It's a guy and a tiger on a boat, and I couldn't stop reading.

I'm not sure if I understood all the symbolism, but it definitely blew my mind. I love savagery v. civilization motifs, and the twist of finding God in the midst of it all worked for me. Pi's spiritual journey and "I just want to love" has stuck with me for a long time.

Pairings: Heart of Darkness (Conrad), The Poisonwood Bible.

There are not many books that make me cry, but this was one of them.

Wiesel's imagery and rawness is excellent - it is clear that he's writing to heal and help others heal. If you have any interest in the historical time around the Holocaust, (and even if you don't) this is a fantastic read.

*fans self*

Marjane recounts her experience as a child growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. As a young child, Marjane sees the changes from the permissible to the fundamentalist behaviors taking over, and she is confused. With progressive (but now staying under the radar for their safety) parents, she walks the very fine line between what is permissible in her world and what is regarded as "okay" in her home. As we see her mature in understanding, our heart breaks with her as she makes the inevitable transition to safety.

This story ripped me to shreds. I know there are several versions of this book, but done in this graphic novel/French drawing style beautifully, painfully well done. It's a reminder of what we lose in wars/corrupt politics...and that children/teens are still going to be children/teens and care about what they wear and what is trendy, while equally living with the day-to-day realities of war. Satrapi's writing cuts to the heart, and her raw, succinct images and words describe what happened not in an over the top way, but very plainly. She didn't overshare at all, and every morsel of what she did share contributed to the story.

This book changed me. I know very little about this history, but now I am very convicted that this is history I *need* to know and understand as best I can. I'm so thankful for Satrapi recording her story. I can't wait to read what else happens.


Pairings: The Handmaid's tale (specifically a study on child voice v. adult voice, but female v. male voice would also be fascinating in these books.)

After some time in Austria, we continue to walk with Marjane as a teen and young adult as she returns to Iran and finds that some things have changed...and some have stayed the same.

Things I want to remember:
-the way she "broke character" and spoke to the reader was so seamless. Really beautiful.
-the way she writes about people she didn't like was perfect - not too mean - just the basic truth.
-the way she speaks about her mother going gray after not seeing her for some time.

Marjane is just as endearing as an adult as she was as a child. We can connect to the dissonance she feels being "from" multiple places, the love heartaches, the back and forth with family. I especially connected to the fact that she was an only child (as an only child myself).

I love that both books end at the airport, and that she rips our hearts out with the disaster at the end. This is such a well-done book. I'm looking forward to reading more by Satrapi!

Aside: I heard Jo Saxton speak at a conference in the fall of 2016, and I knew that I wanted to read at least one book by her for my 2017 reading challenge. She was an incredible speaker, and a lot of what she said changed my life.

Finally - a book about Women's leadership that goes beyond talking about the "debated" scriptures and defaulting to an incorrect, guilt-ridden interpretation of Proverbs 31!

Saxton goes well beyond the initial leadership discussion - she dissects what 'ezer' actually means (spoiler: "helper" barely scratches the surface!) and its nuances for women in scripture. After a quick "why women in leadership is okay" discussion (which is worth reading even if you know the arguments - her explanations have a lot of depth) she discusses the roles of various women in the bible in their contexts, and how their leadership roles shaped them and their communities. These examinations are interwoven with important facets of leadership using both examples from the bible and stories from women in Christian and secular leadership. One of my favourite chapters was her discussion of the all too common struggles that women in leadership face...I feel so much less alone! She also has a significant portion of her book dedicated to ministry and leadership both as single, married, and with children, how these will look different, (but that none are lesser/more!) and how ALL of these roles are important, which I appreciated.

Saxton's writing is strong, clear, and just what we need in churches today. I can't wait to read more by her.

Even though there's so much pain on this issue (which she beautifully acknowledges), Saxton gives me hope that this pain can be healed someday.

This book was a big game changer for me. I have a lot of people I'd love to recommend this to!

I've been a fan of Cisneros for awhile, and had wanted to read this book since I heard about it.

The House on Mango Street is about a young girl, Esperanza, growing up in Chicago. Told in a series of vignettes, we see Esperanza tell us frankly about bright and dark sides of poverty from the perspective of an adolescent. She tells us stories about her neighbors, those always moving in and out (including her own family that moved around), piecing together the stories of her street, her home that she would someday move far away from.

Cisneros's imagery is beautiful, and she speaks the voice of a child in a way that you know she remembers actually being a child/teen. Some of her descriptions were so unique yet so spot on that they caught in my throat. The vignettes worked well in Esperanza's character development (and the way teens tend to flit from idea to idea in the first place) as well as telling mere pieces of a much larger story that we are left to guess at in many respects. But that's the beauty of it. She tells us what we need to know, and we are left to draw our own conclusions.

This book, while dated, gives a fabulous exegesis on spiritually abusive systems. I highly recommend this to anyone who left a cult-ish background, or any PKs (Preacher's/Pastor's Kids) out there.

There is a section on healing, as well, which has quite sound exegesis. Some of the stories aren't quite for every situation (the spiritual abuse I endured was much more subtle) but an excellent read even if you THINK you might have endured spiritual abuse.

This book made me grateful for my parents (who were NOT spiritual abusers or bought into it, thank God). Their commitment to each other, to me, and to God were the reasons we all (somehow) remained sane. They gave me the gift of being able to think for myself in the midst of a bunch of CRAP. ;)

I reacted to the end of this book similarly to how I reacted to the end of The Grapes of Wrath. I was so wrapped up with what I thought was the main plot, but no, no. The sickness was even more sick then I had imagined.

And the worst part is that this is becoming more and more true.

Not one of Dahl's best works, but still a fun read. Predictable, but sweet.