Review-itas: Playing Catch-Up

I'm back from vacation and back to blogging!  I honestly didn't read a ton while I was away, but I am excited to share my thoughts on some books with you!  In an effort to get back into reviewing, but not spend a ton of time reviewing books I read months ago or about which I don't have much to say, here are some Twitter-inspired reviews (in that, Twitter inspired me to be succinct, but it's very difficult to work in 140 characters, people):

Third in a Ghanaian mystery series featuring Inspector Darko Dawson (I enjoyed the first but have not read the second, since I thought this was it), Murder at Cape Three Points tackles the environmental and economic impact of foreign oil interests on Ghana.  I appreciated learning more about this precarious balance (though maybe it's not really in balance), especially as I didn't really know there was oil drilling in Ghana.  Quartey shows the positives (big new resorts giving an economic boost to the region!) and negative (some serious conflicts of interest).  But Inspector Dawson is still hard to know, and his family is once again mostly in the background.  I would prefer more development on that front as the mystery series continues; why create so many great characters and then not give them any air time?  If Dawson's fantastic wife Christine doesn't get some spotlight in the next book, I won't be continuing on with this series.

Moving from Ghana to Zimbabwe, NoViolet Bulawayo's We Need New Names had been on my library "For Later" shelf for quite a while before the cover and the story finally captured my attention enough to get it on audiobook.  I was completely engaged at the beginning; I loved Darling's voice and the way Bulawayo shared so much about Zimbabwe by using a child narrator.  She packed a lot of information and emotion into the story; for a first novel, this is really impressive.

In the second half, Darling moves to the US.  Again, I think the author did amazing work bringing everything to life:  the difficulty of being an immigrant, the expectations of your family back home vs reality, the things that set you apart and help you fit in.  It all rang very true.

That said, I've read a lot of immigration stories in my life, and the structure of this one was pretty much the same as all the rest of them.  The writing is beautiful and evocative, but I don't think Bulawayo did much to break down any tropes.  That said, I am pretty excited about whatever she writes next.

I've been eagerly anticipating the second book in the Ms. Marvel comic series.  Generation Why doesn't disappoint.  We see Kamala further develop and understand her superpowers, and she gets more involved in the overall Marvel universe of characters by finding a pretty awesome mentor.  Savvy move by Marvel because now I feel like I should go and read more of the comics in the Marvel universe so I understand all these connections and backstories.  BUT WHERE TO START?!

I thought this book got a little preachy about how awesome the Millennial/Centennial generation is (though this didn't really surprise me, as G. Willow Wilson has a tendency to be preachy in her other books, too), but I could see that really appealing to teens, and hey, I believe in empowerment.  Such a fun series, populated with great characters I can't wait to get to know better.

I was pretty pumped to hear that Thomas King had a new book out, and snatched it up from the library as soon as I could.  The Truth About Stories is an essay collection about story-telling and how the stories we choose to tell and believe can shape our lives and perceptions.  There are many, many stories written about Native Americans.  Native Americans, for the most part, are only now starting to add their voices so that their stories can be heard, too.

I really enjoyed these essays.  King talks about oral storytelling vs written storytelling.  A lot of American cultures thrived on oral storytelling so that they could control the story.  But European culture focuses on written storytelling, and now they've come to dominate so many narratives that they don't really have a right to.  He talks about how most Native American and First Nation authors refuse to write history; they write contemporary literature.  This is something I've definitely noticed myself, and I was interested in his explanation - basically, that they don't want to touch the stereotype that exists in people's minds about Native Americans from long ago.  They want to assert their right to the present, and show that they have a place now.

A very thought-provoking and well-written read.  Also very short and full of reading suggestions, if you want them!