Remember
how I said I hoped I’d get the October edition posted in a timely manner? We
see how well that went. That means you’re getting more books than you might
want to read about in this post. Sorry! Remember that I’m now doing a little
summary (instead of copying & pasting the Goodreads description) & that
you can click on the title for more detailed information.
The Last Thing He Told Me ★★★★, by Laura Dave. Hannah and Owen have been married for one year when he inexplicably disappears, leaving behind a cryptic note for Hannah to take care of his 16 year old daughter Bailey. There are lots of twists and turns and I did NOT agree with some of the actions that Hannah took, but oh my goodness was this an excellent mystery! Also, I feel very trendy because it won the Goodreads award in the mystery genre this year.
Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace ★★★★★, by Osheta Moore. Osheta Moore started writing “letters” to her white Instagram followers and decided to create this manual based on those letters. Her main focus is to remove the shame surrounding racism and help people to see that they can confront with kindness, and change hearts instead of blaming them. At one point in the book she talks about how white people get confused when she tells them to stop talking about how terrible they are and I could really identify. It felt like she was being too easy on us. But you know – we can wallow in the shame of our lack of racial awareness, or we can buck up and get to work.
Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give #0.5) ★★★★★, by Angie Thomas. This is the prequel to The Hate U Give. In it we hear the story of Starr’s parents, told from the perspective of her father, Maverick. He becomes a single father while he’s in high school and the story is about the way that he deals with that, with school, and with trying to earn a living in the hood. Oh my goodness – it is so good! I loved The Hate U Give so I knew I would probably like this book, but I didn’t realize that it was a prequel. When I figured that out I just ate it up with a spoon. I love Maverick and Lisa, and I think you would too.
The One ★★★★, by John Mars. A scientist discovered a way to use DNA to find a person’s perfect match. All you have to do is send in your swab to the company and you will find out who your person is (if they have also participated in the program). It’s not without controversy – marriages have broken up because of the results. This book follows five very different couples as they get the results of their matches. The diversity of the stories kept me hooked, plus each one contains a little mystery, and one of them contains a HUGE surprise (to me anyway).
The Becoming (The Dragon Heart Legacy #2) ★★★★, by Nora Roberts. This is the second novel in this series. It is set in a parallel universe that is reached through a tree in Ireland. The main character, Breen, just found out that she had magical powers in the first book (and that she’s the key to saving all the worlds no biggie), and in this one she learns more about how to use those powers and gets to fight the big bad a little bit. This one was a lot of fun because her best friend (who happens to be a black gay man) accidentally goes through the portal with her and some minor shenanigans ensue.
Troubled Blood (Cormoran Strike #5) ★★★★★, by Robert Galbraith. This is JK Rowling’s private investigator series written under the Galbraith pseudonym. I have really enjoyed this series, but this particular one was excellent. In this installment, Strike and his partner Robin take on a 40 year old cold case, about the disappearance of a young female doctor. I had many points in the story where I just knew what had happened, but I in fact did not know. At all. I love it when a mystery book surprises me. Also, as usual with her writing, Rowling/Galbraith’s characters seem like real people with real strengths and foibles and I want to be their friend.
Good recommendations. There are several to add to my list of "want to read".
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