Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Okay, I know you've seen this book everywhere because I have too. And guess what? I finally actually read it! I will tell you that this makes my list for REQUIRED READING FOR EVERY AMERICAN. Shall we get into the review? Okay let's do it! This book is a tough read. There are a few reasons why it's so tough. I'll start with the obvious- the subject matter is heavy. There are a LOT of trigger warnings in this book. Abuse, neglect, rape, mental illness, child endangerment, bomb threats. A lot. Another reason why this book is tough to read is... well quite frankly, it's poorly written. I know, you weren't expecting that. And how did it make the list for required reading if it's poorly written?! Well, that's because the content is so incredibly important to read! It just simply must be read. BUT honestly- some parts were repetitive, the sentences were long and confusing. I would often have to reread a long sentence that had multiple commas and a parenthetical statement included. I think it's quite clear that this book was written for the common reader- so I personally think the author and editor did a disservice to the audience by publishing it the way it was written. Overall though- what everyone says about this book is true. It's subject matter is eye opening and shocking. The stats in it were mind blowing. I have exactly 97 highlights I made while reading this book! So I'll end this review with some quotes from the book. But pick up a copy yourself it will open up your mind to how comfortable we've all become to living a life with bias! It's REQUIRED!"For years, we’ve been the only country in the world that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole; nearly three thousand juveniles have been sentenced to die in prison.""The State of Idaho banned interracial marriage and sex between white and black people in 1921 even though the state’s population was 99.8 percent nonblack.""Even though the restriction couldn’t be enforced under federal law, the state ban on interracial marriage in Alabama continued into the twenty-first century. In 2000, reformers finally had enough votes to get the issue on the statewide ballot, where a majority of voters chose to eliminate the ban, although 41 percent voted to keep it. A 2011 poll of Mississippi Republicans found that 46 percent support a legal ban on interracial marriage, 40 percent oppose such a ban, and 14 percent are undecided.""Only a handful of countries permitted the death penalty for children—and the United States was one of them."

The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord