Verseweavers: the Oregon Poetry Association of Prize-winning Poems Number 25/2020 is a compilation of the winners of the Oregon Poetry Associations contests held in 2020 with comments by the judges who chose the winners. As usual it was an interesting compilation of poems from a diverse group of poets. I found many quite compelling and almost all of them interesting. This book is only available in the Oregon Poetry Association's store.
Bear Witness by Mary Gaitskill (part of Out of Line Collection) took a journey that felt a jarring in the way Gaitskill explored the different points of view she presented in the short story. The storyline was interesting but none of the characters were easy to like. There was a feeling that something was going to happen that quite seemed to materialize.
Halfway to Free by Emma Donoghue (part of Out of Line Collection) still gives me chills just thinking about it. A story of haves and have nots and those who want to control others is hard to fathom especially when presented as a potential solution to a real problem. But like the characters in the book I question just how much of a solution that would be and how much of it would just be about controlling people.
The Contractors by Lisa Ko (part of Out of Line Collection) put me on edge from the first page. Ko really makes the reader wonder what is going to come of the two characters with the same name working for the same company but in different countries. Ko brings to the forefront the dreams of each, the differences in their lives, their misunderstandings of each other in a way that is both frightening and enlightening. This story made me think beyond the lives of the main characters to the people doing the kind of job they're doing and why those jobs are necessary. It made me wonder what the solution is.
Sweet Virginia by Carline Kepnes (part of Out of Line Collection) pulls the reader into Shelby's struggles to live up the the expectations she thinks others have of her even as she inwardly resists everything. I felt like she was dealing with a deep depression that no one around her had the insight to see. I'm not sure that was the author's intent, but it was how I felt as I read the story.
Graceful Burdens by Roxanne Gay (part of Out of Line Collection) describes a future where both women and men must meet certain criteria to become parents and where babies can be checked out of a library. She details one woman's experience with this society and her struggle with it as she learns everything is not quite as it seems. It was a gripping and disturbing read.
This Telling by Cheryl Strayed (part of Out of Line Collection) is a simple but emotional story of family secrets and the pain of suppressing part of one's life and one's self. It is a reminder our histories are always a part of us no matter how much we deny it. In this story of an unwanted pregnancy and the effect it has on the young mother with the decisions she must make and how she must face the decisions thrust upon her by society, Strayed reminds us of the importance of bodily autonomy and pain of societal judgment in a story that covers a lifetime in only 32 pages.
If I Loved You by Joanne Pence is a quick, fun, lighthearted fun read. I needed a break from the heavier stuff I've been reading lately, so I finally decided to read If I Loved You. While there were a few inconsistencies in the book, I still enjoyed reading it. In a way, its predictability made it all the more enjoyable, and the little twists Pence slid into the plot were a fun departure from the expected. Overall, I enjoyed the story of two people getting to know one another and finding a deep connection to each other. The ghosts pushing people toward love were an interesting touch. I am looking forward to reading the other two in the trilogy. I hope they involve the other two sisters but also let us connect with Carly and Alex again in some small way. In full disclosure, the author gifted me a copy of the book some time ago.
Oregon's Main Street: U.S. Highway 99 "The Stories" by Jo-Brew is a mix of stories told by or written by people who have lived along and/or frequently traveled Highway 99 in Oregon. Brew also includes her own history and stories about Highway 99 throughout the book. This book took me far longer to read than I expected. I found I could only read it in small doses, and even then I sometimes found the switch from other people's stories to Brew's stories a bit jarring. It is quite interesting, especially for people who are interested in the history of Highway 99 and enjoy listening to people's personal life stories.
Ongoing:
Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by John Lewis with Michael D'Orso is a gripping, engaging, and enlightening account of John Lewis's life and his work within the Civil Rights Movement and move into politics. I am not quite finished with this book yet. I should finish it in the next few days, and I think I will reserve my thoughts on the book as a whole until next month because I want to take a little time to think about it after I finish the book. Spoiler alert: I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand American History and even America's present.
The Come as You Are Workbook: A Practical Guide to the Science of Sex by Emily Nagaski, Ph.D. - I'm still working through this book. So far, the exercises I've done have been easy enough and interesting. I hope to finish this book next month, but we'll see.
52 Lists for Calm by Moorea Seal - I started this journal, but it will take all year to complete. It's a list journal with prompts that one fills out weekly rather than daily. Some prompts are better than others. I'm not enjoying this as much as I expected at this point.
52 Lists for Bravery by Moorea Seal - This is another list journal I started at the beginning of the year. Like the one for Calm, it is a weekly list journal with prompts. This one also has some prompts that are better than others. Maybe I've outgrown these journals because I'm not enjoying this one as much as I have ones in previous years. Or maybe I shouldn't have chosen to do two at the same time... Hhmmm!
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