Remembered Rapture

I began reading Remembered Rapture by bell hooks (yes, her name is all lower case for specific reasons) two weeks ago. It's not a long book, just 237 pages which I would normally be able to get through in a few days. My reason for procrastination is the fact that hooks is writing about writing and the obstacles she's faced personally and professionally. She writes not just about her obstacles but consequences of the racist and sexist industry that is publishing. As an aspiring writer from the age of two when I would scribble pages upon pages and then some more pages I have yet to write anything beyond school papers and personal poetry. To be quite honest Remembered Rapture has scared me several times, and like any scaredy-cat, I have put the book away on more than one occasion. I am confronted by hooks' words, "To talk about one's life-that I could do. To write about it, to leave a trace-that was frightening" (p. 82). This book is a good one for any aspiring writer, especially if you're grappling with moving from writing privately to publicly. I am at p. 189 and hope that I have the courage to finish this week :/

~Whitney

Bless Me, Ultima

I will buy this book when I have money, that is how much I loved it!!

Bless Me, Ultima is an end of innocence tale written by Rudolfo Anaya who is a premier Chicano writer originally in 1973 and has been published many times since then. The main character Antonio is 6 years old in the 1940s and his experiences with death and religion fuel a very compelling story. The catalyst for change in Antonio's life comes as the local curandera, Ultima. She is a healer that uses good magic to cure anything from stomach aches to curses. She also teaches Antoino about the magic and harmony of the land which comes in stark contrast to the views of the Church which Antionio is very committed to as a young boy. There are four deaths that Antonio witnesses and these deaths and their circumstances force upon Antonio the questions of "is there a God?" and "why would he let this happen?" These are things that many adults face later in life and the fact that Anaya's main character and hero is 6 years old is impressive.

Anaya's description of the New Mexico planes and valley really reminded me of where I grew up and took me back to many of my own childhood experiences both good and bad. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I believe that it should be a requirement for at least 5th and 6th grade readers.

Alice In Wonderland

My first book that I read this summer was from the Oceanside Public Library in Oceanside, CA. I had hear wonderful quotes from Alice In Wonderland from professors and decided to check it out. Located in the children's fiction section, I checked out the slim hard-bound book and took it immediately to Starbucks to read a little before my workout class started. I was immidiately intrigued by Alice because she seemed snobby, naive, and endearing all at the same time. She did not seem to take anything besides herself seriously and was unaware that her actions had consequences. I am sure that I am not the only person who sees Alice's constant change in size as a metaphorical relationship to her maturity shrinking and growing as the book goes on. By the end of her journey, she has returned to her "normal" size and seems to understand that she must learn to love her life, no matter how boring it may seem to her. Alice's older sister closes the story by wishing that she could be as imaginative as her younger sister, perhaps as imaginative as Lewis Carroll was, he still wished to have the innocence possesed by Alice in the story.

I would definitely recommend this story to any person of any age. I liked it enough that I am going to buy copies for my two cousins who will be turing 5 this fall :)

Enjoy the Day!

~Whitney