Y’all Read This?

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix My rating: 4 of 5 stars  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ok. I needed to take a deep breath after reading this because it is indeed a horror novel, but not in the way I expected. Yes, there is witchcraft, but that is not where the real fear lies. In fact, you could strip the entire concept of it from this novel, and it would still be horrifying. This book is full of violence: against women, against birth, against race, against age. It's terrifying in its accuracy and in its persistence, because we have not progressed very far from the era it depicts. The real horror here is not supernatural. It's systemic, historical, ongoing, and very, very real. This book made me viscerally angry. That anger that you feel deep in your chest, that is hot and roiling and chokes you. The anger that makes your eyes sting and water, and makes your throat ache. I will never forgive people who think that any of this is ever okay. Never.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller My rating: 5 of 5 stars I make it a point to always listen to memoirs. Hearing the words of the author, in their own voice, makes for a powerful read. This book is no exception, it is the standard . Chanel's voice is powerful, yet restrained. Her control here, when everything within the book is out of her control, is remarkable and really reminds you that this isn't just a story told, but an event lived through. Chanel's story is not unique, but tragically common. I am not here to discuss the plague of sexual abuse in the world, but rather some personal reflections I had while listening. This memoir does not mince words about the participation of the public in the prosecution of victims. As a society, we have become rooted to the deep bottoms of the echo chambers of our social media feeds. We form strong, unexamined, often recycled opinions without considering the real, human, consequences of those opinions. Or whether we had the right to a...

And so we move from life at Lowood, to death at Lowood, and finally to the end of Lowood. These chapters are a lot and a little all at once: disease, loss, moral lessons, and a surprising amount of quiet resilience. ✦ Resurgam — Latin for “I shall rise again.” An interesting (and deliberate) choice to carve onto Helen’s grave. It’s simple but layered. It's both a Christian sentiment and a metaphor for Jane herself. Every time she’s crushed, she rises again. Still… poor Helen. Her calm acceptance of death hits harder than I remembered. Word of the Day:    Dissipated (of a person or way of life) overindulging in sensual pleasures. (Looking at you, later chapters’ “gentlemen.”) Bessie named her daughter after Jane! I did not remember that detail. What a lovely full-circle moment. Bessie was one of the only people in Jane’s early life who showed her any real affection, so this feels like a quiet little redemption for both of them. And now, we’re finally stepping out of Lowood and ...