BOTW: April 1

By Paige Waskow

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

What's it about?

What does it look like to be a black women in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi? If you guessed difficult and taking the punch of a racist and white privileged society, you'd be right. The Help tells the story of three women who work together to challenge the status quo and poor treatment of the black women who work as "the help" for white households.

When you read, you meet Abilene, Minnie, and Skeeter, three women who lives and experiences look very different. Abilene is a black woman who works for a white family and takes care of their daughter. Minnie also works for white families, but has trouble keeping jobs because of her tendency to tell her employers how she really feels about them (which at this time is not seen as a good thing). Skeeter is white, but also doesn't fit into the mold that her friends and mother want her to. As their lives in Jackson begin to overlap, these three women become the power behind a movement to challenge the sexist and racist status quo.

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Why did I choose it?

The Help is not only a wonderful drama, but it gives insight to what it would have looked like to live in the South in the 1960s as a black woman or a white woman. Neither, as seen in the story, has a large amount of power, but as you can imagine, there is certainly an extreme hierarchy even between women. I chose this book because it, from what I know, does a good job at identifying the ridiculous amount of privilege white women had over black women, who at this time, found employment as "help".

This book identifies the realness of social and economic segregation after legal segregation was abolished. It welcomes the reader to understand privilege and white social supremacy while also just being an incredibly well written book. Stockett is able to portray the many faces of social expectations of women, whether black or white, and how we all do worse because of those expectations. The book challenges beauty standards, work ethic, injustice, loneliness, racism, sexism... the list goes on and on.

It's also incredibly hilarious. Like this book is HILARIOUS. The ways in which the main characters push back against the status quo is brilliant and uplifting. They don't back down from hardship and challenge those who have a lot of power and say in their lives. They grow in community and strength. These women are incredible and complex characters.

Where can you get it?

The Help is available at Coe's library and at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. If you don't have a library card, you can get one for free whenever the library is open. You can visit the CRPL website here.

Additionally, The Help was also made into a great movie in 2011. It stars Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone. You can also get it at either of the libraries mentioned above.

via GIPHY

References:

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. Penguin Books, 2009.

BOTW image made with Canva.

BOTW March 18

By Paige Waskow

The Book of the Week is:

Every Heart a Doorway 

by Seanan McGuire

What's it about?

Children in stories are often taken to fairy tale lands, far away from their homes to go on adventures. But what if they couldn't return home or stay in their magical worlds?

Author Seanan McGuire images an in-between world where these children go- a place for those who have experiences of the peculiar sort. From worlds of logic and science to those of chaos and candy, the home is open to all. The story follows Nancy, a girl who is transitioning from her fantasy world. As she begins to adjust, the strange becomes stranger as children begin to be found murdered throughout the home. Who is killing them and what is their goal?

Why did I choose it?

This book is so weird- truly a wild ride into fantasy. It takes you through multiple dimensions with dynamic and magical characters. I have never read a book like it before, the closest maybe being The Chronicles of Narnia. It is also a twist on a murder mystery type story, and I am a huge fan of a good mystery. I loved the book's uniqueness and strong characters. McGuire doesn't shy away from her own imagination or topics that are often misrepresented or ignored by popular media.

This book, besides having a fantastically mysterious and mystical plot, can also boast of LGBT+ representation of multiple characters. It was refreshing to see an author not stray away from representation of characters who are asexual, transgender, and bi while normalizing it in the plot (aka the book was not strictly about sexuality and gender identity).

Where can you get Every Heart a Doorway?

This book is available at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. You can get a library card for free at any time. The closet library location to Coe is the downtown branch on 5th Avenue.

Is there anything else you should know?

If you are interested in learning more, the author's website can be found here.

References:

McGuire, Seanan. Every Heart a Doorway. Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 2016.

BOTW February 25

By Paige Waskow

The Book of the Week is:

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

"You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and not get wet."

What's it about?

What would you do if you had the chance to step into a magical world whose entrance forms itself in the shape of a tollbooth? Perhaps take a swim in the Sea of Knowledge or visit the word market? Or better yet, meet a watchdog named Tock and a cynical Humbug of which to share an adventure with?

Milo, who is described as having too much time on his hands and being much too bored, is given this opportunity. His journey, which at first he isn't incredibly excited to be a part of, turns into a rainbow of surprises with twists of wordplay, all in hopes to restore rhyme and reason to the magical land.

                                 

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Why did I choose it?

This was one of my favorite childhood books. Although it is targeted towards a younger audience, anyone can enjoy its puns and eccentric characters.

I love this book because of its story focuses around what it means to learn and experience living. The journey Milo goes on is magical, but it reflects our everyday lives. How do we step outside of our comfort zones? How do we interact with those who have had very different life experiences from us? How do we grow when nothing feels the same?

Additionally, I believe that The Phantom Tollbooth, in its reflection of wordplay, is VERY relevant to our world and society right now. The book reminds us about the importance of words, ignorance, and meaning- especially from those in power. I'll leave it there.

Where can you get The Phantom Tollbooth?

This book is available at Coe's library as well as the Cedar Rapids Public Library. If you don't have a library card, you can get one anytime for free! The closest library to Coe is downtown on 4th street.

If you have a book you love and want to see as a BOTW, leave a comment below!        

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Happy reading!

References:

Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. Random House Children's Books, 1996.

BOTW February 11

By Paige Waskow

The book of the week is:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

What's it About?

Starr Carter lives two different lives. One is in Garden Heights with her family and the other is at an majority white high school, Williamson Prep. Keeping the two Starrs separate is something that she has learned to do. As she puts it, Garden Heights Starr would be considered "too ghetto" at Williamson and Williamson Starr would be "too white" in Garden Heights.

When Starr's childhood best friend, Khalil is shot and killed, murdered, by a white police officer, she is thrust into the spotlight. As the media explodes over the event, she must decide how she will respond. Does she speak up as the key witness? Does she stay quiet at school? How does she heal and move forward when most of the world is against her?

Why did I choose it?

&  Learning Commons writer Jasmine Barlow's take on it!

I choose this book for a lot of reasons, but mainly, I was blown away by its complexity. Thomas does not stray away from hard topics and the layers of white privilege that are a constant in our society. There is so much, SO much I did not know going in. Some aspects, such as the continuation of police brutality, white privilege, and double standards, were things I was familiar with. But Thomas doesn't simply outline these issues. She shows how deeply interconnected and real they are. The story not only focuses around police brutality but dives into topics such as separation of black and white neighborhoods, black women dating white men, being one of the only black people at a school, blaming a black victim's life choices for their death but giving immediate grace to a white officer, the ability for white people to listen to R&B or rap without being seen as "ghetto" but people of color being judged for listening to it .... the list goes on and on and on.

The Hate U Give was not a book I could put down. The characters are so vividly created, their stories perfectly webbed together to create an unforgettable story. Thomas does incredibly well to make the story feel like it happened in real life. She leaves you changed.

What Jasmine says about the book:

"My favorite book is "The Hate U Give". It was the first book to make me cry (not just "feel sad", many tears fell in many different chapters) because I relate to Starr. I love reading and have read many fantastic books, but Starr was the first person I could truly understand. It hit home and I recommend everyone to broaden their horizons and learn how people of different backgrounds and cultures see the same world, through what they have to live through. I tend to be drawn towards books written by Black women, but I've never read a character so close to my age, from the same time period, from a big city. I'm still in awe."

Where can you get The Hate U Give?

This book is available at Coe's library and the Cedar Rapids Public Library. If you don't have a CRPL library card, you can get one for free anytime!

The Hate U Give was made into a movie last year, and it. is. amazing. I highly recommend it (but read the book first!). Both Coe's library and CRPL have the movie to rent for free.

Is there anything else you should know?

Angie Thomas just came out with a new book! It's called On The Come Up and is about a high school girl who is aspiring to be a rapper. I haven't read it yet, but based on Thomas' work, I'm sure it's going to be great.

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If you have a book you love and want to see as a BOTW, leave a comment below. 

Happy reading!

References:

Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. Harper Collins Publishers, 2017.

BOTW February 4

By Paige Waskow

The book of the week is:

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

What's it About?

What would you do if you were walking in downtown New York at 3 am and stumbled upon a giant robot-samurai looking sculpture? Would you take a picture of it? Yell at it? Completely ignore it and move on?

For April-May, the sculpture, which she kindly names Carl, is a work of art that cannot and should not be ignored. As a former art student herself, she does not feel it is right to notice it and then move on without giving some sort of credit to the artist. So, she calls up a friend and takes a video which she then uploads on YouTube.

What begins as a simple video turns out to be a viral sensation around the world. Carls, as they become known have appeared everywhere, overnight, out of thin air. And April-May is the first to document one. Suddenly thrown into the realm of fame, April-May's life turns upside down as she dives in the mystery of the Carls as well as her own popularity.

Why did I choose it?

I loved this book from start to finish. Honestly, I might have been a bit biased going in. Both the Green brothers, Hank and John, are known for their commentary and life documenting YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers. It is a pretty cool channel, and I would recommend checking it out.

                   

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But besides knowing the author from other content, I loved this book because it provides the reader with a whirl of sci-fi and real life. It is full of action and mystery, taking plot turns and weird moments and making them into a book that is hard to put down. April-May is a great lead character who shows her flaws boldly and is honest with the reader. The book is her recollection of events all leading up to a grand final that will leave you wanting a sequel. 

What I really appreciated was that Green made his characters complex. Women are not simply sidekicks or love interests but rather their own people who have their own problems and ideas. Additionally, this was the first book I read where the main character was bisexual and the plot did not completely evolve around sexuality. It mostly revolves around giant weird robot sculptures and the reasonable question, "What do we do with the Carls?" It also deals with the pains and struggles of fame and independence. What do you do when you are thrown into something that you can hardly control? How do you involve yourself without becoming the thing you are absorbed in?

Where can you get An Absolutely Remarkable Thing?

This book is available at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. If you don't have a CRPL card, you can get one for free!

                                       

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If you have a book you love and want to see as a BOTW, leave a comment below. 

Happy reading!

References:

Green, Hank. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: a Novel. Dutton, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2018.

BOTW January 28

By Paige Waskow

The book of the week is:

Where'd Ya Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

What's it about?

What would you do if your strange but brilliant and lovable mother vanished in thin air? In a spiral of emails, notes, and quirky narration, Maria Semple creates a world in which high school aged Bee attempts to figure out what happened to her disappeared mother, Bernadette. The novel delves into the family's history- a promise that Bee can have anything she wants if she gets perfect grades (she chooses to take a family trip to Antarctica), Bernadette's work in architecture, the move of Bee and her parents to Seattle, and the obscure events leading to and including Bernadette's disappearance.

Hoping for answers, and her trip to Antarctica, Bee's journey spans the past and present. It's perfectly odd in all the right ways, and the story loops the reader through this change of events, never pausing in action. Besides the main family members Bee, Bernadette, and Elgin, a whole array of fun and diverse cast of characters adds complexity and context. Semple writes with wit and satire while then blending it into the seriousness (and often troubling) parts of life.

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Why did I choose it?

I quickly sped through this amazing book one summer. I loved it because of the plot, of course, but also the nature in which Semple creates her narrative. As mentioned above, the book is made up of components such as letters and files. (There is also narration, which portrays Bee's experience, but mostly stands to make the story a story.) This immediately got my interest, but also reflected what I felt the story taught me and was trying to get across. Not only did I learn way more about the antarctic continent, but of the struggle to be creative and thrive in a confusing world. Ultimately, I loved Where'd Ya Go, Bernadette for its honesty and weird fun.

Where can you get Where'd Ya Go, Bernadette?

This book is available at Coe's library as well as the Cedar Rapids Public Library. If you don't have a CRPL card, you can get one for free!

                                     

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If you have a book you love and want to see as a BOTW, leave a comment below. 

Happy reading!

References:

     McAlpin, Heller. “Screwball Satire With A Warm Heart In 'Bernadette'.” NPR, NPR, 14 Aug. 2012, www.npr.org/2012/08/14/157227450/screwball-satire-with-a-warm-heart-in-bernadette.