June 2.0 Reading

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

This is a story of family, of identity, of who one chooses to be and the life they choose to lead. It is the story of twins, born in a small Louisiana town where everyone is considered Black, yet their skin tone is not, where one twin returns, and another disappears, where one twin lives the life of a Black woman and the other lives the life of white privilege, where racial bias within and without twist their lives and the lives of their children, where one's gender identity is questioned and struggled with, where a mother's love is not enough to hold her children. This is a slow burn of a book, not completely grabbing me until well into the story as it builds the characters and the world they inhabit. But once all the threads begin to weave together, this book is pure magic. The writing, the themes, the characters, don't miss this one; it is a gift.

I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

A memoir of a Black Christian woman, raised in the middle class, working in the corporate world of Christian organizations, Austin Channing Brown tells her truth, the truth of racial bias that is everywhere. It is the story of her life, all the small insults from friends and co-workers who do not even realize what their words mean, or how their bias shows. This is a powerful story for all of us, but especially for those of us who are not people of color; we can all learn from Ms. Brown's life story.

Stoner by John Williams

John Stoner is a Missouri farm boy, who is offered a chance to go to University; instead of learning agriculture though, he falls in love with the English language and literature. Sounds so simple, and rather boring, doesn't it? Yet, I cannot put my finger on what resonates so loudly for me? Is it the beautiful prose? Because wow, the writing sinks deep into your heart. Or the fact that Stoner is an English teacher, who sees the value and richness of the words, the grammar, the time period, and wants to share that with his students? William Stoner is complicated, wholly imperfect, but I just want to wrap my arms around him even though I also want to shake him awake. The relationship with his wife, his daughter, his friend, his lover, all these things make up Stoner's life. Yet he is forced to look within himself to find his essence. He is not allowed to find it through manifestations of exterior success such as job promotions, fatherly devotion, or anything. It made me think, and am still thinking, on what makes up a rich life? "But William Stoner knew of the world in a way that few of his younger colleagues could understand. Deep in him, beneath his memory, was the knowledge of hardship and hunger and endurance and pain." I will be thinking about this book for a very long time.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Admittedly, I have tried to read this book before and failed. Not because of the content, but because of the density of Coates' writing style; it is rich and complex and cannot be done by speed-reading, so shame on me for giving up before. This time, I listened to Mr. Coates read his letter written to his son and wow, what an experience. The story of police fear and violence seemed ripped out of today's world, yet they took place decades ago, proving once again that this shit happens over and over and over. My only hope is that we will learn and actually change this time. Please god.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

This was my cleansing book after too much world news, and loneliness from missing my girls; it definitely worked. Throw together a boarding school for quirkily brilliant students, combine with a story from long ago about the school founder, some murders, and a kidnapping, and then throw in a wickedly independent teenage girl with the will and the smarts to solve a murder, and you've got some great entertainment. Don't look for plausibility in this one - it's YA, and it's just pure entertainment - just roll with it and you'll enjoy the heck out of this story.

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

Written by a woman who does corporate training to help people recognize their white privilege and how one reacts to racism and racial bias, this book could not be more eye opening. As in, some pretty cringe-worthy moments of, "Oh yeah, I've done that, or thought that, or said that. Dear god, I suck." Yep, this book is uncomfortable, fascinating, provocative, and truly a must-read. I listened to it, and now I need to buy a copy so I can actually highlight all the gems.