Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Thursday, December 29, 2022
Monday, December 26, 2022
Friday, December 16, 2022
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Saturday, December 10, 2022
Monday, November 28, 2022
Review: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars. This was excellent and so informative, even though it was written more than ten years ago. It was a difficult read because the content was so heavy, but still very accessible. I knew a fair amount about the content, but this provided a lot more information that I didn't know. For example, I didn't know that if you have a felony, you are not eligible for food stamps or public housing assistance. This is crazy to me because those with felonies also have a much harder time getting jobs so they are much more likely to need assistance. Everyone should be able to have basic needs (like food and shelter) met, so why would this be something the government takes away?
Alexander explains in depth how although drug use among Black people is about the same as any other race (and although they are actually less likely to commit violent crimes), law enforcement focuses their attention on predominately Black neighborhoods. Black people are also much more likely to be convicted with felonies than their white counterparts when they commit the same crime. It was really just sickening to read. It made me want to get a law degree or become a politician or something so that I could actually do something about it. Despite a very thorough explanation of this massive problem, Alexander didn't offer many solutions, except to emphasize that there is great need of massive social change. It made me feel strongly that I need to continue to work toward dismantling racism in my school and with my own family/friends to the best of my ability and teaching my children to do the same.
We had a great discussion about it in book club this month. Our discussion made me appreciate the book even more. It is a book everyone should read, and it should be required for anyone involved in the legal system or politics.
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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars. This was excellent and so informative, even though it was written more than ten years ago. It was a difficult read because the content was so heavy, but still very accessible. I knew a fair amount about the content, but this provided a lot more information that I didn't know. For example, I didn't know that if you have a felony, you are not eligible for food stamps or public housing assistance. This is crazy to me because those with felonies also have a much harder time getting jobs so they are much more likely to need assistance. Everyone should be able to have basic needs (like food and shelter) met, so why would this be something the government takes away?
Alexander explains in depth how although drug use among Black people is about the same as any other race (and although they are actually less likely to commit violent crimes), law enforcement focuses their attention on predominately Black neighborhoods. Black people are also much more likely to be convicted with felonies than their white counterparts when they commit the same crime. It was really just sickening to read. It made me want to get a law degree or become a politician or something so that I could actually do something about it. Despite a very thorough explanation of this massive problem, Alexander didn't offer many solutions, except to emphasize that there is great need of massive social change. It made me feel strongly that I need to continue to work toward dismantling racism in my school and with my own family/friends to the best of my ability and teaching my children to do the same.
We had a great discussion about it in book club this month. Our discussion made me appreciate the book even more. It is a book everyone should read, and it should be required for anyone involved in the legal system or politics.
View all my reviews
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Friday, November 11, 2022
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great reread! It's been at least 7 years (maybe more) since I last read this, so it was really fun to read it again. I still loved it!
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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great reread! It's been at least 7 years (maybe more) since I last read this, so it was really fun to read it again. I still loved it!
View all my reviews
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Monday, October 10, 2022
Saturday, October 8, 2022
Sunday, October 2, 2022
Saturday, October 1, 2022
Friday, September 23, 2022
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Review: The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I actually really liked this, much more than I expected to. I liked Circe, but I think maaaaybe I liked this one better, maybe because I wasn't expecting to like it too much. Achilles is just not my favorite person in Greek mythology, but this was very good. I still didn't like the character of Achilles, but it was narrated by Patroclus, and I loved him. I don't know why I was so surprised by this, but I'm glad I was! It was compelling throughout and had a beautiful ending. I'm so glad I finally read this!
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I actually really liked this, much more than I expected to. I liked Circe, but I think maaaaybe I liked this one better, maybe because I wasn't expecting to like it too much. Achilles is just not my favorite person in Greek mythology, but this was very good. I still didn't like the character of Achilles, but it was narrated by Patroclus, and I loved him. I don't know why I was so surprised by this, but I'm glad I was! It was compelling throughout and had a beautiful ending. I'm so glad I finally read this!
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Sunday, September 11, 2022
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Sunday, August 28, 2022
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Friday, August 12, 2022
Review: Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life
Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life by Alison Weir
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
I like Alison Weir's nonfiction writing a lot (haven't read her fiction stuff yet), but I'm not going to rate this because I set it down after a little more than a third. I read the parts I was most interested in and honestly I'm not sure I need to know that much detail about the rest of her life. It was good though! I'd like to read Weir's fiction about Eleanor's life at some point.
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My rating: 0 of 5 stars
I like Alison Weir's nonfiction writing a lot (haven't read her fiction stuff yet), but I'm not going to rate this because I set it down after a little more than a third. I read the parts I was most interested in and honestly I'm not sure I need to know that much detail about the rest of her life. It was good though! I'd like to read Weir's fiction about Eleanor's life at some point.
View all my reviews
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Tuesday, August 2, 2022
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Review: Love Comes Softly
Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this years ago and remember really loving it, but it was so long ago that I can't rate it because I don't remember it well enough!
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this years ago and remember really loving it, but it was so long ago that I can't rate it because I don't remember it well enough!
View all my reviews
Monday, July 18, 2022
Sunday, July 17, 2022
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Review: Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Monday, July 4, 2022
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Friday, June 10, 2022
Sunday, June 5, 2022
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Friday, June 3, 2022
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