More September Reading

If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Having loved Marais' first book, Hum If You Don't Know the Words, of course I had to pick up her second book. It did not disappoint! Once again set in South Africa, this time the story is told through three viewpoints: teenage Zodwa, poor, gay, pregnant, nursing a dying mother; Delilah, an aide worker and excommunicated nun, with a traumatic past; and Ruth, a rich white woman, raging alcoholic, and Delilah's sister. The author brings all three of these disparate women together, and weaves a rich story, showing the extreme racial hatred present in post-apartheid South Africa, the questionable power of the Catholic Church, the desperation with the cycle of poverty,  and ultimately, the family ties of hope and love. Once again, Marais hits an emotional nerve for me - I highly recommend this book.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Written in lyrical verse, Acevedo tells the story of two girls, connected across the sea by the father they lost. Right after 9/11, a plane crashed in NYC that was headed to the Dominican Republic. I remember the news, with everyone wondering if it was another terror attack, but I never went further, to think of the lives and connections lost. Acevedo does just that in this lyrical book told in verse, as she explores the connections between two girls. Camino lives in the DR, waiting for each year when her father returns...except this one. Camino lives in poverty, watchful of the man who stalks her, dreaming of a life where she can become a doctor. Yahaira lives in NYC, having stumbled upon her father's secret as he left for the DR once again, bitter towards him but filled with guilt when his plane crashes. These two girls' lives come crashing together in this gorgeously told story, read in combination with the author. Acevedo gives us a slice of life in the world of these young girls, into life in NYC as a gay teen, into the barrios of the DR and the lives of its residents. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Gyasi's first book, Homegoing, is one of my very favorite reads of the past decade, so Transcendent Kingdom had big shoes to fill. The story centers on Gifty, a research scientist who struggles with the push and pull of her religion upbringing as it meets her field of science. Almost reading like stream of consciousness at times, the story moves rapidly through time, as we meet Gifty's mother, an immigrant from Ghana who struggles mightily with depression, her father who joins the family in America and struggles to find his place here, and her brother Nana, a gifted athlete who falls to the lure of opioids. For me, a slower moving plot embedded into rich character development, this book left me wanting...something more. Perhaps some light? The all-encompassing sadness of the book was difficult in 2020 for me, as this has been such a rough year. Yet that is unfair to Gyasi, as her story so much in America today: the plight of the immigrant as in what jobs are available to them and what are they willing to sacrifice to be Americans; the expectations on a young black athlete, and how society pushes and pulls at them, regardless of what is healthy or right; the conundrum of science and God, and can they both be loved? This is a thoughtful book, sure to provoke conversation in any book group, but I would suggest choosing a good time to read it, not a time when your own heart is sad or broken.

Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove, #2) by Shelby Mahurin

For those who follow me, you KNOW how much I loved the first book in this YA fantasy series, Serpent and Dove (I compared her to Maas, high praise indeed!). Book two does not disappoint, as once again our female protagonist, Lou, sassy witch who is just learning her own power, and Reid, the witchhunter turned witch himself, are both trying to entrap Lou's mom, who happens to be the witch in charge of lots of awful doings. Yes, there's sex, violence, murder, mystery because that's what YA fantasy is all about and Mahurin delivers it in spades. If you need a new series and an intriguing new world to escape into, I highly recommend this one!

Buried and Cut to the Bone(Agent Sayer Altair, #2) by Ellison Cooper

Round Two of Criminal Minds meets Mindhunters, with a little of The Stranger Beside Me thrown in. As our badass female FBI agent Sayer Altair works on her creepy research project (interviewing psychopaths who DON'T commit violence crimes), she gets pulled into a new serial killer case. This time around it is in the Shenandoah Valley, involving a disappearance from nineteen years ago, plus a couple of fresh bodies. Cooper is masterful at creating a team to become invested in, as well as using diversity which impresses me. She's got a Black female, numerous smart women, an Asian agent, and a few dogs that are incredibly smart as well as tender-hearted. I do love this series, and Book 3 continues the page-turning obsession, with lots of "WOW" moments, and seriously, the last line of the book?! Yikes. I need book 4 immediately!  

September 2.0

His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham, John Lewis

"This is not a fairytale. This is history." Over the last four years of the current administration, I have slowly, progressively, lost hope in America. This book reminded me to still believe. Jon Meacham, one of my favorite historians, spent countless hours with the iconic John Lewis, recounting his early days with the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. I thought I knew who John Lewis was, after reading his life story following his death as well as watching the eulogies given at his funeral. I could not have been more wrong. Meacham not only does a deep dive into Lewis, his actions, and his character, but also into the deliberate operations of the young workers and leaders, using non-violence to change the heart of a country. I was left with a sense of hope, knowing that if these young people chose to face death, to stand tall in the midst of the most extreme hatred, then I could believe in the spirit of America once again. If you need a big dose of belief, this book will do your heart good:)

Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis

The story begins in the 1970's in Montevideo, Uruguay, as a coup has turned the country into a military dictatorship. Five friends head to a deserted beach town, determined to find some joy in their young lives, wondering if it is possible to be happy, gay, and free in this country. Throughout the next four decades, this beach home becomes their sanctuary, as we see their lives move through time, dealing with husbands, lovers, children, and pasts that haunt. The writing is sublime..."They approached the cape along a beach, the ocean to their right, shimmering in the dark, in constant conversation with the sand." I mean, really??? But De Robertis is not verbose or gratuitous with her words; she shares the life story of these women to such a deep extent, that when the last page is turned, I felt like I lost something. The ideas of human connection, of how trauma invades our soul, of how who we are is so vital to how we interact in the world. I did not think I would fall so hard in love with this book and these women; this novel is a treasure.

Caged by Ellison Cooper

Do you like watching Criminal Minds or Mindhunters? Or did you enjoy Meg Gardiner's Unsub book series? If so, have I got a new series for you! I read this one in less than 24 hours, and have already ordered the second in the series. (I kept hearing about Cut to the Bone, Cooper's latest book just published; everyone is raving over it, but I just cannot start a series in the middle so yes, I went back to the beginning to see where FBI agent Sayer Altair begins.) Altair is a Black female agent, with a background in neuroscience and an obsession with hunting serial killers. Haunted by death in her personal life, she is...complicated. The author has created a compelling group of agents who surround Altair: her sidekick Vik who knows how to throw in some zingers, her neighbor who shares a puppy with her, her scary but badass female boss at the FBI, the tech guy who knows how to hack computers, the pathologist who finds answers in the dead bodies, and the arrogant profiler who never met a camera he didn't like. Cooper knows how to plot a story to keep you turning pages, as well as creating characters to root both for and against. This is an obsessively great read:) PS: I am TIRED of reading crime novels by white men, about white men; this author is female, has an amazing science background, and uses all kinds of smart, strong women characters - YES!!!

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Zoe loves to bake, needs to fix her friendship with her next door neighbor, and receives her first letter from her father, who is imprisoned for committing a murder. I can see how many elementary-age kids are loving this book as it is a sweet story of friendship, love, and loyalty. There are some funny moments with cupcake baking, as well as some hard-fought freedom for two ambitious kids. It's a tough subject matter and author does downplay it for her audience, which I get, but I also think some kids are capable of grappling with difficult topics. Prison is rather white-washed, as is the impact of wrongful conviction. Yet...I realize this story is written for eight to twelve year olds, so on that note, I would say it is a good start to introducing a child to some social justice issues. 

Sula by Toni Morrison

As I work my way through Morrison's back list (like many, I had only read Beloved and Song of Solomon prior to 2020), this was once again a difficult read. I listened to the audio, and while Morrison's voice is gorgeous, I wish I had been able to flip back and forth through the pages. It is a story of friendship between Nell and Sula, one woman who chooses husband and children and home, and Sula, who chooses sexual freedom and the city lights. It is a story of an action in their past that haunts them. It is the story of a returned soldier who forces his town to see death. It is the story of the Black experience, told in classic Morrison style, who always makes one think hard and question and roll the words around in our head. While I am glad I read it, it was not my favorite. How's that for an honest opinion?!

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Do you ever feel like you missed years of good books while head first into a career, or raising kids, or going through trauma? I do, so I am slowly working my way through some backlist books, as well as trying to be deliberate about reading more diverse authors who can give me views into a different world than my own. This collection of eight stories from Pulitzer Prize winning author Lahiri was a stunner. With each story, she sucked me straight into the lives of her characters, whether it be the young mother in Seattle trying to navigate a new role for her father in her life, or the young Indian man who defies his family expectations, or the student having an affair with a married man. Each story was rich in character, as well as words. Highly recommend this author if, like me, you missed her years ago.

September Reading

One by One by Ruth Ware

I think you can call me a Ruth Ware junkie; I have read all six of her adult mystery books, and have yet to be able to put one down. Her latest feels very Agatha Christie-ish, with murder victims, red herrings, and abundant theories littering the story. At a company retreat in a Swiss chalet, the plot is laid out through two narrators: Liz, a former employee of this tech company, she is awkward, anxious, and has a lot of backstory to tell; Erin, a hostess at the chalet, is the fly-on-the-wall observer of this eclectic group, and has a mysterious past of her own. As a blizzard hits, avalanches ensue, and dead bodies turn up occasionally, I dare you to figure out not only whodunnit, but WHY. Another satisfying Ruth Ware mystery:)

Anxious People by Frederik Backman

This book is about a bank robber. And some hostages. And a bridge. And subprime mortgages. And the worldwide economic meltdown of 2007. And aging. And relationships. And suicide. And mental illness. And about idiots and anxiety and assumptions we make. And...get my drift? Can you tell it is a hard one to describe? On the surface, it begins with two policemen, a father and son, who are attempting to interview the hostages of a bank robber. But talk about water skiing across a subject! This book, as always with Backman, is about so much more. This book is witty, propulsive, addictive, heartfelt, provocative, aggravating, eye-opening, and ultimately so satisfying. If you begin and you're wondering "what the heck?', just keep going, trust me - you will arrive at an amazing destination. Another hit from a favorite author!

The Lost Kingdom by Signe Pike

In the beginning, in The Lost Queen, twins Languoreth and Lailoken, are young; their childhood is privileged, children of a lord, taught by a druid, loved and protected by their servants. They are in turn, passionate, emotional, impulsive. In this sequel, L and L come into their own. Languoreth becomes the queen she has always been meant to be. As she mourns her many losses, she also weaves her web, using her intellect to deal with her enemies and grow her ally's loyalties, and ultimately discovers the strength she always had but now knows how to wield. Lailoken, through horrific battle, heartbreaking loss, and poignant exile, uses his skills as a Wisdom Keeper to hold the Old Gods close, and to empower those who still believe in them. This second book is full of battles and court intrigue, but also dives deep into the story of Languoreth's daughter and her training as a priestess of the Old Way; this was the most intriguing story line to me. As much as I loved the first book, this book appears to act as a bridge to book three, setting up the court of Artur (ie. King Arthur mythology), his relationship with the druid priestess, and Laioloken as he transitions into Myrrdin, the 'madman,' or as we know him, Merlin. This was another epic read.

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan

I feel like there were a couple decades where I missed great books (maybe I was grading essays or driving kids across the state for soccer tournaments??) In any case, now that I've got a Buddy Read group doing modern day classics, I am finally catching up! I have read Amy Tan before (The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetter's Daughter), and she did not disappoint in this one from 2006. Once again, she looks deeply at mother/daughter relationships, as we first see Winnie as the stereotypical Chinese mother, with her daughter Pearl who avoids her, holds secrets, doesn't understand who her mother is. Winnie has secrets of her own...a LOT of them. The majority of the book tells of her life in China both pre WWII, during, and after. For the record, the next time I complain about the small inconveniences of anything, tell me to shut up - this woman struggled, survived, endured. At times it got a bit wordy for me, but then Tan would bring me back to the women and grab my attention once again. And the Kitchen God story - wow, what a metaphor for the shit women have to put up with in this patriarchal construct of a world. This should give any book club a lot to discuss!

Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass

A group of gay teens are kidnapped and taken to an island off of Costa Rica where a conversion therapy 'program' is run. Yeah, pretty horrendous - as in torture and abuse, weird and weirder assignments to convince these kids they aren't gay, and a deep dive into the history of the pastor who runs it. Solid topic to explore in this YA book, yet I am torn in my opinions. On one hand, I appreciated how the author dealt with parental issues surrounding their kids coming out, how religion is twisted into a way that truly damages kids irreparably, and how difficult life can be made for gay teens who are struggling with their sexual identity. However, I struggled with the length of this book (almost 400 pages was waaaay too long, in my opinion), the jumping around through time periods, the implausibility and improbability of much of the plot line (especially on the island!), and the tone of the narrator's voice. I read the author's note at the beginning of the use of awkward humor and why he does it, but it just felt off for me.