Lilith's Brood

1 of my all-time favorites..... granted I have a loose scope of what gets tagged as a "favorite", but Lilith's Brood holds a special place on the list. This trilogy comprised of Dawn, Adulthood Rites & Imago turned me out to the evocative creativity of sci-fi. Reading her work is like diri kole ak pwa wouj ansanm ak poulet (my ideal Haitian comfort food); I draw in comparisons to food because of the reward & comfort that Octavia serves, it parallels indulgence. May she rest in continued peace.

The storyline is nothing short of mastery integrated in with divine ingenuity. Yes, divine ingenuity! My words can barely capture this Queen's artistry.

I desired my own Ooloi connection though my imagination was the victim of constraint in picturing the world Octavia created. Dawn alone, as 1/3 of this work, can be labeled a classic and I'm hopeful in dreaming that this piece of literature will find its way into classrooms. Octavia attempts to draw out the fantasy of a future utopia while avowing the human condition within that matrix. Even as genetic offspring of humans our innate behavior is as cyclical as the sky is blue.... is it blue?! 

Kudos to my friend, scientist, herbalist, artist, fellow alum & kindred spirit for putting me on (Tati your taste in novels is impeccable!)

One Hundred Years of Solitude

The commitment to the story line invigorated my imagination, I had to commit to this beautiful piece to truly appreciate it. Marquez furnished the life and times of the Buendia family entranced with animism, mysticism, and a whole lot of other ism's that held my attention. There is no shortage of oddity & magick in this novel, alongside the weaving in and out, pertaining to love and all of its messiness and glory. I am inspired to read more from Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as he truly captures the essence and eloquence of that which cannot be described with words alone... yet he does it! Truly enjoyable read for those that enjoy getting lost in history and unrequited love.

Wicked

Oh how I underestimated the vivacity of the story line! The wit, the parallels concerning the times we're living in pertaining to politics & the overarching archetypes. I much prefer when my imagination is allowed to depict the physical essence of a character, hence I opted to reread this classic prior to seeing the overly advertised play for the 1st time. I literally see an advertisement every time I ride the subway.... kudo's to their advertising team.

What started as a depiction of Elphaba as the leading antagonist soon turned into my own self identification and sideline cheerleading for her to "win". And in the background Gregory Maguire weaved in the beginning stages of genocide pertaining to the eradication of Animals and the lack of notice by most of the characters. Ring a bell?! 

Elphie had a feel to her that was reminiscent of a friend from high school whose actions in the here and now are a result of past, painstaking experiences.  Her disposition towards secrecy and isolation reeled me in, while her warmth-driven out only by Fiyero-haunted the remaining pages. I was hooked by her enchanting demeanor and rejection of essentially everyone and everything; Maguire has earned my attention and I look forward to reading the remaining 3 books in the series. Plus I love witches so how could I not write about this beautiful literary piece! 

If you've read it in your adolescents or childhood, I highly recommend reading it as an adult. Two snaps & a twist!