More December Reading

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

Back in 2011, I fell madly in love with Ready Player One, especially the audio read by Wil Wheaton. The sequel continues the dystopoic tale of a world in decades in the future, ruined by climate change, socioeconomic disparity, and an addition to the virtual reality world called the Oasis, invented by two super dorky computer nerds from the 1980's. Once again, Wade Watts, the 'winner' of the world in the first book, has to play hero to save the world. Yet, this time around he is not as sympathetic, but more of a spoiled, rich brat who thinks he can rule the world ('cause he kinda does!). The best part of the book, as before, is all the amazing 80's pop culture - yes, I wanted to just remain in the world of John Hughes movies and hang out with Ferris Bueller. Occasionally, the author gets a bit stuck in the techie weeds, as well as the video gaming quests that I found less than compelling, but...I am glad I read it. It is a pretty worthy finish to a highly creative story.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

HOW did it take me so long to read this book, the book that so many high school kids tried to get me to read when I was still in the classroom, the book they said spoke to their heart like no other, and the one that spoke to my heart as well? Shame on me. This is a story of two teens, a boy and a girl who don't fit into the neat little boxes adults want to put them in, and the circumstances of life that wants to separate them. Yep, it's that simple, and yet this book is so powerful in its simplicity and so real in its authenticity. Highly recommend as a gift to a young adult:)

The Reckoning (Maeve Kerrigan #2) by Jane Casey

I always wonder if the second in a mystery series will live up to the potential in the first? The first book, The Burning, introduced the murder squad in a London police department, particularly Maeve Kerrigan, the young newbie detective. Could Casey build on that? The answer is a resounding, YES, with this second one being even better than the first. This time, as Maeve continues to struggle with her personal life and a creepy living situation, they search for a serial killer picking on men accused of being pedophiles. Not the most sympathetic victims, yet there is much more than the eye can see. This was a solid page turner, and book number three is definitely on my list for next month.

The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little

I do love a good historical fiction story, and one set in France, with high fashion, family drama, and a little love sprinkled in? Yep, this book was a winner. Three Chanel sisters grew up in a convent school, and this story is told by the youngest, Antoinette. We see the sparse life, harsh punishment, and lack of love in their early years, years that influenced Coco Chanel's fashion choices in the future. How the elder's sisters illness impacted them all, how Coco and Antoinette began their fashion business, how their love affairs influenced the direction of their lives, and most importantly for me, how their childhood poverty and struggles became a drawing board for one of the biggest fashion icons of the 20th century. I enjoyed this story immensely.

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne

Winner of the National Book Award this year, this book is a tour de force of research and history. To be honest, I knew little of the factual information on Malcolm X, relying in the past on movies, television shows, and pop culture to fill in what I didn't know. I am grateful to finally have the real deal, to have learned Malcolm's past, his childhood, his ancestry, his journey. While I listened to the audio, I would not necessarily recommend it - too many names and incidences where I wanted to flip back chapters and reread. Les Payne digs deep into this icon of Black culture, revealing both the bigness and the small things of Malcolm's life, and shows us every piece of how Malcolm Little became Malcolm X. 

A Burning by Megha Majumdar

This book was a conundrum for me. Mixed reviews - some critics loved it, some national book clubs picked it, some readers I respect loved it, while others not so much. I wondered what I would think as I picked up this debut novel, written in three different points of view, about a terrorist event in India? Some thoughts...first, I didn't love the writing style as it felt choppy and simplistic in my brain. Yet, I totally understand the choice as each voice fit each of the three narrators. The premise started out dark as a young girl from the slums is wrongly accused of a horrific act, it stays dark as the former gym teacher and aspiring Bollywood star question their own behavior toward the accused, and it grows even darker in the end. However, am I glad I read it? Yes. It gave me a slice of life in India. Did it disturb me, provoke me, anger me? Completely. Will I pick up another book by this author? Definitely. Did I need to read a light fluffy book afterward? For sure.