Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

This week. Done. It was crazy in a lot of ways. Mostly good. The middle-school ministry had a totally crazy Humans vs. Zombies Nerf gun war which involved donating food to the food pantry and fighting for your life to escape those crazy teens. Who doesn’t want to be a part of that?? Too. Much. Fun.

There were two people dressed in full make-up but the rest of us were zombies or humans depending on what happened to us in each round. We used bandannas and wrist bands to determine who was what and it was dark and well, just a lot of fun. SO much food was brought in because with food, you got ammo. Enough said.

Humans vs. Zombies

The Girl had her first track meet, the Teen had a Jazz/Pop concert and prom tickets were purchased! This senior stuff is getting real.

Right Now:

We almost skipped church. The kids were tired, there was the time change and all, but in the end we let them sleep in and The Hub and I enjoyed the service on our own.

I am about to take a short nap before going out later. Can’t wait for my head to hit that pillow.

This Week:

Same stuff as always (track practices, theater rehearsals) but one nice addition is a birthday dinner for a friend this Monday. This weekend, The Teen’s theater group has a big overnight competition. We probably won’t be able to attend due to work and The Girl’s track meet on Saturday but we wish the group well. I’m sure they’ll kill it.

Reading:

I am still working my way through Gold Fame Citrus. It’s pretty good but hints at terrible things so it’s not a book you fly through.

Watching:

I finished Mad Men. What a fabulous show. I am going to miss those characters.

The Walking Dead continues to be great. It’s just so watchable and I love talking with my friends about it.

Making:

Yesterday I ate a lot of cruddy stuff at the track meet. I mean, I packed the cooler with snacks but I ate way too much salt so I feel totally out of it today. For tonight, just a simple chicken and rice bowl, please.

Grateful for:

My comfortable bed, in which, I am about to collapse.

What did you do this weekend?

God Help the Child
By Toni Morrison
Vintage, Paperback, 9780307740922, January 2016, 192pp.

The Short of It:

What you say to a child, whether good or bad, affects them long into adulthood.

The Rest of It:

A baby born with blue-black skin is raised by her mother, Sweetness, who can easily pass for white. The difference in skin color is a constant burden to Sweetness, who takes it upon herself to “toughen” the girl up. Perhaps, to save her from future hurt.

As the girl grows into a young woman, she assumes the name Bride and reinvents herself; embracing the skin color she’s been given. But the events of the past and the lack of affection she received as a child carry into her other relationships. Her boyfriend leaves her without any explanation, her friend sits in the wings waiting for the perfect opportunity to take over her business, and the relationship with her mother continues to test the boundaries of what a mother-daughter relationship should be.

God Help the Child is both the title of this book and Morrison’s plea to the reader. Her message is clear. What you say and you do to children leaves a mark and all of the characters in this book are examples of this. Although it’s a short read, I never felt as if it was too short or underdeveloped. Some of the members of my book club did feel that it was somewhat abbreviated in the telling but there was still plenty to discuss.

Of course, the writing is lovely. There were some passages that I just read over and over again because they were so beautifully written. For a book club read, you really can’t go wrong with Morrison.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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