#markandaya

[riverthaw22]

There was another stretch of beach, fine white sands and more convenient for them, to which Nalini would never go and Ravi could not understand why...

One day he pinned her down, and learnt a part of the city's lore that he had not heard before. It was here, she said, that the British Tommies came, storming down from St Thomas' Mount where they were stationed to maraud and rape... and once they had attacked a high-born Brahmin lady - stripped her and tied her to a stake in the sand; and when she was rescued she had killed herself for the shame of it. Those were bad times, said Nalini, women had gone in great fear of the swaggering, lusting Tommies.

But, Ravi objected, there were no Tommies left, so why not go there now?

Because of the terrible aura such things left behind, said Nalini; and nothing he said would budge her.

- A Handful of Rice by Kamala Markandaya

[tonysaintborgi]

I should actually atart a fucking reading list for this next year. Maybe it'll get me to fucking read.

My pile contains, among others:

All The Young Men by Ruth C. Burks

Salmon Without Rivers: A History Of The Pacific Salmon Crisis by Jim Lichatowich

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

because I read a big fat ZERO books this year! I didn't even get around to reading a VN! how embarrassing

[tagfer]

I'm tellin yall if you read books you'd be happier.

writer strike? read a book

social media / the news too gloomy and draining on you? read a book

youtube being a piece of shit? replace your TOP 25 FUNNY YOUTUBE POOPS (55:37 long) with a book like Nectar In A Sieve by Kamala Markandaya and you'll grow as a person as

new fucking war that you can realistically do very little about? you can't contribute to the war if your muzzle is in between some pages

latest game in the franchise looking like a crunched and uninspired cash grab? go to your local bookstore and buy two books that catch your eye

I'm personally about to crack open Salmon Without Rivers: A History Of The Pacific Salmon Crisis by J. Lichatowich. which sounds like it's gonna be dry but informative

remember, you can get new books anywhere. libraries, yard sales, little free libraries, thrift stores....... and if you're genuinely not happy wit the state of things in your life, maybe put these shitass things on the back burner and try something new

[maslows-pyramid-scheme]

Why does everyone seem to think that its either 'don't read classics at all' or 'read misogynistic classics that reinforce women's social subordination?'

If you don't want to read misogynistic classics, read classics by women - the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Nella Larson, Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth Gaskell, Angela Y. Davis, Mary Seacole, Hannah Crafts, George Eliot, Edith Wharton, Elizabeth von Arnim, Virginia Woolf, Agatha Christie, Kamala Markandaya, Shirley Jackson.

I’d rather teen girls reading nothing but terribly written fanfics about their favorite OTPs that express healthy and emotionally-sound romantic relationships than “great literature” that teaches them they are prizes to be won or creatures to be controlled or destroyed. 

[bluedesertbooks]

Nectar in a Sieve By Kamala Markandaya . Book of the Month Club Edition 1954 $15 . Link in bio #bookstagram #nectarinasieve

[quatrainofthoughts]

Haven't posted in a while because I've been on a mental health rollercoaster. I've decided to read more Indian women authors now 👑 And of course, studying goes on, as is the dream so I'm not complaining. 💖✨

[skbooklist]

Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya

I bought this 20 years ago. I don’t know why it took me so long to read it.

If i ever author a book, I would want it to be like Nectar In A Sieve. The sparse prose conveys so much story and emotion; it’s seemingly undemanding, but you end up invested. I can only describe the story, structure, and writing as elegant. Don’t let that fool you: it’s a powerful book. 

[les-toupies-h]

Kamala Markandaya

[liketheflamereadsthewood]

from The Nowhere Man - experimental mice

‘Those cocoons of spirit from which he might have emerged refreshed were all ravished, shredded and scattered like the nests of experimental mice. He had, once, seen them at it, in a laboratory on a school visit, crazed, mute, vocal cords cut to silence their distracting cries, as he discovered after persistent questioning. They scurried about demented, these small white bruised creatures pumped full of distorting chemicals, tearing their nests to pieces, turning on each other too; their backs bore weals and scratches.       Observe, said the doctor in charge, in immaculate white coat, devil’s disguise for the obscene. Observe the alteration in behavioural pattern. Compare it with the control group. And obediently they directed their attention to the control mice, unimpaired velvety females that had constructed small bowers for their young out of balls of surgical cotton wool, and were peaceably cradled in them.      Observe, notice, the interesting changes. That modulated voice, how it conned you! You would never have suspected that what it was talking about was cruelty, methodically practised on a living creature until it lost its instincts, its purpose, its place in creation, and finally its spirit for life. Well, no doubt it was interesting - if you didn’t think, never put yourself in those helpless skins, if you rode on surfaces for fear of going under, what you might find there.       But, you see, it won’t work, said Srinivas to himself. You must go under. You must look and see. And he stared bleakly at what was surfacing, sleazy mudflats revealed by some receding tide. That is the truth of it, he acknowledged at last; whether one likes it or not, that is the truth.’

[greatwordsmonger]

Nectar in a Sieve - Kamala Markandaya

This particular version had a nice introduction that gave a summary-like preview to the story itself. I was pleased to find it even compared this story to The Good Earth (another book that I greatly enjoy and have reviewed previously).

As for the story itself, well, it is told by a woman looking back and telling her life's story to her youngest son, whom she moves back in with after a series of untimely events slowly take away everything she and her husband, Nathan, have built for themselves. It is a simple, yet enticing read that goes faster than expected as the pages keep flying by while you're invested in the story.

Definitely a great read for anyone, especially those who want to learn more about other cultures and see the interactions between Western, first-world perspectives (given through a family friend, Kenny), and Eastern, third-world perspectives.

[newsstoryoftheweekblog]

NEWS STORY OF THE WEEK 22/4/22 - the Queen’s platinum jubile book list

‘The Big Jubilee Read list

1952-61

The Palm-Wine Drinkard – Amos Tutuola (1952, Nigeria) The Hills Were Joyful Together – Roger Mais (1953, Jamaica) In the Castle of My Skin – George Lamming (1953, Barbados) My Bones and My Flute – Edgar Mittelholzer (1955, Guyana) The Lonely Londoners – Sam Selvon (1956, Trinidad and Tobago/England) The Guide – RK Narayan (1958, India) To Sir, With Love – ER Braithwaite (1959, Guyana) One Moonlit Night – Caradog Prichard (1961, Wales) A House for Mr Biswas – VS Naipaul (1961, Trinidad and Tobago/England Sunlight on a Broken Column – Attia Hosain (1961, India)

1962-71

A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess (1962, England) The Interrogation ��� JMG Le Clézio (1963, France/Mauritius) The Girls of Slender Means – Muriel Spark (1963, Scotland) Arrow of God – Chinua Achebe (1964, Nigeria) Death of a Naturalist – Seamus Heaney (1966, Northern Ireland) Wide Sargasso Sea – Jean Rhys (1966, Dominica/Wales) A Grain of Wheat – Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1967, Kenya) Picnic at Hanging Rock – Joan Lindsay (1967, Australia) The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born – Ayi Kwei Armah (1968, Ghana) When Rain Clouds Gather – Bessie Head (1968, Botswana/South Africa)

1972-81

The Nowhere Man – Kamala Markandaya (1972, India) Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – John Le Carré (1974, England) The Thorn Birds – Colleen McCullough (1977, Australia) The Crow Eaters – Bapsi Sidhwa (1978, Pakistan) The Sea, The Sea – Iris Murdoch (1978, England) Who Do You think You Are? – Alice Munro (1978, Canada) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams (1979, England) Tsotsi – Athol Fugard (1980, South Africa) Clear Light of Day – Anita Desai (1980, India) Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie (1981, England/India)

1982-91

Schindler’s Ark – Thomas Keneally (1982, Australia) Beka Lamb – Zee Edgell (1982, Belize) The Bone People – Keri Hulme (1984, New Zealand) The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood (1985, Canada) Summer Lightning – Olive Senior (1986, Jamaica) The Whale Rider – Witi Ihimaera (1987, New Zealand) The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro (1989, England) Omeros – Derek Walcott (1990, Saint Lucia) The Adoption Papers – Jackie Kay (1991, Scotland) Cloudstreet – Tim Winton (1991, Australia)

1992-2001

The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje (1992, Canada/Sri Lanka) The Stone Diaries – Carol Shields (1993, Canada) Paradise – Abdulrazak Gurnah (1994, Tanzania/England) A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry (1995, India/Canada) Salt – Earl Lovelace (1996, Trinidad and Tobago) The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy (1997, India) The Blue Bedspread – Raj Kamal Jha (1999, India) Disgrace – JM Coetzee (1999, South Africa/Australia) White Teeth – Zadie Smith (2000, England) Life of Pi – Yann Martel (2001, Canada)

2002-11

Small Island – Andrea Levy (2004, England) The Secret River – Kate Grenville (2005, Australia) The Book Thief – Markus Zusak (2005, Australia) Half of a Yellow Sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2006, Nigeria) A Golden Age – Tahmima Anam (2007, Bangladesh) The Boat – Nam Le (2008, Australia) Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel (2009, England) The Book of Night Women – Marlon James (2009, Jamaica) The Memory of Love – Aminatta Forna (2010, Sierra Leone/Scotland) Chinaman – Shehan Karunatilaka (2010, Sri Lanka)

2012-21

Our Lady of the Nile – Scholastique Mukasonga (2012, Rwanda) The Luminaries – Eleanor Catton (2013, New Zealand) Behold the Dreamers – Imbolo Mbue (2016, Cameroon) The Bone Readers – Jacob Ross (2016, Grenada) How We Disappeared – Jing-Jing Lee (2019, Singapore) Girl, Woman, Other – Bernardine Evaristo (2019, England) The Night Tiger – Yangsze Choo (2019, Malaysia) Shuggie Bain – Douglas Stuart (2020, Scotland) A Passage North – Anuk Arudpragasam (2021, Sri Lanka) The Promise – Damon Galgut (2021, South Africa)’ (Sherwood, 2022).

REFERENCE

Sherwood, H. (2022) 'The God of Small Things to Shuggie Bain: the Queen’s jubilee book list', The Guardian 18 April [Online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/apr/18/the-god-of-small-things-to-shuggie-bain-the-queens-jubilee-book-list (Accessed 21 April 2022).

[educatedlatina]

tag game!!

i was tagged by @banobostudies and @bentostudy tysm! you two are amazing! sorry for the delay in response.

Name: Giselle

Birthday : 24 January

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Height: 5”2

Hobbies: singing and music in general, podcasting, online shopping, linguistic research, cooking, buying books i know i don’t have time to read, tennis, watching true crime documentaries

Favourite colour: navy blue

Lipstick or chapstick: tinted lip balm (come through balm dotcom)

Last book: Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

Current book: my macroeconomics textbook? finals szn is upon us lol

Last song: Rich Man by Vampire Weekend

Last movie: Dinner for Schmucks (it drove me crazy, never again)

Inspiration/muse: My family. They inspire me to keep working hard because through them I've seen that you can really do anything you set your mind to.

Dream job: Lawyer (International Human Rights or Immigration) or (complete 360) open a business in San Miguel de Allende, GTO because I love it there and want to spend the rest of my life there.

URL: It's very empowering to me. Whenever I read it I feel inspired to keep going.

Tag 9 people you would like to get to know:

@illya-studies @sosiaalitieteet @feministstudy @intellectys @blackgrad @sweetstudymine @planetarystudy @luciaastudies @naomikim-studies

[skonnaris]

50 books read in High School Worth Revisiting

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: High school students who go on to college can quite easily nurture a firsthand understanding of the self-serving hedonism found at the center of this beloved classic. And then they’ll either despise it even more or relate all too well.

Beowulf by unknown: Pick up the popular Old English epic after forgetting the seemingly endless lectures and settle in to a thoroughly enjoyable adventure tale.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: Depending on one’s circumstances when first picking up The Catcher in the Rye, protagonist Holden Caulfield is either a counterculture revelation or a whiny, pretentious brat. Revisiting him later in life will inevitably shift perceptions to some degree, be it major or minor.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Some high school students may scoff at the soapier elements found on Zora Neale Hurston’s Harlem Renaissance essential, but older adults are more likely to see and admire the strength, courage and resolve of heroine Janie Crawford.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: The real tragedy of Romeo and Juliet isn’t their mistaken, needless deaths. It’s their staggering myopia and selfishness.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey: Anyone who has ever personally suffered from a psychiatric disorder — or loves someone who does — might find the marginalization of the mentally ill in this undeniable classic both disturbing and tragically accurate. It may take some time and experience between high school and the next read for such bitter facts to really seize hold.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: Les Miserables is huge. When reading it in English class, deadlines might preclude many students from really picking up on the book’s myriad juicy nuances. Revisiting it later offers far more time to sit and ponder everything Hugo wanted audiences to see.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: As with Les Miserables, time constraints and other academic obligations make it difficult to really become absorbed in War and Peace. When picking it up and reading on a more personal schedule, visitors are more likely to forge a far more solid grasp of the material.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko: More sensitive high school students may find protagonist Tayo’s spiritual, emotional and physical healing process too intense for their tastes. But as they age and gain more life experience, Ceremony could very well prove exactly what they need one day.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: As long as there are nations battling it out over land and squashing indigenous cultures beneath their boots, postcolonial literature will always be relevant. Chances are, anyone reading Things Fall Apartas a high school student will probably be able to apply many of its tenets to current events. When they re-read it as adults, they might find themselves sadly noting how little things have changed.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: Both at the turn of the 20th Century and on into today, most readers (even teachers) tend to emphasize Upton Sinclair’s visceral descriptions of unsanitary food production — especially since it directly spawned hefty legislation. In reality, though, he wanted it to shed light on the plight of exploited workers. Give his classic another visit later in life and see how the story changes when reading it with this in mind.

Beloved by Toni Morrison: Toni Morrison deliberately left many elements of her celebrated novel ambiguous, so any subsequent readings will inevitably churn up new perspectives, details and interpretations.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: Because family stands as this classic’s core theme, The Joy Luck Club never goes out of style. Whenever issues with parents arise, refer back to it for solace and insight.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker: When life grows too overwhelming, timeless heroine Celie provides inspiration to press on — no matter what sort of adversity and cruelty stonewalls happiness and stability.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: The sociopolitical elements driving this famous narrative are incredibly important to understanding it as a whole, but focusing too much on them — as one would in an English class — glosses over the comparatively more lighthearted adventure elements.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Understandably, many first-time Frankensteinreaders dive into the novel expecting a green-skinned simpleton with bolts in his neck — and find themselves shocked when encountering something completely different. Give it a re-read and see what may have been missed when consciously or subconsciously making comparisons with the iconic movie.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway: High school students sigh over this leisurely-paced classic, but older adults seeking something more philosophical than frenetic might find it exactly what they want.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller: Hopefully, picking up the searing Death of a Salesman at just the right time will prevent many students and adults from falling into the same lifestyle traps as tragic Willy Loman.

The Stranger by Albert Camus: Existentialism probably seems intense and somewhat inaccessible to many high schoolers, but one of the philosophy’s cornerstones warrants further consideration once they pack on more life experiences.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: Puncturing through allegory after allegory after allegory grows tiresome after a while, and a fair amount of individuals might enjoy Heart of Darkness far more if they didn’t have to so painstakingly dissect every word.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: Maya Angelou’s poetic autobiography is at once heartbreaking and inspiring — an ultimately uplifting tale perfect for anyone needing a dash or two of courage.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut: An American treasure, Kurt Vonnegut may not necessarily appeal to harried high schoolers lacking the time to really sit and think about his statements regarding society, religion and politics. Approaching him with the proper time frame and mindset will make Slaughterhouse-Five and his other works burst with life and lessons.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: "Monstrous vermin" Gregor Samsa serves as a viable literary outlet for anyone, anywhere feeling as if the world treads all over their stability and happiness. Reading about the horrific abuses his family heaps upon him provides a strange, comforting sense of solidarity.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte-: Though fiction, Wuthering Heights makes for one of the most prominent lessons in how mentally and emotionally abusive relationships operate – something women and men alike absolutely need to know if they hope to keep themselves safe.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: Most of Steinbeck’s oeuvre deserves multiple reads, but his story of a developmentally disabled man and his devoted caretaker remains one of the most heart-wrenching American novels ever printed. And one whose tragic ending merits a wealth of conversations.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra: Because Don Quixotepossesses such a rich history and left an indelible mark on popular culture, bibliophiles of all ages find themselves coming back again and again to enjoy the adventures of the eponymous dreamer.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: This semi-autobiographical novel sheds considerable light on a life wracked with mental illness — a somber, realistic lesson every adult must understand. The Bell Jar also serves as a reminder that anyone emotionally struggling doesn’t always do so alone.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess: Readers who don’t understand Russian or cockney slang (aka most of them) need to read this warped dystopian novel multiple times to understand what in God’s name the characters are even saying.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen: Written before the feminist movement rose up and fought for women’s equality, one of Henrik Ibsen’s most popular plays toyed with the scandalous notion that some housewives may pine for a life outside their husbands, homes and kids.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin: Another recommended read for the liberated woman and the men who appreciate them, though many fans of this book find themselves divided over whether or not they fully agree with the central figure’s actions.

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift: English classes spend so much time zeroing in on the wealth of social, political and religious commentary found in Gulliver’s Travels, they oftentimes forget to address just how much fun the book actually is.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: Dense and intense, Ralph Ellison’s brutal analysis of pre-Civil Rights race relations is required reading for any students and adults hoping to end bigotry in all its twisted, ugly guises.

Maus by Art Spiegelman: Maus currently holds the honor of being the only Pulitzer-winning graphic novel, a status that rightfully earned it a place on many a syllabus. Despite its grim content — Art Spiegelman’s very real talks with his father about his Holocaust experiences — the valuable lessons about family and history remain timeless.

Inferno by Dante Alighieri: All three portions of Dante Alighieri’s epic poetry trilogy The Divine Comedy are required reading, but his bizarre, highly detailed depiction of hell holds the most influence over the literary world today — not to mention pop culture as a whole.

1984 by George Orwell: No literary history aficionados will argue that George Orwell’s terrifying totalitarian dystopia birthed the entire genre, but it certainly left the biggest impact. Political pundits enjoy trotting out parallels to 1984 when discussing administrations they hate. Citizens familiarizing themselves with the novel’s tenets and context can tell whether or not they have a real point or are just resorting to paranoid fearmongering.

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya: Despite the many hardships heaped upon protagonist Rukmani, hers is a story of strength and perseverance that many students and adults may want to consult when seeking comfort in times of trouble.

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton: Though apartheid may have ended, its legacy of intolerance and discord provides future generations with the tools to identify and stop such practices before they even have a chance to start.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller: Readers of all ages with a particular affinity for absurdity and political commentary — especially as it relates to wartime — keep coming back to this novel again and again for laughs and truth bombs.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: Bibliophiles looking for a great bildungsroman to read over and over again have plenty to love about and explore with this compelling story about a young Chicana and her life in an impoverished Chicago neighborhood.

A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O’Connor: Though an obviously subjective statement, many consider Flannery O’Connor one of the best American short story writers of all time. In such a confined space, she thrived with some incredibly provocative, influential narratives well worth reconsideration.

Night by Elie Wiesel: In his autobiography, Elie Wiesel recounts his gruesome experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald with the hopes of educating the world about the Holocaust’s horrors. Giving Night more than one look helps drive home its major historical themes, imbuing readers with the knowledge needed to better recognize hate and genocide.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: This new classic is at once hilarious and heartbreaking. Through deceptively simple art, writer and cartoonist Marjane Satrapi recounts her childhood during the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the different set of prejudices faced as an expatriate in Europe.

Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon: Gravity’s Rainbow necessitates multiple reads because it involves over 400 characters embroiled in increasingly absurdist, surreal situations. Anyone who says they understand everything in one read is probably lying just to seem smart. Punch him or her in the face.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles: The comparatively cushy lives of private school students in New England are juxtaposed with young men forced to the front lines of World War II, with a strange and interesting friendship right in the center.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: Not only is it a provocative read — especially when one factors in author John Kennedy Toole’s tragic life — this posthumous Pulitzer winner also happens to be one of the most hilarious novels ever published.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: Charles Dickens attracts such a massive audience, most of his oeuvre could’ve easily made this list. A Tale of Two Cities oftentimes bores high school students, but as they grow older they may come to love its history and memorable characters.

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott: Aside from the fact that this novel exists as one of the greatest satires ever written in English, it also warrants multiple reads for the sheer originality and imagination.

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf: In her book-length essay A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf opines on feminism, sexuality (most especially lesbianism) and the importance of financial autonomy and personal space for writers.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri: Short stories of Indians and Indian-Americans intertwine thematically, raising some excellent questions about multiculturalism, family, relationships and plenty of other subjects bibliophiles delight in discussing.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse: Both the spiritually-minded and those adhering to no religious credos at all appreciate this reflective classic and turn to it for meditative advice.

[erik595]

"Nettare in un setaccio" è ormai un classico. Per molti è il romanzo che ha aperto la strada alla narrativa indiana contemporanea e che ha fatto sentire l'India come un mondo in movimento, segnato da profonde vitali contraddizioni. La storia di Rukumani, una contadina nata da famiglia nobile che va in sposa a Nathan, "povero di tutto fuorché di amore", è un'avventura morale e sentimentale, politica e poetica, che si snoda dentro l'identità di un popolo. La semplice vita di Rukumani e Nathan procede serena finché nel loro villaggio una conceria mette in moto l'inevitabile processo di trasformazione del paese e della gente. Al terremoto sociale dello sviluppo economico si aggiungono terribili calamità naturali che portano fame e degrado, e Rukumani, presa ormai la via della grande città, affronta una nuova odissea, in un mondo frenetico e incomprensibile. Indimenticabile figura di donna, Rukumani, sperduta, sola, combatte dignitosamente con saggezza, civiltà, fiducia. Un ritratto fortemente lirico ed evocativo che ha appassionato i lettori di tutto il mondo. . . . . . #kamalamarkandaya #markandaya #libro #libri #libros #book #books #bookstagram #libreria #librodelgiorno #libriconsigliati #libridaleggere #libribelli #consiglidilettura #romanzo #india #feltrinelli (presso मुंबई Mumbai) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7q-ELPImoB/?igshid=slp33ibvuv7w

[roses-for-radfems]

I can’t believe that for so long I was told that all the great fiction and essays had been written by men, that I did not question my own literary subjugation and erasure, and that I studied them openly, without resentment for many years, without knowing otherwise, when not a single man in my life has ever read Jane Austen or the Brontës or Toni Morrison or Atwood or Kamala Markandaya or Sontag or Alice Walker or Rosario Castellanos or Isabel Allende or Dorothy West or Didion or Arendt or de Beauvoir and considered it to be Great. MAYBE they’ve read it to add to their list, maybe to round themselves out, or to seem hip and companionable to the women around them, maybe. but not one of these men were shown lists of the world’s great fiction and essays that would omit men, not one of them had to believe for one moment that they were less of a writer because the canon had been built without them, not one of them had to consider that literature might not belong to men, that the classics are sexed and whitened to their likeness. and now, many men have the nerve to be disdainful if you suggest they read women’s writing, and have the narcissistic, hateful belief that women’s writing could never be fiction for the people, and exists only as furniture for the private and smaller intellectual lives of ladies, IF they think that women have intellectual lives at all, and are not just hysterical and romantic dramatists 🌿🌹📚 anyways thank you to anyone who has ever helped me to feminize my canon, who has shown me that literature does not belong to men

[jellybeanbeing]

History of My Bookshelf Challenge

Created by the amazing Emmmabooks!

1. The oldest book on your shelf - An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 

This is the first physical book I’ve ever gotten and still have. Yes, I only purchased it in 2018 but it’s been about two years so it counts because the other books I have, I got after.

2. A book you read in 2013 (adjust for however many years you like!) - Divergent by Veronica Roth  

I’m like, 85% sure I read this in 2013. I think I read it because the movie was coming out and I wanted to read the book first so I could judge the movie, but it’s been like five years and I still haven’t seen it.

3. A book you read in 2014 - Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I only remember reading this book during this year because I was sitting at a teacher’s desk when someone came up to me and asked me why I was reading the book when it was going to be required reading in the near future. Other than that, I remember liking the book, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t today.

4. A book you read in 2015 - Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy 

Again, this is one I’m 85% sure I read in 2015. This whole book was a fever dream to me and I kind of want to read it again. 

5. A book you read in 2016 - The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West 

The one thing that makes me sure I read this in 2016 was because I had made a new friend that year and the characters in the book had the same names as her brothers and I messaged her about it. 

6. A book you read in 2017 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 

2017 was a good reading year for me. Before 2017, I read a lot of YA romantic contemporaries and I wasn’t going to change that until my friend lent me ACOTAR. I was reluctant at first because fantasy isn’t my favorite genre but I gave it a try and I really liked it. I ended up finishing the series and moving to other popular fantasy and otherworldly books.

7. A book you read in 2018 - The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White 

This is the year I finally started tracking the books I read. I read about 52 books this year and I’m choosing this one because my experience with it is a semi-interesting one. So I read Frankenstein in class that year and hated it. Found out this book was coming out and showed it to my English teacher who preceded to buy the book, read it, and lent it to me. Said I would probably like it better than the original (because I was open about my feelings of hatred towards the book in class) and turns out, I did! I loved what Kiersten White did with the story and the characters. I was engaged and actually really cared about the characters. 

8. A book you read in 2019 - On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta 

I’m obviously going to talk about this one so here it goes: I honestly don’t know what made me put this book on my TBR but it ended up there somehow (I think Goodreads recommended it to me???? But I’m not too sure). Anyways, I was watching a video from Jessethereader where he deciphers emojis into book titles and one of them was “On the Jellicoe Road” so I took that as a sign to read the book. I read it, was confused for a bit, but then fell head over heels for the story and the characters and everything about it. It’s one of my all-time favorite books now and I’m going to reread it again soon. I’ll try to make a review for it.

9. A book you’ve read more than once - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievater 

Is this a surprise? No. Well, kind of. I’ve only read this book (and series) twice but I’m already planning on rereading it soon and every year after that. It’s my all-time favorite book series and that’s not gonna change for a while. I love the books, I love the characters, I love the story, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. And it’s funny because it took me so long just to read The Raven Boys because I kept DNFing it. I picked it up in 2016, read the first three chapters, put it down, and forgot about it. A couple months after that, I picked it up again, read the first three chapters, and decided this book wasn’t for me. Around 2018, I got the sudden urge to read the books and thought “fuck it, I’m reading it and I’m gonna finish the book.” I finished the series and mildly liked it. I got another sudden urge to read the series again this 2019 year and IT BLEW MY FREAKING MIND WITH HOW GOOD IT WAS. I just have so much appreciation for this book and Maggie Stiefvater now, and I love it.

10. A book you waited over a year to be published - A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir 

This is honestly the only book I’ve waited over a year to come out. I finished Torch in 2016 and I had to wait until 2018 to read Reaper. It was torture. And it’s still torture because we’re all waiting for Ember 4.

11. A book you read on vacation/away from home - Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

I read this for school and I remember going to California for a dance competition and not having a phone or something to entertain me so I took the book with me. For about a week, I read bits and pieces of it before going to bed. One moment I remember so vividly is reading the book on the plane ride back and it being dark and someone telling me to turn off my light because they were trying to sleep. I then proceeded to turn off my light and stare into the darkness because I wasn’t tired and I couldn't read my book. And if you’re wondering, it was one of those planes that didn’t have a TV at every seat.

12. A book you got from someplace special (anything that’s not your local bookstore/online retailer) - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 

My English teacher was retiring and giving away some of his books, and so I decided to rummage through his book and found a special edition of Madame Bovary with gold spray painted edges. It was gorgeous, but I gave it away.

13. A book that made you cry - Mosquitoland by David Arnold

I didn’t cry while reading this book at first, but I went back to read a few passages before giving it away and I don’t know what struck a chord in me but I was crying my eyes out over the book. The passage I had read just resonated with me in that moment and I couldn't help but cry. I read the book before some problems in my life occurred so I guess when I went to read the few parts of the book again, it all hit me real hard.

14. A book you read in one sitting - My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

This one is a fun one (my experience with the book, not the book itself). So, I was, I think 12 or 13 or 14 years old when I read this. At this particular age, I was a firecracker when reading books. I would finish a book, A FULL 300 PAGE BOOK, in one night. I did this a lot. I’m not exaggerating. I think it’s about more than 20 books that this “finishing in one night” happened. This one though, was crazy. I started this book one night at around 7/8pm and finished it around maybe 12am? I then proceeded to pick up another 300 page book right after AND FINISH IT THAT VERY NIGHT, or morning, whatever you think. My reading energy was off the fucking charts at that age. I can’t do this anymore, by the way. It will literally take me a whole month to finish a 200 page book.

15. A book that was a gift - A Conjuring of Light by V.E Schwab 

I had already gotten the book for myself but a friend of mine bought me the book and I couldn’t say no so I took the book and now I have two paperback copies of ACOL, and I’m not mad about it.

16. A book you read before owning (library, borrowed from a friend) - Sula by Toni Morrison

I read for school, and let me tell you, it’s the only book I’ve read for school that I liked and was memorable for a good reason. Right from the first page, it captured my attention and kept it through out the book. I’m planning on rereading it and hopefully I’ll still like it as much as I first did.

17. A book you lent to someone else - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows is a popular YA series but do you know how hard it was to make one of my friends read this and actually finish it? I gave it to like three of my friends and they all ended up telling me they couldn't get past the first couple of chapters. But I finally got one of my friends to read the duology and finish it and love it as much as I did. I finally have a friend I can talk to about the books.

18. A book that has been damaged - The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

I tend to keep my books in pretty good condition, but I also have butter fingers, so that’s something. Anyways, the amount of times that I have dropped this book and bent the covers is truly astonishing. And it’s bizarre, because whenever I dropped TRB or TDT or BLLB, the covers didn’t bend but when I drop TRK, the cover ALWAYS bends and it’s a whole mess but I still love it. I almost forgot to mention that I got it already fucked up so maybe it’s meant to be.

19. A book you got on sale/discounted - An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Yes, I’m using this book again because, why not? Anyways, I got this at a thrift store and I was so psyched. I saw this book on the shelf and was so appalled because who would thrift such a good book? (If you didn’t like the book, great. That’s your opinion.) So I decided that this was my chance to finally own a book after years of not owning one, and have it be one of my favorite books.

20. A book you read with someone else (buddy read/read with a book club) - The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

I take this question to also include books I have read as required reading in class because technically, I did read it with my class. I had such a fun time picking at this book. It was not my favorite book, though I really liked the first story. My English teacher had us write commentary and I loved it. There was no literary analysis whatsoever in my notes, and I think that’s what I loved the most. I reread my notes for that book recently and they are gems.

21. A book you associate with a song - A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

When the Party’s Over by Billie Eilish is just a song that I associated with Charlotte Holmes, and that’s never gonna change.

22. A book you associate with a food - Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

It’s not a specific food but more of school lunch for me. I just remember that QOAAD had come out and I was carrying that hunk of a book around and it didn’t fit in my backpack so I carried it in my arms. I was reading the book while my friend was eating her lunch beside me. After she finished eating, I had told her that there were pictures in the book and I wanted to be surprise but she wasn’t gonna read it so she flipped through the book and looked at the pictures. 

23. A book you got years ago that you probably wouldn’t buy now - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I got this book in Chicago this 2019 year around May only so it’ s not years ago, but I was a different person in May 2019, alright? I honestly wouldn’t get this book now because I’ve learned that I’m not a big history fan. 

24. A book you associate with a specific time in your life - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I was first introduced to this book a long time ago, around the age of 9, I think? My sister had a stack of books from school and I decided to look through it. I read a book called Hushi(?) and I literally, for the life of me, cannot remember who the author was but I really liked that book. Anyways, after reading that, I read bits and pieces of Speak and I vividly remember the day being a bright and sunny day, and reading the attack scene and being so shocked by it. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but every time I read that book or see it, it brings me back to when I was nine.

25. A book you used to like, but don’t anymore - The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter

I talked about this book in another post of mine but it reiterate what I said: this book was a favorite of mine in 2018 but then I reread it again and didn't love it as much. It wasn’t a book that fully captured my attention or kept me intrigued. 

26. The newest book on your shelf - Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

LAST QUESTION! Call Down the Hawk came out recently and you know I had to buy it. I’m currently reading it right now, and I’m already loving it. I’m so excited for what’s in store for the characters. I am, however, feeling a little bit sad because we won’t get to see the whole Gangsey together again (or for a while). Reading CDTH is also making me realize that those who haven’t read The Raven Cycle aren’t going to know the Ronan and Adam and Gansey and Blue that those who have read TRC know them. I don’t say this to be offensive or “you’re not a true fan because you didn’t read TRC”. No, I’m not trying to say that. It’s just like you meeting someone when you’re both 30 as opposed to 14. People are different people at different ages, and Ronan and Adam are different characters in CDTH than TRC and so some people who haven't read TRC series won’t know that version of them. And also, I mean different as in they’ve grown and certain aspects of them have changed.