nitroglycerin's Reviews (952)

This is not the book I expected it to be when I started reading it. I was expecting more focus on “the incident” and the fallout from that, however Reid focuses more on the impacts of the smaller every day acts people commit.

Emira, Black and 25 year old, is the baby sitter to Briar Chamberlin. She asked by Briars parents to take her out one evening while they deal with an emergency. While in a white, wealthy neighbourhood supermarket Emira is accosted by a security guard over why she is at a supermarket at 11pm with a white child. 

This happens fast, and then the story slowly unravels displaying the questionable or toxic behaviour people exhibit when they think they’re doing the best for people who are younger, or different. In this case it is white centrism and saviour complex as well as Black fetishism and tokenism. 

Alix Chamberlin, Briars mother, a social media influencer is beyond bizarre in her behaviours, and her ignorant husband and encouraging friends don’t help. Kelley, Emiras boyfriend has a disturbing fascination with Emiras race. Emira herself isn’t perfect, but she is a 25 year old who doesn’t know what she wants out of life, she just loves spending time with Briar. Their relationship is completely adorable throughout the book.

Listening to this made my long drives up and down the country much more enjoyable.

“I wrote about my experiences because I thought too many people tell young folks, “I never did anything wrong. Who, Moi? – never I. I have no skeletons in my closet. In fact, I have no closet.” They lie like that and then young people find themselves in situations and they think, “Damn I must be a pretty bad guy. My mom or dad never did anything wrong.” They can’t forgive themselves and go on with their lives. So I wrote the book Gather Together in My Name”

Well if that quote doesn’t sum up the contents of the second instalment of Maya Angelou’s autobiographical books then I don’t know what else will.

During the 4 years covered in this book (1944-1948, 17-21) Maya leads an interesting life. She becomes a cook, a waitress, a madam, a whore, a restaurant manager, a clothes sales person, and a professional dancer. She almost joined the army too. How does anyone do so much in such a short time?! 

The main running theme throughout, isn’t just the fact that young people make mistakes, but Mayas personal resilience and determination to make something of herself in a world where being a black woman was contrary to success. Mayas honesty, in airing her less than honourable professions and relationships is refreshing. Familial love is also a strong theme, with Mayas mother, brother and grandmother featuring, showering how blood connections are strong. 

It’s still hard to “rate” this book as it’s hard to rate someone’s life, but her life and story is told in such a fascinating way that I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

DNF at 47%
The book is a collection of previously released articles meant to come together as some sort of journal on nature. There are some good pieces in the first few months. Most of it is so boring I can’t even explain. Not to mention the fact that the articles don’t fit well together. They don’t have a narrative or theme which is what you’d expect from a bool of this structure. 

I feel it’s a shame to rate American Gods so low, but I just didn’t get it. I listened to the audiobook rather than reading the physical paperback and this may have played a part in it. It’s harder to keep up with an audiobook when you’re dipping in and out here or there. 

I genuinely feel like I missed the point. The plot. My experience  is just a garble of things that happened that barely seem to link. American gods is a classic too long with too little happening, and what is happening doesn’t really make much sense or make me care so it’s just washes over me without anything hooking me, type story. 

Not only did Gaiman let me down with the plot, but his characters didn’t charm either. Shadow, the main human character is incredibly two dimensional, that it’s hard to relate to him. All you really know is that he’s a good guy really, and he’s big. Did I mention he’s big? It’s about his only trait. The gods on the other hand as so interchangeable due to their lack of real distinguishing features that they may as well have been one god. Wednesday is the only exception since he is the main god we focus on, and the one joining Shadow in his.. adventure. 

Overall I do think I *get* what Gaiman was aiming for. I do. I just think that his intend doesn’t match the final output and what we have is a meandering tale about a boring, big man getting involved with lacklustre gods and stuff happening, but then not really happening in the end. 

I might revisit in paperback form one day and change my mind, but for now it is not for me. 

Unfortunately not as good as the previous three volumes. You can tell that this volume wasn't planned. Honda didn't even work in the bookstore by this point, and so the manga follows Honda interviewing people in different parts of the Japanese publishing industry. Quite honestly, it wasn't as interesting as the anecdotes from the store. Part of what made Bookseller Honda-san fun was the customer stories. It's what I connect to.