alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

I read this one in a few pockets of downtime on my road trip, and really liked it. I remember this one being a Book of the Month pick a few months back, but for some reason it didn't interest me then. I read Everything, Everything by Yoon recently and liked it, and this was no different. A great YA read with well-developed and interesting characters and some surprises along the way that kept me interested and curious.

After reading Americanah, I knew I wanted to read more from Adichie. I loved this little (literally, SO small) book based on her TED talk -- I never grew up hearing about feminism but now strongly identify as one, and loved the points presented in this book. Definitely worth a read or a watch!

I really really try to like books by Christian authors that are geared toward women, I promise I do. But almost always, I find them to be pretty light, pretty uninteresting, and pretty average. I really want to LOVE them and get fired up by them, but I'm just realizing they're not my preferred books and that's okay. This one was a great story of Bianca's life and journey of faith, but I didn't really have any great takeaways from it and honestly even now, I can't remember too much about it a couple days later. I've heard good things about this one from other friends though, so maybe I should just stop reading these books and giving them mediocre reviews and actually read books I LOVE instead. Yeah, I'll do that. Don't listen to my thoughts on this one.

I read this for the "Read Harder" challenge (full post about all of my choices for that coming eventually!) and because I loved The Kite Runner when I read it back in high school. I didn't like this one quite as much, but still found it engaging and moving and really well-written. It's emotional and all about family ties, but I found it slightly confusing in parts and not quite as captivating as I remember Kite Runner to be. A solid read, though!

This was Oprah's book club pick and I also saw it on a list from Obama of his recommend reads, so I figured it was going to be amazing. It was definitely very good, but I wouldn't quite peg it as the best book of the year. It was powerful, absolutely sickening and heart-breaking in parts, really moving, but also a little slow in parts. If you don't know much about the underground railroad, or if all you know is what you learned in middle school history class, definitely grab this one. It will come to life in a way that will change you and make you want to be a freedom fighter even if it's risky and counter-cultural. We have come far in America, but this kept reminding me how much further we have to go. Definitely a thought-provoking and worthwhile read.

I can't remember the last time I read a play -- it was probably when I took a Shakespeare class in high school! This one was prompted by the Book Riot Read Harder 2016 Challenge, and I'm glad for it. (See all the books I read for reading challenges in 2016 HERE!) It's definitely a well-written, relevant play (focusing on an African-American family in Southside Chicago sometime after WWII) that read well as a book. Sometimes reading plays can be confusing or not very effective, but I genuinely enjoyed this one and followed it easily and well! It's a short one (150 pages, and the book itself is tiny in size) and a really quick read, but was such a descriptive and engaging glimpse at a family in a short but trying time of their lives. Definitely recommend reading this one if you get a chance! Anyone seen this play?! Curious how it is on stage!

I wept at this one several times. It was horrifying to read of the brutality that Lewis and his fellow Freedom Riders faced. It was sickening. It was heartbreaking. But it was also a necessary kick in the pants-- I never want to stay silent or passive when there is a necessary fight for equality and justice that needs to take place, and I want to rise up in the ways those men and women did, and fight for what is right. READ THESE BOOKS.

I didn't know what to expect from this trilogy, but I was blown away. I've never read many graphic novels (literally only like one last year for a reading challenge) but really appreciated it for the story Lewis tells here. These books are mostly told in flashbacks, with the modern day events of Obama's inauguration providing the context for why he's sharing these stories. It was powerful to read about all of his activism, his bravery in the face of incredible danger and unbelievable racism and prejudice... these stories reminded me of how brutally broken our country was just a short time ago, and how broken we still are. We have so far to go, but I was so inspired by Lewis to continue doing the hard work of reconciling and building bridges and bringing unity and justice to all of our neighbors, no matter their color. This trilogy is a must-read.