Well…it’s been a longer while than last time, hasn’t it? š
I wasn’t expecting to go on a second blog hiatus, but it looks like that’s exactly what happened. I ended up getting really sick, and the recovery time has been lengthy. I’m still not well yet, and at this rate, it’s going to continue to take time until I’m back to where I was before. But I wanted more than anything to return to blogging – I’ve certainly missed talking to my bookish friends here and talking about books. So slowly but surely, I’m returning from unexpected hiatus #2, which also means mini-reviews #2! They’re a few books I’ve read since I was gone. I hope you’ve been able to kick off your new year with some good reads!
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CONTENT WARNINGS
Abuse (off-page), death of a prominent character, death of a parent, homophobia, transphobia, violence
The Rosewater Redemption by Tade Thompson
The Rosewater RedemptionĀ is the last book in theĀ WormwoodĀ trilogy. The Mayor of new city-state Rosewater is finding the debts incurred during the insurrection to be creeping up on him. Nigeria will not let Rosewater go without a fight. And the cityās alien residents are threatening mass murder. The hope for Rosewater lies in the former fugitive Bicycle Girl, Kaaro, and Femiās hands.
I’m ending off this trilogy very happy that I read it, and it’s definitely got me in the mood for reading more sci-fi in the future. I’ve found with some sci-fi books set on Earth that there isn’t as much worldbuilding, but with theĀ WormwoodĀ trilogy, the world and its history feels as vast of a world as you’d expect from a series set in space. And while there was a lot that took place (at what feels like at once) in the final installment, I found the pacing fitting for the series. If you’re looking for a very unique sci-fi trilogy, I would recommend this one.
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Conjure WomenĀ is a story that takes place during the course of the American Civil War. It follows Miss May Belle, her daughter Rue, and her masterās daughter Varina. This story explores their bonds at the dawn of the Civil War, while the birth of an accursed child spreads fear among the townspeople.
The writing of this book throughout is absolutely gorgeous – I was captivated from the beginning. I really took my time with reading this book and I’m glad I did as it was truly an immersive reading experience. However, I did find the way that the timelines were written was not as clear at times. Regardless, this book shines in its characters, and the way their relationships change and evolve over the course of the novel.Ā
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CONTENT WARNINGS
Rape, kidnapping, assault, death of a loved one, physical abuse
Difficult Women by Roxane Gay
Difficult WomenĀ is a collection of stories about the lives of many women who live unconventional lives. This book explores the lives of these women and how their experiences and traumas shaped them into both who they are now and the lives that they live today.
When seeing the title of this book, I was honestly expecting stories about women being called difficult for speaking up. In reality, it explored in-depth the lives of many women and their hardships and traumas, and what they felt in those times as well as now. There’s definitely lots of reflection after each story, and I realize more and more about these stories as I continue to think about them after reading.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
How to Do NothingĀ explains the power of attention and why so many entities compete for our attention 24 hours a day. The book also provides commentary on our current culture of productivity and how it leaves no room for rest and recovery. Odell’s commentary and anecdotes provide insights on the state of the attention economy and how to remain connected in a more meaningful way.
This book was a bit of an impulse buy for me (although I already knew the synopsis from Goodreads). This book is more of a commentary/discussion on the attention economy, which I knew going into the book. And while all of the anecdotes the author provides are equally interesting, from history to the arts to environmentalism, I just felt like the writing of this book was not organized. The author jumps to these many examples and there’s just so much of it for what’s just over a 200-page book to go in-depth on.
I’m looking forward to returning to blogging again! I hope that you were able to ring in 2021 with some good books!
I noticed I hadnāt seen any of your posts lately. So sorry to hear youāve been sick. Take care and hope you get back to normal soon š¤
Thank you so much Tessa! š¤
I was wondering where you were! So glad to hear you’re on the mend finally. Thanks for the update; take care of yourself!
Thank you so much! I feel like I’m not quite on the upswing yet, but definitely doing better than before š