Welcome to Litsy!

So happy to find this gorgeous edition of this book. 2 chapters in so far and the writing is lovely.

I finished this on the eleventh of June, but wanted to weigh the story...then reality became extra crazy...and remains frightening.

Warning, the following is a long babbling review.

This read was good, yet nothing like I expected.

There's no rhyme or reason to which book I investigate, nor how much I investigate, before reading.

I didn't give this book much research beforehand. I had learned that it had been banned, possibly even burned.

👇🏼

Page 102-103

“Are you afraid?“ she asked in turn. She put her bowl aside and stared into my eyes.

“No,“ I said.

“Why?“

“I don't know,“ I said.

“I will tell you why,“ she smiled. “It is because good is always stronger than evil. Always remember that, Antonio. The smallest bit of good can stand against all the powers of evil in the world and it will emerge triumphant...“

#blessmeUltimareviewedbyanncrystal

#ThinkPositiveBePositive

#binspired

Thank you @TheSpineView for creating this fun play-card & for the tag 💕🐎📚.

1- One of my ancestral American Indigenous languages, mainly Oʼodham.

2- American English is my only language. Wasn't interested in learning Spanish (I do know a few words). The tagged has a lot of Spanish dialogue without direct translations.

#blessmeUltimareviewedbyanncrystal

#Two4Tuesday

#litsycommunitylittenanncrystal

Thank you @TheSpineView for creating this fun play-card 💕🐎📚.

1- I usually only read at bedtime, so at an incline 😂. My favorite is sitting in the garden or inside beside seasonal decorations or a fountain.

2- I expected a Grandma-like character, and a cozy-kind of story. This is a very serious, deeply meaningful story.

#Two4Tuesday

#litsycommunitylittenanncrystal

A hauntingly beautiful book in the setting of the Mexican pre WWII New Mexico. A coming of age story of a boy walking in the two worlds of Spanish Catholics and his indigenous god mother who knew different powers. The book left you thinking strongly of the essence of what our walk in life is about. In the end what does it mean? Love this book!

So...apparently, I haven't read many of the books listed, but here are my top 3:

1. Bless Me, Ultima
2. The Bluest Eye
3. The Color Purple

#TLT #ThreeListThursday @dabbe

I took AP English during the time covered by the survey! Don‘t ask me what we read, because I don‘t remember. It wasn‘t any of these books, though. Still, I think of it as one of the best classes I took in high school. All 12/100 books are ones I read as an adult. Highlights:
1. Anna Karenina
2. Bless Me, Ultima
3. The Cider House Rules
Survey link: https://www.listchallenges.com/litsy-ap-literature-free-response-titles-list-1
#TLT

Anaya‘s book had me thinking about faith and family and what does it mean to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

What a strange tale of faith and discovery. Anaya paints beautiful pictures with his words and some of the interactions between his characters read as if I‘m watching children on a playground. Yet, I‘m not quite sure what readers find so appealing about this book. A strange path to goodness, indeed.

What an insanely beautiful book! The writing was lush and loving. This coming of age story isn‘t like any that I‘ve read: it‘s a spiritual coming of age. What will Antonio become? Can he hang onto the magic that Ultima shows him? Will he ever have his questions answered? #pop23 #bookishouldhavereadinhighschool

“There are many gods,” Cico whispered, “gods of beauty and magic, gods of the garden, gods in our own backyards- but we go off to foreign countries to find new ones, we reach the stars to find new ones-“

This is such a beautiful book. What an interesting idea that thinking any old thing could be blasphemous.

Another classic that I think I would have gotten more out of if I had read it in school when I was much younger. Unfortunately I was a bit bored, to the point that about half through I put it down and struggled to pick it back up.
The writing is good - solid with just enough embellishment. A perfect book for an English class. The main storyline is interesting and gives much to discuss. But I did find the side characters to be extremely flat.

It's -22 C (-8F) today, so I think I will skip my walk and try to finish one more book in January.

Excellent novel that combines New Mexican myths and Catholicism. It's a coming-of-age story about Antonio and family and a good shaman named Ultima. I can see why it has been banned before. It has some adult situations, language, and treats Catholicism kind of lightly. Still it was very well written (originally 1972), and has humor as well as poetic language, and I will most likely read more by Anaya. Had to look up some Spanish terms being used.

I've read and enjoyed the tagged book. Anyone have suggestions for more? #foodandlit

Starting this award-winning book about a boy and a shaman woman in N. Mexico.

2️⃣
The second read for my Mexican American Literature class

This story takes places during WW2 & in New Mexico. The protagonist is a little boy who feels torn between his parents contrasting dreams for him, & has questions about God, sinning, forgiveness, & how to forge his own destiny. Ultima, a curandera, becomes his guide.
Some themes felt a little repetitive, but overall I can see why this is an iconic novel in the Chicano literary canon! ✨

Inspired by @vivastory & @BarbaraBB here are my #midyearfaves Only got it down to 12 so I‘ve done them in one collage.
I had trouble getting it down from 17! I‘ve read some amazing books this year. And it‘s surprising which books stick with you. I find it hard to explain the hold Memorial has on me for instance.
I think Bless Me Ultima is my leader for book of the year, thank you @Reggie for gifting it to me! ⬇️

(Background print by katherineblower available on red bubble.com)

Thank you @Reggie for this book! I picked it up off the shelf while I was in a book funk and it captured me from the first sentence. I‘ve just found out that Rudolfo Ananya died last year, so RIP to a great writer.
This is a book that has been both banned and burnt. It questions the church and the existence of God - but it does so from the pure heart of a child seeking to ⬇️

This coming of age story had so much potential. I appreciated the cultural elements the author wove into the story of a witch who helps a young boy learn life lessons before she‘s killed. And yet the story still managed to not hold my interest completely. It‘s a controversial book and one you need to form your own opinion about.

Rereading this in honor of el maestro, Rudolfo Anaya.

😭

I changed my mind about my #CYOReadathon. 1. It's been a weird day and I haven't read a thing so I'm going to start tomorrow and 2. I think I'm going to dust off my copy of the tagged booked and finally read it.

I‘m sad to see this. I had to read Bless Me, Ultima for my senior year of high school and it has stayed with me almost 20 years later. This article is a beautiful tribute to him. https://www.abqjournal.com/1471290/beloved-nm-author-rudolfo-anaya-passes-away.h...

😢RIP

Currently listening to Bless Me, Ultima on RB Digital. Not sure if RB Digital is popular or offered at a lot of libraries. Titles always seem to be available.

For a book with hardcore violence, sexual harassment, silly schoolboy antics, bullying, magic, witchcraft, and even a giant golden carp god, it really could not be any more boring. The characters (except for Antonio) are 2-dimensional. The symbolism was so heavy-handed; it's as if Anaya wrote it specifically to torture high school students. Is there nothing more modern & relevant we can force our high school kids to read?

#River #quotsyjuly19 @TK-421

Home sick today but I‘ve got a good book, a cozy blankie, and sweet puppies (not pictured because they were busy keeping me safe by barking at the ferocious squirrel on our patio) so I‘m on my way to better health.

Pros & cons. Sone beautifully poetic passages and some unsubtle repetitively-stated interior conflicts.

Congrats on your litfluence @TheLibrarian and thanks for hosting the #70kgiveaway!

Loved this coming of age story about a young boy in New Mexico. It‘s beautifully written and magical. Longer review on my blog here: https://wp.me/pKWKW-4D but the short version is - go read it. It deserves to be part of PBS‘s Great American Read.
#bannedbooks #GAR

You were right, @Reggie I loved it. 😍

I‘m surrounded. 😍🐶😍
#readingbuddies #snuggles #bailey #scooter #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy #chihuahuasoflitsy

#truth 😔

Wow, what can I say about this book? It‘s very different, that‘s for sure. It follows Antonio (Tony) on his journey of self discovery. His mom wants him to be a catholic priest and his dad wants him to be a cowboy, but Antonio is growing up in a different time that is teaching him many things. He has to balance the teachings from his parents, the church, and Ultima (a shaman/medicine woman) to discover who he truly is. Loved it! #GAR

“There are many gods,” Cisco whispered, “gods of beauty and magic, gods of the garden, gods in our backyards — but we go off to foreign countries to find new ones, we reach to the stars to find new ones—.”
- Rudolfo Anaya
Bless Me, Ultima

#GAR #GreatAmericanRead #bannedbooks #diversebooks #diverseauthors

😢😔 my heart goes to Florence. 💕

#GAR #Greatamericanread #bannedbooks #diversebooks #diverseauthors

“It is not manly to blame our mistakes on the bomb, or any other thing. It is we who misuse the earth and must pay for our sins—“
-Rudolfo Anaya
Bless Me, Ultima

#GAR #greatamericanread #bannedbooks #diversebooks #diverseauthors #litsyloveslibraries #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #TookeyToles #Tolesbrats #mybrat

#GAR #GreatAmericanRead #bannedbools #diversebooks #litsyloveslibraries

Up next! I‘ll be reading this in a few hours, since I must sleep now. I stayed up way past my bedtime finishing The 7 1/2 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle. It‘s the large print edition because it‘s the only edition my local library has. Goodnight all, happy reading. 😴🌙 🛌

#GAR #GreatAmericanRead #diversebooks #bannedbooks #LitsyLovesLibraries

#helloThursday #bannedbooksedition
1️⃣ Too many to pick a favorite
2️⃣ currently reading the tagged book because it‘s on #GAR and a school district actually burned it (WTH?)
3️⃣ Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (it‘s on my TBR for this year though!)
4️⃣ Utterly ridiculous and shameful.

It‘s Banned Books Week. I was trying to pick a frequently banned/challenged book to read this week and ran across the above note on Wikipedia. I had not heard of this book before the Great American Read, but I was intrigued when I saw the intro episode and bought a copy. I think I need to crack it open!
#gar #bannedbooks

#readingresolutions #dnfbooks

There are so many books I should not have finished given the size of my tbr but alas these are but a couple that I actually bailed on.

http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/books/#/

Found this park dedicated to #rudolfoanaya while driving the old Route 66. Total serendipity as I wasn‘t even aware that Santa Rosa, New Mexico was where he grew up! #blessmeultima

The kind of summer night that demands you stay inside with your A/C, baseball, wine and a good book.... #GoSox

Vacation is wrecking my Litsy posting! But it did give me time to finish one of my #requiredreadingredo books! @ErinSueG Get to work on your list! ❤️ #blessmeultima #witchywoman #pocauthors #librarybook #bigread

This is one of those gems that I missed the first time around. In some ways, it‘s comparable to To Kill A Mockingbird. Antonio is so young, and accepts everything with a wide eyed optimism and belief that reminds us what it‘s like it to be so innocent. I gave this to my 17 year old to read now. I think he‘ll appreciate it.