January 3.0

Normal People by Sally Rooney
Admittedly, I did not pick this one up sooner because...A) I heard too much about it B) people seemed to love it or hate it and C) I'm an idiot. Because this little book was a five star read for me, hands down. Sally Rooney is a master of richly developing her characters through precise dialogue and small details. Marianne and Connell are the axis on which the story turns and I could not get enough of their lives, their choices (stupid and smart), their families, their past, and their fumbling-past-each-other relationship. At so many turns, I saw myself in my youth...the struggles to know how to fit in socially, the dependence on an unhealthy relationship to find value, the family dysfunction that warps us. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones
Have you read An American Marriage? Or how about Silver Sparrow? If not, I highly recommend Tayari Jones. She is one of my favorite voices in today's publishing world. Jones always forces me to put on a different pair of spectacles and look at life in America with new eyes. Leaving Atlanta is her first book - I do love to see how a favorite author first began and she does not disappoint. Told through the eyes of three children, we see Atlanta during the nightmare when black children were being murdered in the early 1980's. This book definitely kept my attention until the final page.

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

An oral history of 9/11, narrated by 45 different people, this book is impossible to put down or stop listening to, as it is chilling, tragic, fascinating, and inspiring. For those of us who lived it, it will put you right back to that day but it will give you details you never knew. For those of you who were not born yet or were too young to remember it, this book will give you an incredible sense of what happened. The more and more I look back at history, read books on social justice and the movement to the right and populism across the world, the more I believe that 9/11 shaped the world in very profound ways. This is arguably the best audio book I have experienced.

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
While this is not my normal topic I would be pulled to, this book was on so many "Best of" lists for 2019 so I figured it was worth the look. The story follows two couples whose husbands both become ministers, and their lives from the 1960's onward as these two men share a church in New York City. I am still torn. On one hand, the writing is exceptional; Wall constructs these characters with great thought, empathy, and insight. I was compelled to continue reading, which is always a plus. However, the topic was just not my gig as it centers around people struggling with their faith, church life, their beliefs in a hand that directs our lives. These themes and topics are all beautifully and compassionately explored, but not the book for me. For those of you involved in a faith life or are searching, this could be the book for you.

The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenbert
The title had me at "murder" and "Appalachia;" unfortunately, it was a big letdown. Ostensibly, It is the story of three young women who hitchhiked cross country to attend the Rainbow festival in West Virginia. Two girls arrive and are murdered, while one girl bags out and heads home to Vermont. I am never really sure why the book is called the 'third rainbow girl' as she's hardly discussed. The murder investigations and trials are intriguing, but get stuck in the middle of the author's details of her messy life. This book felt like it couldn't make up its mind between true-life crime and memoir; it was a big miss for me.

January 2.0

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
This is the 'buzziest' book of 2020 and rightfully so. It tells the story of Lydia, a middle class woman living in Acapulco with her eight year old son and journalist husband. When the violence of the drug cartels destroys her life, Lydia must make the impossible choice: stay and be killed, or save her son and escape to the north. This black and white choice is blunt against the brutality of the migrant trail as author Cummins painstakingly lays out all the heartrending choices Lydia must make for survival. Wrapped in beautiful prose, we see the the cast of characters that these two meet on their epic journey: the asthmatic boy running for his future, the two sisters trapped in violent Guadalajara, the priest who must weigh his own safety against those in need, the coyote who feels compelled to help but also to profit, her friend who loves book but brings death, and those left behind. The mantras of "build the wall," "do it legally," "send them back," "kids in cages," all of these are held up in start contrast to the reality of a mother's love and what one would do for their child. It is that simple. Do. Not. Miss. This. Book.

A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of Faith by Timothy Egan

"We do not have all the answers. We are in a spiritual journey." These are the words at one of the first churches Egan comes to on his pilgrimage from Canterbury to Rome, known as the Via Francigena as Egan traveled by foot, car, train for over a thousand miles, searching for some spiritual answers. As a solid agnostic myself, I was curious about this book; Egan, a Northwest resident and writer, is one of my favorite authors but a book on Christianity? A religion that many friends adhere to but which has pushed me away for over a decade due to what I perceive to be hypocrisy and hyper-judgmentalism? Hmmm...this was definitely a journey for me, and one that was ultimately well worth it. Egan weaves together the story of this path with thousands of years of history of the Catholic church and Christianity, and it is a bloody, violent, chaotic history, one that is hard to endorse. Yet Egan also forces his readers to do what he does - stop, contemplate, question, wonder. Ultimately, he doesn't force any faith on his readers, but does force us to be a pilgrim as we search, or are content to embrace what I call 'the great unknown.' I am glad I read this book.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
Do you like a good ghost story? As in one that you really shouldn't read at night because it will give you chills up the back of your neck? Simone St. James is a master of the spectral story, seriously. The Sun Down Motel is a creepy lil old motel in a creepy lil town where decades ago Carly's Aunt Viv disappeared. The story is told from a dual perspective, Viv and her time working at the motel and Carly as she investigates her aunt's life as a way of putting her own life into perspective. All kinds of creepy characters emerge as both Viv and Carly's stories are told. I turned pages voraciously and found the ending to satisfy every want, need, desire. It is not easy to follow up a bit hit like The Broken Girls, but St. James continues to be creative and thoughtful as she creeps us out with each successive book.

After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
This book called my name as soon as I heard "dystopia, mother, journey" - I mean really, who can't get on board with an epic journey?! Thanks to climate change, the world pretty much flooded, and I don't mean a little bit, I mean the Andes Mountains are even under water. Borders and governments are a thing of the past; it is every human for themselves and whatever boat they can find. In this case, Myra and her seven-year-old daughter Pearl set off to find her oldest daughter Rowena, long ago kidnapped by Myra's husband as the Floods began. As the journey progresses, Myra must decide who to trust as the cast of characters unfold. This story is a terrifying look at a possible future, an odyssey where one must change and adapt in order to complete their quest, and a hard look at what makes a family and who do we love. It is a beautifully written, creative story - hard to believe it is Montag's debut novel.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Trust me, the title is dripping with irony. One's twenties are supposed to be awesome, right?! But what if you've graduated from college, aren't that motivated for a career and money and prestige, and just want to be happy? Is that valued? Is that okay? And what if you're a black woman engulfed in a white woman's world? A world that doesn't quite fit? That is Emira's life as she babysits three-year-old Brier. The entire story begins with an incident in an upscale grocery store when a security guard and another customer accuses Emira of kidnapping little Brier because...she's a black woman with a white child, late at night. The man who records the entire incident becomes integral to the story, as does Alix, the mother and 'influencer,' as well as Alix's snarky group of privileged New York friends. The audio of this one is truly priceless, as Emira is smart, sassy, and takes no crap; she loves Brier with a loyalty that is admirable, but also wants to own who they both are in their unique personalities. This book will frustrate you, entertain you, and make you think about life in some very different ways. Think about the book like the novel The Help, but updated to 2015 with a subtle yet pointed look at race and money and class. Loved this one:)

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
A favorite mystery writer (The Kind Worth Killing - soooo good), this new one fell a bit short for me. The premise: a bookstore owner, Mal, who years ago wrote a blog post that highlighted the eight perfect literary murders according to him, gets interviewed by an FBI agent about some similar murders that have popped up in Boston. Mal is an unreliable narrator of the story, never knowing quite what to believe from him. He's a quirky loner, book lover so I kinda liked him at first. However, as the book devolved into predictability as well as some implausibility, Mal became less likable and just rather pathetic. On the plus side, I did keep turning pages. On the minus side, the ending was unsatisfying to me.

The Flood (Fredrike Bergman & Alex Recht, #6) by Kristina Ohlsson
Are you missing the dark Scandinavian mystery series like Girl with a Dragon Tattoo? Go check out Ohlsson's series that involves both police investigators, national security experts, and psychologists all on one investigatory team. It is one of my favorite series; each mystery is a page turner, the characters are complex and fascinating, women are used as strong leads not as weak and naive tropes, and the endings always satisfy. You don't have to read all the books, or in order, to enjoy each one separately either, which is a plus. This one involves a home murder, a kidnapping, and a funeral director that are somehow all tied together. Great beach read if you like a good mystery:)

January

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
This story is of Edward, the 12 year old survivor of a terrible plane crash where 191 passengers die, three of them his parents and brother. The fallout of this event is predictable, but the arc of the story is not, nor is the beautiful writing. As I read of Edwards difficulties adjusting to life, I wondered if I would be compelled to keep reading? Well-written, evocative, even lyrical, but where was it going? Needless to say, the final third of this book swept me into its arms and carried me into the world of forgiveness, of resolution, of acceptance, of the the harsh reality of life and death, of what is owed and not owed. In other words, it blew my mind. Perhaps it had to do with where my own personal life had been as I read it, at the bedside of a beloved son in law, hoping he would live. But isn't that what books do for us, hit us where our souls currently reside? This book reminded me, in the words of Edward's therapist..."What happened to you is baked into your bones, Edward. It lives under your skin. It's not going away. It's part of you and will be part of you every moment until you die. What you've been working on, since the time I met you, is learning to live with that."

Long Bright River by Liz Moore
A Philadelphia neighborhood full of homelessness, lacking hope, and rife for violence, a single mom who works as a cop and worries about her sister, addicted to opiates for years, and a serial killer on the loose. All these ingredients plus an incredibly talented writer makes for one humdinger of a book. The plot moves between Then and Now, as we see the dysfunctional childhood of Mickey and Kacey, raised by their grandmother after their mother's death and their father's abandonment; one sees the devastating impact, generationally, that the opiate epidemic has had on one community and one family. We also see the outcome of this childhood, as one sister breaks herself to raise her son, to put food on the table and a roof over his head, to keep her community safe, while the other sister is imprisoned by addiction, violence, and loss. This is an outstanding book - highly highly recommend:)

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
A 750 pages epic on how the world ends...perfect for a long vacation?! YES. This one kept me turning pages and every time I thought I had it figured out, I was led down another rabbit hole. It is a story about science and faith, of government and anarchy, of family and predators, or shepherds and wolves, of love, hope, and yes, the end of everything we know. So many themes in this book hit home in a very scary way: how words matter, that people who spew hate because they want ratings or attention or to win an election can actually get people killed. That a democracy is tenuous, that domestic militias are scary as hell, and that climate change will kill our planet. This book is worth every hour - it is an adventure and a journey and a mind-blowing experience.

Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
Benedict is becoming the specialist of historical fiction that focuses on the female counterpart of a strong, successful, famous man. This time around it is Clementine Churchill, the wife of the famous Winston Churchill. Clemmie is a complex woman. On one hand, she is from an old, distinguished family, yet they are impoverished, with a mother who drinks, has many lovers, and neglects her children. Once Clementine marries into the Churchill family, she is thrust into the political world in which she ultimately thrives. Unbeknownst to many of us (me included), Clemmie was instrumental in Winston's rise in power and his comeback, editing his speeches and providing vital moral support as well as organizational skill during the Blitz. I was fascinated with the history, but not as much with Clemmie. She's still a bit of a cipher to me, unclear as to her motivations, her own wants and desires, her passions. I liked this book, but didn't love it as much as the previous one about Hedy Lamar. Thanks to Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
This book begins with a bang...older sister Alison disappears on a Caribbean island and turns up dead soon therafter. Is it foul play or an accident? The story then turns to Claire, the younger sister and the fallout of this event on both Claire and her parents. And that's where it slows down, waaaaaay down. For me, the plot was thin and drawn out. I could just never care a whole lot about this family - white, rich, privileged - which I get was the point that was made by the end of the book. But still. Hard to care a whole lot. Interesting ideas exist, down the roads of cultural challenges, impact of tourism, family secrets, and the last quarter was quite engaging, but it just took forever to get there for me.

The Night Country by Melissa Albert
"What are we now, but the lost children of a dead world?" Thanks to main characters Alice and Ellery in the first book of the series The Hazel Wood, the Hazel Wood is dead, so what comes next? According to this latest tale, it is a life of the 'stories' (ie. young people aka characters from Alice's grandmother's original storybook who escaped when Alice and Ellery destroyed the Wood) as they try and find their way through a dark, yet oh so real, New York City. Without a clear review of the first book, I did find this second one a bit confusing at first and had to do some major reconnaissance to gain some knowledge; yes, I should have reread The Hazel Wood but one doesn't always have time, right? The 'stories' are struggling with real life, and some of them are winding up dead - who's doing it? Could it be Alice with the ice cold blood, or someone else? Where is Ellery and how is he going to involve himself in this story? I enjoyed this latest dark fairy-tale-esque book, but less so than original.

Best of 2019

WINNER: A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

Set in both Brooklyn and Palestine, it is the story of three generations of Palestinian women: Fareeda, the grandmother trapped by circumstance of war; Isra, a daughter of refugees, who knows only the confines of her home in Palestine yet follows a stranger in an arranged marriage to America; and her daughter Deya, who questions the plans for her future, who lives in America but is not of America, who wants to find her voice in a voiceless society. This book will take your heart and squeeze it until you cannot breathe, it will make you weep, it will make you stronger, it will give you hope in a hopeless world.

General Fiction: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett / Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

The Dutch House is a story of a brother and a sister, abandoned by their mother and death of their father, and a special house - Patchett weaves them all together into an unforgettable story.
In Olive, Again,  welcome back to the world of Olive Kittredge, a curmudgeon of the first order, who shows us what it is to age, to feel frustration and loss, and to love in authentic, very human ways.

Honorable Mention: Twenty-One Truths About Love; Red to the Bone; The Most Fun We Ever Had;  Beyond the Point; The Guest Book; South of Broad; Where the Crawdads Sing; Dear Edward

Mystery: The Lost Man by Jane Harper

The tale of three brothers begins with the death of one of them in the heat of the Outback, found at the mysterious old stockman's grave, a spot rife with legend and secrets. The Lost Man is breathtaking in its beauty, its richness, and its ability to keep one turning pages.

Honorable Mention: The Butterfly Girl (Naomi Cottle, #2); The Chestnut Man; The Whisper Man; Knife (Harry Hole #12); The Ruin (Cormac Reilly #1); 

Thriller: Thirteen (Eddie Flynn #4) by Steve Cavanaugh

Flynn is a conman turned lawyer, whose personal life is a hot mess, who has an intriguing collection of friends, who only defends the innocent, and who will literally do anything, legal and otherwise, to get his client free (in this case, a famous movie star entangled with a serial killer). Cavanaugh wraps his story in intelligent, thoughtful prose with a snappy sense of humor thrown in just when it is needed. 

Honorable Mention: The Silent Patient; Girls Like Us; Whisper Network; The Liar (Eddie Flynn #3); No Exit

Historical Fiction: The Huntress by Kate Quinn / The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

The plot line of The Huntress moves through three different perspectives: Nina, the Russian 'witch,' as she relates her time during WWII as a bomber pilot; Ian, a former famous war-time journalist now turned into a Nazi hunter; and Jordan, the young Boston girl, dreaming of work as a professional photographer, but stuck in an antique store with her new stepmother who has some secrets. This book is incredibly well-researched, using fascinating tidbits of history to weave a story of great tension and mystery.
The Great Believers uses the AIDS epidemic as the wheel its characters turn around and the interplay amongst them. Set in two time periods, Chicago in the mid-1980's and Paris in 2015, the characters of Yale and Fiona resonate with all of us who have loved, who have felt marginalized, who have grieved loss, and who have watched a country turn its back on its own people. 

Honorable Mention: The Only Woman in the Room; The Fountains of Silence; This Tender Land; City of Girls; The World That We Know; The Nickel Boys; The Storyteller's Secret; The Island of Sea Women

Fantasy: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo / Winternight Trilogy by Kathering Arden

Ninth House is a gritty tale of Yale's secret societies, the dark magic used to disrupt society, and a young woman who communicates with dead people.


The Winternight Trilogy (The Bear and the Nightingale, The Girl in the Tower, and The Winter of the Witch) is a magical blend of Russian folklore and historical fiction about 13th century Russia, all held together by one badass woman and truly gorgeous writing.

Sci-Fi:  The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood

In this sequel, the story is told by three narrators: the baby Offred sends to Canada in hopes of a better life; Offred's first daughter, left behind in Gilead, training to be a Commander's Wife; and Aunt Lydia, the evil manipulator of the first book. Once again, Atwood plays with time as we are yanked back and forth, following the life events that drive the plot for each character. 

Honorable Mention: Recursion

Memoir: Know My Name by Chanel Miller

This is Chanel's story, her voice, her moment and she deserves all the accolades for the courage of her honesty, as she recounts the time in her life when she was raped by Brock Turner and the ensuing court trial.  "This is an attempt to transform the hurt inside myself, to confront a past and find a way to live with and incorporate these memories. I want to leave them behind so I can move forward. In not naming them, I finally name myself." This book was painful, crushing, inspiring, courageous, unforgettable...a Must Read for everyone.
Honorable Mention: Becoming; The Unwinding of the Miracle

Non-Fiction, History: Ashley's War, The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Each time I find myself whining about some stupid moment in my privileged life, I remember Ashley White - a 24 year old spitfire, who never gave up, who loved to bake for her fellow soldiers, who could outwork, outrun, outclimb any of the men she trained with, who treated her Afghanistan-American translator with dignity and respect, who left her marriage of six months to serve her country, and who gave her life for it as well. Ashley White is a name we should all know. Read this book and you will understand my passion for this American hero.
Honorable Mention: Stamped from the Beginning, The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America; Say Nothing, A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland 

Non-Fiction, Social Justice: She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey

Written by the reporters who blew the lid off Harvey Weinstein and his sexual harassment and abuse for decades, these two women and their editor are just simply badasses. If you're a woman, read this book. If you know a woman, read this book. If you've been harassed or abused or assaulted, or know someone who has, read this book. If you are desperate for truth in today's world, read this book. It is a masterpiece of journalistic investigation, the power of the press, and the inspiration of true heroes who were willing to put it all on the line to expose the truth. 

Honorable Mention: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive; The Witches Are Coming, Amity and Prosperity, One Family and the Fracturing of America; The Moment of Lift

Non-Fiction, Science: The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

The story covers the heist of bird feathers from a small museum in England. One might think "Hmmm, so what? Who cares about bird feathers?" But did you know there's a huge black market for them due to fly fishing? Or that bird feathers from centuries ago can tell how how the earth is doing, or not doing? That the feather industry was humongous in the 19th century, employing thousands of workers? Yep, it's an obsessive story, trust me.

Honorable Mention: Brain Rules, 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School

Young Adult Fantasy: Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

If you like YA fantasy, strong complex characters, creative setting, romance, and taut tense cliffhangers, Throne of Glass is the series for you. (And if you've never done YA or fantasy - give it a shot. It is the best escapism from the crap in this world!) This finale is the best finish to a series that I have ever read. I wept, I turned pages obsessively, and I felt bereft when it was over.

Honorable Mention: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3);  The Grace Year; A Curse So Dark and Lonely; A Skinful of Shadows

Young Adult: Long Way Down by Jason Reynold

Fifteen year old Will leaves his apartment with a gun in his waistband, intent on revenge for his brother Sean's death. However, his elevator ride down stops on each floor, and a ghost enters, telling the story of the Gun, the Violence, the Rules. Do Not Miss This Book. My jaw was on the floor with the last two-word line.
Honorable Mention: Frankly in Love

Middle Reader: The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Utterly delightful, this story has a cast of strong, smart, brave sisters who must find a way to rescue their brother, and defeat the enemy who has stolen so many boys, as well as brought years of winter to the harsh land of Russia. Hargrave has a beautiful voice, knows how to create tension without it being too scary, and develops each sister so that they are uniquely their own self. This would be a fantastic gift for either a boy or girl this holiday season.

Honorable Mention: Look Both Ways

Picture Book: Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller

A story of a squash brought home from the market, and as time goes by, poor lil Sophie watches her new doll go soft and rotten. It's a beautiful story of fall, of renewal, of faith + it's funny:)

Honorable Mention: Be Kind; I Dissent, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark; Highest Mountain of Books in the World

December

Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Do you remember the victim statement of Jane Doe, read in a courtroom after Brock Turner was given only six months minus time served, for raping an unconscious woman at Stanford University? I do. She said every single thing every person who has been sexually assaulted feels - every angry feeling on the lack of justice, every frustrated moment of not being heard, every spark of rage of the 'how dare you?' This is Chanel's story, her voice, her moment and she deserves all the accolades for the courage of her honesty. "This is an attempt to transform the hurt inside myself, to confront a past and find a way to live with and incorporate these memories. I want to leave them behind so I can move forward. In not naming them, I finally name myself." This book was painful, crushing, inspiring, courageous, unforgettable...a Must Read for everyone.

The Butterfly Girl (Naomi Cottle, #2) by Rene Denfield
Sequel to The Child Finder, it is not necessary to read the first one to love this second one. Book #2 follows two story lines: Naomi, the newly married private investigator, famous for finding children no else could, now searching for her sister, the one she abandoned years ago as Naomi fled their kidnapper; and Celia, the young street kid, the runaway from an abusive home, the one the judge discounted, the one no one believed until Naomi did. These two incredible characters form a plot line that deals not only with a world of today's issues of homelessness, the opiate epidemic, and child abuse, but with questions about what makes a family, how does our past mold our future, and how does one move on? This is a beautifully written, compelling tale that I highly highly recommend.

The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power
Yes, I continue my search for normalcy in the past political world by another memoir of an Obama appointee. I listened to this one and I will say...former UN Ambassador Power is a terrible narrator, but she does write an intriguing story. Power covers everything from the time of her birth, to the aftermath of the 2016 election (and I mean everything - could've used about 200 less pages). However, her life as an Irish immigrant, her time as a war reporter in Bosnia, her beginnings with Obama, her fight to have her voice heard in a world full of men, her close relationship with the President, all of these things do make for a fascinating story, especially if you're a political junkie like me.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
The premise is this story is rather silly: former schoolmates and 'friends,' Lillian and Madison have not spoken in years when Madison asks Lillian to come take care of her two stepchildren who can spontaneously combust. Yep, you heard that right - they catch on fire and can pretty much 'light' up a room (sorry, I couldn't resist!) Yet for the implausibility of the story, some home truths also exist. The story deals with privilege (Lillian is dirt poor, Madison has generations of wealth and family social standing), what is it to love a child (the two kids have been emotionally abused and tortured, and just need someone to love them), and what does success actually mean (is it power and money, or is it the attic room in your mother's house?). If you're looking for a light entertaining read, this could be it:)

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3) by Neal Shusterman
I began this trilogy over three years ago, and it has been an exhilarating ride. A mix of fantasy and sci-fi, Schusterman has given us a look into the future. What would earth be like without disease, pain, death? The world population is controlled through 'scythes' (ie. assassins) who are supposed to 'glean' (ie. murder) judiciously, and the 'Thunderhead' is a god-like artificial intelligence who runs the world. But what happens if the scythes become too powerful? If two young acolytes start to distrust the system? If the Thunderhead loves the humans too much? If scythes start to enjoy the killing? This is YA fantasy at its best!

Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
I was looking for some light reading after a time of great upheaval in life, so I turned to this audio book. The premise is as follows: Chloe has fibromyalgia and suffers from chronic pain, thus she has lost all her friends and social life so decides to do something about it. Enter Redford, the hot landlord of her apartment building in London. Yeah, can you tell this book is already not my style? Yet the narrator was delightfully British, it has a lot of steamy sex scenes, and is cutely funny yet has decent things to say about the life of chronic pain. Many others loves this book; it just wasn't my cup of tea.

American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan
True life crime story about a prolific, dark, evil serial killer...perfect for weird people like me who love the Mindhunter series on Netflix and Erik Larson's book Devil in the White City. Alas, it should have been a long newspaper article by installments; there just wasn't enough to write an entire book about, as there are still so many questions surrounding this killer. Therefore, a bit long-winded with lots of filler - not one I recommend.

November 2.0

The Fountains of Silence by Ruth Sepetys
Having loved her previous book, Salt to the Sea, I know that Ruth Sepetys can write beautiful and evocative historical fiction. She did not let me down in Fountains of Silence. This time, Sepetys explores the Spanish Civil War: the opposing factions, the relationship between the Franco dictatorship and America, the 'disappeared' babies, and the role of the Catholic Church. She wraps all this history up in a discovery of love, of culture, of differences, in commonalities between Daniel, the son of wealthy Texas oilman and a Spanish mother, and Ana, the daughter of murdered Republicans, who works as a hotel maid to support her family. Woven throughout the story is the idea of freedom of the press and what journalism can do to bring truths to light, how a powerful country who looks the other way, who caters to the wealthy class regardless of their policies, can destroy the lives of the everyday natives, how children, beyond anyone else, should and must be protected, as well as how the bonds of love can reach across continents and time zones. This is an epic tale that taught me so much, as well as entertained me.

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell is always a quirky, unique writer who explores all kinds of weird stuff in life (ie. Blink, Outliers, etc.) This time around he begins his book with the story of Sandra Bland, a woman pulled over by a policeman, who ultimately committed suicide in a Texas jail. You may have read about it in the news...but you have no idea of all the details, at least I sure didn't! Ditto back stories on Amanda Knox, Sylvia Plath, Bernie Madoff, Cuban spies. Gladwell looks at all the psychological, sociological, cultural, and historical reasons and statistics as to why we are so terrible at understanding strangers. It is kind of mind-blowing. My husband and I discussed this book endlessly, as we listened to it on a long road trip - highly recommend the audio version from libro.fm:)

Look Both Ways and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

HOW am I just now discovering this incredibly talented YA writer??? Regardless of how long it took, I will now read everything written by him. This writer gives voice to kids of color; he has lived their lives, he inhabits their world, and he truly sees them. Long Way Down is Reynold's highly acclaimed book about gun violence. Fifteen year old Will leaves his apartment with a gun in his waistband, intent on revenge for his brother Sean's death. However, his elevator ride down stops on each floor, and a ghost enters, telling the story of the Gun, the Violence, the Rules. Do Not Miss This Book. My jaw was on the floor with the last two-word line. Wow just wow.

Reynold's latest book, Look Both Ways is a brilliant story of the lives urban kids lead after school, as the book is told in ten blocks, ten chapters. Their lives intertwine with each other, as well as their neighbors and it is a brilliant look into another world. If I was still teaching middle or high schoolers today, both these books would be on my Must Read list.

The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
As I stood in awe at Blackwell's bookstore in Oxford, England (they're known to have three miles of bookshelves in their basement!), I of course began to chat with a bookseller there. Her neighbor is this author, Krian Millwood Hargrave, who has found great success in writing magical adventure stories for middle readers (I would say grades 4-10 would enjoy her books). This one is utterly delightful, with a cast of strong, smart, brave sisters who must find a way to rescue their brother, and defeat the enemy who has stolen so many boys, as well as brought years of winter to the harsh land of Russia. She has a beautiful voice, knows how to create tension without it being too scary, and develops each sister so that they are uniquely their own self. This would be a fantastic gift for either a boy or girl this holiday season.

Broke: Hardship and Resilience in a City of Broken Promises by Jodie Adams Kirshner
Admittedly, I enjoy a good, detailed non-fiction that teaches me something about the world. I was completely absorbed by Evicted about the housing crisis in Milwaukee. Broke sounded intriguing - a story of Detroit and it’s slow inexorable fall into bankruptcy, as well the impact on its neighborhood and its people. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. It is extremely detailed, to the point that my brain hurt from statistics. I was interested in the people the author chooses to follow to tell the story of Detroit, but needed more emotion in telling their stories. Ute I own that this is a personal taste of my own, wanting to be wrapped up in their lives. I think this is a very well researched and written book for people working in urban planning, policy, social work, government, etc. but perhaps not for me.