Skip to main content

Upcoming titles

By

 From Nija:

Hello All - 
If you did not make it to our meeting today and you would like the two hours of PD credit, please respond on the blog by Wednesday. Attendance will be submitted on Thursday (12/3) morning. 

Below are the readings for the next few months. 

December  - The Death of Vivich Oji by Akwaeke Emezi\
January - What is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi and "Here for It" by R. Eric Thomas - (choose one)
February - Born a Crime - Trevor Noah (link below)

Comments

  1. John DeGrandisDecember 16, 2020 at 5:09 AM

    For me, the Death of Vivich Oji by Akwaeke Emezi was an amazing novel. I typically do not read fiction, but this book unearthed memories and emotions I had not felt in many years. The relationship between Ocita and Vivek reminded me of a similar relationship I had when I was a teenager. Having to hide the love you have for someone is difficult enough but when you are afraid to the point of hurting the very object of your affection, something is very wrong.

    Vivek's mother reminded me of my own mother and the deep-seated disdain she had for the gay community. Vivek's mother, Cavita, only realized how she and her husband created a home where Vivek could not feel comfortable and safe until it was too late. Vivek only felt happy and comfortable turning to his close friends for acceptance and safety to express his true self.

    I was surprised at the number of sex scenes in this novel. They were handled with finesse by the author and I could appreciate the imagery and language used to create the scenes. However, I am not sure I would feel comfortable using this novel in school due its graphic nature. Maybe I am just being old fashioned. But the themes and message are so good and I think the students would so enjoy it, especially because of the LGBTQAI+ issues, which are all present in the novel that it may be well worth the attempt.

    The one scene that will stick with me is near the end of the book, when Ocita is telling us what actually happened to Vivek the day he died. I am still angry that Ocita did not tell Cavita the truth. I think this is what would most likely happen in real life, but I wanted Ocita set free as well.

    Overall, I highly recommend this novel for an adult audience. I am not sure that I would use it in school, though I truly would like to. I would be open to suggestions on how this book could be used in the classroom.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

December and January Meeting Monday, January 29

By
DECEMBER    The Sherlockian by Graham Moore   Moderator, Brad Craddock JANUARY         My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallant   Moderator, Shelley Davis Hurtling from present day New York to Victorian London,  The Sherlockian  weaves the history of Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle into an inspired and entertaining double mystery that proves to be anything but "elementary." In December 1893, Sherlock Holmes-adoring Londoners eagerly opened their Strand magazines, anticipating the detective's next adventure, only to find the unthinkable: his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, had killed their hero off. London spiraled into mourning-crowds sported black armbands in grief-and railed against Conan Doyle as his assassin. Then in 1901, just as abruptly as Conan Doyle had "murdered" Holmes in "The Final Problem," he resurrected him. Though the writer kept detailed diaries of his days and work, Conan Doyle never explained thi...
4 comments
Read more

September 2024 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar

By
  According to Goodreads . . . Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle.... But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself. Felix Ever After  is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you d...
2 comments
Read more

March Book---There There by Tommy Orange

By
  March 28, 2022 4:00 Tommy Orange’s “groundbreaking, extraordinary” ( The New York Times )  There There  is the “brilliant, propulsive” ( People Magazine ) story of twelve unforgettable characters, Urban Indians living in Oakland, California, who converge and collide on one fateful day. It’s “the year’s most galvanizing debut novel” ( Entertainment Weekly ).   As we learn the reasons that each person is attending the Big Oakland Powwow—some generous, some fearful, some joyful, some violent—momentum builds toward a shocking yet inevitable conclusion that changes everything. Jacquie Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame. Dene Oxendene is pulling his life back together after his uncle’s death and has come to work at the powwow to honor his uncle’s memory. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil, who has taught himself traditional Indian dance through YouTube videos and will to perform in ...
2 comments
Read more