More March Reading

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

Toxic Masculinity...now I know where you came from! No. Seriously. I taught Greek mythology and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘥𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘺 for YEARS. If I had to do it all over again, I would lead with this book and good ole Edith Hamilton. Odysseus would bring up the rear, and only to show what arrogant jerks these Greek ‘heroes’ actually were. (And honestly, I always questioned how and why Achilles was ever seen as a hero when he sits in his tent and sulks for most of the Iliad anyway!) If you’re a Greek mythology nerd like me, and you’d like to see the ancient world turned upside down while finally giving the women their due, this book is for you.

The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville

This debut novel surprised me in quite a lovely way. It Is a mix of mystery, family drama, and magical realism, involving two intriguing lead characters. Harriet is an old woman who owns two homes to keep her 'bright' objects; is she a hoarder or does she have ability to read the objects' histories? And then there's Ev, a young woman with memories of a happy home, yet raised in foster care, who touches objects and sees their emotions, whose secret past binds her to tragedy. This is the story of these two women, picking their way through the debris of their lives. Unique, beautiful, thoughtful story.

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of Africa America, 1619-2019 by

Ibraham X. Kendi (editor)

What would happen if the author of How To Be An Anti-Racist and Stamped From the Beginning gathers dozens of authors, poets, essayist? And then assigns each of them a five year period in the history of Black America? This book is the answer. I was mesmerized by the audio, by what I did not know and had never been taught in all my years of schooling, by the heroism, the tragedy, the inspiration, by the march through history that is vital to our understanding of our nation. I highly recommend the audio, done by a variety of voices; it is a powerhouse performance and piece of literature. 

A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

If you read her first two books In the series (A Curse So Dark and Lonely / A Heart So Fierce and Broken), you'll probably want to finish up this trilogy. My opinion...you could skip it. As a retelling of the old tale of the Beauty and the Beast, the first two books were fantastic at building both characters and worlds, using a diverse cast that included handi-capable, gay and straight, as well as a variety of racial backgrounds. I loved them. I didn't hate this one, yet it was just 'meh' for me. 

From the Ashes: My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Way by

Jesse Thistle

This memoir was a rough read for me - emotional, heart wrenching, drenched in tragedy, with little light until the final hour. It is the story of a Native boy in Canada, whose home life is marked by desertion, addiction, and a tragic void of love. His grandparents eventually take in the three boys, but it is a difficult childhood and youth, marked by poverty and poor choices driven by circumstance. Jesse experiences incarceration and homelessness until eventually finding his way to sobriety and success. Yes, it is inspiring, to see what a human can do in the face of extreme sorrow and challenges. However, for me, it became trauma overload, with one sad event piled on top of the next. I am completely cognizant that this is Jesse's life, told in a raw, authentic, honest voice and I celebrate his success; I just was not in the right mood for the level of despair.

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

Need a light-hearted rom-com to lighten the load? This will do it! Back in 1990, two babies are born on New Year's Day, setting the course for their lives. One, Minnie Cooper (oh yes, the endless childhood teasing for that name!) is told her entire life that she was born unlucky, since she wasn't born first, missed out on the 'cool' name, and didn't win the huge money prize. The second baby, Quinn Hamilton, was the lucky recipient of the money, the name, and all the best luck in the world. Right? Well, not exactly. Watching these two discover who was really lucky is just delightful, mindless entertainment.

Passing by Nella Larson

Take a famous female author of the Harlem Renaissance, mix in New York City in 1924, and then sprinkle The Vanishing Half on top and you have this modern day classic. This short novel takes the reader to the Black community where one can choose to “pass” if light skinned enough, if one is willing to turn their back on their culture and their past, if one is secure enough to live a secret life, always looking over their shoulder. One friend is, one friend is not. The complex issues, emotions, and decisions play out in a short yet compulsively readable story. Check out the Netflix movie when you're done!

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

In preparation for her first book in a decade, coming out this May, I am deep into backlist reading of this award-winning author. There's just something about her writing voice for me; she pulls me in with her words and her ability to deeply develop her characters. It is never plot-driven yet I still cannot put her books down. This time around it is the story of Gogol Ganguli, the son of a first-generation Indian family who settles in Massachusetts. Yep, it is that simple. We see Gogol born, grow up, find his way through adulthood. It's hard to put into words the beauty and simplicity of this book, but I learned so much, was pulled deeply into the character's lives, and am still haunted by its themes.

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson 

This is the story of Ruth, a successful Black chemical engineer who lives in Chicago with her supportive husband. Yet is she satisfied with her life? Does her childhood in a small Indiana town continue to impact her beyond what she believes? As Ruth returns to that childhood town and her grandmother, we see how poverty, racism, and lack of opportunity shaped her. I was torn by this book. On one hand, it has some provocative things to say about race and class and destruction of the manufacturing core in the heartland of America. Yet, I found the characters to be a bit flat, lacking in motivation and development, with too many story lines going on. However, there's tons of potential here; I look forward to her next book.