I actually read more books this year than I have since I can remember. I just don’t have the energy to review them all for various reasons. Last year I did a round-up of all the books I didn’t properly review, and I’d like to do the same now (I’m only counting this review as 1 book read, because even though it’s lots of books, it’s not a full review for each and there’s no overarching theme like I usually do in my multi-book reviews). […]
#CBR10Bingo: Fahrenheit 451 – The Hate U Give
#CBR10Bingo: Fahrenheit 451 (one of the ten most banned or challenged books in 2017) Starr feels like she’s living two lives, and in a way she is. She goes to a prestigious private school along with her siblings, where they are among the only black students. She has a white boyfriend, who calls her “Fresh Princess”, thinking she’s a bit like Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. She lives in a poor and rough neighbourhood, where drug dealing and gun violence isn’t unusual. Her […]
Use Your Weapon
I listened to the audio book of Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, narrated by Bahni Turpin. It’s so good. I’ve read a bunch of really great books this year, this one will stick with me for years. As I have sat with this review, two things have stuck with me. One is weapons, and the other is the Third Commitment Of Ethical Culture. We choose to treat each other as ends, not merely means. To enable us to be whole, in a fragmented world, […]
Hard to Read, But Do It Anyway
A lot of Cannonballers have already read and reviewed The Hate U Give in the past few years. I don’t want to repeat everything that’s already been said, but if you haven’t read this book yet, do yourself a favor and add it to your list. The Hate U Give is the story of Starr, a teenager who witnesses her friend being murdered by a cop. Starr, who is African-American, lives in a tough neighborhood, but her parents send her to a nearby private school. […]