Favorite April Reads

Though I have just two favorite books from April, they were excellent. 

Underground by Will Hunt (Adult Nonfiction)

Hunt's exploration of the worlds beneath our feet is fascinating, compelling and supported by interesting texts. I simply couldn't jot down names and quotes fast enough. At times it felt like Hunt was gushing like a fangirl as he sloshed his way through sewers and reveled in what I can only describe as extreme underworld appreciation. I happened upon Underground in the Paris Catacombs gift shop. Though I wouldn't describe my appreciation of what lies beneath my feet as extreme, I do love caves and spent my college years caving every spare minute I had. I even helped with cave restoration and preservation. Sadly, the combination of a full-time job and the spread of White-Nose-Syndrome (a disease that easily spreads among bats and adds extra hours of cleaning cave gear to the expedition) pushed caving way way down on my priority list. But there is nothing quite like wedging yourself into a small cave nook, the back of your head pressed against the cool cave floor, as you flip off your headlamp and let the darkness embrace you. My experience in the Paris Catacombs was nothing like this, but I still enjoyed the tour, and more importantly I found Hunt's book. Hunt tends to meander, sometimes going on and on about something, zig-zagging from one thought to another. I recognize this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I rather enjoyed it. It felt a little bit like caving. At times I felt lost and overwhelmed. Other times I was totally consumed in a labyrinth of wonder I never wanted to leave. I had to slow down while reading this, and take the time to enjoy the beautiful facets of the underworld. 

Here are a couple of my favorite moments: 

"Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that even our most archaic ancestral relationships to landscapes never quite fade, that they become wired in our nervous system, manifest in unconscious instincts that continue to govern our behavior. The ecologist Gordon Orians calls these lingering vestigial impulses 'evolutionary ghosts of environments past.' This was a brand-new concept to me. 

Underground also introduced me to the word, "songline." "A songline is a path marking the trail of a Dreamtime ancestor - an emu, a wallaby, a dingo, a marlu - as they moved across the primordial continent, bringing the landscape into existence."

With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo 

I really enjoyed and respected the main character, Emoni, a teenage mom who's trying to balance parenthood, classes, work, graduating, her passion for cooking, family, friends and not only a potential boyfriend, but what it means to date as a single parent WHEW. I was impressed with how well Emoni juggles everything. Acevedo doesn't try to make her this champion teen mom or on the flip side, shame her for being a teen mom. It's not a cautionary tale or one of those books that makes a struggle like teen parenting look easy. Acevedo balances writing about teen pregnancy and single teen parenting with grace. I really enjoyed the characters. I appreciated not only Emoni's strong friendship with Angelica, but also how Angelica's relationship with her girlfriend stays strong the whole way through the story. Every character was fleshed out, believable, and played a crucial roll in Emoni's story. There was a touch of magic realism sprinkled throughout the story, which I appreciated. Emoni's cooking evokes strong emotions in those who eat what she makes, and she has an experience with a chef who nourishes this ability. I loved how the descriptions of food are heavy-handed with a couple cute recipes here and there. Emoni is also proud of who she is - her culture, where she lives, and where she comes from. Her family isn't perfect, but she's ok with that and she's a whole lot more accepting of her father than I would be. I think my favorite thing about With the Fire on High is how it lets its audience know that you can still achieve your dreams and accomplish your goals, even if your path suddenly changes direction. You may just have to work harder for those dreams, and the new direction your path takes may make your life even better.