Woman Reads A Bunch of Really Depressing Books

I found time to read this week. I devoured the first three books in the Barefoot Gen series. Anyone read them? I've heard there are ten books in all, but only four of them have been translated into English. These are autobiographic Japanese graphic novels (OK, ok. Manga.) about the author's experience as a resident of Hiroshima and as a survivor of the atomic bombing. The books are absolutely harrowing, and I couldn't put them down. Highly recommend.

I'm reading two books at the same time right now. I don't usually do that, but I was feeling too impatient about getting through the to-read pile. The first book is Blood, Beaches, and Ballots, by Dr. Gilbert Mason. Mason was a black doctor and civil rights leader in Biloxi, Mississippi. I learned about some of the segregation history in that area during spring break, so I was excited to learn about the book and read a bit more. The other book I'm reading is A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali, by Gil Courtemanche. It's a tragic love story set in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.

Wow, I read really depressing things, don't I? I wonder what that's all about.

Speaking of reading and I know this is random, but check out Blonde Justice's post, "Freedom of Speech, Explained" for a good laugh.