Beloved

I just finished reading this book, and I can't stop thinking about it, so I thought I'd blog about it.
Beloved by Toni Morrison

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an emotionally difficult book to read, but I felt that it was important for me to read it, and I am glad I did. Before reading this book I believed I already understood the injustice of slavery, but this book made me think about slavery, particularly its after-effects, in a way that hit home much more than any textbook or classroom discussion ever has. This book puts a human face on the struggles that are otherwise too easily forgotten. What touched me the most was the plight of a mother to protect her children from slavery, which she knew to be a fate worse than death.

Six Quiet Dogs

Last night we were going through Natalie's bedtime routine, and I picked a book to read. It's Doggies: A Counting and Barking Book, by Sandra Boynton. Natalie loves dogs (huge understatement), so this book is a favorite for obvious reasons. But it's a little intimidating to me, because 95% of the book requires the reader to bark like a dog. Actually, like many different dogs. And last night I learned that my dog barks could use some work.

Apparently, Dave has never heard me read this book before. He started snickering quietly at first, and then by the time I got to dog number 3, he was unable to control the laughter, and consequently neither was I. That's probably because at 3, you have to make the following doggie sound: "...nnn...nnn...nnn...." Dave's really good at this one. I can think of 2 reasons for this. His family's dog, Sadie, makes this sound on a regular basis. And also, he's a boy. I really think he's hard-wired to imitate noises well, be they machine guns, Yoda's voice, or a dog's bark. Sure, I know exactly how these things sound in my head, but somewhere between that and actually recreating the sound, there's a disconnect. Are there any girls out there who excel at making such noises? If so, I applaud you. Please come over and read my daughter a book. Because now I can't read Doggies without laughing at myself.