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livsliterarynook
I definitely enjoyed this one more second time round as Anna found her feet much more and came into her own.
Now I want to read the next one but I'm rereading the whole Mercy-verse in order so I have a few Mercy books to get through first!
Now I want to read the next one but I'm rereading the whole Mercy-verse in order so I have a few Mercy books to get through first!
I really enjoy this series overall but Cry Wolf is not my favourite especially reading it after Alpha & Omega it just feels a little weaker.
A solid three star read. There is lots to like about this book, great pace, good characters, and a good plot. Overall very enjoyable and will be looking to pick up the next books in the series.
Israeli Apartheid is a easily accessible and solid introduction to the situation between Israel and Palestine. At times, it is a little dry from a literary perspective because of the heavy use of facts and figures and use of definitions. However, for those with little knowledge of the apartheid policies of the Israeli state this is a really good introduction for basics and it's not very long.
Initially Ben White draws on UN definitions in the introduction and draws comparisons with apartheid South Africa (which many readers are likely to be more familiar with) to help provide context and explain why Israel is an apartheid state. We should not, however, conceive of Israel and South Africa as exactly the same.
The book is then broken into three parts. First, White introduces the historical context of 1948 and Nakba, the destruction of Palestine state (with estimates of around 700,000 Palestinians exiled from their homes) and the creation of Israel. There is limited discussion about the wider geopolitical climate and influence of colonialism at this point, but there are some references to British imperialism.
The second part goes into context on Israeli state policies since 1948 and focuses on the ethnic cleansing policies. The restriction of resources available to Palestinians (notably water sources), the housing policies and dispossession of land, the settler colonialism policies, the construction of the wall and more. White highlights the human rights violations and makes clear references to policies, statements from politicians and rulings from courts etc to evidence this all. This is probably the most impactful section of the book as it provides a lot of context for the current situation and why the terminology of apartheid, ethnic cleansing etc is the appropriate language to use.
The final section focuses largely on what we can do now by drawing on the works of current NGOs and groups on the ground, which includes Israeli groups against state apartheid policies. This is followed by a frequently asked questions section which offers an exploration of several issues with a core focus on the racial and anti-Semitic concerns. White points out this is a focus on state politics and not an attack on the faith of individuals on either side. This is about human rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.
This is by no means an exhaustive book on the subject of Israeli apartheid policies but a useful introduction for anybody wondering where to begin. I picked this e-book up free from pluto press, but it's currently 50% off until May 24th 2021.
Initially Ben White draws on UN definitions in the introduction and draws comparisons with apartheid South Africa (which many readers are likely to be more familiar with) to help provide context and explain why Israel is an apartheid state. We should not, however, conceive of Israel and South Africa as exactly the same.
The book is then broken into three parts. First, White introduces the historical context of 1948 and Nakba, the destruction of Palestine state (with estimates of around 700,000 Palestinians exiled from their homes) and the creation of Israel. There is limited discussion about the wider geopolitical climate and influence of colonialism at this point, but there are some references to British imperialism.
The second part goes into context on Israeli state policies since 1948 and focuses on the ethnic cleansing policies. The restriction of resources available to Palestinians (notably water sources), the housing policies and dispossession of land, the settler colonialism policies, the construction of the wall and more. White highlights the human rights violations and makes clear references to policies, statements from politicians and rulings from courts etc to evidence this all. This is probably the most impactful section of the book as it provides a lot of context for the current situation and why the terminology of apartheid, ethnic cleansing etc is the appropriate language to use.
The final section focuses largely on what we can do now by drawing on the works of current NGOs and groups on the ground, which includes Israeli groups against state apartheid policies. This is followed by a frequently asked questions section which offers an exploration of several issues with a core focus on the racial and anti-Semitic concerns. White points out this is a focus on state politics and not an attack on the faith of individuals on either side. This is about human rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.
This is by no means an exhaustive book on the subject of Israeli apartheid policies but a useful introduction for anybody wondering where to begin. I picked this e-book up free from pluto press, but it's currently 50% off until May 24th 2021.
Eve out of Her Ruins is an absolutely beautiful book and utterly heartbreaking. It is not often that I cry when reading books, but this one clenched around my heart and brought several tears to my eyes.
Set in Mauritius the book follows four young teenagers in a run-down area of Port-Louis dealing with the prospects of a lack of future and the harsh realities of the world around them.
Eve herself is the fiercest of the characters, she is defiant and yet fragile. Her struggles and her story really broke my heart.
The way in which Ananda Devi writes is utterly beautiful and brilliant. Through Eve she examines femininity and the body, the destruction of the body, how men take from women and the power they can exert over women. Devi does not shy away from discussions of brutality, of abuse, of violence, and ultimately rape but the beautiful prose does make the reading experience bearable and heartbreaking.
This book is undoubtedly heavy and full of sadness, but it also had sparks of beauty. The moments of affection between Eve and Savita. The loyalty and the protectiveness the two young women felt towards each other. The realisation Clélio had about his future and about his brother, his drive to escape for a better future. The struggles of Saad to defy the gangs, to express his feelings in poetry.
For such a short novel, this book really blew me away and has left me feeling a little bereft by the end of the experience. One that is definitely going to stay with me for a long while.
Set in Mauritius the book follows four young teenagers in a run-down area of Port-Louis dealing with the prospects of a lack of future and the harsh realities of the world around them.
Eve herself is the fiercest of the characters, she is defiant and yet fragile. Her struggles and her story really broke my heart.
The way in which Ananda Devi writes is utterly beautiful and brilliant. Through Eve she examines femininity and the body, the destruction of the body, how men take from women and the power they can exert over women. Devi does not shy away from discussions of brutality, of abuse, of violence, and ultimately rape but the beautiful prose does make the reading experience bearable and heartbreaking.
This book is undoubtedly heavy and full of sadness, but it also had sparks of beauty. The moments of affection between Eve and Savita. The loyalty and the protectiveness the two young women felt towards each other. The realisation Clélio had about his future and about his brother, his drive to escape for a better future. The struggles of Saad to defy the gangs, to express his feelings in poetry.
For such a short novel, this book really blew me away and has left me feeling a little bereft by the end of the experience. One that is definitely going to stay with me for a long while.
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman
Wayward Lives is historical non-fiction which crosses into the realms of sociology and reads much more like fiction because of the style. This makes is accessible and literary and compelling to read. The book is firmly rooted in the lived experiences of Black women and Black queer individuals during the early 20th century. Hartman delves into the intimate lives of many individuals whose stories have been brushed over, forgotten, and attempts to unravel what happened to them, how they lived their lives, and what motivated them. There are elements where Hartman doesn't entirely know the exact details or discussions, but through extensive research into a variety of source material about the individuals she attempts to reconstruct the possibilities of what happened for the reader and reveals these individuals lives.
The book draws away from relying on facts and figures as these often ignore the lived experience of individuals. Hartman uses the historical approach of "reading against the grain" to see what pictures, newspapers, diaries, statistics can show us if we consider what they are not telling us, what they have not shown us.
Hartman also makes the reader think about who has written history, who has compiled these figures, what these figures were compiled for. For example when she looks at the number of female minors sentenced to reformatories during this period, this doesn't showcase that the state was attacking largely women of colour for expressing their sexuality, not upholding Victorian sensibilities and matrimony, even for travelling from work at late hours. These figures criminalise women who were being targeted by the state for the colour of their skin.
Hartman introduces us to many individuals like Gladys Bentley, a womanizer, a breaker of gender norms, an individual who did not comply with the heteronormative and monogoamous behaviours of the time. A queer individual persecuted by the 1930s state laws requiring female performers to apply for licences to perform in men's clothes.
To married couples like Aaron and Eva Perkins segregated by the laws punishing a Black woman because they could and sending her to a reformatory.
This book is full of injustices and angering, but also full of rebellion and lives lived, of refusing to succumb to persecution, of the desire for more. It's a brilliant book that offers a lot of insight and is clearly thoroughly and expertly researched and definitely one I recommend.
Wayward Lives is historical non-fiction which crosses into the realms of sociology and reads much more like fiction because of the style. This makes is accessible and literary and compelling to read. The book is firmly rooted in the lived experiences of Black women and Black queer individuals during the early 20th century. Hartman delves into the intimate lives of many individuals whose stories have been brushed over, forgotten, and attempts to unravel what happened to them, how they lived their lives, and what motivated them. There are elements where Hartman doesn't entirely know the exact details or discussions, but through extensive research into a variety of source material about the individuals she attempts to reconstruct the possibilities of what happened for the reader and reveals these individuals lives.
The book draws away from relying on facts and figures as these often ignore the lived experience of individuals. Hartman uses the historical approach of "reading against the grain" to see what pictures, newspapers, diaries, statistics can show us if we consider what they are not telling us, what they have not shown us.
Hartman also makes the reader think about who has written history, who has compiled these figures, what these figures were compiled for. For example when she looks at the number of female minors sentenced to reformatories during this period, this doesn't showcase that the state was attacking largely women of colour for expressing their sexuality, not upholding Victorian sensibilities and matrimony, even for travelling from work at late hours. These figures criminalise women who were being targeted by the state for the colour of their skin.
Hartman introduces us to many individuals like Gladys Bentley, a womanizer, a breaker of gender norms, an individual who did not comply with the heteronormative and monogoamous behaviours of the time. A queer individual persecuted by the 1930s state laws requiring female performers to apply for licences to perform in men's clothes.
To married couples like Aaron and Eva Perkins segregated by the laws punishing a Black woman because they could and sending her to a reformatory.
This book is full of injustices and angering, but also full of rebellion and lives lived, of refusing to succumb to persecution, of the desire for more. It's a brilliant book that offers a lot of insight and is clearly thoroughly and expertly researched and definitely one I recommend.
