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.