Currently reading
The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia
The Master and Margarita
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 1954-63
The Path to Power
The Nature of Nebraska: Ecology and Biodiversity
Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original
Cutting for Stone
I was quite uncomfortable with a significant part of this book. I recognize that for a lot of people—authors and readers alike—discomfort is an end in itself. For me it's not. I don't need to be overtly challenged in that way to find a book meaningful. That said, I recognize that discomfort has its place, and it certainly seemed to serve well here. The question of race is a disturbing one, from all sides, and Ellison confronts a lot of it head on.It doesn't hurt, either, that the book is exquisitely well written. Not that he doesn't indulge in a bit too much exposition here and moralizing there, but the actual mechanics of his prose are nearly always pitch-perfect.
Also: I don't usually comment on the audiobook itself when I listen to something, but I did listen to this and I have to say that Joe Morton gives an absolutely stunning performance. I don't think I've ever heard a book better read.