I'm a few days late on the Quarterly Review. Oh well, I'm a few days late on everything this year. It turns out, Late is mostly fine and with very few consequences. I wish I could now give that message about lateness to my 19-year-old self. I used to freak OUT over being "almost late," which was ten minutes early.
Anyway, The Quarterly Review is a series of little lists. Here we go:
Three Great Books I've Read This Quarter:
- I read one thing that's required for everyone, and it's The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. You might have heard of it, as it's getting buzz like nothing else. For instance, people are saying it might be the YA "book of the decade." And I agree, it's a total package, for sure. Here's my Goodreads review. I'll have a full review of the audio version on Literary Quicksand soon, too.
- A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan hit rather close to home, as the protagonist is a 38-year-old mother of three who feels like she might suffocate beneath her many responsibilities and ambitions. Full review HERE.
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is incredibly ambitious - each chapter represents another generation's experience of slavery and its aftermath, from the Gold Coast to 21st-century California. I admire the intersectionality of the pieces and the way the book keeps (white) readers on the hook for their complicity in systemic oppression.
Three Things I've Learned:
- If I take a children's chewable Benadryl along with my glass of wine, I'm less likely to break out in psoriasis spots after consuming the alcohol. Yay! Thanks, Jane!
- When you're writing a novel, it's helpful to classify your scenes as "Action," "Suspense," or "Reflection." And then, when you're placing those scenes within a chapter, remember that you can't have two non-action scenes in a row. Because, #pacing.
- I already knew this, but now I'm recording it and putting it into action: If you're a teacher (like me), it's not a good idea to accept week-night invitations during the months of September, October, January, February, or May. Got that? The answer is, "NO," or, "raincheck?"
Three Pieces of Advice from Mac:
- Never go around to people and say, "You look ugly."
- Never say to your mom and dad that their marriage was a bad idea.
- Never play basketball in the house, or else you might dribble yourself in the head.
You're welcome.
1 comment:
The part I most love about your posts is the advices that you share here. Then comes the books section which has always been filled with names of great books.
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