K's Books

My half-sister sent me this book when I was 6 (1991), and I've held onto it all this time! This was one of the books I demanded be read to me repeatedly, and a great motivator for me to learn how to read. I was surprised and confused when I got to school and discovered none of my classmates had ever heard of it, and even after I matured enough to understand how confuddling the children's book industry was it was still baffling how the incredible artwork in the book wouldn't bring it to greater fame: Everything is layered cut paper with intricate designs! As a kid I thought this was simple construction paper cut with scissors, which I desperately wanted to recreate but wasn't allowed. Now, as an adult, I can appreciate Wisniewski's brief note at the end of the book on his materials and process. And I can see now how much work he put into layering, utilizing shadows as another medium and having to plan around them before making the first cut. I own two more of his boo...

The sequel to Wise Child, I purchased and read this immediately after the first book 5 years ago. The two go together very well, although the characters in the first book are more enjoyable. I absolutely love them both! Furlong is a fascinating character, and I wish both her and her books were better known. There's a third book in this series, but it was written near the end of her life and most reviews state the decrease in quality is very sad so I'm avoiding it. I've also read her young adult novel Robin's Country  which I enjoyed but not as much as Wise Child and Juniper. She pushed for women's ordination in the Anglican Church for decades, and her deep spirituality is apparent in all three of these novels (showing me that blending Paganism and Catholicism/Anglicanism is neither new nor difficult!). Perhaps if I was in the UK I would see her influence more, but either way I'm grateful for her. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248584.Juniper

A friend back in Austin had this on their shelf and I asked about it in late 2020. She let me borrow it, and then I got my own copy in August 21. This was my third time reading it, but it's more a reference book which I've used many times. There are a lot of issue with the book. Parts of it are historically inaccurate, it's written as a jumble of loosely connected ideas, and some of the verbiage was outdated even for 1990. And it's also the best book on The Green Man I've found. Again, it's more of a reference book that I really appreciate having in my personal library.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249860.Green_Man

I first discovered this book roughly a year ago, it was vaguely referenced in something else I was reading and I borrowed a copy through my local library in May 2025. I ADORED this book and bought my copy immediately! This was my second reading of the memoir in less than a year, which I would've done anyway even without this project as I love it so much!  In addition to Cordova's funnily poetic writing about religious life during Vatican II, her growing understanding of class and social activism, and her queer awakening, the part that struck me the most in both readings was when a friend told her she was butch. This kind of gift of comprehension and validation, especially for a young, naive butch who's been too sheltered to know anything, is rare to find in books altogether. Reading it brought me back to college, not just my experience but also seeing how the people around you come to life after finally being given both language and acceptance. And for Cordova to write abou...