Non-Fiction Reads

Beyond Death by Bernardo T. Arriaza

So, I recently heard about the Chinchorro mummies from reading an article about how they are rapidly decaying due to global warming. I thought I'd learn more about them and I found this book. This is one of the oldest recorded mummy cultures in the world (even older than Egyptian mummies!) and their methods are bizarre-they'd actually take the body apart, wrap the bones in clay, prop them up with sticks, paste the skin back on and add a face mask. This is all done so that they can continue to interact with their relatives, even after death. Gruesome, yet fascinating.

176 pages

Radium Girls by Kate Moore

 

What happened to these girls is shocking. Imagine getting a great job with tons of perks painting watch dials, only to find out months or even years later that the paint is radioactive and is slowly killing you. The way they fought for their rights and protections, even on their deathbeds, is awe-inspiring. 

479 pages

#NotYourPrincess by Mary Beth Leatherdale and Lisa Charleyboy (ed.)

This is a really cool collection of poems, stories and art from Indigenous women in the US and Canada. It's done by the same style as Dreaming in Indian (which I also recommend!) It's a unique look into the lives and experiences of Native Women. 

Read Harder Challenge #1

109 pages

The Beadworkers by Beth Piatote

This debut collection is a mix of short stories, poems, and a play. I liked the blend of historical and present day stories. I loved the Native American retelling of Antigone! Overall, this was a great book and I will keep an eye out for this author in the future.

Read Harder Challenge #6

208 pages

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

She's the Man....that's all I'm going to say.... Rub some dirt on it.
...So that's where the quote "Some are born great..." comes from....
96 Pages

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Love is so dramatic. But same.
If I were but a man... Don't we all think that.
108 Pages

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

....So I remember some of the quotes from the time when they performed it in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody 
"Though she is little, she is but fierce"
Robin Goodfellow is having too much fun...and yet he is working overtime.
96 Pages

As You Like It by William Shakespeare

"....The world's a stage, and all men and women merely players" What a monologue.
Oh gosh Orlando.. He is so smitten.

102 Pages

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

So problematic fave.
I just see sarcasm and sass everywhere....Maybe it's because I've watched 10 Things I Hate About You.
I like to think that Kate and Petruchio are just having fun sparing with words, and Kate is letting him think that he won.... I don't know. No one knows.. We're all confused.
140 Pages

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

 The Pillowman
by Martin McDonagh
Pages: 104
Rating: 3 out of 5

This script is not for the faint of heart. There is darkness present from the very beginning in the interrogation room of the police station, but the psychological twists and turns only get deeper as the suspect reveals the inspiration for his writing and discovers how his writing is tied to a number of child-murders in his town.

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

Summary: "A writer in a totalitarian state is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a number of child-murders that are happening in his town." - Amazon

This play will stay with me.  It's dark, twisted, and a fascinating commentary on humanity's art and actions.  

That's all I have.

4/5

72 pages

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts 1 and 2 by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #8)

 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
by J. K. Rowling
Pages: 343
Ratings: 4 out of 5

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play received its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

Harry's youngest son, Albus, tries to find his place in his family, at Hogwarts, and in life in general. I don't want to give any of the story away so that's all I'm going to say.

Boy by Anna Ziegler

Boy by Anna Ziegler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free from SYNC, and since it's a play, it transitions well to audiobook. It's dramatic and heart wrenching.

This takes place in the 1960s-1980s and is based on a true story. Back in the 60s, a well-meaning (but rather misguided) doctor convinces 2 parents to raise their infant son as a girl, after a tragic accident. They don't tell the child that he was born a boy, like his twin brother, and instead, they try to shape him into girl using sterotypical "girl talk" and "girl activities" to try to cultivate "female" interests.

This play explores gender identity, and the understandings of gender, from past perspectives, which were less than accurate. It's a short, painful read with touches of humor and hope.

Pages: 55

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Parts One and Two by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

Summary: "As an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and a father, Harry Potter struggles with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs while his youngest son, Albus, finds the weight of the family legacy difficult to bear." - The official script of the original West End production.

Oh.My.Word. I was blown away by this play and all the places that J.K. Rowling went with it. I cried, I laughed, and I yelled. It gave me all the feels. I wish I could see it in person - maybe one day! 

I was pleasantly surprised by the Malfoys in this play, and I truly loved Scorpius as a character. He is simply the best. 

327 pages