Author Spotlight: Toni Morrison

Name: Toni Morrison

About Author: Born in February 18, 1931, Toni Morrison has proven to be an exceptional novelist. Morrison transitioned from professor, editor, and finally writer. She began writing at Howard University as part of a group of writers and poets. Her success began with her debut novel Bluest Eye in 1970. With the success of later novels, Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. She has also been awarded the National Book Foundations Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

Published Works:

• Bluest Eye (1970)
• Sula (1973)
• Song of Solomon (1977)
• Tar Baby (1981)
• Beloved (1987)
• Jazz (1992)
• Paradise (1997)
• Love (2003)
• A Mercy (2008)
• Home (2012)
• God Help the Child (2015)

Recommendation: Although I've only read one Toni Morrison book, it was in that text that I discovered her ability to create vivid characters, thought provoking themes, beauty, and passion. Toni challenges her readers to think outside the box and face real life challenges. If you are intrigued by complex plot lines and true to life characters look no further than Ms. Morrison. 

Read More

#FridayReads 6.26.15

TGIF!!! So this weekend is going to be pretty busy for me. I'm headed to Charlotte tomorrow to spend the day with some friends and go thrifting (I'll definitely be looking for some cheap reads!). As a result I'm not sure how much reading I'll actually get finished, but here is a look at what I plan to read this weekend:

 Published: 2013

# of Pages: 500

Goodreads Blurb: "Audrey Niffenegger's dazzling debut is the story of Clare, a beautiful, strong-minded art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible, but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: his genetic clock randomly resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past, and future. His disappearances are spontaneous and unpredictable, and lend a spectacular urgency to Clare and Henry's unconventional love story. That their attempt to live normal lives together is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control makes their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable."

My Comments:

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while so I thought it was time to pick it up. I have seen the movie, but I'm really excited to be reading the book!

Published: 2004

# of Pages: 435

Goodreads Blurb: "Harry Potter is lucky to reach the age of thirteen, since he has already survived the murderous attacks of the feared Dark Lord on more than one occasion. But his hopes for a quiet term concentrating on Quidditch are dashed when a maniacal mass-murderer escapes from Azkaban, pursued by the soul-sucking Dementors who guard the prison. It's assumed that Hogwarts is the safest place for Harry to be. But is it a coincidence that he can feel eyes watching him in the dark, and should he be taking Professor Trelawney's ghoulish predictions seriously?"

My Comments:

Of course I'm excited to read this book this weekend! I've been attempting to re-read all the Harry Potter books before the year is over so this was the next in line. Re-reading this has been like reliving a part of my childhood. And it makes me even more excited for the illustrated versions to start coming out this fall.

What books will you be reading this weekend?

Read More

Author Spotlight: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Name: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

About Author: Best recognized for her presence in African literature, Adichie was born in Enugu, Nigeria. After completing sometime at a university in Nigeria, she transferred to a university in the United States graduating with her degree in 2001. After obtaining her bachelors degree, Adichie then furthered her education by attending and receiving master's degrees from both Johns Hopkins University and Yale University. She has given several lectures since her rise to a prominent writer including the infamous "We Should All Be Feminists" TEDx Talk. Here's a video of the lecture.

She has been awarded several different awards for her writing including the following: Commonwealth Writers' Prize: Best First Book (Africa), Anisfield-Wolf Book Award,  National Book Critics Circle Award: Fiction category, and many more.

Published Works:

• Purple Hibiscus (2003)
• Half of a Yellow Sun (2006)
• The Thing Around Your Neck (2009)
• Americanah (2013)

My Recommendation:

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is vastly one of the most complex authors I have encountered in my time of reading. I think I truly fell in love with her sheer intelligence when I listened to her "We Should All Be Feminists" lecture on YouTube. However, this year was the first year I was able to read one of her works (Americanah) and it was breathtakingly beautiful. She is capable of truly introducing the world to the meaning and purpose of African literature. If you are looking for a diverse author with a true and beautiful gift for story-telling I would look no further than Ms. Adichie. 

Read More