I've had a bad cold since Saturday. Silver lining: I've been able to do a lot of reading, including two new favorites: Uprooted (Novik) and The Girl Who Wrote In Silk. If you're looking to get lost in a book this weekend, take note. Both were hard to put down. In fact, The Girl Who Wrote In Silk was my Book You Can Finish in a Day from my What I'm Reading in 2016 list. It's also one of my favorite kind of novels, one that intertwines past and present day storylines. It covers how Americans mistreated the Chinese in the late 1800s, which is a surprising but welcome choice as so few people know about that period in history. If we don't know our history, we are doomed to repeat it, something we must be especially mindful of right now. The mystery bringing Mei Lien and Inara's stories together was heartbreaking and poignant. Inara, the present day character, was in a season of transition and trying to figure out what brings her alive, which I found especially resonant.
I believe Uprooted is classified as YA but it transcended that genre. It had magic and intrigue galore, the plot gently but insistently moving forward in surprising ways. I liked seeing Agenieszka grow in understanding of herself and her abilities and I also loved the personification of evil in the Wood, which is literally a creepy forest trying to take over the land. The resolution was both moving and satisfying.
On a separate note, I've decided to take my annual break from social media. I need to do it every so often for the good of my INFJ/Type 4 soul and it helps me come back refreshed and ready to engage. Although I do miss sharing good links so this week's list of links is on the long side.
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Did everyone post MLK quotes all over your timelines on Monday? Even people who are, shall we say, disparaging about the Black Lives Matter movement? I found Austin Brown's piece What Would MLK Do? to be particularly refreshing. Christians, MLK Day, and Historical Amnesia by Rachel Held Evans was another important read, especially the questions she asked at the end.
This is a lengthy piece on the television magic known as TGIF. So many things I never knew or didn't remember! Did anyone else love the show Dinosaurs? I was so disappointed when it was canceled.
Such a lovely story: My Wife And I Are (Both) Pregnant.
I found St. Teresa and the Single Ladies to be a thought-provoking and engaging read.
"Five hundred years after St. Teresa, and there are still very few models for women of how to live outside of coupledom, whether that is the result of a choice or just bad luck. I can’t remember the last time I saw a television show or a film about a single woman, unless her single status was a problem to be solved or an illustration of how deeply damaged she was. This continues even as more and more women are staying single longer and longer."
I do or have done 26 out of the 34 Things Women Do To Stay Safe. It's just plain wrong that the burden is on women to stay safe, instead of teaching men not to harass/stalk/abuse/rape/harm women.
Short video worth watching: The Racism of Mass Incarceration, Visualized
Stephen Colbert had Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson on his show, which resulted in a discussion of white privilege and chair swapping.
I loved this Ta-Nehisi Coates piece on Bernie Sanders and reparations. If you haven't read The Case For Reparations, which he wrote for The Atlantic a couple of years ago, go do it now.
Broderick Greer's sermon Theology As Survival is incredibly moving. I watched it via the Gay Christian Network Conference's live feed and now he's made the text available.
Fantastic profile of Rachel Bloom, the star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which has been my favorite new show of the season. I was thrilled when she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy! The show is funny and quirky and filled with great original music. I hope more people start watching!
I cannot believe what's happening to the water in Flint, Michigan or that so many children now have lead in their bodies. This is 2016. The government officials must be held accountable.
