August Reading

Greenwood by Michael Christie

"Time...is not an arrow. Neither is it a road. It goes in no particular direction. It simply accumulates...like wood does. Layer upon layer...Each one dependent upon the last. Each year impossible without the one preceding it." This book say for while on my pile, the 500 page-ness of it intimidating me. But three days later, never lifting my face off the page, it was finished. A story of forests and family, it is uniquely plotted and stunningly written. It begins at the end, in 2038, and moves backward in time. Then, when 1908 arrives, time marches forward and fills in all the answers. The themes of family ties, secrets, and what we do to our environment is dealt with over each time period. As the story weaves its magic, we see how every moment matters, that our history is not only our past but our future, that to love the earth sometimes means to sacrifice ourselves. This will be one of my top books of 2020.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson has become a go-to author for me as I try to diversify my reading. She writes from her own experiences, both in Brooklyn as well as time down south, and imbues her books with the poetic beauty of her writing style. This time around she focuses on a group of four friends, growing up in Brooklyn, making their way from childhood into adulthood, with all the challenges that come from race inequity, economic differences, academic directions, and character development. It is a beautiful slice of life.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

I am constantly on the lookout for a thriller that actually satisfied, and this one is IT. If you liked the podcast, Serial, on This American Life, you will recognize the style. The main character, Rachel, is back for a third season after hitting it big solving crimes in her first two podcasts. This time around, she is covering a live trial, as a young college student (Olympic-level swimmer, sound familiar?) from a well-to-do-family has been accused of raping a high school girl in a small North Carolina town. Juxtaposed with this trial, is the story of twenty-five years ago when a high school girl was found dead. The sister still wants answers and believes Rachel's podcast can give her those. This book explores the troubling state of rape culture in society, as well as the question of who to believe when an accusation is made, how society treats the accuser, and how to actually mete out justice. This book kept me up way too late, trying to not only find out whodunnit, but to question how society goes so wrong in dealing with these crimes. Tough read, but well done.

We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

For those of you looking for some Own Voices writing about America's southern border, this is the book for you. This story focuses on three children, Pulga, Chico, and Pequena, trapped in violent, dead-end lives in Guatemala. The first half details their lives there, trying to escape the narcos, the poverty, yet filled with family love that is hard to leave behind. It is not an easy choice to leave, but they must, or they will die. The choice is that stark. The second half of the book focuses on their odyssey to El Norte, the sanctuaries that aid them, the criminals who pursue them, the train (El Bestia) that torments them. This is a heartbreaker, but a 'must read' if we truly who to comprehend why so many people would risk their lives to make it to America. 

Dust Tracks on a Road: A Memoir by Zora Neal Hurston

If you have read Their Eyes Are Watching God,' then you know who Zora Neal Hurston is: a Black writer, raised in Florida, educated in the North, a powerhouse influence and part of the Harlem Renaissance. This is the story of her life, told by Zora herself. It shows us how she was formed, the people who believed in her and influenced her, and where her life took her before she was buried in a nameless pauper's grave decades later. I highly recommend the audio book, as the narrator is amazing. 

Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympics Team by Elise Hooper

Female empowerment, history, and competition? Yep, this book was calling my name. Based on the true story of the female track and field athletes, Elise Hooper charts the story of how women were first allowed to compete in the 1928 Olympics. She follows three 'girls' (honestly, I know it makes for a good title, but girls? They were women. Just sayin) and their journey to reach the Olympics: a beautiful blonde who endures great physical challenges, a farm girl going against sexual norms of the day, and a Black runner who faces the enduring system of racism. I liked it. I read it quickly, but I kept feeling I wanted more. Once I read the author's notes, I figured out why - there just wasn't much detailed history on some of these women, so Hooper had to fill in things with fictional stories. I think for me, I just like straight up history better? Like Unbroken or Boys in the Boat? These women were badasses though, and deserved some spotlight shining on them.

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

This is suuuuuch a YA book, which is totally okay, but you need to know that going in! The whole story revolves around two kids figuring out a way to vote: Marva, raised by two Black successful parents, attends a private school, obsessed with her future and resume, yet insecure and anxiety ridden; and Duke, a boy of mixed race, who lives with his white mom, after parents got a divorce following the shooting death of his brother. All these issues are dealt with, along with issues around voting restrictions, polling places, and systemic racism, along with some flirtation, a lost cat, and boyfriend issues. It is cute, topical, funny, poignant, and entertaining.