Top Ten Tuesday - Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Here's my top ten list of Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads!

1. The Sacred Well by Antoinette May
2. Quirky Berkeley by Tom Dalzell
3. All By My Selfie by Jo Noelle
4. Kentucky On The Rocks by Gwendolyn Grace
5. Life's Work by Willie Parker
6. The Common Secret by Susan Wicklund
7. Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World by Aja Raden
8. Orchid Fever by Eric Hansen
9. Half Past by Victoria Helen Stone
10. Black Mark's Resistance by Ebony Olson

Black History Month - John Lewis - U. S. Rep. & Civil Rights Leader

I have nothing but the deepest respect and admiration for U. S. Representative and Civil Rights Leader, John Lewis. 

The above YouTube video is of John Lewis speaking about his part/experience during 'Bloody Sunday' on Oprah's Masterclass on the OWN channel. The video footage is graphic and the message John Lewis shares is powerful. 

Thank you, Mr. Lewis, for your role in helping to peacefully fight against social injustice during the Civil Rights Movement and your continued contribution for equal rights.

The following is a quote from Wikipedia about John Lewis:

"Lewis became nationally known during his prominent role in the Selma to Montgomery marches when, on March 7, 1965 – a day that would become known as "Bloody Sunday" – Lewis and fellow activist Hosea Williams led over 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. At the end of the bridge, they were met by Alabama State Troopers who ordered them to disperse. When the marchers stopped to pray, the police discharged tear gas and mounted troopers charged the demonstrators, beating them with night sticks. Lewis's skull was fractured, but he escaped across the bridge to Brown Chapel, the movement's headquarter church in Selma. Before Lewis could be taken to the hospital, he appeared before the television cameras calling on President Johnson to intervene in Alabama. Lewis bears scars from the incident on his head that are still visible today."

I want to read the following books by John Lewis: March (graphic novel trilogy) and Walking With The Wind: A Memoir of the Movement.

Why Read The Handmaid's Tale?

I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood decades ago. I enjoyed reading this novel and would like to read it again in the near future as I've heard that Margaret Atwood is writing a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is a fabulous novel. This was my first experience reading anything written by Tayari Jones and her writing is engaging and hooks you in immediately. 

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is such a powerful read that gives readers a different perspective on not only marriage, but  on current racial issues, love, loss, devastation, anger, and how one's world is turned upside down in an instant when someone is falsely accused of a crime and spends time in prison as an innocent person.

The writing is phenomenal for An American Marriage and I found myself feeling a wide range of emotions while reading it as this novel makes you think about many aspects of life in a new way. 

The characters are well developed in An American Marriage and so is the plot. The bulk of the focus is on newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, as they navigate life while Roy spends time in prison for a horrific crime he didn't commit and how this effects his life, their marriage, and the entire family.

I liked many quotes from An American Marriage. Too many quotes to even share here in my review. However, "What happens to you doesn't belong to you, only half concerns you. It's not yours. Not yours only."  - by Claudia Rankine was quote before the novel even started and it was very relevant to this novel.

Below is a video clip of Tayari Jones talking about the inspiration for An American Marriage.

The following is a plot summary for An American Marriage by Tayari Jones from Goodreads:

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

I am giving An American Marriage by Tayari Jones a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Why Should You Read Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Reading Shakespeare's plays can be tough going, but they are relevant today as ever! 

Check out the above video to see why reading Macbeth is worth the read.

Memorable Meals in Literature

Interesting video about meals in literature!!

Happy Valentine's Day - 7 Novels About Love Triangles!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my blog readers! I hope you have a fabulous day today enjoying whatever you love doing... And of course spending time with loved ones as well!

I came across an article on Electric Literature titled, 7 novels About Love Triangles by Rheea Mukherjee. Love triangles make for an interesting topic for any novel or short story for that matter. 

Check out the 7 novels listed in Rheea Mukherjee's article and maybe you'll find your next read!

Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing Online!!

I had no idea that Margaret Atwood teaches an online creative writing class until I saw the above YouTube trailer!! There are 23 online classes taught by Ms. Atwood through Masterclass.

The above video trailer makes me want to enroll in her online class!

Are Textbooks Obsolete? Food For Thought!

I've never really thought about whether textbooks are obsolete or not before now. John Green's recent YouTube video about textbooks was really interesting. There's definitely some food for thought!

Black History Month - Spotlight - Harriet Tubman

I thought the above video was informative about Harriet Tubman's life. Now I want to read a book about her life that will give me a bit more detail.