Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.
Not a ton of reads this past month, as I've been working my way through A People's History of the United States.
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ by Joseph Smith, Jr.: Despite the dryness of most holy texts, I've enjoyed this project of reading them for the ability to see exactly what is in these books. I had a LOT of thoughts about this read, but I will sum them up by saying that it seems like Mormons think they can convert people if they could just get them to read this book, and in my case, that definitely didn't work.
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine: Using a collection of personal stories and those of people she knows, told as the second-person "you," Rankine immerses the reader in the modern-day experience of being a black woman in America. I loved the audiobook narrator but got a bit lost in the collection of video transcripts near the end. I definitely recommend this read.
Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria E. Anzaldúa: I don't think I "got" what makes this book a classic, maybe because I don't speak any Spanish. There were portions of the book that were very powerful and resonant, but then it would go off in weird directions and I would have no idea what was going on. I'm glad some people have gotten a lot from this book, but I found it difficult to get through.
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondō: This was 100% what I expected and needed out of a "master class." Although we'd pared down our possessions the first time around (after reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, this gave me detailed suggestions for organizing and storing those things we want to keep.
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns: This was a reread of a previous favorite for book club. I still love many of the characters and the picture the novel paints of a small Southern town at the turn of the 20th century. There was some troublesome parts I missed the first time around, though, and I don't think I realized how much the book is trying to get us inside the head of a 14-year-old boy. Still recommended, but with more caution.
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer: I bumped this to the top of the list after reading The Book of Mormon. It's a fascinating look at Mormon Fundamentalism and how the early years of Mormonism provided the roots for various fundamentalist beliefs, particularly polygamy and blood atonement. Much of what is true of Mormonism is true of other religions, but as Krakauer says, this is a faith that came of age during the era of the printing press, so we can trace its development much more easily.
What have you been reading this month? Share over at Modern Mrs. Darcy!
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