Fences is a beautifully written yet heart wrenching story of a black man and father being so affected by the past that he can’t move forward, causing him to lose control of those he loved over time. Troy, the main character of the play, is in many ways scarred from his past. He works with his hands because his father did and he knows that a skill if the only thing the harsh world can’t take away from you. Growing up in the post-civil war time period and seeing the ways in which his father and black people struggled, he refuses to believe society will ever treat black people justly and allow them a chance to pursue what they love most. This is reflected in his refusal to sign a paper and let Cory, his son, play football and gain an opportunity for college. Troy can not fathom a world which allows black people to play mainstream sports and tries to prevent the pain before it starts by stopping Cory from playing. Resentment grows in Cory and with added issues of society’s treatment of his disabled veteran brother, Gabe, Troy begins to feel stuck and out of control with his life’s path. In doing so, he cheats on his wife, Rose, with a woman named Alberta and becomes the father to a girl who he asks Rose to take in. Miserable, and pushing away all who cared about him in his life, he becomes a stranger in his own home and begins his “fight” with death until he passes 8 years later. His impact on those around him (both good and bad) lingers on. I liked the story, even with us heartfelt sad ending. It is an overall great book!

I have mixed impressions of and feelings about this novel. I found the plot intriguing, and enjoyed Serafina's narrative voice in her alternating chapters, as compared to Sara's, which disappointingly tended to fall more often into cliché turns of phrase. I understand the need to set the characters' "voices" apart and distinguish the eras in which they are living, but wonder if this could have been done with a bit more finesse for Sara's chapters. Some plot revelations were telegraphed and therefore more predictable, while others felt more satisfyingly surprising. At times, the events and interactions themselves seemed to draw on stereotypes, though I appreciate that the author appears to have researched the book quite thoroughly. There were also some unexpectedly graphic passages in the book, so readers who are especially sensitive to intimate and/or violent imagery may wish to be aware of this before reading. Overall, though it would be missing a meaningful modern dimension, I think I might have preferred this as a purely historical fiction novel, set entirely in Serafina's time period. All that said, I would still be interested to read other novels by this same author, in the hopes that they are more of the quality of Serafina's chapters than Sara's.

4.5 What a beautiful story. I really enjoyed this book and its surprises (I don’t like to give spoilers). The Community House is a surprising place and the librarian, as all librarians are, is magical. I can relate in some way to each story and each one touched my heart. Life’s simple things and what we can do if we think a little differently about our selves and situations. And try new things. And how we interpret stories differently. Libraries are always comforting to me. Sayuri Komachi is a wonderful librarian - she knows what people need. Open up and value ourselves a little more.

Predictable, but a fun read. I didn't really love the way the point of view was done in the book, but I still enjoyed the characters.

This had me going back and forth trying to guess what the ending was going to be the entire time! It kept me hooked!

This historical fiction takes place during JFK's campaign for president. An ex-cop reporter involving the CIA, the cold war, the mob as well as politics

Charming narration offers an introduction to an endearing detective in a cozyish locked room murder mystery with a clever plot. If you’ve burned through all of Agatha Christie, this series will appeal to you.

This was a great manga. The main character, Yuta Okkotsu experiences a new school of sorcery and fights intense battles. The book is very well written and deserves more hype. The movie is great as well.

This book was absolutely amazing. It didn’t even feel like I was reading anything, it felt like I was living it. When I got to the acknowledgements I almost had an anxiety attack because I suddenly got snapped back into reality. I was super sad when it ended. Definitely recommend

I liked reading from Poppy’s point of view more than any of the others. I think this book was way overhyped when it first came out. It wasn’t my favorite.