New Boy

February was favorite authors

Tracy Chevalier was on my mother's list. While she noted that Tracy does historical romance, I looked at her list of published works and found this gem.

So I am going to be honest, I am not a big fan of Shakespeare. Because of that, I have never read Othello. And that's what this is, a retelling of Othello. Set in an elementary school outside Washington D. C., Chevalier's characters are sixth grade children just a month away from summer vacation and a larger school in the mid-1970s. Osei is the new student that stands out with his rich dark skin in an all white world he finds himself all too frequently in. Dee is fascinated by him and just a little in love as soon as she lays eyes on him. Ian does not like this interloper encroaching on his territory. Mimi is concerned by and for Osei in his newness, Dee as her best friend, and Ian who has so much control over her. 

As someone who doesn't particularly care for Shakespeare's tragedies, I'll also be among the first to admit to his timelessness. Chevalier does a great job of seamlessly retelling the story in this new setting, and it is believable. The prejudice against the unknown and different translates boldly in this playground drama that takes place in a single, tension-charged day.

And I gotta say, I don't like the story of Othello! Shakespeare sure loved to crush you! But I love this retelling. It gives the story a new audience: those who don't read Shakespeare. I love seeing more of this. So please, read this one, recommend it to others, and send me any other retelling you think I should read!

The Beauty That Remains

So this year the book club is doing lists. The leader of the group has themes and each month the members of the group each post the top 5 for that theme and then pick a book from another member's list. I'm a little behind schedule since it took me some time to get to the library, but I finally got novels from the first 3 months and I am reading like crazy! I am hoping to post a lot more this year!

January was favorite books

I picked The Beauty That Remains from a list and I am so glad I did! It was such an amazing read!

So this novel by Ashley Woodfolk follows 3 narrators, each having list someone close to them, and follows them on their journeys through grief. Autumn has lost her best friend in a car accident, Logan's ex-boyfriend has committed suicide by drug overdose, and Shay's twin sister lost her battle with cancer. Each of the characters is dealing with their loss in different ways as they try to figure out how their lives are supposed to continue from this shattering spot.

Woodfolk does an incredible job at expressing the unique ways in which grief effects us and how we choose to deal with it. As she tells the stories of youths already forced to deal with so much from the outside world, she gives each a distinctly different voice that makes them amazing characters. Not everything works out, not everyone is fixed in the end, but we are given hope, something desperately needed after all the pain throughout this novel.

This story broke my heart many times, nearly bringing me to tears often, and then pressed all the pieces back together again with the hope of mending. I don't think I will ever truly be over this book; it will stick with me for some time. If you haven't read this one, I highly recommend it, although with a lot of caution because it could be triggering for those that have suffered similar losses. This book is really a masterpiece!