Welcome to my newest series, Recent Reads! I really wanted to call this series Book Report because, as I mentioned in my last book review post, I loved writing book reports in my elementary school days. That being said, I’m also a sucker for alliteration, and, in the end, Recent Reads felt right. Since I’ve been reading a lot these days, I polled the PN community on Instagram asking if you’d like a more frequent series on the blog with write ups about the books I’ve finished. I did say a monthly post, but let me clarify – while I’m reading a lot right now, that may change in the future. I hope it won’t, but I don’t want to promise something and not deliver. So let’s just say I’ll share my recent reads when I can, and hopefully you guys will benefit from my direct and spoiler-free feedback! If you’re looking for my book related posts, you can always find them on the blog under WELLNESS > SELF CARE.
I read 6 books last month and am writing about each one in the same order they were read. How I feel after a book when I’m finished almost always influences what I read next, so sharing in the same order made sense to me. I think it’s really interesting to reflect on what I read when ya know? Or why I read what I read when I read it? Hopefully you’re still following 😉 Also, if you’re ever curious about what I’m reading and don’t want to wait for a post, you can always check out my Goodreads page. I track everything there but I don’t write reviews!
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
I’m not big on thrillers or anything murdery, but this was a fun read. Interestingly it starts with a murder, but you don’t know how it happened, who did it or who was murdered. You just know where the event took place: on an island during a wedding reception. Then, the book goes back in time and explores the events leading up to the murder from various perspectives. You get to know each of the players, what secrets they are hiding and how they are all connected. It definitely hooked me in, and the structure of having multiple perspectives lent itself well to the overall plot. That being said, if you struggle to keep up with various voices, this might not be the book for you. It was a little choppy at times and if you’re a frequent thriller/mystery reader then you may guess the ending! Please note there is a lot of triggering content involed: suicide, self-harm, sexual abuse, and bullying.
I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
Let me start by saying I absolutely loved this book. I was craving something in the historical fiction space and found this on my kindle – I had purchased years ago and never gotten around to reading it! This story takes place in civil war America and is about a strong-willed young woman, Rosetta, whose new husband, Jeremiah, joins the Union Army with a group of his friends despite Rosetta’s pleas for him to stay home. As a result, Rosetta disguises herself as a man and follows them. The story was inspired by real letters from a woman who did the exact same thing – and other similar letters of the time by both women and men – and is supposed to be remarkably historically accurate. At its core this is an intimate book about standing up for what you believe in, about love, about marriage and the struggles partners face that transcend well past the time period. I felt so moved by the nature of war at the time – how up close and personal the fights were, how unprepared the troops felt and how fragile life was.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
This is another one that was already on my kindle! I hadn’t read a Jodi Picoult book in ages but I must have pre-ordered this one when it came out in 2016. This book is about race and racism in America, but it also addresses themes of prejudice, justice, compassion, identity and family dynamics, too. The story takes place in Connecticut, where Ruth Jefferson, a labor and delivery nurse, is re-assigned from a patient because the baby’s parents are white supremacists. Soemthing goes very very wrong, Ruth is charged with a serious crime, and ultimately accused of wrongdoing and represented in court by a public defender. The story is told from three perspectives – Ruth, Turk (the white supremacist father) and Kennedy (Ruth’s white public defender). It was uncomfortable, thought-provoking and has the potential to foster important conversations. I’m just a bit torn about it. I was very enthusiastic about it as I was in the middle of reading it, but the more I’ve sat on that the more I’m not really sure how I felt about the book overall.
I appeciate that Picoult takes on difficult themes here, and that the book really forced me to confront my own privilege and bias and learn in the process. That being said, the story also feels a bit simplified? More so the ending. I’m not sure if I can explain this correctly. My issue wasn’t the topics addressed but more so how they were addressed and by who. In the Author’s Note, Picoult says she really wanted to write about race and racism in America and after putting it off for a long time, she did. It’s the first book of her 45 or so that has a Black protagonist. I personally think that’s a great step – and am by no means saying she shouldn’t or can’t write about Black voices. But I am white and I feel like this book is still written for a white audience – like, definitely jarring but also… palatable? And something about that felt off to me. I also wasn’t a wasn’t a fan of the ending – it was a bit too idealistic. Don’t get me wrong, I usually love a picture perfect ending, but here it felt a little backwards.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Wow, this was excellent and unlike anything I’ve read in a while. Homegoing is one of my all time favorite books, and I love Gyasi’s style and voice. Both spiritual and scientific, the story is about a family of Ghanaian immigrants in Alabama told from the perspective of Gifty. You hear from her present, her past, both her thoughts and her written words. It is deep and dark, and, for me, required frequent pause and reflection. At the forefront are entertwining themes of mental health and addiction, faith and science, grief and loss and identity. It’s a must read and one that will have me thinking long after I put it down. I was upset, enthralled, sad, hopeful, curious and angry. Gyasi expertly enterwines so many universal themes into this story – what do I believe and why? What is love? Who am I? This story is an almost agonizing journey of Gifty’s journey to understand herself while also trying to understand, support and see others. There is a lot of triggering content here, so defintely proceed with caution and be prepared to have some in depth and tough conversations with others – and yourself – as you read.
Educated by Tara Westover
I’m late to the party on this one but WOWOWOW am I glad that I finally read it! There’s a reason this book is so well renowned – it’s moving, heart-wrenching, uncomfortable and thought-provoking. It’s also a true story. If you’re not familiar, Educated is a memoir about the daughter of survivalists in rural Idaho who, after years off of the grid, ultimately yearns for a traditional education. A formal education was not normalized or accepted by Tara’s survivalist parents, and during her time at home, she experienced everything from mental and physical stress to abuse and discomfort – all of which she normalizes. It’s all she knows, after all. As Tara’s curiosity peaks and she spreads her wings, she learns more about the wider world. And, as a result, she also learns more about herself – who she is and what she believes – and struggles to reconcile her present with her past. The adage “you don’t know what you don’t know” comes to mind, and I couldn’t help but think about how and why we believe what we do and the courage it takes to go against the grain. This coming of age story is a must read.
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
I heard rave reviews about this book and it did not disappoint. It’s about the conflict that develops between two young black women in a very white NYC publishing house. If you’ve ever felt manipulated, threatened or challenged in the workplace or with your friends, this certainly rings true. I don’t even think I can give you much more background because this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I don’t want to spoil that experience for others. Harris did a fantastic job of creating something in genre, plot and style that is completely unexpected. I gotta say, thrillers are typically not my favorite – and while this book is technically a thriller, it’s also a very intense and uncomfortable (for a lot of reasons) social commentary. Harris – in a dark, funny and horrifying way – addresses issues of bias, privilege, racism, class and so much more. Clearly this is not a happy ending type of book (the ending was WILD), so definitely don’t read it when you want to feel calm and satisfied. Read it to question, get uncomfortable and feel a liiiiittle on edge. Harris’ writing is fantastic and really kept me on the edge of my seat. My only struggle as a reader was that the narration goes between multiple characters and was so intense that I had to really take my time to process certain points, which, overall, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
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