A few weeks ago, colleges across the United States exploded with discussions about race on campus. Major movements at Mizzou and Yale made the headlines of all the major news outlets, but journalists didn’t fail to mention similar protests at Claremont McKenna, Southern Methodist, Colgate, Bowdoin, and my own Ithaca College. It’s a little strange to read…
Hot damn it Your booty like two planets Go head, and go ham sandwich Whoa, I can’t stand it ‘Cause you know what to do with that big fat butt Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle Damn, baby, you got a bright future behind you -Jason Derulo, “Wiggle” When we talk about representation of women in the media,…
What it is: Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan is set in India, where 13-year-old Koly must prepare for her arranged marriage. Her husband turns out to be quite sickly, and soon after the wedding leaves her a widow. According to Indian culture, she doesn’t have a future without him. Koly has to learn to survive–and…
Did you know nine people were killed last week? I hate that nine people died. I hate that because he wasn’t black or brown they didn’t mention his race or assume his motive. I hate that nine people died. I hate that we know this routine, that it’s become routine. I hate that nine people…
What it is: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz is the story of a Dominican family with a curse that dooms them to tragedy and ill-fated love. Oscar, our overweight, nerdy protagonist, never seems capable of winning, either in his dreams of writing the next great sci-fi novel or in having his first…
What it is: My Name is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling is a semi-autobiographical book about a young aboriginal girl who is sent to Kalamak Indian Residential School as part of the government’s attempts to assimilate native children into white culture. The book takes a diary format and follows Seepeetza’s time at school and on her family’s ranch.…
1. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, to satisfy the “read a Pulitzer Prize winner” assignment for the Read Harder Challenge (note: this was also on my Summer TBR, but I never got around to it!) 2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, to satisfy the “read a sci-fi book” assignment…
1. Because true intellectuals can use proper grammar. 2. Because I can’t tell how much of this is a lie and how much is the truth. 3. Because Asa smokes kittens. 4. Because I have no idea what’s going on in this bio. 5. Or this one. 6. Because Shane makes unnecessary acronyms. 7. Because I don’t use people for their Costco memberships. 8. Because Sean’s…
What it is: Don Quixote de La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential works of fiction, especially among Spanish literature. The title character, dubbed Don Quixote, becomes obsessed with reading about knights errant and their chivalric adventures. He goes insane, and attempts to bring these fictitious books to life with…
What it is: Order of Seven by Beth Teliho is a young adult novel that combines supernatural and realistic elements to tell the story of Devi Bennett, who must discover her roots to figure out a family secret. What I liked about it: Teliho’s writing is excellent, and she draws the reader in with a voice that feels human but still…
Victim to Charm 