A Reading Life (48) - Almost six months later...

Yes, it's a pattern with me. I never quite do what I say/what I set out to do. I have good intentions, but then real life gets in the way...and my poor blog, which I love so, is so neglected.

I've been doing a lot of reading, as always, but just not posting my thoughts as much. I just get bogged down and then I don't want to talk about what I read. Sometimes I think it's because I think my thoughts should go a certain way, or the review should be just so, according to some standard. I'm not reviewing as many books for authors. I've pretty much decided to only accept books from authors I know/have reviewed for before (and that's mostly horror authors at the moment so will be over at my sister blog, Castle Macabre). So, my thoughts on books from my home library, mostly older books, should just be my thoughts. Right? I guess I just need to get that through my head.

I've also been listening to more audio books. Here's what I've listened to since January:

American Gods, Neil Gaiman
Jaws, Peter Benchley
Little Girls, Ronald Malfi (reread)
The Plantagenets, Dan Jones
Black River, Dean Koontz
The Bear, Claire Cameron
The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro (currently listening)

I SO enjoy audio books, although I think my boys get irritated. I do find them getting into the stories sometimes though. I've also been listening to some writing podcasts, as I'm trying to focus more on my writing (now that I have a job that takes up more of my time...go figure). This below needs to be in my face constantly...

via GIPHY

I wanted to share with you some changes to my two online book clubs (on Goodreads), TuesBookTalk and Lit Collective.

TuesBookTalk has always been a genre based book club in which we read a different genre each month (decided by voting). We also have three non-fiction months in January, May and September. Recently, I decided to set genres for specific months to cut down on the amount of voting we do, and to make it easier for members. Below is the graphic outlining what genres we read in which months. Come join us any time. We now do our chats on Slack (we have a "team" on there for TuesBookTalk) and it's so nice not to have to deal with a character limit. Of course, thoughts can also be exchanged in the Goodreads group at any time.

Our June read, which is Science Fiction, is Dune by Frank Herbert.

Lit Collective is what we call an online reading retreat which takes place in the Spring and end of Summer/Fall. We will nominate and vote on a theme for the Spring retreat and then choose a list of 2-3 books to read and discuss in March, April and May. For our end of Summer/Fall retreat, we will focus on selected works of a particular author which will also be chosen by vote. We will read 2-3 works by said author and discuss in August, September and October. We generally have our chats after we've read the whole book. So, at the end of its designated month. We're also going to have our chats on Slack (Slack is free to join, by the way...forgot to mention that). As mentioned above, thoughts can also be exchanged in the Goodreads group at any time.

We are currently finishing up The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (on which I'm seriously behind, although it is a reread for me) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Right now, it's looking like Sarah Waters is going to be our featured author for August, September, and October (I'm pretty excited if it does turn out to be her. I loved The Little Stranger).

via GIPHY

Finally, I'd like to share with you two events coming up on June 1st.

The SciFi Summer Readathon, hosted at my readathon blog, Seasons of Reading, starts Thursday and runs until Wednesday June 7th. Details and sign up HERE.

The Summer of IT!!! In anticipation of the new movie coming out in September, I'm hosting a three month read-along of Stephen King's massive tome, IT! This will be hosted via my reading community site, Gather Together and Read (for schedule/sign-up/discussion) and I'll also have an event for discussions via the Gather Together and Read Facebook group. Check at Gather Together and Read later today to sign up and get the reading schedule.

Well, it's summer so dipping my toe back in the pool of this blogging thing. No promises, but I'm going to try. We shall see...

What's going on in your reading life?

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#Roots - The Read-Along: Final thoughts on the book and the television miniseries

Wow! What a profound book. I got a bit (or a lot) behind and this read along went a bit off track, but I finally finished the book, in the midst of watching the four part miniseries, and it was quite a literary experience.

I'm still shocked and saddened by how we treated the slaves in our history. It is hard to imagine that I could possibly be descended from slave owners (knowing I have southern ancestry). However, not knowing for sure if my ancestors were slave owners, even the possibility that they might have been is disheartening. Then there was the documentary on History Channel after the airing of the miniseries in which at one point they stated that around 30 percent of Americans today are descended from slaves. Not at all surprising considering all the masters who took their liberties with female slaves. Even Kunta Kinte's own daughter had it happen to her so Alex Haley's ancestry is both black and white. Returning to the treatment of the slaves, and the attitudes that whites were better and slaves were merely property, no better than livestock, upon Kunta's observation of the parties and his eventual realization of the wealth of whites, this quote conveys it all perfectly:

"He couldn't believe that such incredible wealth actually existed, that people really lived that way. It took him a long time, and a great many more parties, to realize that they DIDN'T live that way, that it was all strangely unreal, a kind of beautiful dream the white folks were having, a lie they were telling themselves: that goodness can come from badness, that it's possible to be civilized with one another without treating as human beings those whose blood, sweat, and mother's milk made possible the life of privilege they led."

What really struck me at the end of the book was how very important a person's ancestry really is. I found it exciting how Alex Haley extensively researched and tracked down sources, and even traveled to Juffure and listened to the stories of the griot there...the stories of his ancestors. The vocal narrative that Kunta passed on to his family was more precious than gold. In the book, someone states that "we who live in the Western culture are so conditioned to the 'crutch of print' that few among us comprehend what a trained memory is capable of." Isn't that the truth? If only my ancestors had passed on a narrative of our history as Haley's ancestors did. That history gave him the seeds to discover his heritage. As I said, profound. 

Regarding the miniseries...I was a bit disappointed. I watched the original miniseries from 1977 when I was about 9 (only seeing parts of it again in later years) so I can't truly say I remember it very clearly. However, as I was reading the book, I was reminded a lot of that original miniseries. The remake was too much unlike the book, in my opinion. I did not like how they had Kunta fighting in the Revolutionary war. Not in the book. Combining the Wallers into one household. Not in the book. Adding a son to the Murray family, and a right asshole son at that. Not in the book. And then adding a fiancee, who turns out to be a spy for the North (with her "slave" as a cohort) and what the Murray son does to them. Not in the book. Shocking, yes, and titillating perhaps for viewers, but again, not in the book. And would he have gotten away with what he did to a white woman. I don't think so, but who knows. What else? Well, I could go on and on. I just think it could have been more close to the book. That being said, I still enjoyed it. Perhaps not as much as the original, but again, I was 9, and my innocent mind was just learning of slavery and it was a shocking and life changing event for me back then. What I liked best about the remake was the end. The scenes with Laurence Fishburne as Alex Haley, when he is taken by George and Tom to meet up with his ancestors down the line. I sobbed, and then I cried again when I was telling my mom about it (she didn't finish watching. She liked the 1977 version better). We've decided we're going to watch that version again soon.

So, did you finish the book? What did you think? What about the miniseries? Did you watch? Thoughts?

I hope you enjoyed reading along and I hope you will join me when I decide on my next read-along. In the meantime, you can join us at my TuesBookTalk Read-Alongs group, where we read a different genre each month, and non-fiction in the months of January, May and September. Click here to check it out.

Thanks for reading along!

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#Roots - The Read-Along Discussion Two

Late again. Sorry!

Let's weigh in on the second section, through Chapter 69. Are you having as hard of a time dealing with what's going on as I am?

The utter cruelty that human beings can exact on other human beings is almost too much to bear. The descriptions of the conditions on the slave ship are so horrible. That anyone could survive that is testament to the strength of the human spirit.

When the slave ship arrives in American and Kunta is bought by a slave owner, this is the beginning of Kunta's continuous attempts at escaping. No matter how many times he's caught, he still keeps escaping, until finally...and tragically...something is done to him that makes further escape attempts pretty much impossible. The true tragedy though is seeing this indomitable spirit finally crushed into the acceptance of slavery.

I was surprised that these events are taking place around the time of the Revolutionary War. For some reason, I thought this story occurred much later. So, this is taking place close to 100 years before the Civil War. This fact gave me perspective on just how long slavery went on in America...even long before the Revolutionary War.

We start to see Kunta making friends and settling into his life as a slave, but he still struggles with his identity, realizing his age, 34 years old, and just how long he has been gone from Africa. When he meets Boteng, another slave from Africa, the sense of connection spurs in him the desire to seek love and connection in his own life which is a major breakthrough for Kunta.

What do you think of it so far? Share your thoughts.

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#Roots - The Read-Along Discussion One

I apologize for the delay in getting this discussion post up. Seems I'm always running behind.

So, what did you think of our first section, through Chapter 37? I'll share my thoughts and then you can join in on the discussion in the comments, or leave the link to your blog post.

I was actually surprised that the entire almost 200 pages was dedicated to Kunta's childhood in the Gambia. This surprise is mainly based on the fact that I watched the first Roots mini-series at a fairly young age (I was eight) and I don't remember it spending too much time exploring Kunta's early life. That being said, I found this descriptive narrative of his adolescence to be an effective method of showing us the true concept of his freedom in contrast to the horror of being captured and held in the slave ship.

There are hardships as Kunta is growing up. Namely, famine and the strict rules he must live by. However, we are also shown the beauty of nature in his land and the importance of the oral traditions passed down through generations. We see that Kunta had a good life filled with family, hopes and dreams. I love that Haley shows us Kunta's culture and life so vividly. We get a very real idea of what freedom meant to him and what it feels like when it's taken away.

I am really enjoying this book and I can't believe I waited this long to read it!

What do you think of it so far? Share your thoughts.

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A Reading Life - Oh, the reading plans for April...and beyond! (39)

It has been ages since I've done a Reading Life post. I think it's about time to get back into it...and what better time than this month...April 2016, the month for all the reading!

So, this month I'm hosting Roots: The Read Along, as I'm sure many of you already know. It officially started on April 1st, but our first discussion isn't for two weeks so you can still join us. Get all the details here.

I recently decided to sign up for Read The Nobels, a perpetual challenge hosted by Guiltless Reading. There is also a 2016 challenge in conjunction with the perpetual challenge which I'm also signing up for. I will do a more detailed post about my sign up for the above at my reading challenge blog. In addition to the above, Guiltless Reading is also hosting a challenge this month to go along with Read The Nobels and Travel the World in Books challenges, Where in the World will your Nobel Take You?

The Book I chose for this challenge, which is also on my Travel the World in Books reading list, is Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth by Naguib Mahfouz.

Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988.
"who, through works rich in nuance - now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous - has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind"

From the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and author of the Cairo trilogy, comes Akhenaten, a fascinating work of fiction about the most infamous pharaoh of ancient Egypt.

In this beguiling new novel, originally published in 1985 and now appearing for the first time in the United States, Mahfouz tells with extraordinary insight the story of the "heretic pharaoh," or "sun king,"--and the first known monotheistic ruler--whose iconoclastic and controversial reign during the 18th Dynasty (1540-1307 B.C.) has uncanny resonance with modern sensibilities. Narrating the novel is a young man with a passion for the truth, who questions the pharaoh's contemporaries after his horrible death--including Akhenaten's closest friends, his most bitter enemies, and finally his enigmatic wife, Nefertiti--in an effort to discover what really happened in those strange, dark days at Akhenaten's court. As our narrator and each of the subjects he interviews contribute their version of Akhenaten, "the truth" becomes increasingly evanescent. Akhenaten encompasses all of the contradictions his subjects see in him: at once cruel and empathic, feminine and barbaric, mad and divinely inspired, his character, as Mahfouz imagines him, is eerily modern, and fascinatingly ethereal. An ambitious and exceptionally lucid and accessible book, Akhenaten is a work only Mahfouz could render so elegantly, so irresistibly. (from Goodreads)

Week One questions for the challenge:

When someone says "Nobel Prize winner for literature," what comes to mind? Is it a positive or negative reaction? Why do you think you have this reaction?

Definitely positive. I'm anticipating some really great, well-written books from these authors and winners of the Nobel Prize. I'm really very open minded about books. While some may think books by Nobel Prize winning authors might be stuffy (or pretentious), I prefer to keep an open mind.

What book did you choose? Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth

Who is the author / when did they win the Nobel Prize / nationality? 

Naguib Mahfouz (Arabic author) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie scripts, and five plays over a 70-year career. Many of his works have been made into Egyptian and foreign films.

Where does this story take place?

Ancient Egypt during the 18th Dynasty (1540-1307 B.C.) of Egyptian pharaohs, the reign of Akhenaten.

Why did you pick this particular book?

It has been on my TBR for some time, and it's on my Travel the World in Books list. Plus, I'm fascinated with ancient Egypt. Always have been.

What other authors / books did you also consider for this challenge? 

None really. I was seeking a short book since I have so much on my reading plate this month. This one fit the bill.
Also, this month....

My Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon over at Seasons of Reading, coming April 18 - 24. Sign up here. (Don't worry...you only have to read one scary book, and it doesn't have to be straight horror. Whatever is scary to you and within your comfort zone)

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, coming Saturday April 23. This is during my Spring Read-a-Thon. So, why not do both? Sign up here.

What else am I reading?

My TuesBookTalk read along group on Goodreads is reading The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James. Group details here.

My Classics Club Spin selection is The Shipping News by Annie Proulx.

Our featured author for our August online reading retreat at Lit Collective at Goodreads is Jane Smiley. We're reading A Thousand Acres, The Greenlanders, and 13 Ways of Looking at a Novel. Join us here.

It's going to be interesting to see if I can get all this reading done. Whether I do or not, it's the trying that is always fun.

Recent book acquisitions...

The Troop, Nick Cutter (one of my selections for Spring into Horror)
The Deep, Nick Cutter
The Treatment, Mo Hayder
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne
Child 44, Tom Rob Smith
Pigs in Heaven, Barbara Kingsolver
The Shards of Heaven, Michael Livingston (won from Fantasy Literature)
The Mistletoe Inn, Richard Paul Evans
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens
How to Write, Richard Rhodes
The Fast Diet, Michael Mosley
Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, Jennifer Chiaverini
The Book of Killowen, Erin Hart
Inferno, Dan Brown
The Devotion of Suspect X, Keigo Higashino
The Incas, Daniel J. Peters

What's going on in your Reading Life?

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Roots - The Read-Along...Won't you join me? #Roots

Coming up on Monday, May 30, the History Channel is airing a new mini-series of Roots. This is the iconic story based on the novel by Alex Haley. I remember the original television mini-series had a profound effect on me when I was a girl and I've always been meaning to read the book. So, in honor of the new mini-series, I thought I would host a read-along before it airs. Are you game?

The read-along will take place in April and May. The reading and discussion schedule is listed below. Please note: I am not a huge stickler for rules so you don't have to join in on every discussion. This is quite a tome so go easy on yourselves. To make things less hectic, I'm going to post discussions every two weeks, and at the end, we will have a final discussion.

Note on which edition I'm reading: Picador 1977 trade paperback edition, 639 pages

Reading/Discussion Schedule

April 1-7: Chapters 1-20, pp. 9 - 82
April 8-14: Chapters 21-37, pp. 82 - 165
April 15: Discussion - join me here at True Book Addict
April 15-21: Chapters 38-52, pp. 165 - 246
April 22-28: Chapters 53-69, pp. 247 - 325
April 29: Discussion - here at True Book Addict
April 29-May 5: Chapters 70-85, pp. 325 - 406
May 6-12: Chapters 86-97, pp. 406 - 486
May 13: Discussion - here at TBA
May 13-19: Chapters 98-107, pp. 486 - 563
May 20-26: Chapters 108-120, pp. 563 - end
May 27: Final Discussion - here at TBA

If you just can't resist (and I hope you can't), please sign up in the linky below. Looking forward to reading an excellent book, and to some great discussion with my fellow book lovers!

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