Hooked on Books discussion

Members Starting the BR: Trisha and Vicki / Chapters Champions + Claire
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: Isaac's Song by Daniel Black


Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

Started reading today. Up until now I really love the story. The author writes in a rather sober style, but evokes the feeling of the MC in a very vivid way. (view spoiler)[ I was really moved hen I read about his relationship with his dad. Both not really being able to understand it each other, it made my feel rather sad about missed opportunities (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ while Isaac frew up, he started to realize he is gay. Because his surroundings try to deny that he is gay, he tries to become a real boy. Getting o.der, he tries to date girls, denying his homosexuality, but slowly realizes he cannot go on denying his true self (hide spoiler)]

I love the character build up in this book and the way we see Isaac grow up. (view spoiler)[As he slowly comes to peace with himself and there is a growing understanding with his father and mother, life gets easier on him. (hide spoiler)]
The scene where he sits with his father on his bed in the newly decorated room is very moving and the start of new beginnings.
(view spoiler)[ His time at university and the things he starts to understand about black community and himself are very interesting. I really came to understand some things. The sad period of friends who start to die is written with a kind of distance to it, which makes it even more powerful (hide spoiler)]

Last part:

I put spoiler brackets, not because it is like a mystery, but I figured the proces of slowly reading seeing his life evolve was one of the nicest things of this book.

(view spoiler)[When he grew older, going to college and working, he slowly started to accept himself, though it was a rather difficult road: Relationships went wrong, people died and life itself happened. Being less annoyed by other people about being gay, he has a hard time accepting the racism that is around him. As a kid he seems to have been shed from this.
When his mother and later his father dies, he tries to forgive his parents for the harm they did to him and understand how much they sacrificied for hem. Reading his father's letters and talking with family he finally grasps why they were the way they were.

During the second part of the book a story about two black brothers in the time of his father’s youth is written by Isaac. By writing this story he better grasps the roots and the ongoing racism that older generations experienced. (hide spoiler)]

I loved the book, but had a few doubts: why should someone hold grudges so long to the parents who did so much.
And as for the few supernatural scenes: they couldn’t convince me ((except for the car scene)

Overall the writer is very good in describing feelings and relations without using too much explanation.

I'll be reading this one today...just still a little behind. AND hubby's off today and tomorrow and will be working on electrical things again, so I might not be able to update until later in the day.

I've started. I'm not sure where your spoilers stop and start, Claire, so I'll respond to them when I'm done 😊

Through Day 13

I THOUGHTI could start this yesterday but with hubby being off and us leaving for a trip on Monday, we had too many things to get done. I just started it this morning.

One thing that would be helpful for next time is if you let us know where you left off so that we don't read a spoiler. I'm not sure which chapters your comments are from. So I did read your first comment and (view spoiler)[I totally agree.

It also reminded me of a time when my dad did something very similar to what his dad did by not kissing him good night. One time my sister and I were arguing and Dad wanted us to "kiss and make up" but we didn't want to. Rather than insisting her allowed us to not say worry and make up, but that night when he came in to tuck us in etc. he didn't kiss us good night nor actually tuck us in like usual. When we told him he'd forgotten, he said something like, "No, I didn't forget. But if you don't want to kiss and make up with each other, then I don't want to kiss you good night and tuck you in." I obviously don't remember his words but it was a lesson learned for sure. I remember feeling crushed and I have never forgotten that night and how I felt!!! And missed opportunities...yes! Great way of saying it. (hide spoiler)]

This one was just as heavy as I thought it would be but I'm still really liking it. They are fast chapters and that seems to make it somehow a little easier to read

Through Day 12

(view spoiler)[ it's tough - this breakdown between raising your kids like how you were raised and trying to raise the kids in a world you don't know and try to catch up and teach them to be safe and happy.

I feel for Isaac - I can't imagine not accepting my kids exactly how they are but I can also see his dad was scared for him - and thought he wasn't "teaching him to be a man". We know so different now but we didn't then.

But that doesn't excuse how cruel his father was at times. And I'm sad about his mom's drinking.

I'm glad he's finding happy memories with his dad - and will maybe be able to let go of his father's judgement. I'm not saying forgive him but at least not let it haunt him.

I love that he found the piano. I'm sad his story won and he had no one to tell. (hide spoiler)]

Thanks, Vicki, I’ll try to remember that.

You're welcome, Claire.

Through Day 25

(view spoiler)[I was glad that his dad at one point was actually proud of him! That made me happy. This was way back in the 80's at a time when the word "colored" was used and calling gay people F_ _ _ _ _. So disgusting. I know people are far more accepting today but not 100%. But living back then as a gay black man would've been so difficult. I love that his dad seems to be accepting him and his sexuality and ways he chooses to live his life. I hope that continues and he fully loves his son unconditionally. (hide spoiler)]

I have both the e-ARC and audiobook from NetGalley and at times they don't jive, so it's gotten me a bit confused but not bad. For example, somewhere around 12 or 13 a day was skipped in the audio. From that point on every time the ebook said, Day 20 it would say the next day on audio, so it would say Day 21. But the text was the same. Just now it skipped Day 28 in the ebook AND audiobook and went right to 29 so right now they are the same. lol (Not sure if that made total sense or any sense at all.)

Side note: When I was in college, I took an African-American lit class and it was SO interesting! My professor was Tommy Ware, a black man who was the oldest of 13 children, had worked in the cotton fields and been in prison. But I was introduced to most of the names mentioned in this book. My favorite author and one of my all time favorite books still is Native Son by Richard Wright. It was that class that got me totally into African-American history.

Claire wrote: "I love the character build up in this book and the way we see Isaac grow up. [spoilers removed]
The scene where he sits with his father on his bed in the newly decorated room is very moving and th..."

I think you're referring to the time his friends (view spoiler)[were dying of AIDS. To this day, I can remember the very first time I'd heard of someone dying of AIDS but there wasn't a name for it yet. And it was a little boy who was in my daughter's kindergarten classroom. Of course, I have no idea how he got it but possibly through his mother giving him birth or breastfeeding. I'd hate to think of the more typical ways having happened.

And, I agree that his father and his moment on the bed was very tender and such a bonding moment. Something that Isaac really needed in his life. (hide spoiler)]

Through Day 35

(view spoiler)[Wow, the historical events such as Rodney King and others mentioned brought back such awful memories. I SO remember that video of his beating and how horrible it was. I was incensed when I saw it.

I am glad that he's understanding more of his own sexuality and being a black man in America. I've either never heard of microaggressions before or it never stuck, so I had to look it up. It makes me sad to know that this takes place and, not only towards black people, but other groups such as the LGBTQ community. When will people EVER judge people based on their character: are they a kind person, good to others, accept differences, tolerant of differences, and so forth? Will it ever happen? Who cares about one's sexual orientation, if they dress differently than you would ever dress, if they're a different skin color or religion entirely. Jeez, one of my best friends is Buddhist and I'm Christian. We love each other because we accept each other and love and share our differences. I personally LOVE variety and differences in cultures, traditions, facial appearances, skin tones, and so forth. I think my world would be so boring if everyone was white and no skin colors and all people in the world believed everything the way I do. Vive la difference! (hide spoiler)]

Vicki wrote: "You're welcome, Claire.

Through Day 25

[spoilers removed]

I have both the e-ARC and audiobook from NetGalley and at times they don't jive, so it's gotten me a bit confused but not bad. For exam..."

oh interesting!! I have the physical book and I have a Day 28!

Trisha wrote: "Vicki wrote: "You're welcome, Claire.

Through Day 25

[spoilers removed]

I have both the e-ARC and audiobook from NetGalley and at times they don't jive, so it's gotten me a bit confused but not..."

That's funny. Obviously my two versions are truly the unedited ones. lol

Finished

(view spoiler)[This book was really good. I felt like I was reading a good memoir. It seemed as though he was truly telling the story of his life and it didn't feel fictional.

I love that his dad left him all those letters and he was able to understand his dad better. And learning that he never fully knew his parents and they'd lived things he never knew about was also very telling. I think that's probably true of most people...we never know them 100%.

I can only imagine just how much it must've meant to Isaac when he told him, "be your unapologetic self"! Such a great place to be. We all can take that advice to heart and I'm so glad his dad reached that point. I knew from the beginning he loved Isaac even though he seemed so hard and judgmental of his "girly" ways. But he did have reasons for what he did. And he gave Isaac just about everything he wanted (like the tricycle and piano) in my opinion because he did love him. I think he just was misguided in how to guide him to become a man, which means so many things to different people. (hide spoiler)]

through Day 25

(view spoiler)[ Yeah, I'm glad he's seeing both sides to his parents and he's analyzing both his love and dislike in different ways for each parent.

I'm glad he acknowledged all his mom did for him. and yeah, I'm glad he's talking to his dad and they are talking about things (hide spoiler)]

through Day 35

(view spoiler)[ ugh, this book is so heavy for me right now. I feel like the world has taken such huge steps back - especially for the LGBTQ community AND for any race other than Caucasian.

I am so just so sad about it right now

this was a tough part to read - I agree, it was really awful to remember those historical events.

I'm glad he's coming more into himself too (hide spoiler)]

and done

this was a very good but tough read for me
(view spoiler)[ I did like that the father finally came around

I know this felt like a memoir - I read one similar to this by this same author about a letter from a father that was dying that tried to explain to his son why he had been so hard on his son growing up - because of the way he'd been raised

so this one felt similar

but Ugh, it was tough to read (hide spoiler)]

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