February 3.0

The Holdout by Graham Moore
If you like a good legal thriller, this is your book! Maya is a successful criminal defense attorney, working in Los Angeles, but ten years ago she was the infamous juror who convinced the rest of the eleven jurors to set free a young black man accused of killing a white teenage girl. Switching back and forth between the trial time of 2009, and her current life where she is accused of murdering one of the former jurors, yeah...this book keeps you turning pages. I've read so many mysteries that often I have it figured it at some point, but not this book. It is a well-written, thoughtfully constructed story - highly recommend. (And if you like historical fiction, his previous book The Last Days of Night, was fascinating as well - a legal battle amongst Edison, Bell, and Tesla)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
HOW did I miss this group growing up??? I don't even remember it on my radar as a kid, but maybe because my face was buried in Nancy Drew, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Betsy, Tacy, and Tib? Regardless, this is a classic for a reason, and if you've never read it, it is worth your time. It is the story of the American dream in the days of old, of deprivation and hope, of sacrifice, of family, of love. Francie Nolan leads this story, the child of Irish and Austrian descent, growing up in the tenements of Brooklyn, seeing her Irish tenor father descend into alcoholism, watch her mother fight for her children's education, experience the death of her own dreams, and the birth of new ones. I dare anyone to read this and not feel this young girl's life, deep within your heart.

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad
This is a short book meant to be used in a classroom, so no, not the best listen, but some great learning on racism, white privilege, etc. It is often a very uncomfortable book, as it forces one to look at our own biases and past actions, to reflect upon our behavior and prejudices and ways to change it. But more importantly for me, it gave me explanations on WHY we should change it. Each chapter ends with journal reflection questions, that were impossible to complete when listening in a car but would be a fantastic exercise if I was still teaching. So, to all my teacher friends, this is a book that would be highly useful in any classroom.

The Yellow Bird by Jennifer Rosner

Having won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and excited to read a different story of WWII, I was ultimately left a bit disappointed. A mother and her little girl hide from the Nazis in Poland, forcing the parent to make untenable decisions about their future. The story involves an imaginary bird, music, and well-researched history about how Jewish children were hidden during the Holocaust. Yet I found myself wanting more - more tension in the beginning, more depth to the characters, less descriptive details. I did find the final third of the book to be more compelling, and appreciated the realistic ending.

The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons
This is a weird book; there's no other way to describe it. Or maybe quirky, but that's too milk toast. How about ghost porn? Yeah, I told you it's weird. Three characters: a young man who dies, but can't cross over; the quirky girl he falls in love with, and a third young man who gets between their hot sex life. Yeah. Weird.

Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
Because I'm traveling to Edinburgh this spring, I was told to read this mystery series as it all takes place there. Starting with the first book was perhaps not the best choice. Somebody's killing off young girls, and it's a slooooooow march to finding out who, as the author takes lots of time to introduce us to this grizzled, tortured detective. I can see the potential for the series, so perhaps I'll check out the most recent, but this one was marginally written and rather boring.