we were liars

Okay. So, it took me a good two weeks to get into we were liars by E. Lockhart but once I started it was hard to put it down. This book was just sooo different. The way it was written, I can't describe it but it was just different. What I really enjoyed about the book was the imagery. Everyone has those moments when they feel like their world is coming apart but you can't find the right words to describe it, but Lockhart found the perfect words every time. Below is an example of when Candence, the main character, and her mother are watching their dad leave their family.

"Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood gushed rhythmically from my open wound,
then from my eyes,
my ears,
my mouth.
It tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of our house, the bricks of the path, the steps of the porch. My heart spasmed among the peonies like a trout" (lockhart 5).

The narration was different not that there was anything specifically different about it but the voice created for Candence was haunting. My favorite part of the novel was definitely the end. BIGGEST PLOT TWIST EVER. Throughout the book, Candence is trying to remember what happened to her and her family during summer fifteen on the island. While she is trying to piece together what happened so was I and finding out the entire story pushed me to keep on reading.

By far my favorite book that I've included on my blog so far (I feel like I say this about every book).

Loteria!

So last week (my reading time crazy right now) I read Loteria, written by Mario Alberto Zambrano. This book is by far one of my favorite books, it might just be my favorite ever. I think the fact that I could connect to this book at such a deep level made it that much more interesting to me. It was all kinds of awesome. Loteria is a game and it's basically the Mexican version of bingo. My family plays this game at every family gathering, whether it's just an ordinary dinner or a special holiday. The way the game works is pretty similar to regular bingo but instead of numbers on the card there are pictures the represent the way of life. By that I mean that every image has a really deep meaning behind it as to why it is part of our lives and universe (that's a completely different post on its own because some of the meanings are intense and life but I wouldn't actually write a post about that because no body has time for that). Also, the cards are not just called out, there are riddles that go with each card and whoever is calling out the cards sings the riddle and if you know what card it's talking about you can play that way but most people just look at the cards as they are being put down on the table. There are many different ways to win, the easiest is whoever covers their card completely but there are square, line, and corner patterns that can be used to win. Another common thing when playing Loteria is to play for money. Each person puts in the agreed amount a game is worth and the first to yell "loteria!", is the winner of the bag.

Now why we're all here, the book....

This novel had fifty-four chapters, one for each card. At the beginning of each chapter there is a picture of a card and the rest of the chapter is a memory that Luz, the main character, connects to. That structure it self was something to get used to. With some of the cards she connected them to memories of her family. For example, one card reminded her of her mother. After several chapters, readers discover that Luz's mother has abandoned their family and has left Luz to live with an alcohol dependent father and a sister who was clearly ashamed of her surroundings. The situation that Luz is in is intense. During the book, she sits at her desk with a journal and her deck of Loteria cards. She's not in her room though. After a series of unfortunate events, Luz is residing under state custody while Estrella, her sister, fights for her life in the ICU and her father sits in prison. I did not connect to the book through the memories Luz had because I've never experienced any of the pain she has but I felt a connection through the cards.

I think the reason I enjoyed the book so much was because of how some of the cards and their connections to Luz's life were written. For example, La Pera (the pear) was a memory of how one of their dear family friends passed away. As Luz and her family were entering the waiting room at the hospital she sees one of her cousins sitting on the floor eating a pear. It's the small connections that I enjoyed the most. The way I kind of see the book written, and I'm not sure if this was what the author wanted but I see each chapter as a riddle to Luz's life. Since each card has a designated riddle that goes with it, Luz also has her own relationship with each card. The book got really intense during some sections and there were a lot of twists and surprises. Definitely inspired me to read more fiction.


Some of the cards......
  

if i stay

if i stay written by Gayle Forman was an awesome book, so awesome that I finished it in two days. I'm sure you guys have heard Mrs. Romano talk about this book several times in class and she did recommend it to me. I've read quite a few YA novels but this has to by far be one of my favorites.

One of the reasons I couldn't put down the book was because of the time period change in between chapters. I'm a huge fan of writers who structure their books having a pattern of one chapter in the present then the next recalling memories. I think its an effective way of telling the story but also allowing readers to know more about the characters through their previous actions and this almost allows readers to predict how someone may act in the situation they are in. 

So basically, Mia, the main character, goes on a car drive with her family and they get into a terrible accident. Mia is the only survivor and has an out of body experience as she watches herself being transported to the hospital and rushed into surgery. She watches as her extended family comes pouring into the waiting room and witnesses Adam, her boyfriend, attempt to visit her in the ICU. While all the chaos in the hospital is happening, readers learn about her family and family friends through a number of stories. I liked this because even though her parents and little brother were killed off during the first chapter, I still learned about them throughout the entire novel so they were never really gone. Mia realizes that the reason she is in this spirit mode is because she is the one who gets to decide whether she wants to join her family or if she wants to live and find a way to continue her life with all that she has lost. She may not have her parents and little brother but she still has her grandparents and Adam and Kim, her best friend, and the cello. Mia is a gifted cellist and had a bright future in the music industry. I won't spoil the ending but it pissed me off. I just couldn't believe that Gayle Forman finished the book were she did and the excerpt from the next book that was included at the end had me a little peeved. I just don't understand why the author did that to the characters. I want to read the next book but I cannot bring myself to accept the story line.

My favorite part of the book was when Mia's grandfather had come to visit her. He was alone this time, without grams, and he just sat at Mia's hospital bed and silently cried. I'll admit, I teared up a bit. He went to on to tell Mia that he understood if she was ready to leave them and join her parents and teddy, but he also expressed how really did not want her to go. Gramps, always the strong and silent type, was pleading Mia to stay. I felt like I was on the other side of the bed watching everything unfold before my eyes. The entire novel was filled with these type of heart wrenching moments.

I clearly have mixed feelings about this book. It was a situation that I hadn't read  about before. The structure was cool and the characters were interesting. On the other hand, I hated the ending!!!! I'm not going to be able to let that go. 

Who saved your life?

I just finished reading Shakespeare Saved My Life, a memoir written by Laura Bates. Bates is an English professor at Indiana State University, who began a program at the local prison that would allow inmates from the maximum security unit to analyze and discuss the work of Shakespeare.

This wasn't a book I went after or was even looking for,  I was just at the library and I came across it. This was really different than anything that I've read to date. I don't think there was anything special about it style wise, but the content was shocking. I'm considering a career in criminal justice and I have a relative who was in prison for several years (though it was nothing like the inmates in the book) so everything about the book was interesting to me.

My favorite part of the book was the sentence that inspired the title of the novel. After several years, Bates had finished her program with a certain group of  inmates who had the most impact on her life. One of the prisoners in particular, Newton had made a special connection with her. He had been troubled his entire life, serving over ten years in solitary confinement, the young twenty-something year old had his life changed by Bates. Before their interactions he was a violent human who had numerous escape attempts under his belt. By the end of the program

his attitude towards life was no longer evil, he wanted to further his education and make a difference helping people. Bates’s  final meeting with the convicts was bitter sweet. She was proud she introduced something so beautiful to people who had only met ugly behind bars. This was her final encounter with the group:

Whenever a participant left the program, I distributed a short survey in which I asked, “What has Shakespeare done for you?”

“It helped me to expand my mind,” Greene had written.

“ It introduced me to a whole new world,” Jones had written.

“It got me out of my cell,” Guido had written.

After I watched Newton disappear down the hallway, I took the folded paper out of my pocket. It was the survey. What has Shakespeare done for you? He had written, “Shakespeare saved my life” (Bates 152).

If it’s possible for a memoir to have a climax I think this is without a doubt the moment., it gave the book its meaning.

Structurally, the chapters were short, none being more than three or four pages. This made it, not an easy read, but it was easy to get through because of that. There were also photos included and I really liked this because I felt like a part of the group. Those weren't just words on paper, Bates went to an actual prison and got inmates to sew a quilt together.

While reading this, all I could think of was the tv show Beyond Scared Straight. It’s basically a program that gathers a group of troubled teens and takes them into a prison for a day to witness how daily life would be like if they continued on their destructive path.

Overall it was a solid book. I’d recommend it but it’s definitely not for everyone, it’s not fiction so there’s no “good” or “bad” writing.

ASSATA pt.2

I settled down one Sunday and finished Assata. As I mentioned before, the chapters in this autobiography switched from present day to chronologically reminiscing her past. Eventually the time periods met and towards the end of the book, all events are present. Once I reached the end I held conflicting emotions.  I was captivated throughout all the chapters but just as the part I had been looking forward to was approaching (her prison escape), I was hit with the postscript. WHOA, HOLD ON. Where is this legendary escape? How did she get out? Who helped her? Was it like the show Prison Break (awesome show by the way)? After I finished the the entire book I realized that my favorite part of the book was the postscript. Sure, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t learn the details, but that was what made it great. There are dozens of articles describing Assata’s escape and her one chance to set the record straight was not taken.  Most of what is written about her is biased, whereas this entire book was her account of events. I just found it so odd how society can have one perception of Assata Shakur and her book tells the complete opposite. I think that’s why she decided not to include the story of her escape. It was a life changing event and it’s moment she keep to self. I had fun thinking of her escape. There were moments that I thought, “damn, Assata was a badass” and at other times I recognized her weakness and flaws. Articles describing her escape state that she escaped with the help of three armed men but how can I believe these reports when these are the same people who beat her in her hospital bed? I can’t.

The postscript begins with her arrival in Cuba, which she describes as, “ Lazy sun against blue-green ocean. A beautiful city of narrow, spider-web streets on one side of town and broad, tree-lined avenues on the other. Houses with peeling paint and vintage u.s. cars from the 40s and 50s” (Shakur 267). Here, she learns from the villagers that race does not exist to them. Color was just color, nothing more. It was clear she was revived once she began her life in Cuba. I found inspiring that through all she has dealt with, she still wanted to understand and dive into learning about a different culture. The postscript was hope. It showed hope for Assata’s future and her hope for humanity was once again sparked.   

Besides the postscript, I really enjoyed the poems that were included at the conclusion of each chapter. My favorite poem by far is Culture, (Shakur 159).

Culture

i must confess that waltzes

do not move me.

i have no sympathy

for symphonies.

i guess i hummed the Blues

too early,

and spent too many midnights

out wailing to the rain.

All of the poems that were included perfectly summed up a feeling that Assata had felt during that chapter. I helped me better understand her pain or happiness or to see her optimism better than the chapter had. I also think all of her poems were relatable. She wrote about love, about tradition, about society, about everything that a reader can relate to in one way or another. The choice to include these poems was interesting to me and it was actually the first time I had read a book that was set up this way. I’ve read books that were entirely poems, or based on a poem, but nothing like this. That part of the structure was really fun.

Overall, I’m glad to take this book off of my to read list, and I hope others add it to their list.

I give it 5 Stars!

ASSATA

Hey there!

Lately, I've been reading the book Assata, which is an autobiography  written by Assata Shakur. The name Shakur is familiar to many as it is the shared name with hip-hop icon Tupac. Assata was in fact Tupac's step-aunt and godmother, which is one of the  reasons why I became interested in reading this book in the first place. Another reason is Dr.Hill's African American Studies course where we tackled the topic of the Black Panther Party, which is when I was first introduced to Assata.

A little background information: Assata Shakur, born JoAnne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. After being convicted of murder in 1973, Assata served two years in prison then escaped to Cuba, where she now resides. She is the first female to be added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list. While the Assata action was hot during the 70’s, many civilians relied on the media for factual news. Of course being a biased  industry at the time, Assata was named public enemy number one. The accused murder of a police officer on the New Jersey turnpike is the introduction to a captivating first chapter.

Assata begins her autobiography by including a poem called Affirmation. This poem sets the melancholy mood that is found again at the end of the first chapter. The first few pages of the chapter are a snapshot of the turnpike incident. Captured by exact detail, the moment was painted in my mind. I was lying next to her as this happened. The first lines read, “There were lights and sirens. Zayd was dead. My mind knew that Zayd was dead. The air was like cold glass. Huge bubbles rose and burst. Each one felt like an explosion in my chest. My mouth tasted like blood and dirt”(Shakur 3). After reading the first few pages I expected the book to be entirely in this format. I was wrong.

As chapter two approaches, we are again met with another poem. This led me to just skim ahead and look there the book to find that there is a poem at the beginning and end of every chapter. I really like this idea. I’ve never read and entire book that was like this. I think these poems hold a lot of power because they suggest what the next chapter is about and wrap up the previous chapter. Anyway, chapter two- whoa. Huge change from what I had just read. At this point, the author delves into her past reminiscing about her childhood and her family. I found it fascinating to learn about someone who became such an icon for black activists, for the black community in general , someone who is considered a terrorist, had such a wonderful and ordinary (at least during that time period) childhood. This was by far my favorite part of reading. It was personal and a side of her that the public never had a chance to see. 

          I’m literally only two chapters deep in this book (oops), but I already know I’m going to love it. I’m looking forward to reading about her prison escape and about her family and how she became involved in activist community. 'Til next time!