Sassafrass’s Comments (group member since Nov 19, 2016)

Sassafrass’s comments from the Pick-a-Shelf group.

No biggie, I had looked a few times to make sure there were no mistakes, but I didn't know where to look to see if I had made "the list" for completions. So, thanks for making it idiot proof for me to see.

ok, I've been bad about updating this but it looks like I was able to finish this last month.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


I may go for another round, this was fun!

Oh, great! thanks. I was wondering if my April card was ok. You didn't comment on it. :) But I see it on the list now.

Thanks, Marie. I'm going with Forgetting to Be Afraid: A Memoir

Susan wrote: "Amazing, isn't it, Sassafrass? I'm reading Brown Girl Dreaming, too. Trying to go slowly and savor it."

Yes, I've been telling anyone who wants to listen how awesome it is.

I finished Brown Girl Dreaming and I was blown away. It was amazing and really touched a part of me that I don't acknowledge often enough.

And since we're sharing I'll post the poem "what everybody knows now" because I thought it really had it's finger on the pulse of what it was really like after segregation was abolished. People didn't just suddenly start holding hands and singing Kumbaya, did they?

what everybody knows now

Even though the laws have changed
my grandmother still takes us
to the back of the bus when we go downtown
in the rain. It’s easier, my grandmother says,
than having white folks look at me like I’m dirt.

But we aren’t dirt. We are people
paying the same fare as other people.
When I say this to my grandmother,
she nods, says, Easier to stay where you belong.

I look around and see the ones
who walk straight to the back. See
the ones who take a seat up front, daring
anyone to make them move. And know
this is who I want to be. Not scared
like that. Brave
like that.

Still, my grandmother takes my hand downtown
pulls me right past the restaurants that have to let us sit
wherever we want now. No need in making trouble,
she says. You all go back to New York City but
I have to live here.

We walk straight past Woolworth’s
without even looking in the windows
because the one time my grandmother went inside
they made her wait and wait. Acted like
I wasn’t even there. It’s hard not to see the moment—
my grandmother in her Sunday clothes, a hat
with a flower pinned to it
neatly on her head, her patent-leather purse,
perfectly clasped
between her gloved hands—waiting quietly
long past her turn.

I read Brown Girl Dreaming and I was blown away. This is a real departure for me as I don't usually read poetry, but here are my thought:

A beautiful and important piece of literature

Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson

*5 STARS*

This is an interesting book for me to review. I don't usually read poetry and this wasn't on my radar at all, but I ended up reading it for a Goodreads group and I'm so glad that I did.

BROWN GIRL DREAMING is a memoir written in verse. The poems take you through a story of a young girl growing up from being born in Ohio, to moving to South Carolina, and eventually moving to New York City. The thing that makes this story unique is the fact that she grew up in the '60's and 70's so her experiences were much different based on her location.

I felt a kinship to this young Jacqueline as I was reading her story. There were a lot of things that I could relate to, no matter that her and my experiences were happening about 15 years apart. But there are things all brown girls go through no matter the time. I chuckled when reading "hair night". Everyone knows about the sizzle of that hot comb. I was wistful when reading "stevie and me" and I think about the first book I read that had a person of color as the main character, and how it affected me (mine wasn't fiction though, it was a book about Wilma Rudolph for young readers). I also think about the stupid things I thought about doing that could have changed the course of my life forever if not for the fact that I had family who was involved and willing to stop me and make think. In Ms. Woodson's "graffiti", she had spray paint, but it really could have been anything. And of course there is the "fabric store" where every brown girl can sympathize with Jaqueline's grandmother for now wanting to go into the store where there employee follows all the black people around to make sure they don't steal anything. She chooses to go to the fabric store instead.

Then there were things that I only heard about. Like in "what everybody knows now", she talks about how the laws of changed but the attitudes of segregation have not in Greenville, South Carolina. It must have been so hard for her to go from New York to SC with those vastly different attitudes. The mixed messages that these kids had to adapt to is unreal, but I look at how some things haven't change. I think about the fear that I have for my own children especially my son as he gets older, and the stereotypes that he is going to have to still endure. The fear that I have that one day he may be stopped by police and never come home again.

Ultimately, BROWN GIRL DREAMING was beautifully written and touched me so deeply, I know that I will be thinking about the story and revisiting it for a long time. I am going to make sure that it's a book that my daughter reads very soon, and probably force my son to read it as well (I'll convince him that it's not just about an "icky" girl). I would recommend this book for everyone, it's poignant but funny at times, sad too. And I believe that everyone will be able to find some like experiences to her story as well.

This is a new author for me, but she's definitely on my radar now. I will be looking for more of her work.

Hi Marie! Would you mind picking three from my shelf?

Thanks!

Roll #37: COMPLETED
4/7/17 @ 10:47 pm

2 + 6 = 8

Landed on Halloween: DIVERSITY

Brown Girl Dreaming completed 4/2/17 *5 STARS*

A beautiful and important piece of literature

Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson

This is an interesting book for me to review. I don't usually read poetry and this wasn't on my radar at all, but I ended up reading it for a Goodreads group and I'm so glad that I did.

BROWN GIRL DREAMING is a memoir written in verse. The poems take you through a story of a young girl growing up from being born in Ohio, to moving to South Carolina, and eventually moving to New York City. The thing that makes this story unique is the fact that she grew up in the '60's and 70's so her experiences were much different based on her location.

I felt a kinship to this young Jacqueline as I was reading her story. There were a lot of things that I could relate to, no matter that her and my experiences were happening about 15 years apart. But there are things all brown girls go through no matter the time. I chuckled when reading "hair night". Everyone knows about the sizzle of that hot comb. I was wistful when reading "stevie and me" and I think about the first book I read that had a person of color as the main character, and how it affected me (mine wasn't fiction though, it was a book about Wilma Rudolph for young readers). I also think about the stupid things I thought about doing that could have changed the course of my life forever if not for the fact that I had family who was involved and willing to stop me and make think. In Ms. Woodson's "graffiti", she had spray paint, but it really could have been anything. And of course there is the "fabric store" where every brown girl can sympathize with Jaqueline's grandmother for now wanting to go into the store where there employee follows all the black people around to make sure they don't steal anything. She chooses to go to the fabric store instead.

Then there were things that I only heard about. Like in "what everybody knows now", she talks about how the laws of changed but the attitudes of segregation have not in Greenville, South Carolina. It must have been so hard for her to go from New York to SC with those vastly different attitudes. The mixed messages that these kids had to adapt to is unreal, but I look at how some things haven't change. I think about the fear that I have for my own children especially my son as he gets older, and the stereotypes that he is going to have to still endure. The fear that I have that one day he may be stopped by police and never come home again.

Ultimately, BROWN GIRL DREAMING was beautifully written and touched me so deeply, I know that I will be thinking about the story and revisiting it for a long time. I am going to make sure that it's a book that my daughter reads very soon, and probably force my son to read it as well (I'll convince him that it's not just about an "icky" girl). I would recommend this book for everyone, it's poignant but funny at times, sad too. And I believe that everyone will be able to find some like experiences to her story as well.

This is a new author for me, but she's definitely on my radar now. I will be looking for more of her work.

I'm going to use Brown Girl Dreaming for 6. Prejudice

Roll #36: COMPLETED
4/7/17 @10:45 pm
3 + 4 = 7

Landed on Right field Lucy
Forgetting to Be Afraid: A Memoir completed 5/4/17 *4 STARS*

review pending

Tien wrote: "Congrats, Katie!

Am continually being impressed by those who read different books for each category (ie. no crossovers!)... maybe I should do that next month though I'd probably struggle :p"

I may try this for May.

I've had the book on my TBR for a long time now, Christina. I'm glad to hear that it's pretty close to the TV show.

APRIL is done!


✔︎a. shelf 1 M Modern Romance: My Kind of Wonderful 3/16/17
✔︎ b. shelf 2 W Womens Fiction: Behind Closed Doors 3/15/17
✔︎c. shelf 3 P Politics: Sway 3/29/17
✔︎d. shelf 4 C Crime: Big Jack 3/23/17
✔︎e. shelf 5 A Age Gap: Special Delivery 3/28/17
✔︎f. first word in title (excluding a, an, the) M: My Kind of Wonderful 3/16/17
✔︎g. any word in title but NOT first (excluding a, an, the) (C): (Closed) Behind Closed Doors 3/15/17
✔︎h. author's first name (A): Adriana Locke Sway 3/29/17
✔︎i. author's last name (C): Heidi Cullinan Special Delivery 3/28/17
✔︎j. item on cover (A) (Asphalt) Special Delivery 3/28/17
✔︎k. any word in Series name / Subtitle (excl. a, an, the, novel, trilogy, series, chronicles, memoir, biography, autobiography): (C): (Cedar Ridge) My Kind of Wonderful 3/16/17
✔︎l. name of character (M) (Mitch) Special Delivery 3/28/17

❖ Behind Closed Doors COMPLETED 3/15/17
b. shelf 2 W Womens Fiction
g. any word in title but NOT first (excluding a, an, the) (C): Closed

❖ My Kind of Wonderful COMPLETED 3/16/17
a. shelf 1 M Modern Romance
f. first word in title (excluding a, an, the) (M): My
k. any word in Series name / Subtitle (excl. a, an, the, novel, trilogy, series, chronicles, memoir, biography, autobiography): (C): Cedar Ridge

❖ Big Jack COMPLETED 3/23/17
d. shelf 4 C Crime

❖ Special Delivery COMPLETED 3/28/17
e. shelf 5 A Age Gap
i. author's last name (C): Cullinan
j. item on cover (A) Asphalt
l. name of character (M) Mitch

❖ Sway COMPLETED 3/29/17
c. shelf 3 P Politics
h. author's first name (A): Adriana

❖ Behind Closed Doors COMPLETED 3/15/17
b. shelf 2 W Womens Fiction
g. any word in title but NOT first (excluding a, an, the) (C): Closed

❖ My Kind of Wonderful COMPLETED 3/16/17
a. shelf 1 M Modern Romance
f. first word in title (excluding a, an, the) (M): My
k. any word in Series name / Subtitle (excl. a, an, the, novel, trilogy, series, chronicles, memoir, biography, autobiography): (C): Cedar Ridge

❖ Big Jack COMPLETED 3/23/17
d. shelf 4 C Crime

❖ Special Delivery COMPLETED 3/28/17
e. shelf 5 A Age Gap
i. author's last name (C): Cullinan
j. item on cover (A) Asphalt
l. name of character (M) Mitch

❖ Sway COMPLETED 3/29/17
c. shelf 3 P Politics
h. author's first name (A): Adriana

✔︎a. shelf 1 M Modern Romance: My Kind of Wonderful 3/16/17
✔︎ b. shelf 2 W Womens Fiction: Behind Closed Doors 3/15/17
✔︎c. shelf 3 P Politics: Sway 3/29/17
✔︎d. shelf 4 C Crime: Big Jack 3/23/17
✔︎e. shelf 5 A Age Gap: Special Delivery 3/28/17
✔︎f. first word in title (excluding a, an, the) M: My Kind of Wonderful 3/16/17
✔︎g. any word in title but NOT first (excluding a, an, the) (C): (Closed) Behind Closed Doors 3/15/17
✔︎h. author's first name (A): Adriana Locke Sway 3/29/17
✔︎i. author's last name (C): Heidi Cullinan Special Delivery 3/28/17
✔︎j. item on cover (A) (Asphalt) Special Delivery 3/28/17
✔︎k. any word in Series name / Subtitle (excl. a, an, the, novel, trilogy, series, chronicles, memoir, biography, autobiography): (C): (Cedar Ridge) My Kind of Wonderful 3/16/17
✔︎l. name of character (M) (Mitch) Special Delivery 3/28/17

Roll #35: COMPLETED
3/30/17@ 1:10 pm

4 + 6 = 10
FREE PARKING (random book)

Easy Kisses completed 3/31/17 *4 STARS*

Almost Perfect!
Easy Kisses (The Boudreaux Series Book 4) - Kristen Proby

This one was almost perfect to me. Shoes and sex like Charly are my idea of heaven as well.

I really thought the premise was interesting with how Charly and Simon met. I adore the Boudreaux family so I was happy to see them again. I thought Charly and Simon were extremely hot together, and really just perfect for each other.

BUT, I was unhappy with the way that Simon, the self-help guru, screwed the pooch in the way that he handled things with Charly. IT.WAS.NOT.COOL! I felt like I held him to a higher standard because of what he did for a living. And he acted like a complete idiot.

I'm glad things worked out in the end, but man, I wanted to kick him in the bollocks. LOL

Narration was a tad better. My girl, Rachel Fulginiti is always on point, her voices are amazing. But, this time, Sebastian York stepped up his game some more too. He still isn't so good with the southern (like he doesn't even really do those), but he did a decent job with Simon.

I'm looking forward to much more of this series. I can't wait to see Beau book's next.

Roll #34: COMPLETED
3/29/17 @ 11:30 pm

4 + 1 = 5
JAIL / Just Visiting Read a book with word in title that is, at least, 3 syllables long

Sense and Sensibility 3/30/17 *4 STARS*

*4+ Stars*

I really did like this one. I did, it has some similar traits to Pride and Prejudice which I thought was pretty good. What made me not bump this one up was the fact that it dragged on in a lot of places. I felt like what could have been covered in a few pages went on for many more.

But, the story was a good one. I find that I would have had a hard time living in those days. There were so many rules. I think I would have broken a great many of them. LOL

Some people feel like this story was a tragedy even though both sisters had good lives at the end. I don't see it as a tragedy but as a reality. It showed that sometimes, the fantasy of the young aren't what bear fruit as we get older. And while you're life my not be exactly like how you always dreamed, it can still be full and happy and content.

I like to think that both sisters were better off with the way things turned out and lived very happy lives.

It was interesting though that the "villains" in the story ended up rich while our heroes and heroines had much more modest lives. But, that doesn't take anything away from the fact that they may have gotten the better end of the deal.

I'm glad that I read this classic. I'm going to start making my way through some classics over the next couple of years. It's amazing to me the story was still very relevant today even though the times are much different.

Hey Katie, here ya go:

Skin in the Game

Some Nerve

Hunk for the Holidays