Finished one or two more books in the past few weeks to catch you up on. A couple of really cracking reads, and a couple other great ones underway!
Just Shelved
The 1619 Project was excellent. It’s based on the article that was originally published in The New York Times, and expands that project’s aim of presenting a new history of the origin of America, and follows that history right through into today. It collects writings by some of the most prominent Black authors (Jason Reynolds, Claudia Rankine, Michelle Alexander, Ibram X. Kendi, and Bryan Stevenson to name just a few). It’s an excellent overview of some of the most important events in this history and helps to draw connections between what is happening for Black people in America today, and their treatment going right back to 1619. It’s excellent, well written and not at all difficult to read. I’d highly recommend it.
Currently Reading
This Is Going to Hurt is one I’ve meant to read for years, and am only finally getting around to because of the TV show, which I’m enjoying. So far it’s pretty much exactly what I expected, but maybe a bit better – funnier, darker, more cutting. Cloud Cuckoo Land is the first book I’ve read from this year’s BookTube Prize assignment – so I can say absolutely nothing about it other than that I’m reading it! I adore Q’s Legacy. It’s one of my favourite books of all time. Liv J Hooper reviewed 84, Charing Cross Road recently and I replied with a recommendation to also try this if she enjoyed it, as it’s basically the full story of Hanff’s life surrounding 84. I thought about it a lot after commenting, and realized it’s been so long since I read Q that I’ve forgotten a lot, so I decided to pick it up again. Great choice.
Up Next
The Lincoln Highway and Unsettled Ground are the next two books I’ll be reading for the BookTube Prize. I was curious about The Lincoln Highway as I’ve never read Amore Towles before, so I’m interested to see how it goes. The Matter of Black Lives is one I only just came across. It’s a collection of writings from The New Yorker on the topic of race, which, as you know, is a topic I’m very interested to learn more about. It’s huge – 848 pages – so it’s one I’ll be dipping in and out of I expect.
That’s it for me this week! What about you guys? What have you recently shelved, what are you currently reading, and what are you planning to read next? Have you read any of these?
A weekly post that encourages bloggers to share what they have read in the past week, what they’re currently reading and books they’ve recently added to their TBRs. Originally started by Sheila at Book Journey, it is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.