Took me a while to get my act together and get August’s list up. I was tempted to wait until the end of September and combine months again, but there were just too many good, meaty, memorable books to put it off.
Who Killed Anne-Marie? by CM Thompson. Strangely, I had started this book ages ago but couldn’t get into it. The awfulness of both main characters just put me right off. This time though, they hooked me. Funny that. Anyway, I enjoyed the book and didn’t figure out the ending before the end, so that’s nice.
The Last Teacher by Alan Lee. The main character is kind of a throwback to the strong, silent, loner with a mysterious past – but is actually far more interesting than that. It’s suspenseful and a fast read.
Little Fires Everywhere by Cecile Ng. Apparently there is now a mini-series based on this book with an amazing cast that includes Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon. I haven’t watched it, but I can see how this novel would provide excellent fodder: multiple interesting characters with interweaving plot lines, a dark backstory, family drama, coming of age. mother-and-teen angst – all the things. It’s a good read!
A Beautiful Terrible Thing: A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal by Jennifer Waite. A memoir by a woman whose ex-husband is, in her estimation, a sociopath. Very well-written. I feel kind of bad reading it basically for entertainment.
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. Historical fiction based on real events, this novel tells the story of a poor immigrant Irish girl who, when her family dies, becomes an orphan in New York City without anyone to take her in. She and dozens of other children are shepherded onto trains by well-meaning charities that (before the advent of organized foster care) take the children to the midwest and families who want them – sometimes as a well-loved child but often as a source of free labour. By focusing on the experience of a single child of the 200,000 in all who were sent on the trains, the novel brings emotional depth and realism to what seems like long-ago history.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Beautifully written, plotted, paced. This novel was vivid and un-put-down-able.
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. An Oprah’s Pick, American Dirt generated a whole lot of press even before it was released. Who gets to tell which stories? It’s an interesting conversation and certainly not one I dismiss out of hand. That said, I think I come down on the side of “stories want to be free.” Writers should be permitted to tackle the stories that inspire them, whether or not the characters are of the same gender, ethnicity, culture, or socio-economic background or what have you as the author. And by the same token, these authors are answerable for the quality and effectiveness and Truth (deliberate capitalization there) of their storytelling. In this case, the novel is a riveting page-turner of a story. I can’t speak to its truth, but regarding human themes like courage and what a mother will do to secure her child’s future, it feels like Truth.
The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman. Wrenching, enchanting, enraging. You should read this book.
Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody. Charming cozy and, boy, I was ready for some light reading by this point.
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris. Another charming cozy from the author of the Sookie Stackhouse series.
A Veil Removed by Michelle Cox. A historical mystery set in 1930s Chicago with a lovely strong heroine and an excellent cast of secondary characters. It’s fourth in a series, and I wouldn’t say no to reading more of them.
Paranoid by Lisa Jackson. While I found some plot points to be rather implausible, I quite enjoyed this psychological thriller. Reality and realism has never been less appealing for me than it’s becoming in 2020.
On the Pod:
No new suggestions on the pod this month. Catching up on episodes of You Must Remember This that I haven’t heard yet. Still a strong fave!
