Tirdad is shown that he knows very little in the grand scheme of things, and there is a lot of them.
Favorite Character: Chobin is the kind of friend that we all need to help us not take ourselves too seriously all of the time.
Recommended Reading: The Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor is also full of strange creatures and epic adventures.
The annual San Antonio Book Festival always helps me discover at least one or two new authors, and this year, Ijeoma Oluo is one of them. Her book, So You Want to Talk About Race, is an honest, upfront, no nonsense look at the issue of race in this country and what it truly means to confront it head on, not only with open dialogue, but also decisive action.
