Shortly before the United States locked down in mid-March 2020, I went in person to my local Charleston library branch to activate my card. My goal was to request Outlander Books #5-8 which were housed at larger branches. Fortunately, I poked around and grabbed a few books while I was there.
The Education of an Idealist - Samantha Powell. This memoir by the UN Ambassador under President Obama was on the New Release wall at the library. It follows her career from recent college graduate learning to be a war correspondent to an advocate for peace and humanitarian aid on the largest stage. 542p was a bit lengthy for the topic, but still a worthwhile read.
Difficult Women - Roxanne Gay
An Untamed State - Roxanne Gay. I was looking under "G" in case any Diana Gabaldon books were in stock. I noticed the NYT Bestseller on An Untamed State, Gay's debut novel, and picked it and the collection of short stories next to it. Once I got home, I saw that An Untamed State was about kidnapping and sexual assault, and decided I'd start with the short stories first. They were well written, but the stories, often featuring protagonist twins or siblings with close bonds, also contained DV and SA. I'm still failing at finding light reading, but I enjoyed both these books.
I was Anastasia - Ariel Lawhon. A Christmas book that falls in the historical fiction genre that I often enjoy. I read the first half slowly, ten or twenty pages at a time, until a month into lockdown, and then I stayed up til 2am finishing this book. It did a nice job pulling me in, and my reaction at the final twist, if I didn't find it sacrilegious, would have been to throw it across the room.
The Paris Seamstress - Natashia Lester. Historical fiction about WWII, this drew me in and kept me entertained.
The Education of an Idealist - Samantha Powell. This memoir by the UN Ambassador under President Obama was on the New Release wall at the library. It follows her career from recent college graduate learning to be a war correspondent to an advocate for peace and humanitarian aid on the largest stage. 542p was a bit lengthy for the topic, but still a worthwhile read.
Difficult Women - Roxanne Gay
An Untamed State - Roxanne Gay. I was looking under "G" in case any Diana Gabaldon books were in stock. I noticed the NYT Bestseller on An Untamed State, Gay's debut novel, and picked it and the collection of short stories next to it. Once I got home, I saw that An Untamed State was about kidnapping and sexual assault, and decided I'd start with the short stories first. They were well written, but the stories, often featuring protagonist twins or siblings with close bonds, also contained DV and SA. I'm still failing at finding light reading, but I enjoyed both these books.
I was Anastasia - Ariel Lawhon. A Christmas book that falls in the historical fiction genre that I often enjoy. I read the first half slowly, ten or twenty pages at a time, until a month into lockdown, and then I stayed up til 2am finishing this book. It did a nice job pulling me in, and my reaction at the final twist, if I didn't find it sacrilegious, would have been to throw it across the room.
The Paris Seamstress - Natashia Lester. Historical fiction about WWII, this drew me in and kept me entertained.
The Yellow House - Sarah M. Broom. I picked this up because I've always wanted a yellow house. This told the story of a family that lost their home in Hurricane Katrina, and the many personalities that had lived there. This was a great book, sad and heartfelt and hopeful all at the same time.
I am Malala -Malala Yousafzai. Borrowed from my mom, I think, and a great account of her childhood and how her father prioritized education. Her story is uplifting and I know she'll continue to shape the world and the future of girls everywhere.
After a few months in quarantine, my mom mailed me several paperbacks, mostly books I'd been buying off Amazon and shipping to her for book club. There's something so nice about a shared book and being able to discuss it afterward.
Born a Crime - Trevor Noah. The comedian and late show host writes about his childhood growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa. He's also a born storyteller.
American Dirt - Jeanine Cummins. I started this book with skepticism after reading some critiques of the author writing about the immigrant experience, which is not her experience. I found it overall an interesting story, but that didn't change my concerns. My mom didn't appreciate my criticism of a book she thoroughly enjoyed.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity - Katherine Boo. The author paints an intricate picture of the Annawadian sector. It's nonfiction but is still a page-turner that draws you in as you hope against the odds that the residents will find safety, food, and security, only to have your hopes dashed alongside them.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris. I could enjoy this as a historical fiction book, but when I got to the end and read it was based on a true story, I had trouble believing it. For a subgenre I normally enjoy, not my favorite.
A Piece of the World - Christine Baker Kline. The author takes a famous Maine painting, Christina's View by Andrew Wyeth, and imagines the subject of the painting and her life with a progressive disease that limits her mobility and requires ingenuity to accomplish daily tasks. I don't think I've ever read a fictional book that explains a painting, so this was a neat take.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery. A LFL library book that jumps right in with a suicidal 12 year old but has some interesting characters once you push through that.
Elizabeth Costello - J.M. Coetze. This book is critiqued as being a collection of essays or lectures, rather than telling a story, and I think that's fair. I found it confusing and not my favorite.
