Native Son

 By Richard Wright

This book was not what I expected. The author didn't want it to be, and he quite succeeded in that. He also didn't want to make people to cry while reading this book. Well, this part almost work for me. I only cried toward the end. 

My expectations were skewed also because the previous book I read of this author was his autobiography/memoir. I expected that book to be intense, but it wasn't. I really loved reading it. This book, however, was very intense, but not quite as alluring. It took me a while to get into it, and often I was almost dreading getting back to it. Sometimes I felt like the character was doing irrational things, which was quite annoying. But then things started to make more sense in the third part of the book. It was also the part I read the fastest. And cried like a baby. [398 pp.]

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Number One Chinese Restaurant

 By Lillian Li

This book was very different from what I had expected based on the cover. I was expecting a humorous family drama, instead, there was quite a tension and mafia-like behavior between all the characters involved. The narrator covers one of two families per chapter, normally alternating, which is not my favorite structure, either. It wasn't easy for me to get into it, but by the end of it I felt like it was okay. [290 pp.]

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The House of Mirth

 By Edith Wharton

This book has so many phrasing gems! I wish I had a pack of sticky notes by my bed, so I could mark them as I read -- they are difficult to find otherwise. As for the story, it really is a tragedy. What happens when you're raised to be the one thing you don't really want to be, but you can't be anything else?

It is the story of Lily Bart, but also a critical look at society. The title of the book is taken from the book of Ecclesiastes, "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." Born to an "old money" family who loses its wealth, her only options are to either find a rich husband or inherit from an old aunt. Though beautiful and successful in attracting rich men, Lily keeps sabotaging her own efforts due to an inner conflict buried in the depths of her consciousness; by doing so, she also brings about her disownment. Spoiler alert: the end, as I mentioned earlier, is tragic. [350 pp. incl. Afterward]

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Black Boy

 By Richard Wright

When I just started reading this book I was like "holy sh*t, what am I in for?" There were some crazy things done by the very young boy in this memoir. But as I read on -- it is a fascinating book -- I learned so much (not that it explained the previously mentioned crazy things, but instead introduced other crazy things, but by then done by other people. Turns out the crazy kid was just a little kid). In fact, I believe that every one should read this book. Even though I was aware of issues for black people living in the south during the Jim Crow era, and the issues facing black people when they move north (not as bad, but still serious issues), I was not quite aware of the magnitude of these issues, which so skillfully come to life through this one boy's story. As I was reading this book pieces fell into place in this puzzle that is race in America. They don't always make sense, but it's clear what they lead to. 

I was strongly drawn to the stories of the young boy, later a young man as he moved from Mississippi to Tennessee to Chicago; amazed at how despite abuse at home, at work, and on the streets, despite total lack of support during the child's development, despite constant hunger and hardly any education, the boy managed to become whom he has become. I'm looking forward to reading more of his books. [464 pp., incl. appendices etc.]

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Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted

 By Justin Martin

What an incredible book on such an amazing person. I loved reading about Frederick Law Olmsted's life and the times in which he lived. The book makes me want to visit places I never felt drawn to, just to be able to see his marvelous creations. He was multi-talented and when he finally settle down on one career, it was mostly because of demand. The book doesn't shy away from his shortcomings, either, which in turn don't diminish his greatness in the least. Such a fascinating book. [496 pp. including notes, index, and appendix]

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My Year of Rest and Relaxation

 By Ottessa Moshfegh

Most of the book I was thinking how weird it is, how horrible that person is, and how it's really just WEIRD. Basically, it's about a woman who decided to take a break and just sleep for a year, using a variety of prescription drugs she gets from a kooky psychiatrist. It starts in mid 2000, and supposed to last a year, and there are mentions of the Twin Towers throughout the book, so it's pretty much clear that 9/11 would come into play. Still, reading the last page made me cry. [289 pp.]

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The Irresistible Fairy Tale

 By Jack Zipes

The subtitle for this book is The Cultural and Social History of a Genre, and this is pretty much it, but also so much more! Each chapter discusses a certain aspect of the history of fairy tales, starting with how and why tales were created and told, and how they formed the basis of culture. Then there's a fabulous chapter that talks about the women writers in late 17th century France who combined folklore and mythology to create short-form tales that were suitable for print. Another favorite chapter is about Baba Yaga, the evolution of a beautiful, revered goddesses who healed and transformed into old, ugly witches, emphasizing how tales told by women are often different than those told by men with regard to the Baby Yaga. Similarly, the next chapter discusses how persecuted heroines differ in stories told by women storytellers, where they are not simply submissive, dependent creatures, but also canny and smart and doing the best they can in their difficult circumstances, where they are threatened or experiencing assaults and incest. 

So the book not only provides a lot of novel information about the history of this genre, but also lots of food for thought about the culture that made common fairy tales what they are, and how their retelling evolves with cultures. [235 pp., including notes and index]

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