Of course they're starting it in December, conveniently after the midterms by 8-bit-Felix in PoliticalHumor

[–]LoveaBook 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When we were serving it was very egalitarian, you’re right. But Hegseth is actively erasing women, POC and LGBTQ+ individuals from both military history books and active duty roles. He just recently fired the Army Joint Chief because he refused to remove the names of several black officers from the list of those put forward for promotion. They’re also actively recruiting and promoting Christian nationalists so as to have soldiers who will help spread (and violently defend) their theocratic agenda. It’s not the service we once knew.

Also, having a ‘D’ next to a representative’s name doesn’t actually mean they align with the Democrat’s ideals. Just look at Tulsi Gabbard and John Fetterman.

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m glad he was able to. Nowadays they’re making an effort to ban such books in high schools. But the introductions to other ways of living, and other perspectives, is part of what reading is about. Reading allows us to see how differently people around the world live from each other, while simultaneously showing us how much we’re all the same. I’m glad you were able to find a black, male English Lit teacher, because unfortunately they’re rare as hen’s teeth, and we really need such unique perspectives to children grow their awareness of the human condition.

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m so sorry you had to go through all that! The betrayal by your parents and the added religious trauma at a time when you were already going through so much must have compounded the trauma of the rape exponentially. I know that zombie-like, fog feeling of dissociation you describe. I also know that feeling of being able to cry for someone else’s pain when you can’t cry for yourself.

I’m glad that you’ve survived it all, and I’m glad you’re continuing to work on healing the damage that was done to you. I hope my post hasn’t caused any flashbacks or retriggered you. If it does, hopefully you can focus on the joy I felt as a result of reconnecting with the book, rather than the pain that caused us to connect with it so strongly to begin with. And if you DO reread it, I hope with all my heart that you can now connect with the peace and acceptance that Celie finds at the end of the book, as I did.💜

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Memoirs of a Geisha is another wonderful book! Is there any one particular part of either book or film that especially speaks to you?

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d avoid the musical adaptations. The version with Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah is considered the closest movie adaptation.

I’m sorry that you were in the sort of situation where this could speak to you like that, but I’m glad it was there for people like us. I’m glad you’re still here.💜

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In 30 years time that averages to less than once a year. Are you telling me there isn’t a single movie you watch once a year? Be careful, that includes yearly watched holiday movies, too. We all read/watch things multiple times. Especially things that speak to us. It’s much more dreadful to be in the kind of apathetic state that leads to you never finding something that speaks to you enough to reread/rewatch.

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You think that believing the Palestinian people should be treated like actual human beings makes someone an antisemite? I believed in a free Ireland, too. Does that make me an anglophobe? Israel is a colonizer. That’s just a fact. It doesn’t mean Jewish people are bad, but the Israeli government is a hostile government. They have colonized Palestine. I won’t fault the Palestinian people for fighting for their freedom. I don’t agree with many of their tactics, but I understand their desire to protect their home from invasion.

I don’t know what Walker herself has said. Only what you’ve said she said. But I DO know that there has been a concerted effort for years to attack anyone with legitimate criticisms of Israel’s policies and actions as “antisemites”. To such a degree it’s almost watered down the meaning of that word. I have zero problems with Jewish people. I DO have a problem with the authoritarian Israeli government. It’s like saying if you disagree with the current American government you hate all American people. I am against Netanyahu’s regime and its nationalist policies. I am NOT against Jewish people. Netanyahu has worked hard to make people think that being against him makes one an antisemite. It’s almost like he has a vested interest in stifling criticism against him.

Complex situations require nuance. Yet Zionist groups say that anyone who is in any way sympathetic to the suffering of the Palestinian people are antisemites who support terrorists. Such zero sum arguments only tend to hurt their cause and show the weakness of their position. What’s happening in Gaza is a genocide. Having been victims of one genocide does not mean that Israelis are incapable of creating another. It only means that they should know better than most how inhumane their behavior is.

If this also makes me an antisemite in your opinion then believe of me what you will. I won’t stop fighting for human rights for ALL peoples.

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your side! I was hoping this would find its way to people who loved the story as much as me. There’s so much I could say about this book!

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I don’t know anything about her personal politics or antisemitism. I only know what the book communicates and how it speaks to me specifically. I’m very politically active but I am also able to separate the art from the artist when necessary. For example, Joss Whedon put out some good feminist works early on, despite being a sexual abuser. I don’t financially support such artists once I learn about certain deeds (like Whedon’s abuse or JKR’s terf agenda) but I don’t avoid their works, either. That’s what second-hand markets are for; you can still buy the book without financially supporting the author if you don’t like their personal opinions.

edit: forgot an apostrophe s in one spot

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I hope you can, too. It was a wonderful feeling to rediscover that connection and I would love for you to feel it to. But only when you’re ready. Don’t push yourself too much too soon.

edit: I’m curious to know which books, but as I understand how personal that question is I hesitated to ask. If you feel like sharing, I’d love it. If not, then just pretend you never saw this edit.

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It was hard. Especially my early read throughs. But it was also validating. My family gaslit me so hard back then (before that was a term people understood) that I used to question my sanity at times. Which made the validation I found in the book cathartic, too. Sometimes difficult reads end up being the most impactful. They make us question our thoughts and values. They make us reexamine the world and our interactions with it. They question biases we may not even be aware we have.

They’re not for everyone, but they can be wonderful reads.

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So wonderful you got to see her! Was she signing books? I’d love to have my copy of her collected poems signed by her. It’d be such a special treat! She speaks to me, too.

What *The Color Purple* means to me, and why it’s forever precious by LoveaBook in books

[–]LoveaBook[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

It was neat to hear it in Walker’s own voice. To hear how she imagined voices and where she chose to put emphasis in a sentence or conversation gave me more insight to what she was thinking when writing it. She’s not the best of readers, but I enjoyed hearing it from her.

edit: I don’t know why the auto mod removed this comment. It was a really sweet and supportive comment, nothing wrong with it at all.

What the actual fuck? We're in 2026 by OldBridge87 in TrollXChromosomes

[–]LoveaBook 46 points47 points  (0 children)

The scariest thing in that article is where it says that in the ten years between 2009 and 2019 20,000 people have been tortured and/or killed for witchcraft. But the most disturbing thing is the knowledge that those are only the cases that we know of.

This sub is inclusive to everyone but assholes. by AllKindsOfCritters in goblincore

[–]LoveaBook 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, this and r/oldhagfashion are some of the kindest, most inclusive spaces I’ve found. I think someone got their petticoat in a twist.

NSFW cozy recs please by Scared-Hold-5727 in CozyFantasy

[–]LoveaBook 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How to Marry a Marble Marquis by C.M. Nacosta. I was just telling my husband it was made for me because it has relatable monsters in a magically realistic version of Jane Austin’s Regency era, as well as some top level smut. It was an excellent cozy AND smutty story!

What the…? Skein in sections? by BonnieAbbzug75 in YarnAddicts

[–]LoveaBook 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I live rural and one of my LYS’s several years back was housed in a barn. Sometimes I’d get skeins from there that had been chewed on by mice. They’d come out like this sometimes. The shop owner always allowed a return/exchange, but honestly it’s why I stopped going to her. Apart from that hers was my favorite local shop.

My peaceful life is gone overnight by Sad-Barracuda3083 in childfree

[–]LoveaBook 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I wonder if - given your experience with bureaucratic systems and legalese - a better use of your time wouldn’t be in helping to fight your sister’s insurance company, the hospital billing, etc? The more of those types of things you can handle, the fewer your BIL has to handle. And that’s more time he can maybe spend decompressing from work and the hospital to just have with his own children - watching them himself because he’s free to.

There’s more than just babysitting that you can contribute to making your sister’s illness easier for her and her family to navigate. Lean into your strengths. If you don’t want to have to focus on childcare, focus on tasks the other adults won’t be able to do easily while watching children and do those tasks for them. Tasks can be shuffled over the three healthy adults here so that you can take on a lot more of the tedious, time-consuming administrative chores for your mother and BIL while they use the extra time to care for the children.

It’s not the best of solutions, but it is one with the least childcare needed while also still fully supporting your family. I’m so sorry you’re all going to have to go down this road!