And I love being on vacation as I finally have time to just devour book after book, so I'm hoping to do that, and I can't wait to share with you all the books I've read this month.
But before I do that, here are the four books I read in December. My favorite book by FAR this month was Small Great things by Jodi Picoult.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
This book left me speechless, I ADORE Jodi Picoult. She's one of my favorites and I've read nearly every single one of her books. But I love how she tackles moral issues within the pages of her books and they always leave me wondering what I'd do or how I'd respond to whatever it is. But you guys, this one is my favorite Jodi Picoult book hands down! In the author's note at the end she writes, "Most of us think the word racism is synonymous with the word prejudice but racism is more than just discrimination based on skin color. It's also about who has institutional power. Just as racism creates disadvantages for people of color that makes success harder to achieve, it also gives advantages to white people that make success easier to achieve. It's hard to see these advantages, much less own up to them. and that, I realized was why I HAD to write this book. When it comes to social justice, the role of the white ally is not to be a savior or a fixer. Instead, the role of the ally is to find other white people and talk to make them see that many of the benefits they've enjoyed in are direct results of the fact that someone else did NOT have the same benefits." And she goes on, but it's so good. You can feel and sense her heart for this issue within each page you read. And I savored each and every single page.
Goodreads blurb, "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. With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game."
Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks
As I've said before, I like Nicholas Sparks and have read alot of his books. I feel like lately he's veering away from his typical romance genre and entering into something different, and I'm not too sure how I feel about it. I liked this, wouldn't necessarily tell anyone it was a must read. But I liked it better than his other book See Me.
Goodreads blurb - "At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear...and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding—one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined."
Eligible: a modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld
I wanted to like this a whole lot more than I did, but it was far too long at 512 pages, and it was slow going. It took me ages to get into it and then once I was into it, I flew through it. But I found myself quickly swiping right on my kindle as I skipped over conversations and some character development. I know, I know, I'm terrible, but I just wanted to finish it so I could move onto my next book.
Goodreads blurb - "This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray. Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches. Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . . And yet, first impressions can be deceiving."
Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty
I think people fall into two camps for this book, you either like it or you don't. I was part of the latter camp, and I really didn't like it. Even though it's only 415 pages, it took me FOREVER to read it. Like 2 weeks and I'm thinking this book is one of the reasons I only read 4 books this month. I just couldn't get into it and once I finished it, I remember thinking, well that wasn't so bad, but I definitely would NOT recommend it. I just didn't see the intrigue. But I did look up on goodreads to find out what happened when I was like halfway through the book in hopes of being encouraged to keep on reading.
Goodreads blurb - "Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong? Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other. Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite. Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone? In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don’t say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm."
Until next month!
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