recently read: normal people
27: plus the reading room by seen library, taking place september 15
Knowing what book someone is reading and what parts they resonate with most can be so intimate. It reveals their interests, where their head is at, and what excerpts are so significant that they will mark up a page because they think it’s worth revisiting at a later time. I’m fascinated by what books others gravitate towards and I find that it helps me get to know them better and gives me a small glimpse into who they are at their core. No one asked for these book reviews, but maybe it’s my way of showing who I am and what I’m interested in – beyond the clothes, the products, and my career. Or at the very least, encourage some to look up from their phones and instead towards the pages of a good book.
But before I dive into the two books I read at the beginning of this year, I am excited to share the next Seen Library event, which is taking place on Sunday, September 15. Make sure to read to the very end to learn more :)
Book no. 3 of 2024
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle - Angela Y. Davis
This book was on my TBR pile for years when I was sat at a cafe and saw that the woman next to me was reading it. I told her that I’ve been meaning to read it and she shared how much loved it, which I took as a sign to finally purchase my own copy. A brief and kind conversation followed, reminding me how something so simple like a book sitting on a countertop can create a small but beautiful interaction — in this case, one with a lasting impact as it encouraged me to read a book that I learned so much from.
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle is a necessary read and one I encourage everyone to pick up. It was written in 2016 but still so applicable — too applicable — today. I’ve dogeared and underlined almost every page. My biggest takeaways are how Israel and the US police system are connected, all the ways struggles around the world are connected, the limits of a “progressive” government and why community is imperative in times of struggle.
Underlined quotes:
“It is essential to resist the depiction of history as the work of heroic individuals in order for people today to recognize their potential agency as a part of an ever-expanding community of struggle.”
“They began to see we have a common… connection. If that’s not created, no matter how much you appeal to people, no matter how genuinely you invite them to join you, they will continue to see the activity as yours, not theirs.”
“The question is how to create windows and doors for people who believe in justice to enter… the question of how to bring movements together is also a question of the kind of language one uses and the consciousness one tries to impart.”
“Why is there such a disproportionate number of Black people and people of color in prison? So we have to talk about racism. Abolishing the prison is about attempting to abolish racism. Why is there so much illiteracy? Why are so many prisoners illiterate? That means we have to attend to the educational system.”
“Movements are most powerful when they begin to affect the vision and perspective of those who do not necessarily associate themselves with those movements.”
“We have to encourage community particularly at a time when neoliberalism attempts to force people to think of themselves only in individual terms and not in collective terms. It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism.”
“Many people don’t even know how to understand the very process of acquiring knowledge because it is subordinated to the future capacity to make money.”
Book no. 4 of 2024
I know… It’s taken me so long to read this. It was my first time reading Sally Rooney and I liked and enjoyed it — I would definitely read more of her books in the future. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed at first, as I expected a bit more considering how many people rave about her and her books. But after reading back the quotes I underlined, I realize how much I appreciate her words, writing and ability to capture a range of themes like love and class differences. I especially loved reading what Connell and Marianne were thinking, but what they said instead — revealing the complexities and inner dialogue of two insecure, broken people who love each other but won’t fully allow themselves to be with one another. I also love how Sally Rooney weaves in important topics (like Palestine) in subtle ways, through small mentions in everyday conversation.
Underlined quotes:
“Marianne sometimes sees herself at the very bottom of the ladder, but at other times she pictures herself off the ladder completely, not affected by its mechanics, since she does not actually desire popularity or do anything to make it belong to her. From her vantage point it is not obvious what rewards the ladder provides, even to those who really are at the top.”
“Even in memory she will find this moment unbearably intense, and she’s aware of this now, while it’s still happening.”
“She believes Marianne lacks ‘warmth,’ by which she means the ability to beg for love from people who hate her.”
“It’s like something he assumed was just a painted backdrop all his life has revealed itself to be real: foreign cities are real, and famous artworks, and underground railways systems… That’s money, the substance that makes the world real.”
“This quality of discernment, she has realized, does not make Lukas a good person. He has managed to nurture a fine artistic sensitivity without ever developing any real sense of right and wrong. The fact that this is even possible unsettles Marianne, and makes art seem pointless suddenly.”
“It was culture as class performance, literature fetishized for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys, so that they might afterward feel superior to the uneducated people whose emotional journeys they liked to read about.”
“It’s funny the decisions you make when you like someone, he says, and then your whole life is different.”
“No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, go running in the other direction, depend on people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not.”
The Reading Room by Seen Library
If you’re familiar with Seen Library, you may already know that there are several types of events: book givings, book drives, meet-ups, volunteering and pop ups. The one taking place next week on Sunday, September 15, however, will be the first of its kind.
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