May Reading

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West
To all the teachers in my life, you need to read this book - trust me. This book is like a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips, a pint of Chubby Hubby, and a bowl of popcorn...in other words, it is impossible to put down. Take a helicopter mom on steroids, an overly dedicated English teacher, a newbie who just wants to keep her job, a rebellious kid, an incompetent principal, and a worn-out husband, mix in a high school drama production, stir it into this book, and have a delicious time of reading:)

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
This is a difficult one for me to review, as I think I would have liked it better during a different time period. Set in the 1600's, Hargrave explores witch hunting, religious extremism, women's independence, love, as well as abuse, all taking place in one small village in Norway. Fascinating historical fiction based on real events, beautifully written and well executed, it was just a bit too 'gray' for me, a bit too sad, and with little lightness.

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
This is a lovely story of sisters, of life as an 'other' in our country, of surviving grief, of reaching outside oneself to others, of how mental illness impacts an entire family, and a beautiful piece of writing. Not a plot driven story, but directed by the Dominican characters found within. Antonia is the center of this piece, rocked by the death of her husband, with a pregnant illegal immigrant to deal with, as well as her oldest sister with bi-polar disorder and the other sisters who try to alleviate her pain. I listened to this one and found the narration to be lovely, the story to be engrossing but not a page-turner thriller - definitely a good book if you are looking for Own Voices.

Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagan
Recommended to me by a book-loving friend, I am so glad this one showed up on my radar. I'm not even sure how to categorize it? Love story? Friendship story? Life drama? It is the story of Jim, a struggling writer, Rob, the best friend from childhood, and Lou, Rob's wife. As Jim has strong feelings for Lou, as Rob's marriage starts to unwind, as Lou struggles to find herself, the story takes some unexpected turns. It is not my typical fare, and I could not stop reading - engrossing story of what makes a family, the stones life throws into our life road, and how one dodges and weaves through time. Loved it:)

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
This book ostensibly checked all the boxes for me: unique setting (Nigeria), strong female lead (Adunni), inspiring themes about education, and well-developed characters. However, I definitely needed to read it during a happier time period. As Adunni is married off to an old man in her village, she searches for a future life with more hope. She is an amazing character, but this book was so drenched in sadness for me, that it was hard to read during our quarantine life. The broken English writing style is difficult to adjust to, but does add to the authenticity of the voice. Definitely a unique story to add to your TBR list.

The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey
Set in an assisted living home, a young girl climbs through the window of roommates and best friends, Duffy and Carl. Josie brings with her a plethora of troubles, all things that will not only get Duffy into grave trouble, but could get him kicked out of the best home he has had. This book was well-written, had some good humor in it, as well as some pointed messages about how we age, yet I had some major issues with some of the plot points. Getting clean and sober is a lot harder than sometimes imagined here in this story, and the Christian orthodoxy was too prevalent for me. I do think this book will resonate with many readers, just not for me.