WWW Wednesday – July 22, 2020

Since I’m really enjoying checking in here weekly, I’m going to continue doing the WWW Wednesday tag hosted by Taking on a World of Words. I like having a chance mid-week to share what I’m reading and see what you guys are up to, as well.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. This is another Libby hold I’ve been waiting for so I wanted to go ahead and get to it before I have to return it. This is a thriller which follows a group of friends who go on a New Year trip and get stuck at a secluded hunting lodge when a blizzard rolls in. Oh and someone is murdered. I’m only two chapters in, but it already feels a lot like The Guest List. I really enjoyed that book so I expect I’ll either also love The Hunting Party, or I’ll be unimpressed by it. We’ll see!

I finished four books since last Wednesday. First, I finished Black Enough which is a short story collection edited by Ibi Zoboi. I really enjoyed every single story in this collection and that is rare in short story collections. I love that not every story was about pain and suffering; readers get to see Black joy which I think is incredibly important. Some of the stories that stuck with me include “Black. Nerd. Problems” by Lamar Giles and “Kissing Sarah Smart” by Justina Ireland. Definitely pick this up if you’re interested in discovering new black authors; it’s a great way to sample over fifteen in one go.

I also finished The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. This is a non-fiction book that discusses the fact that even though the US had a Black president, we aren’t past racism. Specifically, Black men and their communities are suffering the effects of continued mass incarceration. I listened to this on audio while I was cleaning and doing laundry. I definitely want to pick this up physically at some point. There is a ton of information in this book and I know I missed some pieces. This is a little more dense than some of the other nonfiction I’ve read recently so I went through it pretty slowly but it was worth it. I think Alexander offers a huge piece to the puzzle that is the current situation in the US (and globally).

I also read continued my read-through of the Percy Jackson series with Rick Riordan’s The Sea of Monsters. I can’t say too much without spoiling the first book but I will say that I think this sequel brings the same comedy and action that I love in the first book. I only wish it was longer! The ending of The Sea of Monsters really has me pumped to continue the series next month. Also, I really love Tyson and want him to be protected at all costs.

Additionally, I finished Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. I listened to this on audio while reading along and I definitely have some thoughts. This play follows John Proctor and Abigail Williams who live in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials. Everyone’s being accused of being a witch, the girls are acting weird, and there’s total chaos. I read this in high school and had a good time with it. This time around I was more in tune with the connection to the Red Scare of the 1950’s but I had some problems with the way women and people of color were talked about. I’ll definitely have a little more to say in my July wrap-up, though.

The last book I finished this week, I just finished last night. That was Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward. This is a nonfiction memoir where Ward tells the stories of the men in her life she lost to suicide, drugs, accidents and also talks about her experiences growing up poor in the southern US. This book has an interesting narrative structure that, on paper, sounds confusing, but really works. Ward’s writing is powerful and beautiful while telling a truly heartbreaking story about a world that just doesn’t work in favor of, or value, Black men.

Next up for me has to be The Rise of Kyoshi by F. C. Yee. This is on my original TBR for the month and I just haven’t had a chance to get to it yet because of all my Libby holds (oops). This is part of the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe and follows Avatar Kyoshi, a female Avatar who existed before Aang. The second book in this series is out this month and I’m just excited about having more Avatar content in my life.

Have you read any of these books? What are you reading? If you participate in WWW Wednesday, link me your posts!