January Reading Wrap-Up
These are the books I completed in January.
1. Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
Reading Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin, I learned the role that Faith, particularly Christianity and the various differences in interpretation have on the lives of Black Americans in the early 20th century as life was speeding up with modernization.
As someone with another faith tradition that is Chinese Buddhism, Daoism and folk traditions, I gained greater insight that I did not have before. Growing up in the West, the cultural aspects of Christianity seems diffused throughout society, through the holidays celebrated and the rituals depicted in mainstream literature and media. Reading Go Tell It On The Mountain opened my eyes to the role that spirituality has on Black American culture.
The life I have is fairly secular, I know some things about organized religion, but have not felt strongly the need to attend services, whether at a Buddhist temple or Christian church.
2. On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
I read the second novel by Angie Thomas through a physical book, then switched partway through to the audiobook. I found it fascinating to learn about Bri’s struggles. While her mother and teachers want her to focus on getting into college, she is determined to make it as a rap artist. Family pressures also push Bri to think she has to solve the problems that a record deal could mean. The follow-up to the best-selling debut The Hate U Give, I found it to be heartwarming story about growing up and being part of a family, through difficulties as well as good times.
3. Night in Shanghai by Nicole Mones
Thomas Greene, a classically-trained musician, leaves his job in Baltimore in the 1930s to become the lead of a jazz orchestra in Shanghai. He is one of many Black American musicians recruited to play in that international city where he meets Song Yuhua, a spy for the Communists during the Republic of China, and during World War II. I found the book to be an emotional read to me. I gave the book 5 stars.
