More July Books

When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Asha Bandele

"Literally breathing while Black became cause for arrest - or worse." Once in maybe a decade, a book comes along that changes my life, that makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs, that compels me to push it into everyone's hands. Last time, it was Just Mercy, now it is this memoir by a founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. This book makes one see life through the eyes of Patrisse: who grows up in LA, who loses both a father and a brother to prison, to mental illness, to addiction, who lives as a Queer woman called to work in social justice, who battles a sheriff's department over their use of torture, who cries over Trayvon Martin and births a movement. This book is raw, painful, heart wrenching, real, inspiring, powerful, and truly a MUST READ. 

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

"The feeling of time, of having been a part of something that stretched so far back, was so impossibly large, that it was easy to forget that she, and he, and everyone else, existed in it - not apart from it, but inside of it." It is a rare thing for me to reread a book, but this one deserved it. When it came out four years ago, it quickly became my favorite book of 2016; it is incredibly well written, well researched, and completely engrossing. It covers the 400 years of slavery, as well as the history of Ghana, as it tells the story of two sisters, one who is kidnapped and transported across the ocean as a slave, and one who remains in Africa. We see the descendants of each sister, in each set of chapters. And when we see these characters, we witness the march of history. This book was exceptionally compelling after doing all the reading of Black history over these last two months. The connections among so many time periods in America (the Fugitive Slave Act, the chain gangs, the great migration), as well as in Africa made this book even more relevant today. If you read it before, I would encourage you to read it again; I gained some powerful lessons and connections to today's movement for racial justice.

Good Girls, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Did you read A Good Girl's Guide to Murder yet? If not, do it! Such a well-plotted, YA mystery - quick, easy palate cleanser for those heavy books we've all been reading. And once you read the first, you might decide to order from the UK to get the second, as I did (not out here until Feb 2021!!) This time around, Pippa wants out of the 'detective' business after all the negative fall out from last time, even though she produced a popular podcast about it. Yet, when her best friend's brother goes missing, she gets pulled into another mystery. Not only is it a good whodunnit, but Jackson also deals with serious issues around rape culture, unjust verdicts, and the misuse of social media. 

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

What is it about a middle-reader book, meant for upper elementary and middle school readers, that can get to the heart of a topic more concisely, more powerfully, more truthfully, than an adult book sometimes? Rhodes is a favorite author of mine, and she does it again in Ghost Boys as she looks at the fall out when a young boy is shot and killed by a police officer, as he plays with a toy gun (yes, Rhodes was inspired by the true story of Tamir Rice). We see Jerome's life and death, as he shows us how he came to have the gun in his hands, and we see his days in the afterlife, with his guide Emmett Till, who forces all of us to see the ghosts, the Black boys murdered over centuries of time. This book haunted me, as it should. If you never read children's literature, I would challenge you to pick this one up; it is unforgettable. 

March Trilogy by John Lewis

Do you read graphic novels? If you never have, I would highly recommend this series as an incredible place to begin. Written by the iconic and heroic Congressman John Lewis who just recently died, this is the story of his life within the Civil Rights Movement. Juxtaposed with his attendance at Obama's first inauguration, it is a powerful story with beautiful illustrations. Highly highly recommend!

His & Hers by Alice Feeney

In my endless search of a satisfying thriller, this one...didn't cut it. It did however keep me turning me pages, which I guess is a plus? A dead body is found in a small English town outside of London, so BBC reporter Anna Andrews goes to report, after being demoted from her anchor's desk. Anna is a hot mess (think Girl on the Train) and I never found her that likable, or compelling. The detective investigating the murder of the woman is...wait for it...Anna's ex-husband. Convenient, yes? Also not likable, or intriguing of a character. Secrets are slowly revealed about Andrew and Jack's former marital life, as well as their current situations and the plot line does clip along quickly. However, the twists were far to implausible for me and the final 'whodunnit' reveal was beyond unrealistic...aargh. (I did hear the audio is fantastic so that's a plus). The search for me continues:)