If you love books and aren’t yet following Mackenzi Lee, please allow me to introduce you to your new favorite person.
I have heard that Silvera’s books mess you up. Knowing that, I still got his debut More Happy Than Not and read it expecting to come out clean. Holy cow did I not.
I love reading. It’s probably the thing I’m most passionate about. But sometimes, it surprises me that every other human being on the planet isn’t just as passionate. (Who knew?)
A 2018 USA survey showed that 24% of adults had not read any part of a book in the last year! This may not surprise you. The truth is, reading can be difficult. Or more accurately, wanting to read can be difficult. There are a hundred reasons why people may not read often, if at all.
First off, thank you to this week’s sponsor, LoganArch!
We’re continuing our NaNoWriMo series with a LIVE episode from Geek Girl Con!
Ok, guys. I have a confession to make. I cheated a lil’ bit this month. Just a bit. I promised that I would read a book by an immigrant woman of color for every month in 2019 and I sort of did that, but I also sort of didn’t. This month’s book Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is all of those things, but it’s also not new to me. I first read Adichie’s Fifteen Suggestions last year after realizing that the constant damaging news cycle was often leaving me speechless when actually confronting people who were parroting “fake news.” I first read Adichie in an effort to help consolidate my own thoughts on feminism and as a sort of devotional text in the fight for equality.
So, let me start by saying that I realize that poetry is not for everyone. This is true for old poetry, with its repetitive rhymes and rigid structure, but it is also exceptionally true for much of modern poetry, which can sometimes read like some sort of self-indulgent exercise in emotional riddle-making.
But, after hearing an interview with poet Franny Choi, I couldn’t wait to get a hold of her new book of poetry, Soft Science. I usually love poetry and was intrigued by the ways Choi said she wove together the threads of politics, gender, sexuality and technology in her new collection. She also said that she did so using the language of technology and science, which I thought had to be super cool.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has popularized comic book heroes and made them accessible to audiences worldwide. Marvel has accomplished a feat in filmmaking with a 22 movie lineup that has spanned over a decade. They’ve shown us that heroes come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and races! Avengers: Endgame was released a month ago and I still get emotional just thinking about specific scenes. I loved every frame of the film. One of the film’s standout moments features all of Marvel’s female heroes in one shot, a visually empowering scene. For anyone seeking more ways to celebrate the women of Marvel, look no further.
The Harry Potter franchise changed the landscape of reading forever. The series reawakened a love of reading in adults and children alike.
But some of us get stuck with knowing what to read next. The problem with a great series is that they cause a book hangover (It’s a real thing. There’s an Urban Dictionary definition and everything).
You’re sad that the story is over, and reluctant to try anything new because it won’t be as good.
Never fear! There are book nerds like me who can confidently recommend what you should read next.
As an English teacher, I often have to remind my students that you don’t have to like a book for its message to be important. March’s book had me listening to my own advice. I really struggled writing this review. Yet, I think the tension that I felt while writing this blog is the entire point of reading this book.
This week’s episode is sponsored by…
Before we get started, don’t forget about our Patreon exclusive! We have a limited edition Hamilton-inspired pin that is only available for a few more days to people who become Patrons before March 31st!
And we also want to thank our newest Patreon supporters: Melanie, Kathryn, Renee, Whitney, Mara Jade, Karen, Alyssa, Jamie, Francisco, and Stacie.