Old Blog Post Saturday- "For One More Day" by Mitch Albom

Once Upon A Time...

Cassie used to do another blog, as "Optimistic Reader". 

These are those reviews:
(These are formatted as best to their original view as possible to show my own progression with reviewing)

If you could have one more day with someone you loved would you take it? What would that day look like? For "Chick" Benetto that wish has been granted with one more day with his mother. The story tells us about how his life went from one of promised grandeur to one of desperation at the end of a neck of a bottle.

Albom creates a story filled with hope even in the darkest of times and how we as humans can return from that darkness to live fulfilled lives. He is one of the masters of this type of uplifting story, another master is Coelho for another example of this particular type of story. Albom creates realistic and believable characters here because he roots them some firmly in reality, while allowing for the mystical elements to shine through as well. He lets the otherworldly elements not be so boldly shockable that they feel organic in the context of the story. He never makes a bigger deal of them than he should, which provides the right touch for such an enjoyable read.

If you have ever felt down and out in your life this is a book that you need to read. There are millions of people similar to "Chick" out there and to have someone tell such a story will help you connect with others that have shared similar experiences. For a brief moment it does help to recognize that we are not the only ones that go through struggles in this life. People can become overwhelmed by their own individual struggles that they feel they are alone, but we are not. There are those of us out there that have struggled and Albom taps into that. So if you are struggling read this and recognize you are not alone, but afterwards take the first steps like "Chick" does to recuperate that lost life you want back. It just takes one single step forward because unlike "Chick" most of us will never get "One More Day" to make the things right, so do what you can today. It is a powerful book with a strong message that will engage a reader that understands it. Share that message with the world.  

 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Old Blog Post Saturday - For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange

Once Upon A Time...

Cassie used to do another blog, as "Optimistic Reader". 

These are those reviews:
(These are formatted as best to their original view as possible to show my own progression with reviewing)

For Color Girls who have considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf

by Ntozake Shange

I am a huge fan of the movie "For Colored Girls" that is based off of this book and I thought that I should finally look to see if my University Library had a copy of it. Indeed they did have a copy of it. This book is done in poetry form, which makes it a unique reading experience. Also it gives a unique voice to the characters contained within as a result of this chosen form by Shange.

I devoured the pages within an hour because Shange's prose is interesting, engaging, and insightful. This book is riveting and really showcases well the voice of an African-American woman. We can learn from this book about their struggles and experiences. I would recommend this to anyone that is in a field that works with a variety of individuals, such as a social worker. The book tells you how women, not just African-american, struggle with the choices they have to make. If you understand Shange's words you will come away changed for the better for having read it. 

My favorite part of the book is "He nearly walked away with all my stuff". This is about giving someone else the power over your life. Not recognizing your own individual self-worth.Truly letting someone else walk away with everything you have and could ever desire. It is hurtful, but there is power in recognizing that you got out of that bad relationship and didn't go back to it. Shange embodies the emotions that someone feels when they come from this dark place. Only someone that has either been there or truly understands the human emotional spectrum can write as Shange does.

This will give you some great insights and will also move you to tears by the end. It is a highly recommended read for another wanting to step outside of their world. Be willing to explore worlds that you might not be a part of, but will learn a great deal from if you simply examine it. Reading a book is a good way to start that journey.

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Old Blog Posts Saturday- The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

Once Upon A Time...

Cassie used to do another blog, as "Optimistic Reader". 

These are those reviews:

 

The Virgin Suicides

By

Jeffrey Eugenides

“She held herself very straight, like Audrey Hepburn, whom all women idolize and men never think about.” 

For much of this book it felt like we were just muddling through a story that had little to no real plot points. In some lesser books that I have read this would have caused me to end the novel prematurely and think that it was the worst book I have ever read, but for some reason this book enticed me enough to stay. It never really, in my opinion, got a point to it overall. This being said though the book is still a worthwhile read. 

The book heavily showcases what it is like to grow up in a family that is best described as dysfunctional. The seclusion that is placed on these young girls is similar to what numerous parents put their children through when they are severely abused. I was shocked that this aspect did not come up more within the confine of the pages, but it would have detracted from the overall story so I understand the author's choice not to include it as an element. The boys do little to pinpoint that the girls are suffering from a form of abuse either, since they are our primary source of information in this book as the narrator.

One element of this book that went right over my head was the fact that there is supposedly dark humor contained within it, but this element never seemed to present itself to me. The book instead seemed to be about a group of young girls forced to live away from the world and what can happen as a result. There was nothing contained within the pages that made me laugh in any context (dark or not), but this could be due to my previous history studying the field of social work.

The book was sad and depressing, but sometimes we need a book like this. I appreciated it for what Eugenides was creating here because the overall story has a very "Stand by Me" or also what I like to call the "growing up" type of storyline where a group of kids from a neighborhood have a moment in time or a summer that they always will remember. He weaves this aspect into the story seamlessly even when it is not really about a group of kids like others in this type of genre. He creates an underlying feeling though of this and it creates a masterfully woven tale because of it. >>>>>>

I did enjoy the book, but I would not place it in my top ten favorite reads ever. I give it a solid three faerie points and would say spend time reading it for yourself. You may get the humor that was allegedly contained within because all people view the world differently.

Until Next Time... Stay OPTIMISTIC!!!