Reviews Posted This Week
I finished up a lot of books this week. I don’t have all the reviews posted yet. These are what I have so far.
Citizens Creek by Lalita Tamedy – Cow Tom, born into slavery in Alabama in 1810 and sold to a Creek Indian chief before his tenth birthday, possessed an extraordinary gift: the ability to master languages. As the new country developed westward, and Indians, settlers, and blacks came into constant contact, Cow Tom became a key translator for his Creek master and was hired out to US military generals. His talent earned him money–but would it also grant him freedom?
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg – Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.
Redefining Realness by Janet Mock – A journalist and activist who was profiled in a 2011 Marie Claire feature outlines bold perspectives on the realities of being young, multi-racial, economically challenged and transgender in today’s America, recounting her disadvantaged youth and decision to undergo gender reassignment surgery at the age of 18 before pursuing a career and falling in love.
1491 by Charles Mann – Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them.
brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson – In vivid poems that reflect the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, an award-winning author shares what it was like to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s in both the North and the South.
Prisoner of Azkaban for the Harry Potter Reread – Now with added eye candy!
Reading This Week
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World
Banana combines a pop-science journey around the globe, a fascinating tale of an iconic American business enterprise, and a look into the alternately tragic and hilarious banana subculture (one does exist) — ultimately taking us to the high-tech labs where new bananas are literally being built in test tubes, in a race to save the world’s most beloved fruit.
I’m also starting a new reading challenge for myself on New Year’s Day that I’m excited about so I’m not going to reveal too much of what I’m reading until then.
Great variety of books! That’s the way I like to read 🙂
The Paper Magician is still on my wishlist!
This is the first I’ve heard of a banana subculture. Looks like you’ve had a great week. Happy New Year!
A friend recommended Banana to me earlier this year, but I didn’t get around to reading it. I hope you enjoy it!