It's Monday and it's time for...Borrowed Words

I think I have mentioned a few times that I am not a fan of poetry. It simply does not appeal to me as strongly as prose does. There are however a few poets and a few poems that I understand, enjoy and consider packed with meaning. The poem I am quoting today is one that speaks of Africa that suffered oppression for hundred of years but that is still standing strong, tasting however how bitter the liberty may be. I like this poem because it is really very universal and Africa can be replaced with names of other countries, other nations all over the world that suffered or are still suffering from oppression. Today I give you words borrowed from David Diop:

Africa tell me Africa

Is this your back that is bent

This back that breaks under the weight of

humiliation

This back trembling with red scars

And saying yes to the whip under the midday sun

But a grave voice answers me

Impetuous son, that tree young and strong

That tree there

In splendid loneliness amidst white and faded

flowers

That is Africa your Africa

That grows again patiently obstinately

And its fruit gradually acquire

The bitter taste of liberty

Threshold by Bonnie Kozek

Honey McGuinness is the main character in Threshold. She is young, but the life her deceased mother served her and how Honey decided to live in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide were nightmarish and left her feeling emotionally drained. Now, all Honey wants to do is disappear, become anonymous and blend in with the crowd of hundred other anonymous, invisible people. She now lives alone, works for the pastor and his family, serving food to homeless people. All is well until the area becomes infested with drug dealers and addicts, and Honey’s friend, Billy gets murdered. Seeing that the police won’t do anything and there is no one she can turn for help to, Honey takes it up herself to find the killer and get her revenge. She enters the world she tried to escape for so long, the world of depravity, drugs and hopelessness. And maybe she’ll get more than she bargained for.

I should have known that this was no walk in the park when I read that Threshold was a hard-boiled thriller. I had never read one before and honestly just thought that a thriller’s a thriller and I’d have fun reading it. I did enjoy Ms. Kozek’s book but it was just so unexpected in its violent nature that I still catch myself thinking, ‘Did I read what I think I did?!’. Honey is a very sad character. Sad and tragic. She had a horrendous childhood, being abused by her mother and constantly prepared to commit suicide with her. When only Honey’s mother dies, Honey goes through life self-inflicting the abuse and perpetuating the violence as if in punishment for abandoning her own mother at the last minute. When she enters the world of drug lords to find the killer of her friend, things only get worse and Ms. Kozek spares the reader no details. The language and descriptions of what Honey subjects herself to are crude, brutal and shocking. If you are looking for a true roller-coaster ride, you’ll definitely find it in Threshold.

I said I enjoyed this novel despite the fact that it was so violent. The fact is that the author definitely knows what she’s doing. The writing flows smoothly, there are no real glitches anywhere and certainly no clichés. You probably won’t find much of character development as far as secondary ones go but you’ll get a pretty clear picture of Honey and how she comes through the horrid experiences in the end. All I can say is don’t let the 118 pages of this book fool you. They deliver enough punch to last quite a while and are not for the faint-hearted.

Weekly Geeks: One Title/ Author Collection

Weekly Geeksters, tell us, do you have a collection, (or are you starting a collection,) of one particular book title? If so, what's your story? Why that book, and how many do you have, and what editions are they? Share pictures and give us all the details.

Or perhaps you dream about starting such a collection. What title would it be and what would it take for you to get motivated to start collecting?

Or maybe it's the works of a particular author you collect (or want to collect) instead a certain book title?

I am crazy about books, no question about it. However, I think my madness still has more levels to reach since I do not have a collection of one title. I have actually never given it a second thought. My bookshelves are already double stacked (horizontally and vertically sometimes) and there is really no space in my tiny house to put more. However, now that I read this Weekly Geeks question, I gave it more thought just to see what this one book would be, had I a big enough house with a beautiful, spacious library to show off my collection.


And yes, there is that one special book: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I had fallen 'head over heels' for this book back in high school and fifteen years later it is still my 'take to a deserted island' book. I absolutely love, love the story of Cosette and Jean Valjean. I have read it several times now and it gets me everytime: I don't cry...I weep and weep and then weep some more, and worst part is, I somehow always end up finishing it at night, staying up until 3 or 4 in the morning crying my eyes out. When I get up the next day, I look like I am suffering from a hangover of a lifetime.

Anyway, having a blessing of speaking two languages, I read Les Misérables in both Polish and English translations. Both were fantastic. My dream is to one day learn French so I could finally read this work of art in the mother tongue of Hugo's. I cannot even imagine how beautiful this novel really is, as there is always something lost in translation.

Polish Version

Well, there it is: one day I will master French, I will own a big house with a library the size of my entire cottage I live in now and the central spot will belong to all different copies, originals and translations of Les Misérables (Polish title, by the way, is Nędznicy).

Book Blogger Appreciation Week Meme

I am very excited to take part in this year's BBAW event. Last year this time I didn't even know there was such a thing as book blogging community and now to be a part of this living, breathing organism is quite wonderful to me. Being an introvert and a person who prefers to be alone, it is rather a strange and new feeling to know that I can actually get to virtually meet so many fabulous people from all over the world without ever leaving my desk.
I think that a huge thank you and a bear hug sent towards all the wonderful girls, who are making BBAW happen for a second year, are in order.

Also the same goes to a kind soul that has nominated me for Best Review Blog. I am flabbergasted and very very appreciative of this nomination.

And now, let's move on to the actual meme.

1) What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?

I think the realization that there are people out there who actually want to read what I have to say. It is something completely new to me and as such it comes as a surprise every time I see there is a comment on my post. Another one, no less important, is that there are so many extremely kind bloggers who are very understanding, very supportive and have helped me tremendously through my different trials and emotional hardships. Now I only wonder how much money I would have saved on therapists, had I started blogging earlier.

2) What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?

Being that my blog is still fairly new, not even a toddler, I am still learning, still being helped and I don't think I'll ever stop being inspired by other bloggers.
There are five bloggers however, who first visited my blog and who still do so. They were linking to me, sending the word out about my blog, leaving comments when no one else knew my blog even existed and everything I learned about blogging in the first months (including layout, what to put out there, how to create a coherent post) I learned from them and by visiting their blogs and reading their posts. Here they are:

Beth Fish Reads
Great Books and Fresh Coffee
J. Kaye's Book Blog
Kittling: Books
My Friend Amy

3) What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?

How much growth have you noticed both in the blogging community and in your own blog's readership since the last BBAW?

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme, started by Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. Feel free to join in the fun.

Oooh, I have a whole bunch of new words. They all come from The Case Has Altered by Martha Grimes, of which by the way I will be posting a review pretty soon.

escritoire - a writing table or desk

While Bannen was speaking to someone at headquarters in Lincoln, Jury looked at the bronze busts set into alcoves, a Sheraton escritoire, and a large semicircular sideboard with mahogany veneer.


sanguine- 1. bloodred 2. a. consisting of or relating to blood b. of the complexion: ruddy 3. having blood blood as the predominating bodily humor; also: having the bodily conformation and temperament held characteristic of such predominance and marked by sturdiness, high color and cheerfulness 4. confident, optimistic

If there was anything Jury didn't feel, it was "sanguine".


parsimonious - frugal to the point of stinginess

Although he still had no clear picture of Max Owen, he had decided nonetheless that a man who would be parsimonious with light, when he had such a woman to stand in its rays, would probably cheat at cards.