The Poisonwood Bible (1998) by Barbara Kingsolver

This is epic. By putting "bible" in the title, two things are immediately made known: there will be religion, and there will be scope. Kingsolver's book provides both.

The Poisonwood Bible follows the Price family from Georgia to Congo in 1959, amidst a swelling government overthrow. But it's not so much about the change in government as the change in the Price family. The story is told through the point of view of the family's four girls (Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May), and mother Orleanna. There are trials and tribulations to follow, many of them ripe with metaphor and allegory.

The Poisonwood Bible, though quite long, is rich and satisfying. There's certainly a lot to talk about throughout and after reading. It's lovely really to see the growth of the characters throughout time, especially near the book's final third, which spans decades.

The book's biggest fault is it's heavy-handedness, which isn't too surprising considering the title, begging comparison to the Holy Book. However, Kingsolver has a way with words, and does a wonderful job utilizing various first person point-of-views in telling a fictional story that feels not only like truth, but reality.

9/10

The Way to Rainy Mountain (1969) by N. Scott Momaday

I had to read this book for my literature class (not like that's a bad thing). Momaday's chronicle of the Kiowa tribe is a unique experience, and deservedly a cornerstone in Native American literature. The unique mix of myth, true history, and memoir makes the brief book massive in scope, yet intimate. I'm not quite sure how it all works, but it's a rewarding read, for sure.

9/10

Invisible Man (1952) by Ralph Ellison

Maybe somewhat ironically, Invisible Man has been one elusive book to me. It was only last year did I learn that there was another Invisible Man besides H.G. Wells sci-fi lore. This one, by black author Ralph Ellison, is an exploration into American racism in 1920's New York.

Our man is black and unnamed, and seemingly loony when we first meet him. He has a story to tell though, and we go along for the ride because we've got nothing better to do (or have heard so much great stuff about the book). What follows is twisted fiction, impossibly surreal, and episodic almost. The first chapter is incredible, as it describes the sweat and blood from an animalistic battle royale where blacks are pitted against blacks for entertainment sake. This chapter, and the final hundred so pages, are riveting.

Beasts of No Nation (2005) by Uzodinma Iweala

As for the mediums I spend the most time with, movies has got to be it. Sure, the extended storytelling of television has its perks, and music is great when my eyes are sore. Books, however, are the weird medium. They're the ones I feel I neglect the most. I wish I read more instead of watching a seemingly endless amount of movies.

This year I told myself I would read more, and I have. I am in the back half of Ellison's seminal Invisible Man, and nearly finished with Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge. Recently, I read Beasts of No Nation, by Uzodinma Iweala (try saying that three times fast), yes, because of the Fukunaga movie that's coming on Netflix next month. However, Iweala's book is fantastic in it's own right, regardless of film association.