May 7 – 13, 2023 | Little Sparks #1

Welcome!

I have decided to change the book reviews section of the blog, which I named Little Sparks, into a weekly newsletter. This newsletter will be in a narrative style recapping the books I read during that week (or at least the books I choose to highlight for that week), and I am calling it Little Sparks.

There is some history to the name. In high school, I founded a CAS project called Little Sparks, where we (myself and three other classmates) shared book reviews on a WeChat subscription account. I was really, really proud of the idea and execution of the creative project (immensely! haha). I wished the CAS project had survived after I left high school (sadly, the junior students didn’t want to continue the project), so the name and idea never died for me. We even had a logo for the subscription account!

So, to say the least, I am thrilled about this newsletter’s birth/rebirth/debut, and I hope you stay on the journey!

Without further ado, here are the book highlights for this week:

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (The Stolen Heir Duology #1)
4 stars rating

Last month, I finished reading The Folk of Air series by Holly Black and immensely enjoyed it. I had listed to the audiobook version of all three books and (for lack of a better word) had devoured the series. Hence, I was curious how this new series that follows Oak (the brother of the Queen in The Folk of Air, known as the reluctant prince) would turn out.

The book was very much about a quest (for revenge). It was interesting to see the element of magic take a backseat in the book as the adventure they were going on was the focus. It was a fun read (more so because I had listened to the audiobook version, and each character had a different speaker). The characters grew on me, especially Suren, whom I couldn’t figure out initially. I also marvelled at how smart and skilled they were, as highlighted by the many riddles they cracked.

I am happy it’s a duology (long fantasy series can get frustrating waiting for), and I look forward to the next book.

Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks
5 stars rating

A riveting read!

At the root of many issues in the US is slavery and its impacts. This book details how sexism and the women’s rights movement in the US were impacted by slavery and the consequences of slavery, from the historic devaluation of Black womanhood to the racism within the women’s movement and how Black women got involved in the feminist movement.

bell hooks made a compelling argument for how feminism needs to do more to eliminate the dominant ideology in the US that promotes a patriarchal capitalist society. It’s quite a shame that though the book was first published in 1981, little has changed today regarding how Black women are treated and seen in the US for the book to be still so relevant.

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There will be more updates for my website/blog in the coming months. So, stay tuned until next week!

Warm regards,
Temidayo

Book Review: All About Love

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Title: All About Love

Author: bell hooks

Genre: Non-Fiction (Love, Modern Society, Psychology & Philosophy)

Pages: 237

Level of difficulty: 3/5 Dictionaries

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Brief Introduction:

In today’s age, love is portrayed as this fluffy feminine thing that is unproductive and that we could do without. bell hooks challenges that narrative going as far as to argue that love is irreplaceable (something we inherently crave for and need, especially to create a more inclusive world), a skill to be learned, and a value to be defined. The author proves so by using personal experience and psychological and philosophical work by others on similar topics.

Favourite Quote:

“The wounded heart learns self-love by first overcoming low self-esteem.”

Pg. 55

Reasons To Read It:

1. It’s packed with moral lessons.

The novel is only 237 pages. However, in each chapter, there is a lesson, if not lessons. There were many times I had to put the book down after reading a chapter to process and ponder on what I had just read. To think critically about what was read and ask questions. Nevertheless, the book was not placed down for too long as its beautiful writing and full-packed insights were enchanting.

2. It is a timeless novel.

Despite the book’s publication being in 2001, it is still relevant 20 years later. This book needs to be read at different stages of one’s life and at different ages, too, not only because of its prominent reminder of the power of love but also because there shall be a takeaway each time it is read.

You may get the book here!