Saturday, July 23, 2016

The “Reading Your Own Damn Books Is Damn Hard” Book Haul


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. I get to show off all the books I’ve gotten recently.

Since I only mention it in every blog post, most of you already know that I’ve been on a book-buying ban since January. The ban has been pretty effective, but occasionally a few books sneak in. I can’t resist cheap, interesting, used books. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective and trying to find books written by people who've had very different life experiences than me. I think I found some interesting ones. (Also, I got a Stephen King book because I am horror trash.)

Here are the “Unique perspective” books I’ve acquired in the past few months:






Say You’re One Of Them – Uwem Akpan


Each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances. 
A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday. A Rwandan girl relates her family's struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. A young brother and sister cope with their uncle's attempt to sell them into slavery. Aboard a bus filled with refugees—a microcosm of today's Africa—a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria. Through the eyes of childhood friends, the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes viscerally clear.






Misery – Stephen King


Misery Chastain was dead. Paul Sheldon had just killed her—with relief, with joy. Misery had made him rich; she was the heroine of a string of bestsellers. And now he wanted to get on to some real writing.

That's when the car accident happened, and he woke up in pain in a strange bed. But it wasn't the hospital. Annie Wilkes had pulled him from the wreck, brought him to her remote mountain home, splinted and set his mangled legs.

The good news was that Annie was a nurse and has pain-killing drugs. The bad news was that she was Paul's Number One Fan. And when she found out what Paul had done to Misery, she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.






I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced – Nujood Ali


Nujood Ali's childhood came to an abrupt end in 2008 when her father arranged for her to be married to a man three times her age. With harrowing directness, Nujood tells of abuse at her husband's hands and of her daring escape. With the help of local advocates and the press, Nujood obtained her freedom—an extraordinary achievement in Yemen, where almost half of all girls are married under the legal age. Nujood's courageous defiance of both Yemeni customs and her own family has inspired other young girls in the Middle East to challenge their marriages. Hers is an unforgettable story of tragedy, triumph, and courage.






The Power of Myth – Joseph Campbell


Campbell's most impressive gift was his ability to take a contemporary situation, such as the murder and funeral of President John F. Kennedy, and help us understand its impact in the context of ancient mythology. Herein lies the power of The Power of Myth, showing how humans are apt to create and live out the themes of mythology.






Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist – Dan Barker


Autobiographical story of journeying from fundamentalist/evangelical minister to atheist.





Have you read any of these? What did you think?





15 comments:

  1. I AM NUJOOD, AGE 10 AND DIVORCED sounds really interesting but probably a hard read. Look forward to see your thoughts on it. Enjoy them all!

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  2. Nice haul! I hope you enjoy your books.

    Diane @ Diane’s Book Blog

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  3. Misery!! I remember seeing that movie years and years ago, but never have gotten around to reading the book. I really want to though! I hope you enjoy all of these!

    Tracy @ Cornerfolds

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  4. Whoops! Came back to say I've read the Dan Barker book and have met him in person. He's a really interesting guy! I really hope you review that one here!

    Tracy @ Cornerfolds

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  5. Lots of interesting perspectives there. I've only read Misery but I have to say I'm intrigued by several of the others. I'll be interested in seeing your reviews.

    Here is my Stacking the Shelves.

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  6. I read Misery and saw the movie. Liked them both.

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  7. I think that your approach to seek out books written by people with very different life experiences is so smart. I feel that is one of the most wonderful benefits of reading. I will never know, first hand, about things like child marriage, or a murder. But through reading, I will get a better understanding of those topics. Enjoy your books.

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  8. I read The Power of Myth years ago and it was compelling. I hope you like it. The story of Nujood sounds interesting. Only 10 and already divorced and married?! That's a strong girl.

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  9. Haven't read any of these but they do sound unique and interesting. An all-out ban is rough. I'm on one too, but have been acquiring freebies. And books for my kid. Because those don't count, right?

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  10. I feel you, about cheap/free ebooks! Whenever I see a $0.99/$1.99 sale for certain publishers... I get click-happy. It is what it is. :D I hope you enjoy all of your new books!

    Have a fabulous week. :)

    Check out my STS post!

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  11. Nice haul. Hope you can enjoy all your new books.
    best wishes
    Vi @ Gone With The Books

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  12. Gosh, I wish I had your restraint! I see a sale, and I become a click-a-potamus! lol

    Great haul! Happy Reading!

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  13. Misery is one of the few King books I've read. (Gerald's Game, The Stand, and various short story collections are the others.) I kept putting I Am Nujood on and off my list of books to order for my classroom. Say You're One of Them and some Campbell are on my TBR too, but I'd never heard of the last one. You read a lot of highbrow stuff!

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  14. I love that cover for Misery. There are so many good covers for King novels. I read it so long ago but recently rewatched the movie when I saw it on cable one weekend. Wonderful haul.

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  15. Ooo, Misery, such a classic Stephen King. The movie version was pretty good too. Enjoy your latest haul ;-)

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