More June Reading

Hum if You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais

Ah, this book was a FIVE STAR read all the way! In Johannesburg 1970's, nine year old Robin has lost everything: her parents, her home, her school. Forced to live with her free-spirited aunt, Robin needs someone to mother her. Enter Beauty, a Black woman of South African homelands, searching for her rebel daughter in the city. She has no intention of being some colonialist nanny, the 'help;' she is a teacher and college graduate. Yet because of the racist laws, she needs a job so she can stay in the city. Thus Beauty and Robin form a bond, out of desperate need, enormous compassion, and dire circumstances. This is the story of South Africa, of humans caught up in colonialism, apartheid, and societal pulls. But it is also a tale of deep and abiding love, moments of great learning, for both characters, and how racial injustice impacts everyone in society.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Like all Toni Morrison books, this one takes some time to process. It is the story of deep, unadulterated pain, the pain that goes into the very marrow of Black Americans, the long term pain passed from one generation to the next. In this first published book, Morrison captures the essence of that pain. Through the story of Pecola, a young Black girl who is the victim of a violent act, we see the fruition of racial self hatred and the death of self esteem. It contains scenes that will make the reader want to turn away, to cry out loud, to cringe. That's what Morrison can do to us as readers; she uncovers and puts on display all that deep hurt stemming from racial rejection. Morrison is never a light read, nor an easy one. She forces us to engage with her words, her characters, her story. She is worth the time.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

I thought I was heading into a memoir, and wound up in a self-help book. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it is just not my gig. I should have figured it out from the allegorical beginning of the trained cheetah story and how it was that the cheetah was trained out of being in the wild. Yeah, a bit gaggy, as was the capitalized "the Knowing, the Touch Tree, ugh). However, thanks to some sage advice, I chose to skim around and take up some of the gems, and they are there for the taking. The author's search for sexual identity, her new relationship with famed soccer star Abby Wambaugh, the parental advice of raising children in today's world, some good stuff can be found. So ultimately, not a waste of time, but not a rave.

The Bright Lands by John Fram

Let me preface this review with...well written, well constructed story, just not my gig. The story is touted as a mystery in a small Texas town as a high school football player disappears and his brother, Joel, returns to a town of bad memories, homophobia, obsession with football, and violence. The first half sets the scene, with viewpoints told from a variety of characters: Joel, whose current life in NYC is haunted by his youth; Clark, the old girlfriend now turned cop; Bethany, the high school cheerleader, Luke, the newest acolyte; and the daughter of the hardware sales store owner, who is so much more than first appears. I loved the first half, but the hint of darkness alluded to in the book blurb is a LOT more as this book veers more toward Stephen King than John Grisham, which is great if that's what you're into but I would have liked a bit more forewarning. I don't totally love the supernatural thing and found myself rolling my eyes a bit in the end, which I understand is unfair if this genre is your thing. I think this book will be a big hit for those who love horror mixed with mystery.

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

It is not easy to review a book that had my attention for 90%, and then blows it in the end. This one contains all the right elements: dead bodies littered everywhere, ghostly presence in school setting, mystery that transcends time, smidge of romance, and good writing. Yet...the ending. Total cop out. It's like Agatha Christie wrote the whole book and Encyclopedia Brown slid in for the finish. Damn.

June 2.0 Reading

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

This is a story of family, of identity, of who one chooses to be and the life they choose to lead. It is the story of twins, born in a small Louisiana town where everyone is considered Black, yet their skin tone is not, where one twin returns, and another disappears, where one twin lives the life of a Black woman and the other lives the life of white privilege, where racial bias within and without twist their lives and the lives of their children, where one's gender identity is questioned and struggled with, where a mother's love is not enough to hold her children. This is a slow burn of a book, not completely grabbing me until well into the story as it builds the characters and the world they inhabit. But once all the threads begin to weave together, this book is pure magic. The writing, the themes, the characters, don't miss this one; it is a gift.

I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

A memoir of a Black Christian woman, raised in the middle class, working in the corporate world of Christian organizations, Austin Channing Brown tells her truth, the truth of racial bias that is everywhere. It is the story of her life, all the small insults from friends and co-workers who do not even realize what their words mean, or how their bias shows. This is a powerful story for all of us, but especially for those of us who are not people of color; we can all learn from Ms. Brown's life story.

Stoner by John Williams

John Stoner is a Missouri farm boy, who is offered a chance to go to University; instead of learning agriculture though, he falls in love with the English language and literature. Sounds so simple, and rather boring, doesn't it? Yet, I cannot put my finger on what resonates so loudly for me? Is it the beautiful prose? Because wow, the writing sinks deep into your heart. Or the fact that Stoner is an English teacher, who sees the value and richness of the words, the grammar, the time period, and wants to share that with his students? William Stoner is complicated, wholly imperfect, but I just want to wrap my arms around him even though I also want to shake him awake. The relationship with his wife, his daughter, his friend, his lover, all these things make up Stoner's life. Yet he is forced to look within himself to find his essence. He is not allowed to find it through manifestations of exterior success such as job promotions, fatherly devotion, or anything. It made me think, and am still thinking, on what makes up a rich life? "But William Stoner knew of the world in a way that few of his younger colleagues could understand. Deep in him, beneath his memory, was the knowledge of hardship and hunger and endurance and pain." I will be thinking about this book for a very long time.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Admittedly, I have tried to read this book before and failed. Not because of the content, but because of the density of Coates' writing style; it is rich and complex and cannot be done by speed-reading, so shame on me for giving up before. This time, I listened to Mr. Coates read his letter written to his son and wow, what an experience. The story of police fear and violence seemed ripped out of today's world, yet they took place decades ago, proving once again that this shit happens over and over and over. My only hope is that we will learn and actually change this time. Please god.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

This was my cleansing book after too much world news, and loneliness from missing my girls; it definitely worked. Throw together a boarding school for quirkily brilliant students, combine with a story from long ago about the school founder, some murders, and a kidnapping, and then throw in a wickedly independent teenage girl with the will and the smarts to solve a murder, and you've got some great entertainment. Don't look for plausibility in this one - it's YA, and it's just pure entertainment - just roll with it and you'll enjoy the heck out of this story.

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

Written by a woman who does corporate training to help people recognize their white privilege and how one reacts to racism and racial bias, this book could not be more eye opening. As in, some pretty cringe-worthy moments of, "Oh yeah, I've done that, or thought that, or said that. Dear god, I suck." Yep, this book is uncomfortable, fascinating, provocative, and truly a must-read. I listened to it, and now I need to buy a copy so I can actually highlight all the gems. 

Books for Our Kids (and Us) by BIPOC authors

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
This author is going to be HUGE because wow, just wow, what a debut in Dear Martin. Justyce and Manny are prep school students who hang out with a group of white boys who like to makecasual comments about race, playing them off as jokes. SJ, the sassy smart girl, throws in some intelligence to classroom conversations that are money in this story. As Justyce writes letterstoMLK, trying to find his way through a system built on white supremacy, the real world of violence and racism comes to his doorstep. This book explodes with issues of class, race, justice and the lackthere of. Incredible book - sequel is out this fall.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
If you missed this Newberry award winning memoir of Jacqueline Woodson's life a few years ago, it is worth going back to. Written in poetic form, it tells the story of 'Jackie' and her life between Brooklyn and her grandparent's house in the South. Just beautiful.

Don't Call Us Dead: Poems by Danez Smith
Stunning collection of poems that focus on how black men are killed through police violence, AIDS, disease, societal ignorance and lack of compassion, history, all of it. The poem Dear America dropped me. Tough issues, definitely more suited to older teen as well as adult, but would be powerful to use different poems to accompany books in a classroom. Highly highly recommend.

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham
Here is another YA historical fiction that focuses on an incident that has been covered up, forgotten, and deliberately hidden for generations...the 1921 white race riots in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Latham, in just her second novel, does a spectacular job of moving between two time periods: today's world, 17 year old Rowan whose best friend is Black, whose father is a white powerful businessman and mom is a Black bad-ass public defender, who discovers a mysterious skeleton hidden in her backyard; and the story of long ago told by William, a seventeen year old biracial boy of 1921 Tulsa, whose father is a white Victrola salesman and mom is a wealthy Osage native, whose learning curve of race relations in his town is high and furious. Oh yes, so many things are brought into this book...the treatment of black and natives, the role of oil in Tulsa, the murders of the Osage women and their headrights, the treatment of blacks, particularly young black teens, in today's society. It is an olio of 'issues' and author Latham handles them with aplomb. A beautifully written book, with a serious mystery that will keep one turning pages, and a feeling of shock of all the things that have been hidden away from us in America's history surrounding race. It would be a perfect book to use in a secondary classroom, or a book club, as the provocative topics will definitely stimulate conversation.

ALL books by Jason Reynolds

Ghost (Track #1) Patina (Track #2) Sunny (Track #3), Lu (Track #4)
Castle (ie. Ghost) is an angry kid, with a father in prison and a mom working and studying and just trying to put food on the table. When Ghost shows his speed to 'Coach,' a former Olympic gold medalist, a relationship is born. Each book takes on the 'newbie' to this club track team and shows a slice of life that is valuable, important, and inspiring. Awesome series for an upper elementary or middle school student.

As Brave as You
This middle reader book won numerous children's books awards and was well deserved. It is the story of two brothers who are sent by their parents from their Brooklyn home, to stay with their grandparents in the South. So many 'small' issues that become big to these brothers: a split between their father and grandfather, how to be 'cool,' where one fits in the city world vs. the country world, how to how to answer all the questions in the world, and what brave really means. If you've got a kid stuck at home, place this book in their hands, along with anything else Jason Reynolds writes.

Ghost (Track #1), Patine (Track #2) by Jason Reynolds

The Boy in the Black Suit
In this story, Matt is a teenage boy who grieves his dead mother by working in a funeral parlor and wearing his black suit every day to high school. Yeah, seems the antithesis of what would help, but you would be surprised. He also deals with an father who copes through alcohol, school issues, and a girl named Lovey who surprises him over and over again. Powerhouse of a book.

All American Boys (told by BOTH Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely)
Rashad is just a black kid at a grocery story, yet when he trips and falls, a woman accuses him of stealing, and a white policemen beats him so badly he winds up in the hospital. Quinn, a white boy and best friend to the brother of the policeman, is a witness. Told by the dual perspective of Rashad and Quinn, we see today's world play out through their eyes. POWERFUL story.

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
This is a brilliant story of the lives urban kids lead after school, as the book is told in ten blocks, ten chapters. Their lives intertwine with each other, as well as their neighbors and it is a brilliant look into another world. If I was still teaching middle or high schoolerstoday, both these books would be on my Must Read list.

Long Way Down
Fifteen year old Will leaves his apartment with a gun in his waistband, intent on revenge for his brother Sean's death. However, his elevator ride down stops on each floor, and a ghost enters, telling the story of the Gun, the Violence, the Rules. Do Not Miss This Book. My jaw was on the floor with the last two-word line.

June 2.0

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
What if Hillary hadn't married Bill Clinton? Hmmmmm...wasn't sure about this concept? Could Sittenfeld pull it off? The answer is a resounding YES. Once Hillary leaves Arkansas and her relationship with Bill, her life takes an independent turn. I won't give away where this book goes (that would be cheating and all together mean), but suffice it to say it is mind-blowing and awesome and totally plausible to me. Sittenfeld takes history and doesn't just turn it upside down; she twists it and shakes it and lights a few torches under it. The messages about forces that women face as they try to lead, the overt and as well as subtle sexism found in a third grade classroom as well as a law school, the 'likability' factor of how a woman is allowed to be in charge, the life choices made that lead to roads of opportunity as well as roads to nowhere, the ties of family and friends that enrich a life, and figures of history that might have made alternate decisions that would have shaped America. Oh my, what an experience this book was - I couldn't put it down and wish I could read it again with new eyes. I'm still not sure if it made me sad for what we lost, or hopeful for what America could choose in the future? Working on the hope.

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
Looking for some good ole escapism? This could be your ticket to 'take me away!' The story revolves around Madeline - a frustrated corporate lawyer who inherits her aunt's independent bookstore, as well as the two priceless booksellers who work there. Together, these three women deal with family issues, divorce, love interest, vandalism, and how the heck to keep this lovely lil bookstore afloat. It was a wonderful place to spend a couple days:)

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
I was an Elin Hilderbrand virgin, and let me tell you, this woman write a LOT of books and has a LOT of fans. Count me as one of them now. 28 Summers was a fascinating listen, as it covers twenty-eight years of not only the two main characters, but also what was going on in America for each year. (yes, it made me feel old occasionally as something that was big ten years ago felt like it had happened yesterday). Ostensibly, this is a love story of Jake and Mallory, who meet on Nantucket as their adult lives are just beginning. The chemistry is hot and the connection is real, but after watching the famous movie, they decide to keep it 'same time next year.' So each year, on Labor Day weekend, they have their moment. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Yet Hilderbrand weaves in motifs of trust, fidelity, politics, passion, family, you name it. I could not stop listening to this one!!

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
I love me a good YA book! Full of sassy smart teens who just want to do right in the world - does it get better than this? The lead is our girl Pip (I know, such a British name, along with British slang used throughout by this British author - NO idea why she set it in America - weird). Pip is bound and determined to solve an old mystery for her senior project, the murder of fellow high school student by her boyfriend. As Pip investigates, she brings in the brother of the alleged murderer and they both go down some dark scary roads to solve the mystery. It's not all fluff though, and there are some creepy parts that were hard for me to read. It also deals with issues around race, public shaming, and questionable behavior in education. Definitely a page turner - I have already purchased the sequel!

The Mountains Wild by Sara Stewart Taylor
First off, the cover for this book blows. Like it is really bad. And that is unfortunate because I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery found within the pages. A Long Island police woman has her own family mystery, a cousin who disappeared years ago in Ireland. When her scarf is then found in an area where other women have disappeared as well, the case reopens and a trip to Dublin is called for. I loved the characters in this book: Maggie, the detective who has long memories of her trip long ago to Dublin as she searched for Erin; Erin herself, the free spirit cousin who had secrets and demons; the Irish cop who provides a 'partner' spirit to Maggie; and the lost love found in Dublin. I was intrigued by references to 'the Troubles,' the city of Dublin, and the search over many years to find answers that didn't want to be found. Satisfying murder mystery.