Another wintery weekend in Oregon. The snow starred falling around 11 Saturday morning and eventually turned to ice with freezing rain falling Saturday. I wasn’t as creatively productive as the Unipiper, who shoveled while he played.
Even so, I had my own accomplishments.
I’ve been listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the car. Knowing bad weather was on the way, I brought the box in with me Friday afternoon and finished listening to it while i worked on my knitting.
The book is quite a bit different from the movie. Some subplots and details have been left out handsome were radically altered for the movie. I feel bad for Cho, who got rough treatment in the movie. She comes out much better in the book, where she does not give up Dumbledore’s Army under the influence of Veritaserum.
I finished two books: Morris Award Finalist Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel.
Publisher’s Summary:When Rani’s father leaves her mother for another woman, Rani shaves her head in mourning. The visibility of her act of rebellion propels her onto the stage as a hip-hop performer and into a romantic relationship with a man who is much older. The whirlwind romance, coming on the heels of her father’s abandonment, make her begin to understand how her father’s sexual abuse wounded her in deeper ways than she, or her mother, have ever been able to acknowledge.
Meanwhile, she seeks solace in making lyrics and performing as well as in her boyfriend’s arms. Rani’s friends warn her about him but she fails to listen, feeling as though she finally has something and somebody that makes her feel good about herself—not recognizing that her own talent in hip-hop makes her feel secure, smart, and confident in ways her boyfriend does not. Indeed, as the relationship continues, Rani discovers her boyfriend’s drug use and falls victim to his abuse. Losing herself just as she finds herself, Rani discovers her need to speak out against those who would silence her—no matter the personal danger it leads her into.
This was the last Morris finalist I had to read.
Then, I finished one of the YALSA Nonfiction finalists, This Land is Our Land: A History of American Immigration by Linda Barrett Osborne.
Publisher’s Summary: American attitudes toward immigrants are paradoxical. On the one hand, we see our country as a haven for the poor and oppressed; anyone, no matter his or her background, can find freedom here and achieve the “American Dream.” On the other hand, depending on prevailing economic conditions, fluctuating feelings about race and ethnicity, and fear of foreign political and labor agitation, we set boundaries and restrictions on who may come to this country and whether they may stay as citizens. This book explores the way government policy and popular responses to immigrant groups evolved throughout U.S. history, particularly between 1800 and 1965. The book concludes with a summary of events up to contemporary times, as immigration again becomes a hot-button issue. Includes an author’s note, bibliography, and index.
When I finished that I finally picked up Legh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom, which I got a while ago.
Even though it has been a while since I finished Six of Crows, I found myself quickly immersed in the world of the Dregs. I’m not very far in, but I am enjoying it.
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