More February Reading

 Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

On every “must read” list of 20th century books, we find James Baldwin. Having listened to The Fire Next Time last summer, I was excited to dive into his fiction. Admittedly, the visuals of this book were difficult for me at first. Loooong paragraphs, lots of preaching, little dialogue. Admittedly, the religious aspect was challenging as the Pentecostal beliefs seemed based on fear, guilt, retribution, and punishment; as an avowed agnostic, thus pushed me, stretched my brain, angered me and forced me to see life through another lair of eyes. Just why we read, right?! I ate up the middle section of this book as it explored the main characters and how they came to be in this Chicago church and neighborhood. It connected so many dots of the other books I’ve read on the Black migration. Baldwin’s lyrical style delves deeply into each person and I found myself wanting to know more. Did I love this book? No. Did I appreciate the historical importance of Baldwin and his gorgeous writing voice? Absolutely. Will I read more of him? You bet.

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Quirky, weird, totally outside the box - this National Book Award winner is all these things. And YES, I loved it! Our hero is Willis Wu, whose life is seen as a television sitcom; he plays Generic Asian Man, but dreams of being Kung Fu Guy. We see his parents and their immigrant dreams, his girlfriend and her ability to see more, and other Asian immigrants and children of immigrants and how this 'American Dream' is warped, bastardized, corrupted by racial prejudice and bias. Author Yu writes in screen plays, action shots, narrative, you name it. His dialogue made me laugh and cringe, all at the same time. In one word, this book is simply BRILLIANT.

How the One-Armed Sisters Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

Chosen by Good Morning, America for Black History month, the audio is this book is just spectacular. Set in Barbados, this book is part mystery, part social commentary, part family drama. It involves a young woman named Lala, her grandmother who raised her, Lala's abusive boyfriend, a past love, a vacationing family, and of course, a murder. It portrays the stain of colonialism, the insidiousness of domestic abuse, the tragedy of the health care system, and the attempt to escape the past as it draws us inexorably together. And the circular use of the one-armed sister is just, quite frankly, brilliant, as we all get pulled in to what we know is evil but we cannot look away, no matter the lessons we have been taught. Highly recommend listening to this one!

Bluebird, Bluebird (Highway 59, #1) by Attica Locke

You all know how I love a good mystery so my only question is...how the heck did I miss this series when it came out a couple years ago??? Set in Texas (and let's face it, Texas has a LOT of things to use for plot production - racism, arrogance, guns, you name it!), the main character is Darren Matthews and he is...complicated. A Black man raised by his two uncles, who dropped out of law school to become a Texas Ranger, who's in a tricky position at the beginning of the book and is then pulled into a murder investigation in East Texas. Whew, this book sucked me in quickly and never let me go, ordering the second book before I even finished this one.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orisha #2) by Tomi Adeyemi

Having loved the first in this series (Children of Blood and Bone), I am not sure why it took me so long to get to the second book. But this February was the perfect time to open it up, as I was determined to only read Bipoc writers all month. Once again, Adeyemi provided the perfect escapism as she creates a fantasy world part Black Panther, part Tolkien-esque, part Harry Potter-ish, and part African history, all pulled together with an incredible cast of strong, intelligent, courageous women in the lead roles. Looking for escape and inspiration in a story peopled with characters of color (rather than the all-white cast found in the vast majority of fantasy tales!),  I highly recommend this series.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

A debut collection of stories that will stunned me, lingered in my brain for days, and made me wish for her debut novel as soon as possible. Each story stands on its own, peeking behind the curtains of these women of the Black church: their love lives, their relationships with friends and families, their workplace frustrations, their homes, their homesickness, their grief, their confusions, their very souls. And oh my, the "Peach Cobbler" story still hasn't left my head. If you can, listen to this one as the narrator is amazing. Highly recommend this listen:)

February 2.0

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

All I can say is, "My daughter was right." She said this is Ward's best book and I cannot disagree, though I did love Men We Reaped and Sing Unburied Sing. Just her second novel, Salvage is set in the days prior to Katrina, in a coastal Mississippi town that is dripping with poverty. The main character, Esch, is the fourteen year old pregnant sister living in a family of males (father, two older brothers, and her seven year old youngest brother whose birth caused her mother's death). This family will break your heart; it did mine. The animal abuse will disturb you; it did me. The sexual abuse will anger you; I struggled mightily. Yet, when we view this story 

Flamer by Mike Curato

A fourteen year old biracial boy struggling with his sexual identity, a summer Boy Scout camp, and learning how to navigate the social world of teen boys, Mike Curato combines all these ideas into a beautiful graphic novel. This book made me laugh out loud, wrung my heart at the homophobia and prejudice prevalent in life, and think so often of the trauma our kids have to go through just to make it to young adulthood. It isn't as easy as made-for-television movies would have us believe, and this book blends the happy, sad, and traumatic perfectly. 

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Set in India in 1955, this is the story of Lakshmi, a young woman who fled an abusive marriage and has built a life for herself, as the henna artist for the wealthy women in the city. Through her work, she also hears the gossips, helps to arrange relationships, and provides herbal treatments. Yet when her young sister, whose existence she knew nothing of finds her, Lakshmi's world is irrevocably changes. This is some fabulous storytelling, with compelling characters and an insider's view of how the caste system, post-independence movement, still dominated Indian society. I find myself often thinking about Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste as I read of the injustices in Lakshmi's life. Occasionally, I found the plot line a bit predictable but it did not take away the sheer enjoyment of the entertainment.

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

"Above the girl who no longer has a head, who no longer has words, who no longer has a memory, who no longer has a name, who is only a remembrance sinking into the dark hold of the forgotten." Wow. Just let that sentence roll over your tongue and through your brain a few times. Mengiste is a writer of stupendous talent, writing lyrically of a time period of which I had never heard, the invasion of Ethiopia by Mussolini in 1935. She takes the framework of The Iliad and places this conflict into the age old telling of war, of battles fought ceaselessly, of unsung heroes, of Amazon women, of weak men, of betrayal, of honor. This book is not for everyone; at times, it slowed to a snail's pace, and at other times it shreds the heart. But it left me in awe of what a great writer can do with her words and how a hidden history can be sung to the world.

First Come Like (Modern Love, #3) by Alisha Rai

Let's just preface this with the common knowledge that I don't really love rom-com books; yet, I do see the value of them. For one, they're a nice break from super sad, or tragic, or gory, or dark. So, when I choose to read one (or listen, as in this case), I like to opt for one by a writer of color, in this case Rai is a South Asian-American writer who 'specializes' in romance. Her female lead is an American woman with Pakistani Muslim parents, who works as an 'influencer' after dropping out of medical school. Her love interest is an Indian Hindu man whose entire family is Bollywood royalty. At times silly, at times implausible, at times spot on, at times giving great insight into cultures and work lives I know little about, and always just a fun book to listen to. This book was cute and entertaining, and a nice change from the all-white casts of most rom-coms.

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

A tale of antebellum Virginia, this is the story of Mattie, a slave who is taken from her own baby and moved into the 'big house' to be a wet nurse to Lisbeth. It is story of their years together, the way Lisbeth begins to view slavery, as well as how Mattie sees her life and future. It is a compelling read that goes quickly, yet I felt it was a white-washed view of slavery, water-skiing across the surface of the brutality of the system. However, I also found the bond that forms between these two to be inspiring and heartfelt, and ultimately to be a memorable read.

The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper

A memoir of a young Black ER doctor, this book had sat on my shelf for months; Black History month was a good time to pick it up finally! And while I found parts of it interesting, it was not an overly compelling book for me. I was interested in Harper's patient stories, especially the ones at the VA hospital, and I liked the intertwining of her own personal lie and struggles she wove throughout the story. Yet, I could not find the human in this book, the deep introspection I wanted, the honest look at her life choices; it felt at times like she skated across her life and did more telling than showing. Or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this one?  I know many readers have enjoyed this one - I just found it a bit bland and forgettable.

February Reading

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad 

“Death never comes at a good time, but getting a death sentence when you’re young is a breach of contract with the natural order of things.”A memoir of cancer, of survival, of coming to the brink of death and peering over that edge, and then deciding to strike out on her own and connect with the people that gave her hope during her years of battle, Suleika Jaouad blew me away with this life story of her twenties. When I was twenty, my only thoughts were what hot outfit to wear to the bar, how to afford the fancy hair salon,  and who was coming over for the weekend barbecue. Suleika was forced into another life, one filled with chemo, hair loss, and navigating a relationship while fighting cancer for four years. Once the war was won, the question was "Now what?" Having written a NYTimes column on Life, Interrupted, she decides to travel America, connecting with others who have experienced loss,  and on this journey, coming to know the new Suleika, the one forged through grit, resiliency, and ultimately, surviving a uniquely terrible disease. I read this book in 24 hours, drawn into her story in ways that inspired me, touched me, and ultimately gave me hope. This is the perfect book to read having lived through 2020; I cannot recommend it highly enough. “When you survive something that was thought to be unsurvivable, the obvious is gained. You have your life - you have time. But it’s only when you get there that you realize your survival has come at a cost.”

The Survivors by Jane Harper

Admittedly, Jane Harper is one of my very favorite mystery writers (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘳𝘺, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘯 - all 5 star reads for me), so I wondered...could she do it again? The answer is a resounding 𝐘𝐄𝐒. ⁣This time Harper sets the story in Tasmania, in a small coastal town where tragedy struck years ago, raising shadows over the recent murder of a young woman. The main character, Kieran, has returned to his childhood home with his wife and baby, helping his parents, seeing old mates, trying to out-swim the ghosts of the past. Within this small cadre of friends and family lie the hints, clues, roadmaps to solving the mystery. ⁣Once again, Harper meticulously builds her plot, slowly, brick by brick, leaving no room for error, throwing red herrings along her path, daring the reader to make a guess as to 'whodunnit.' Another 5 star read!

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

I'm not sure how I missed this Pulitzer Prize winner back in 2002? Oh yeah, I was driving two daughters all around the state for soccer, teaching high school English, and trying to find any spare moments to read? So yeah, missed this one - shame on me. As always, Russo delivers a powerful piece of literature and a town that feels like I walked in the door of the Empire Falls cafe and know all the characters by name. This is the story of a mill town in Maine, the characters who build it, inhabit it, terrorize it, destroy it, and yes, rebuild it again, and again, and again. Russo is the master at pulling heart strings, creating a sense of mystery, and making us laugh out loud, all in the same story. If you're looking for truly stunning literature that makes you feel invested in the people and a town, Empire Falls is pretty impossible to put down.

The Unwilling by John Hart

I have read all of Hart's previous books; he is a master storyteller, threading mystery and family drama throughout his novels. His latest takes us back to 1972, as the Vietnam War rages and a family with three boys experiences its impact. After the oldest son is killed and the middle son is dishonorably discharged, spending time in prison, their youngest is pulled into a storm of murder, secrets, and corruption, moving between prison scenes, high school life, and police investigation. This is definitely a richly told family saga that made me turn pages quickly; some occasional implausibilities but I didn't care that much as the tale was just so good!

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

It is hard to know what to say about this gorgeous debut novel; it has been compared to Toni Morrison, and I do not disagree. Jones is a lyrical writer, moving between and among time during the antebellum South. While the story focuses on Samuel and Isaiah, it is also a story of the entire plantation and its evil system - the slaves, the owners, the overseer. A deep lifetime bond, morphing into a passionate love between the two young men, religion moves into their world, upsetting the fine balance, causing what was once beautiful to be seen as a sin. Yet we also see how religion is used to justify the ownership of humans, to degrade the slaves and steal their humanity. I listened to the audio, but then picked up the physical copy to reread some parts. This is NOT an easy read - the constant movement of time, place, characters can be confusing if you don't pay attention, very similar to Morrison. It earns and deserves time and thought and introspection; it is a masterful debut.

Little Threats by Emily Schultz

Most of the time, thrillers tend to disappoint me, but this one was a page turner that satisfies. Kennedy Wynn has just spent fifteen years in prison for murdering her best friend; she can't remember the events of the evening, so even her twin sister has doubts. When she returns to her Virginia suburban community, answers slowly trickle out as both the sisters and a crime television show attempt to find out the truth. It's a solid plot line, with some intriguing twists and compelling characters. It's a fast, easy read, perfect for a vacation or some mindless entertainment.

The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose

This is a looooong, engrossing historical tale that ultimately just involved too many things for me. Told in two perspectives and time periods, we follow Sophia during the years of the Russian Revolution, her friendship with the royal family, the love affair with a soldier suffering from amnesia, the involvement of the Faberge jewelry makers, and a mystery of a tiara. Decades later, Isobelle, the daughter of Sophia, tells her story as she tries to understand how this tiara came into her mother's possession. Isobelle's life also involves her work as an female architect in the male-dominated world, her time at Oak Ridge building a city for atomic bomb scientists, a love interest whose own family issues are complex. Yeah, there was just a LOT going on for me. I was intrigued and fascinated by the Russian time period, less so with the post WWII life, and found the ending a bit implausible and too-neatly packaged.