“But the real world doesn't go away. Racism exists. People are getting hurt. And just because it's not happening to you, doesn't mean it's not happening. And at some point you have to choose; black or white, pick a side. You can try to hide from it. You can say, oh I don't take sides, but at some point, life will force you to pick a side.”
― Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
― Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
“I myself cried when I got angry, then became unable to explain why I was angry in the first place. Later I would discover this was endemic among female human beings. Anger is supposed to be "unfeminine" so we suppress it -until it overflows. I could see that not speaking up made my mother feel worse. This was my first hint of the truism that depression is anger turned inward; thus women are twice as likely to be depressed. My mother paid a high price for caring so much, yet being able to do so little about it. In this way, she led me toward am activist place where she herself could never go.”
― My Life on the Road
― My Life on the Road
“Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.”
― Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
― Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
“When humans are ranked instead of linked, everyone loses.”
― My Life on the Road
― My Life on the Road
“I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;”
― 100 Love Sonnets
― 100 Love Sonnets
Aks’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Aks’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Biography, Business, Classics, Contemporary, Cookbooks, Crime, History, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Psychology, Science, Suspense, Thriller, and Travel
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