12 Comments
Feb 4Liked by Books on GIF

Interesting review - I’m intrigued! Looking forward to you reading Crying in H Mart! Maybe have some tissues at the ready. I’ve been intending to read ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’ for a while so will be interested to hear what you think about that too.

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Thanks, Martha! I really enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being, so I’m looking forward to form and emptiness. And I’ve heard lots of good things about H Mart, so I’m planning to get to it sooner rather than later.

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Feb 4Liked by Books on GIF

Putting this on my list. I have read Their Eyes Were Watching God and I have another novel on my shelf(I think). I am not usually a memoir person, but this sounds really interesting. Thank you! Enjoy the sun!!

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Thanks, Kate! I go through phases with memoirs and I’ve been more interested in them recently. Glad this one piqued your interest!

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Adding this to my list. Thanks for the review. I’ve been ever so slowly going through her book of essays that was released two years ago - this would make good company .

In terms of racial perspectives… I’m not a Black woman and certainly not from that time but i’m thinking of my own mother , whose sense of identity shifted the more mine did and as I confronted a lot of her internalized racism.

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Thanks, Maegan! I’m glad this book resonates with you. I find Hurston’s work really interesting, and I’ve featured it here several times over the years. I have a few more books of hers still to go. Hopefully soon I can return to the 3-book project.

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Feb 4Liked by Books on GIF

A little over a year ago I read Carla Kaplan's collection, "Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters (https://www.amazon.com/Zora-Neale-Hurston-Life-Letters/dp/0385490364). Your take on her memoir makes sense to me -- she is/was a complex person, the kind you want to understand She is a shape-shifter, refuses any attempt to be categorized. Her curiosity fed both her research and her writing/storytelling. Her writing blows me away. Those "turns of phrase" get me every time. I am looking forward to reading "Dust Tracks on A Road". Another book added to my TBR.

I just started Ozeki's "The Book of Form and Emptiness" and "Crying in H-Mart" has been on my TBR for two years. Maybe this will be the year.

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Thanks, Betsy! Your take on Hurston is spot-on: unable to be categorized. It’s what makes her work so challenging and important. Looking forward, I’m really excited to revisit Ozeki and to read Zauner.

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Feb 5Liked by Books on GIF

i just found stories from the tenants downstairs at a library book sale for $2!!!

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Ah! That’s awesome, Jemia! Let me know what you think of it. I just started reading last night.

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somehow i had no idea she had an autobio?! absolutely adding to my list!

i've also had a copy of STORIES FROM TENANTS for ages and should really prioritize reading it -- it always sounds incredible every time i read about it

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I had a rough start with Stories but am into it now!

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