One book. One week. One foot in the grave.

My book this week is another nonfiction novel examining the issue of race relations in America, specifically the plight of the black and impoverished citizens of the American inner-city. In More than Just Race , sociologist William Julius Wilson attempts to identify the factors that contribute to the trend of joblessness, poverty, and non-nuclear family structures that characterize many poor urban areas. Wilson talks about the previous research surrounding poverty among black Americans and is very clearly able to dissect what conclusions seem to stick, which are only partially supported by other research, and which don't seem to hold up beyond the confines of that single study. In the end, he arrives at the conclusion that black urban poverty is a mix of both structural factors (the way social positions, social roles, and networks of social relationships are arranged in our institutions, such as the economy, polity, education, and organization of the family) and cultural factors...

This marks the first nonfiction book I've read so far in this blog. How the Irish Became White is an explanation by author and historian Noel Ignatiev's observations on how the Irish went from being seen as "nonwhite" and being treated inferiorly to those of western European descent to becoming identified as white today. I was interested to delve into this book because I knew vaguely of the issues that surrounded the Irish when they first emigrated to the United States to avoid the persecution they faced from the English: it was interesting to learn that the Irish were not only leaving because of the hopeless conditions caused by the famous Irish potato famine, but because Irish catholics had their rights severely stricken to prevent them from owning property, practicing catholicism, and holding certain jobs. The novel really drives the point in that they were effectively second-class citizens, making their actions as American citizens that more disappointing.  ...

I'm sure many people have already heard of The Handmaid's Tale  due to the recently popular Hulu series based on the novel. While I've read other books for this blog that have had TV/movie adaptations, none have been so popular in the modern day as this. The novel takes place in the United States, some unspecified time in the future, after the collapse of the United States. The U.S. is now the Republic of Gilead, which features a strict caste system for men and women centered around the tenets of Christianity. The novel follows Offred, who is a handmaiden, which means her job is to live with a family and copulate with the male head of household in hopes of producing a child. This is extremely difficult in this setting, as increased usage of birth control and environmental pollution has left many women sterile or unlikely to produce healthy children. Offred's perspective shows us how crushing this lifestyle is on the human spirit, not just for her and the other han...

It is in my nature to be candid, and that's exactly what I'm about to do. Forgive me if I hurt some of you, but I can't knowingly sit on a lie and betray the trust of those of you reading. The truth is... I didn't read anything this week. I read all the books in my blog because I'm assigned weekly readings in another class I have and we didn't have any assigned for fall break. Great in the context of that class, but what about my blog content? Must it suffer just so I can give my tired old eyes a break? No! That's why this week, I'm going to flip my blog theme right on it's head and talk about my favorite podcast instead. And if you're one of those people who likes to whine about the progression of technology, you might even think the audiobooks/podcasts are the modern version of books, so in that sense, I'm not really doing anything out of sorts. Your Kickstarter Sucks is a podcast derived from a Tumblr blog of the same name. Ev...

We're back with another historically-relevant graphic novel! Don't worry-I am ready and eager to read all different types of books in the future, but for now, follow on my journey through Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. Persepolis is a nonfiction graphic novel that chronicles the youth of the author as she grows up during the Iranian Revolution. She is exposed to many awful components of the revolution, including watching her family and loved ones get sent to prison, where they are often tortured or killed. She also is subjected to the sexism and danger that comes with being a young girl living in a strict theocracy where women aren't allowed many personal freedoms. All the while, he experiences are illustrated through the eyes of a 10-year-old child, making each situation that much more jarring. There are many aspects about this book that leave me with the feeling that it is truly special. One is Marjane's conflict, even as a young child, of deciding between...