🌺APRIL Wrap-UP Part 2🌼

     Welcome back folks, what lies ahead of you is part two of my April wrap up. Looking at these books they are all very different and each speaks to my interests when it comes to what I love to read and think about. They each are great books and I love them and I hope that by looking at my reviews they inspire you to pick them up and spark something inside you, they definitely did for me.


Parable Of The Talents- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Is the second book in the Earthseed series and it takes place about 8 years after the end of the first book, Parable of the Sower, review found here. And I'm not sure what to say about this one. It's told from three POV's Lauren's daughter, Lauren and her husband Bankole, and just like book one, it's told in journal format.
     Lauren, Bankole, and the others have been living and thriving at Acorn for years now trying to stay under the radar of the religious bigots while trying to figure out how to expand Earthseed without causing too much damage or unwanted attention to their established home. The world that they live in is still in great disrepair and Lauren is just wanting to get Earthseed out there in the world. She still feels very strongly about its word and its effects on people who may have given up hope in the world. But during this time, a one time Texas preacher then turned President Jerrett has preached to Make America Great Again! (sounds familiar doesn't it?) He thinks that all America needs it to go back to being a strictly old testament, Bible strong nation. Where women are reduced to being breeders and best seen and not heard, while the men do all the heavy lifting, physically and mentally. He believes that all those opposing his "ideal" America should be taken under the control of those who can "teach" them the "correct" way to be a law-abiding, God-fearing Christian. Folks who I guess you can say are his true believers have donned a uniform very similar to the KKK and have been traveling around America setting up camps for rehabilitation.
     It's a scary book, I'm not going to lie and say that some of the things and ideas Lauren has talked about in this book are eerie similar to the things happening to America today, and whats worst is that I feel that if we don't make some big changes NOW this will change from fiction to someone's nonfiction real quick.
     I admire Lauren in this book and her character growth throughout the two books. The fact that she was just teenager with this bigger than herself idea and a couple of books on nature with no real plan except what she had envisioned for Earthseed and its destiny is wild. The things that she went through, the things her family had to endure, the things Acorn had to suffer through and even when she was down, and I mean really down and the dumps, separated from her family she still held on to her convictions about Earthseed and that saw her through it all. This was not a happy book, it was scary and unreal and at times very hard to get through. I loved it. And I now and forever am a fan of Ms. Butler's writing.
Waking Gods-⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
     The second book in the Themis Files has again got me over here taking off just a half star this time because of the death of not one, but two of my characters!!! (No worries, I won't go too much into detail) I will say that I still VERY much enjoyed this book the second time around just as I did the first time.
     It takes place about 10 years after the first book and we get to learn more about the race of people who left Themis here on Earth and what they expected of us (as humans of Earth) as more giants robots spring up all over the world. At first, it's all smiles and love (due to the popularity of Themis) until one shows up in London and a gas is released and hundreds are killed. Vincent and Kara are sent to handle this giant and when both are standing side by side you can really see how "old fashioned" Themis looks next to this new arrival. The first book was all about discovery, what can this robot do? Where did it come from? What do these symbols mean? Is Themis dangerous? This second book is all about if we, as humans, deserve to keep her. Are we able to use the technology that was left for us? Are we worthy?
     I thought this was a great second book and adds wonderfully to the story of us and what is out there in the universe. Vicent, Kara, Rose, The Interviewer, and Mr. Burns are all great characters that bring this book to life (that audiobook man, I love it) and it was such a quick read, I loved it. There was more action in this one and we get to see more from Themis as a robot, she really gets to stretch her legs and we got to see some more cool gadgets that she has. The next and last installment comes out in a couple of weeks and I can't wait to see what is going to happen to the crew.
A Sky Full Of Stars- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
     I love Rose, I think she is such a great character that really embodies what it is like to be a young girl, working on a cotton farm with her family in 1955 Mississippi where she's unsure of what she should do as a young person wanting and needing change, but not knowing how to go about it without bringing dishonour on her family, because let me just say, Ma Pearl is no joke.
     In this book, we follow Rose and Hallelujah in the aftermath of the case against Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam in the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till. After being found not guilty, the black citizens of Stillwater, Mississippi are in a state of unrest and some feel that they should be doing more on their side of things in hopes of being seen as equal citizens and having civil rights and not just wait on folks from up north and the NAACP. While on the other side of all that the white citizens feel that the black populations is getting out of pocket and need to be reminded that they live under Jim Crow here in the south.
     The audacity of these children to take on this fight still in the beginning stages is mind-boggling and being that marches, sit-ins, and protest are still happening to this day for JUSTICE! This book may have been written about events in 1955, but the spirit of this book very much reflects that of today. I would highly recommend this as well as book one, Midnight Without a Moon, which I read in February (review found here).
     These three books were great! I mean I don't know if I can gush enough. How has your reading been going this month? What has so far been your favorite book? We have reached the 1/2 way point and I wonder if I can finish up at least two more books before the month is out (fingers crossed). Till next time!

PEACE👩🏿‍💻

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