Small Great Things
Rating: 5/5 | This book was not really comfortable, but it was important. In the story, which was developed after Picoult conducted extensive interviews with both Black people as well as former white supremacists, a white supremacist father goes after a Black nurse over the death of his baby. And the world lets him. (Click the post to read more.)
Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?
Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.
Author: Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5/5
“Active racism is telling a nurse supervisor that an African American nurse can’t touch your baby. It’s snickering at a black joke. But passive racism? It’s noticing there’s only one person of color in your office and not asking your boss why. It’s reading your kid’s fourth-grade curriculum and seeing that the only black history covered is slavery, and not questioning why. It’s defending a woman in court whose indictment directly resulted from her race…and glossing over that fact, like it hardly matters.”
This book was not really comfortable, but it was important. In the story, which was developed after Picoult conducted extensive interviews with both Black people as well as former white supremacists, a white supremacist father goes after a Black nurse over the death of his baby. And the world lets him.
In the chapters told from Turk Bauer's perspective, we see how he "joined the movement": attending secret rallies where social activities included target practice at caricatures of Black people and Jewish people; going on a first date that involves bashing gay men's heads against a sidewalk; having a swastika tattooed on your scalp as a sign of love for your wife; reciting marriage vows that include a promise to protect the purity of the white race and fight in the impending holy race war. Eventually, Turk's "movement" goes underground, operating online rather than in the open, hiding in plain sight, where they know they are just as (if not more) terrifying. As I read this book, real-life white supremacists and Nazis gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia. They hurt people. They killed people. They carried swastikas. They quoted Adolf Hitler. They were real, and they'd been hiding in plain sight. How can this be the world we live in?
As a white woman who has all kinds of privilege, I was wary of placing too much stake in this book. I know that being an ally involves a heck of a lot more than reading books by other white women. Picoult also recognized that she was not an authentic voice for the Black community, and I think she did a pretty great job of using the experiences of Black women who helped her, educated her, to inform the story (although I know I am not the right one to judge that). Audra McDonald read Ruth's part in the audiobook, though, so that does make me suspect that Picoult must have at least gotten close.
Picoult is a wildly successful author for a reason. I'm not going to waste your time by telling you that she writes well, that she spins a great story, that her plots and characters are excellent. But the first book I read by her was Nineteen Minutes. She writes important things, and she keeps you fully engaged while she does it.It's not enough for those of us who have privilege to hear that we do.
It's not enough to have our eyes opened to the experiences of those who do not have privilege. We have to hear and see those things over and over, as often as we can, for it to even have a chance of making a difference. This book was a good start—a good way to continue. Read it.
The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo, #2)
Rating: 4/5 | I adore this series so far. Of course I have loved every book out of the Percy Jackson universe, but The Trials of Apollo is proving especially delightful. It has the same energetic, youthful adventure as the others, and it always manages to teach me something new about mythology. But it is also absolutely hilarious. (Click the post to read more.)
Zeus has punished his son Apollo—god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more—by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo do anything about them without his powers?
After experiencing a series of dangerous—and frankly, humiliating—trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride....
Author: Rick Riordan
Rating: 4/5
I adore this series so far. Of course I have loved every book out of the Percy Jackson universe, but The Trials of Apollo is proving especially delightful. It has the same energetic, youthful adventure as the others, and it always manages to teach me something new about mythology. But it is also absolutely hilarious.
Apollo begins the series as the perfect caricature of a god fallen to the mortal world. He is overly confident, positive that everyone around him knows and loves him without restraint, and takes it for granted that others will put his interests above their own without even a shadow of a thought that he should ever do something for someone else. He also has absolutely no concept of emotions—not how to deal with them, and usually not even that they exist. But he is not cruel, and so the effect is entirely comedic. It also sets him up nicely for some drastic character development.
“Being productive. Ugh. It's such a human concept. It implies you have limited time (LOL) and have to work hard to make something happen (double LOL).”
I also have a good friend in real life who actually thinks and acts like Apollo much of the time (somehow without being a completely terrible person), so that makes me enjoy Apollo that much more. For example, I sent him this message:
"'Come on!' Meg yelled to me. Rather than fighting the birds, she grabbed one's neck and swung onto its back, somehow without dying. She charged away, swinging her blades at monsters and gladiators.Mildly impressive, but how was I supposed to follow her? Also, she'd just rendered useless my plan of hiding behind her. Such an inconsiderate girl."
His response? "I will try to act surprised that I remind my friends of a literal God."
Haha!Yes, this book is hilarious, but it is also a fantastic story with excellent themes and lessons. Homosexuality is treated like the natural, no-big-deal, unsurprising thing that it should be, which makes me want to hug Rick Riordan for doing such a thing in a children's book. Plus, considering that The Dark Prophecy is the second book out of what is to become five, I'm impressed with the speed of Apollo's transformation into a more human-like character who loves and fears for others, performs selfless acts, and does the right thing. I had assumed he'd make this change more gradually, completing it by the end of the series. Instead, it seems like he is going to spend the second half or so as a good person. I'm very eager to see how it goes.
Dark Matter
Rating: 4/5 | This was an engaging, fast-paced book that kept me not quite on the edge of my seat, but certainly far from resting comfortably back in it. There weren't really any slow moments, and I was always eager to see what would happen next. It was a quick read without feeling shallow, and I truly enjoyed it. (Click the post to read more.)
“Are you happy with your life?”
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
Author: Blake Crouch
Rating: 4/5
This was an engaging, fast-paced book that kept me not quite on the edge of my seat, but certainly far from resting comfortably back in it. There weren't really any slow moments, and I was always eager to see what would happen next. It was a quick read without feeling shallow, and I truly enjoyed it.
I also found this book to be less predictable than I had originally assumed it would be, which was a pleasant surprise—although I think I still would have enjoyed the story even if it had aligned with my predictions. And while I'm always for a good old traditional sci-fi book with aliens and the like, I loved that this sci-fi book stayed within the 21st century; it taught me about science as we currently understand it, using that knowledge to spin a tale that is really not so far outside the realm of possibility today.
Jason's character development and emotions are poignant and relatable, and you really come to love and empathize with him through his terror, longing, love, desperation, and determination.
What's more, this book made me wonder about many things, and it made me feel grateful for my life—exactly the way it is.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Rating: 3/5 | Surprisingly, this was my first time reading Mark Twain; I somehow never crossed paths with him while I was in school. Going into the book, the only story I knew was the famous tale about Tom tricking his neighborhood friends into painting the fence for him—profitably. (Click the post to read more.)
From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality—base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery.
Author: Mark Twain
Rating: 3/5
Note: I don't attempt to critique the classics, but I can tell you how I enjoyed them.
Surprisingly, this was my first time reading Mark Twain; I somehow never crossed paths with him while I was in school. Going into the book, the only story I knew was the famous tale about Tom tricking his neighborhood friends into painting the fence for him—profitably.
I listened to this one via audiobook, and the narrator did a great job. His expression really helped bring the story to life in a way that I don't think I could have attained by reading it. He did speak a little slowly at times, but his animation of Tom's speech mannerisms was quite helpful, and he made all the characters more lovable.
I sometimes found myself distracted during the chapters that didn't relate directly to the plot around "Injun Joe" (how terrible that is to write in today's day and age!). They were good character development for Tom and his friends, but they didn't quite hold my attention as well as I'd have liked. It was also longer than I'd expected, and I found myself hurrying to finish the book so that I could move on to others. All in all, however, I'm glad I read it.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Illustrated Edition)
Rating: 5/5 (obviously) | I have read (or listened to) the Harry Potter books many, many times. Countless times. I have no idea how many times. But I have never before experienced the story like I did during this re-read: listening to Jim Dale's audiobook performance while reading along with the breathtaking new illustrated edition. And I highly recommend. (Click the post to read more.)
For the first time, J.K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated full-color editions. Kate Greenaway-award winning artist Jim Kay has created over 100 stunning illustrations, making this deluxe format a perfect gift as much for a child being introduced to the series, as for the dedicated fan.
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.
All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley—a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry—and anyone who reads about him—will find unforgettable.
Author: J.K. Rowling | Illustrator: Jim Kay
Rating: 5/5 (obviously)
I have read (or listened to) the Harry Potter books many, many times. Countless times. I have no idea how many times. But I have never before experienced the story like I did during this re-read: listening to Jim Dale's audiobook performance while reading along with the breathtaking new illustrated edition. And I highly recommend.
Reading along while listening opened my eyes (and ears) to just how many differences there are between the British and American versions of these books. Small tweaks you'd never think of: "car park" versus "parking lot," "sherbert lemon" instead of "lemon drop," and so on. The illustrated books use the British text, and Jim Dale reads the American text, so I noticed each one. Every time it happened, it was like meeting a new friend—intriguing, interesting, and an expansion of my universe.
I began this re-read to align with Pottermore's new Harry Potter book club. The month got away from me, so I didn't make it to any of the live Twitter chats they conducted, but I did read through some of the tweets retroactively. I am in constant awe of the Harry Potter fandom and all the wonderful human beings it attracts. I have marked my calendar for the Chamber of Secrets Twitter chats, and I can't wait to participate this time.
The Great Passage
Rating: 4.5/5 | This book was beautiful. As someone who loves language and all that comes with it (reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary...), a story featuring characters who also love language was both welcome and lovely. I read it in one day, and even though it is a translation from Japanese, every word seems to be selected with great care...as you'd expect. (Click the post to read more.)
Inspired as a boy by the multiple meanings to be found for a single word in the dictionary, Kohei Araki is devoted to the notion that a dictionary is a boat to carry us across the sea of words. But after thirty-seven years creating them at Gembu Books, it’s time for him to retire and find his replacement.
He discovers a kindred spirit in Mitsuya Majime—a young, disheveled square peg with a penchant for collecting antiquarian books and a background in linguistics—whom he swipes from his company’s sales department.
Led by his new mentor and joined by an energetic, if reluctant, new recruit and an elder linguistics scholar, Majime is tasked with a career-defining accomplishment: completing The Great Passage, a comprehensive 2,900-page tome of the Japanese language. On his journey, Majime discovers friendship, romance, and an incredible dedication to his work, inspired by the bond that connects us all: words.
Author: Shion Miura
Rating: 4.5/5
This book was beautiful. As someone who loves language and all that comes with it (reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary...), a story featuring characters who also love language was both welcome and lovely. I read it in one day, and even though it is a translation from Japanese, every word seems to be selected with great care...as you'd expect.
Majime is a bit of an oddball, and the more we, as readers, get to know him, the more we come to love him. I delighted in seeing him through the eyes of multiple different characters, including his own. But this wasn't a story in which the perspective jumped from character to character randomly; instead, we had a section featuring one character's perspective, followed by another, followed by another. It's beautiful because just like us, the more these characters come to know him, the more they love him. All through their common dedication to what has become his life's work.
The characters are fleshed out just enough to tug at our heart strings but stop short so that we can continue to romanticize them in our minds. The story is enchanting but not too much of an emotional investment. It's missing the last "umph" that would push me to a five-star rating and the desire to shout its praises from the rooftops, but it was still very, very good.
All in all, it was a quick and easy read that I would absolutely encourage you to pick up, especially if you love language.
The Book of Phoenix (Who Fears Death, #0.1)
Rating: 4.5/5 | I read Who Fears Death and was absolutely blown away. The Book of Phoenix did not disappoint me! It wasn't long, but it was excellent. I read it in a single day. (Click the post to read more.)
A fiery spirit dances from the pages of the Great Book. She brings the aroma of scorched sand and ozone. She has a story to tell….
The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of magical futurism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okorafor’s powerful, memorable, superhuman women.
Phoenix was grown and raised among other genetic experiments in New York’s Tower 7. She is an “accelerated woman”—only two years old but with the body and mind of an adult, Phoenix’s abilities far exceed those of a normal human. Still innocent and inexperienced in the ways of the world, she is content living in her room speed reading e-books, running on her treadmill, and basking in the love of Saeed, another biologically altered human of Tower 7.
Then one evening, Saeed witnesses something so terrible that he takes his own life. Devastated by his death and Tower 7’s refusal to answer her questions, Phoenix finally begins to realize that her home is really her prison, and she becomes desperate to escape.
But Phoenix’s escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanity’s future.
Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Rating: 4.5/5
I read Who Fears Death and was absolutely blown away. The Book of Phoenix did not disappoint me! It wasn't long, but it was excellent. I read it in a single day.
Nnedi Okorafor wrote this on her blog: "How do the stories connect? Who is Phoenix to Onyesownu and Onyesonwu to Phoenix? You'll have to read them to find out. Don't bother going in with expectations; you'll probably be wrong. ;-)."
She's not exaggerating; this prequel is set so far ahead of Who Fears Death that it could almost be a different story entirely. But this is not a bad thing, because wondering how everything fits together places a vice grip on your attention. Plus, separating the characters and story lines allows Okorafor to reinforce many of the themes from Who Fears Death while also introducing new ideas that are just as powerful. Who Fears Death stands on its own unquestionably, but this separation also means that the prequel doesn't feel forced or extraneous.
In the beginning of the story, Phoenix is like a child, but she quickly becomes wise and intense. For this reason, we love her and become fiercely dedicated to her well-being and mission. She is strong, she is simultaneously sure and unsure of herself, and she is human. Many of the other characters are present in the story only fleetingly, but it works well, because in this story, it is the secondary characters who mold and shape the main character, and this process is what moves the story along.
Who Fears Death
Rating: 5/5 | This book will change the way I see the world forever. It is a genre so different and yet so similar to those I have read before, but it made such an impression on me. I am going to read everything Nnedi Okorafor has ever written, because it will make my world better and deeper. How many books can you say have done that for you? Few for me. I cannot recommend it to you highly enough. (Click the post to read more.)
In a far future, post-nuclear-holocaust Africa, genocide plagues one region. The aggressors, the Nuru, have decided to follow the Great Book and exterminate the Okeke. But when the only surviving member of a slain Okeke village is brutally raped, she manages to escape, wandering farther into the desert. She gives birth to a baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand and instinctively knows that her daughter is different. She names her daughter Onyesonwu, which means "Who Fears Death?" in an ancient African tongue.
Reared under the tutelage of a mysterious and traditional shaman, Onyesonwu discovers her magical destiny—to end the genocide of her people. The journey to fulfill her destiny will force her to grapple with nature, tradition, history, true love, the spiritual mysteries of her culture—and eventually death itself.
Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Rating: 5/5
This book will change the way I see the world forever. It is a genre so different and yet so similar to those I have read before, but it made such an impression on me. I am going to read everything Nnedi Okorafor has ever written, because it will make my world better and deeper. How many books can you say have done that for you? Few for me. I cannot recommend it to you highly enough. Who Fears Death had just enough fantasy, just enough feminism, just enough social justice, and just enough beauty to leave me in awe of every word. Okorafor has won a ton of awards for a reason—I couldn't believe her talent.
Onyesonwu is a formidable human being. She is strong and angry. She has power. She is not particularly feminine, and yet also incredibly woman. She is both good and bad, but mostly good. It is hard to wrap your head around her character, but she also finds it hard to wrap her head around her own self, so this isn't surprising. The result is that even though she is magical and powerful, she is also extremely human, and very beautiful.
The other characters in the story begin as very two-dimensional, but as it progressed, I found myself surprised by how much I either loved or hated them. This helped reinforce the theme that all people are human, that no one deserves to be treated a specific way based on superficial impressions, and that the world can always use more compassion.
If you take only one of my recommendations ever, let it be this one. Read this book.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Rating: 5/5 | How can I critique Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes? I can't. He is brilliant and timeless.I had a lot of fun making my way through these stories. In fact, I read a lot of them while I was running on the treadmill (not as hard as it sounds, haha). (Click the post to read more.)
Sherlock Holmes was the brain-child of British author Arthur Conan Doyle and is easily the most famous fictional detective of all time. The success and popularity of his stories helped launched the genre of detective fiction. With his (nearly) infallible logic, astute observation skills, gentlemanly conduct and endearing personality quirks, Holmes has been a favorite of readers around the world for over a century. This collection features most of the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle — a total of 48 stories and 4 novels.
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Rating: 5/5
How can I critique Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes? I can't. He is brilliant and timeless.
I had a lot of fun making my way through these stories. In fact, I read a lot of them while I was running on the treadmill (not as hard as it sounds, haha). Many of the stories only took about 30 minutes or so to get through, which was perfect for my workouts. It was especially fun to watch the BBC series as I was making my way through and notice all the ways they used the original stories to create their modern adaptations.
The Circle
Rating: 2/5 | This book did keep me on the edge of my seat, but I'm actually pretty upset that I spent time reading it. What a disappointment. It was set up to be a great save-the-world-from-apocalypse story, but instead I walked away feeling lectured. It makes you think, but it's also a bit hysterical. (Click the post to read more.)
When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency.
As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO.
Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in America—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.
Author: Dave Eggers
Rating: 2/5
This book did keep me on the edge of my seat, but I'm actually pretty upset that I spent time reading it. What a disappointment. It was set up to be a great save-the-world-from-apocalypse story, but instead I walked away feeling lectured. It makes you think, but it's also a bit hysterical.
Also, Mae is frustratingly juvenile. She doesn't use all the information around her to make decisions, and she is impulsive and bullish. It's kind of like when Harry won't listen to Hermione at the end of Order of the Phoenix and everything goes wrong and you can't do anything about it...for the WHOLE BOOK.Not my cup of tea.
Pachinko
Rating: 4/5 | I am somewhat torn on this book. I actually had two different friends (who don't know each other at all) tell me that they purposefully slowed down as they approached the end because they didn't want to finish it yet. I did enjoy and appreciate Pachinko, but I didn't quite get to that point. (Click the post to read more.)
Pachinko follows one Korean family through the generations, beginning in early 1900s Korea with Sunja, the prized daughter of a poor yet proud family, whose unplanned pregnancy threatens to shame them all. Deserted by her lover, Sunja is saved when a young tubercular minister offers to marry and bring her to Japan.
So begins a sweeping saga of an exceptional family in exile from its homeland and caught in the indifferent arc of history. Through desperate struggles and hard-won triumphs, its members are bound together by deep roots as they face enduring questions of faith, family, and identity.
Author: Min Jin Lee
Rating: 4/5
I am somewhat torn on this book. I actually had two different friends (who don't know each other at all) tell me that they purposefully slowed down as they approached the end because they didn't want to finish it yet. I did enjoy and appreciate Pachinko, but I didn't quite get to that point.
It is a beautiful piece of literature that spans decades during well-known historical events. Because it moves between multiple generations, none of the characters become 100% developed, but you get a taste or two of each one, hinting at the deep, human elements that would exist within any real person. It dealt with complex issues and important themes like homosexuality, gender roles in heavily patriarchal societies, honor, growing up, and more.
I think the only reason I didn't completely love this book was that it didn't have a well-defined story arch. Even as I approached the last page, I found myself wondering how the author would find a place to wrap up; the story could have kept moving to new generations and following this family forever and ever. And the ending did wind up feeling somewhat arbitrary. All in all, though, it was a beautiful journey.
Exit West
Rating: 5/5 | This book offers a perspective on the refugee crisis happening today. It never mentions the nationality or religion of the characters by name, but these details can be easily inferred. And yes, it uses a magical element—the doors that transport you elsewhere in the world—but it's not a fantasy book. Instead, these magical doors serve as a device by which Hamid emphasizes the experiences of his characters: that "elsewhere" offers hope, but for a refugee, it's hard to feel welcome anywhere. (Click the post to read more.)
In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through.
Exit West follows these characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.
Author: Mohsin Hamid
Rating: 5/5
This book offers a perspective on the refugee crisis happening today. It never mentions the nationality or religion of the characters by name, but these details can be easily inferred. And yes, it uses a magical element—the doors that transport you elsewhere in the world—but it's not a fantasy book. Instead, these magical doors serve as a device by which Hamid emphasizes the experiences of his characters: that "elsewhere" offers hope, but for a refugee, it's hard to feel welcome anywhere. No matter where you go, society will outcast you. "Elsewhere" may be better, but it is not utopia.
My favorite aspect of this book was Hamid's writing style. He has a beautiful cadence and a masterful use of phrasing. He switches between short, matter-of-fact statements and long sentences joined by commas that can take an entire paragraph. These paragraphs may begin lightly, but by the end, you've been walloped. Here's an example:
"Saeed prayed a great deal, and so did his father, and so did their guests, and some of them wept, but Saeed had wept only once, when he first saw his mother's corpse and screamed, and Saeed's father wept openly only when he was alone in his room, silently, without tears, his body seized as though by a stutter, or a shiver, that would not let go, for his sense of loss was boundless, and his sense of benevolence of the universe was shaken, and his wife had been his best friend."
This book hypnotized me and took my breath away in moments I was least expecting it. It also made me think. Trust me. Read it.
Mistborn Trilogy
Rating: 5/5 | I worked at Barnes & Noble as a temp employee for last year's holiday season (which was awesome!). During one of my shifts, a coworker pulled The Final Empire off the shelf, shoved it at me, and said, "Read this." I am so glad that I listened! This was my first experience with Brandon Sanderson, but I have absolutely come to understand why he is such a fantasy powerhouse. (Click the post to read more.)
In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more?
In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage — Allomancy, a magic of the metals.
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 5/5
Book 1: The Final Empire
Book 2: The Well of Ascension
Book 3: Hero of Ages
I worked at Barnes & Noble as a temp employee for last year's holiday season (which was awesome!). During one of my shifts, a coworker pulled The Final Empire off the shelf, shoved it at me, and said, "Read this." I am so glad that I listened! This was my first experience with Brandon Sanderson, but I have absolutely come to understand why he is such a fantasy powerhouse. What a universe he has created in this trilogy (and beyond). If you like fantasy, you HAVE to read this. I mean it.
These books were on the longer side, but they needed to be because the plot and characters are so complex. I was almost always fully engaged and eager to see what would happen next. In fact, the endings of all three were some of the best book endings I have ever read! And I loved watching Vin progress from the fearful and distrustful child to the strong, brave and loving woman she became.
Also, you know that feeling when you're reading a book and you can kind of see what will happen next, and you really don't want it to, but you know it's probably necessary for the plot? One of my favorite aspects of these books was that Sanderson found a way to make it so that it didn't have to happen that way! It made these stories feel so much more original, creative, and, ultimately, enjoyable.
The Nightingale
Rating: 4.5/5 | My sister bought me this book for my birthday so that I could read it on the beach during my honeymoon. I wouldn't really call it a "beach read," as it was heavy and complex, but it was definitely worthy of being read. (Click the post to read more.)
Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her.
As the war progresses, the sisters' relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.
Author: Kristin Hannah
Rating: 4.5/5
My sister bought me this book for my birthday so that I could read it on the beach during my honeymoon. I wouldn't really call it a "beach read," as it was heavy and complex, but it was definitely worthy of being read.
As one might expect from a WWII story, this book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. But it also taught me a lot about what happened in France during the war, as it is not a country that receives a great deal of focus when you learn about WWII in school. And having this information presented from the perspective of two women—one of whom was on the front lines of action and one of whom had to keep life together for her family while her husband was away—was unique and extremely impactful. In fact, I find it extraordinary that this is a work of fiction.
This book will break you in half, but I don't think you'll regret picking it up.
All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches)
Rating: 4.5/5 | A fantasy book with a heroine who loves libraries and studies history. What more could you want? Harkness does a great job of keeping the witches/vampires/daemons thing far from cheesy. It took a while to set everything up, but as the story is quite complex, that wasn't terrible. (Click the post to read more.)
Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
Author: Deborah Harkness
Rating: 4.5/5
Book 1: A Discovery of Witches
Book 2: Shadow of Night
Book 3: The Book of Life
A fantasy book with a heroine who loves libraries and studies history. What more could you want?
Harkness does a great job of keeping the witches/vampires/daemons thing far from cheesy. It took a while to set everything up, but as the story is quite complex, that wasn't terrible. Plus, I usually find that the second book in any series is my least favorite, but that was absolutely not the case with this trilogy. The second book was invigorating, pulling from deep historical events and spinning a pretty unique type of magic. I'm not usually a historical fiction reader, and I actually disliked history in school, but I did study theatre, so having Christopher Marlowe as a main character was exciting for me. I don't think you'd have to know much about or like history to love that part of the story.
Diana is a very strong character with plenty of complexity. I was a little surprised at how quickly she fell for tall, dark, and brooding, but as I said, the plot is complex. If Harkness didn't speed us along to the meaty middle, we'd never get to the end. Matthew is sort of one-sided but definitely grows as the story progresses. And I still can't decide if he's super dreamy or just a vampire...
All in all, the series had great, human themes with an engaging plot and unique characters. I highly recommend.
The Legend of Holly Claus
Rating: 5/5 | This book is one of the greatest dark horses of my life. My mother bought it for me many years ago, and I have re-read it several times since then. I also lend it to friends whenever I can, and they always love it as well. (Click the post to read more.)
Santa Claus is the King of Forever, Land of the Immortals. When one special boy writes to Santa asking what no other child has ever asked, a miracle occurs: Santa and Mrs. Claus are blessed with a daughter. But the birth of Holly Claus also brings about a terrible curse—from an evil soul named Herrikhan. Holly's heart is frozen, and the gates to Forever are locked, barring exit or entry.
As she grows into a beautiful and selfless young woman, Holly longs to break the spell that holds her people hostage. With four faithful and magical animal friends, she escapes to the wondrous world of Victorian New York, where she will face countless dangers, adventures, and a miracle all her own.
Author: Brittney Ryan
Rating: 5/5
This book is one of the greatest dark horses of my life. My mother bought it for me many years ago, and I have re-read it several times since then. I also lend it to friends whenever I can, and they always love it as well. It's Christmas magic meets Anastasia meets The Little Mermaid (just bear with me here).
Holly Claus is the daughter of Santa and Mrs. Claus, made possible by the magic that is created when a young boy asks Santa what he'd like for Christmas instead of providing a traditional Christmas list. Enter the evil, cursed-out-of-magic-land villain (who reminds me a lot of Rasputin in the Disney telling of Anastasia). Growing up, she must always remain at home for her own safety. Naturally, she becomes increasingly curious about the rest of the world, and she flees the safety of her castle and country for adventure, companionship, and—ultimately—the triumph of good over evil.
As a children's book, the characters and plot are not very complex, but they are very lovable. The story is ripe with magic and adventure.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
Rating: 5/5 | I picked up this book because I saw the opening paragraph displayed on a Kindle pictured on a sign in a Barnes & Noble. The first few sentences hooked me, so I googled them, identified the book, walked to the shelf, and picked it up. I'm so glad I did. (Click the post to read more.)
A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present. When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be…until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of. Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.
Author: Jan-Phillipp Sendker
Rating: 5/5
I picked up this book because I saw the opening paragraph displayed on a Kindle pictured on a sign in a Barnes & Noble. The first few sentences hooked me, so I googled them, identified the book, walked to the shelf, and picked it up. I'm so glad I did.
If you're looking for a quick read with an impactful story that is heartbreakingly beautiful, this is the one for you. It is entirely believable that the portrayed events could happen in real life with the exception of one pivotal magical element. This only enhances the story's charm—what if magic like this really exists all around us? In the end, I walked away with that wonderful feeling that I'd been walloped in the gut by beauty.
The Giver Quartet
Rating: 5/5 | If you let the fact that this is a children's series stop you from reading it, you will have made one of the greatest mistakes of your life. This quartet is and probably always will be my #1 go-to recommendation to anyone who asks me what they should read next. (Click the post to read more.)
The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.
Author: Lois Lowry
Rating: 5/5
If you let the fact that this is a children's series stop you from reading it, you will have made one of the greatest mistakes of your life. This quartet is and probably always will be my #1 go-to recommendation to anyone who asks me what they should read next. Most people have heard of The Giver, but few know that there are four books. They are all just as good (if not better?) than the first.
The lessons these books teach are poignant, important, and extraordinarily relevant to today's political climate. For example, one book features a small society of people who have welcomed outcasts and banded together to support one another and keep the group safe. It is almost a utopian society. Then they start to feel a bit threatened, and the talk about sealing the entrance and denying new people who need help "for the good of the group" starts to spread like poison. Sound familiar in 2017? (Messenger was written in 2004. It was meant for kids...or was it?)
The way Lois Lowry wrote these stories is breathtaking. They are not long books. The language is simple and straightforward. The sentences take what they are saying for granted, so they make you think and then make you wonder why you never thought that way before.