I started the year hoping to participate in the #Toni21Readathon, they read her books in chronological order. I made it past Tar Baby. After that I needed a break. Toni Morrison commands attention in a different way compared to, well, everyone. I could tell I was rushing through her work instead of sitting with it, it felt like too much of a blur, and after Tar Baby I needed some time to let it rest in my brain. But if you did finish it this year, kudos to you because that is amazing. I do want to read more of her works, but I will make my way slowly and more suited to my pace. She is in a league of her own. Sula and Song of Solomon are some of my favorite novels now. I know I will reread them one day. The Bluest Eye and Tar Baby are also phenomenal (the dialogue in Tar Baby is truly next level and The Bluest Eye, haunting. I can’t believe it was her first novel). Her ability to write such interesting and complex characters that never leave your mind is truly unmatched, and the way she is able to create such a sense of place and time makes her books unforgettable. No sentence is wasted. There is meaning in everything. The smallest detail about a place or a character can reveal so much.

If you have read multiple books by Toni Morrison, which is your favorite? If you haven’t, which one would you like to start with?

Also special shoutout to @ibingebooks for being the organizer of the #Toni21Readathon, you are a rockstar in this community.

[ID: The books The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon resting on a black glass table, with plants in the foreground on top.]

#ToniMorrison #GOAT #TheBluestEye #SongofSolomon #Sula #TarBaby #ReadMoreBooks #Novels #Fiction #Bookstagram #losangelesreader

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev had such a convincing introduction I went to google to see if it was based on a true story. Ha! I did enjoy how immersive this book felt, because it really did feel like this is something that could’ve happened. I love how the core of the story unraveled as well. I was continuously wondering where it was going and once we got to the climax I was buckled in. I won’t say too much about that here, because I think it’s best for you to experience it yourself. The seventies rock and roll vibe of the book was also welcome. It sort of felt like reading historical fiction, a genre I love.

While I really enjoyed this read, I did struggle with the interview format. I feel like if you are planning on reading this, the audiobook version is probably the way to go. I can see a cast of voice actors really bringing this to life in a way that maybe didn’t translate as well when reading the physical book, at least for me. There were also some secondary characters I just did not care for, not because they were villains (although maybe they were), but I just found them kind of boring so I skimmed over their parts. Perhaps a voice actor would’ve done them justice in a way my brain could not.

I think this would make a really cool movie or limited series. If I was a more talented bookstagrammer I can see this also making a really cool aesthetic reel. So someone please make that. Thank you. Hehe. Read the synopsis below (taken from goodreads)

Synopsis: An electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic interracial rock duo in the 1970s, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite decades later for one last tour.

[ID: The novel THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL AND NEV resting on a glass table. There is a small cactus and other plants surrounding it]

#LibraryGlareDontCare #Bookstagram #TheFinalRevivalofOpalandNev #Fiction #BookswithRocknRoll #LibraryBook #Novels #BookReview #plantsandbooks

“Meditating your own victimhood is just part of being a woman. Using it or denying it, hating it, or loving it, and all of these at once. Being a victim is boring for everyone involved. It is boring to me to present myself through experiences that are instrumentalised constantly as narrative devices in soap operas and tabloids. Is this why I am so ashamed of talking about certain events or of finding them interesting? This is part of the horror of being hurt generically. Your experiences are so common that they become impossible to speak about in an interesting way.”

ACTS OF DESPERATION by Megan Nolan is about an unnamed narrator that falls madly in love (is it love or obsession? Can those sometimes feel the same?)with a man named Ciaran. Reading this was a jarring experience. I reflected on past relationships I have been a part of that forced me to forget who I was in service to my partner. Moments I’m not proud of, but they shaped me in profound ways. Sometimes I wanted to look away or found myself being judgmental towards her but I caught myself because I knew some of those moments felt more familiar than I would’ve liked to admit. As @didionmademedoit said this read was visceral. I loved it. I also have to agree with @thatgoodgoodbook . This will be compared to Rooney, but I think this one goes much deeper. It’s darker and to me rings more true.

But lots of content warnings for this one. There are mentions of self harm and rape. So please go into this carefully if those topics are triggering for you.

[ID: The novel Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan laying flat on a white fence]

#Bookstagram #LibraryGlareDontCare #BookReview #FictionBooks #MessyFemaleProtagonists #literaryfiction