I read six books this month. They were all so very different. And I loved so many of them! My favorites were Between the world and me, Just Mercy, and Shrill.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Just read it. My description of it won't do it justice. Really good and so very enlightening. A beautiful memoir made up of notes to his teenage son. So much truth as he recants our racial history past and present which simply serves to remind me of the privilege I'm awarded because of the color of my skin.
Goodreads blurb - "In a series of essays, written as a letter to his son, Coates confronts the notion of race in America and how it has shaped American history, many times at the cost of black bodies and lives. Thoughtfully exploring personal and historical events, from his time at Howard University to the Civil War, the author poignantly asks and attempts to answer difficult questions that plague modern society. In this short memoir, the "Atlantic" writer explains that the tragic examples of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and those killed in South Carolina are the results of a systematically constructed and maintained assault to black people--a structure that includes slavery, mass incarceration, and police brutality as part of its foundation. From his passionate and deliberate breakdown of the concept of race itself to the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, Coates powerfully sums up the terrible history of the subjugation of black people in the United States. A timely work, this title will resonate with all teens--those who have experienced racism as well as those who have followed the recent news coverage on violence against people of color."
Just Mercy: a Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Just read it. Another enlightening and powerful story. As I finished the last page I just thought, WOW. I had no idea. I realized how little I really know about capital punishment and how it plays out in each and every state. I realized how little I know about capital punishment in the state of Washington. I had no idea juveniles could be sentenced to the death penalty!!! I realized how little I knew about the legal system and what constitutes life in prison without parole and capital punishment. And I was reminded once again about the racial division and discrimination that exists within the current criminal justice system. So good you guys. I'm sad it's finished. Such a beautiful story of grace and second chances and deep mourning at the absolute devastation of the countless years that were lost by those who were wrongly convicted.
Goodreads blurb - "A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Stevenson into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice."
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
I had no idea Lindy West was born and raised here in Seattle, so when she started talking about some locations and comedy spots in Seattle, I instantly felt a connection, nor did I know she was a comedian. She is funny but in a way that brings light to the truth and honors and respects difference. I found myself laughing outloud and crying out YES! YES! I agree with every word shared and raising my first in unity. I really enjoyed this book.
Goodreads blurb - "Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible--like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you--writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but. From a painfully shy childhood in which she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide her big body and even bigger opinions; to her public war with stand-up comedians over rape jokes; to her struggle to convince herself, and then the world, that fat people have value; to her accidental activism and never-ending battle royale with Internet trolls, Lindy narrates her life with a blend of humor and pathos that manages to make a trip to the abortion clinic funny and wring tears out of a story about diarrhea. With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal and not all bodies are treated with equal respect, and how to weather hatred, loneliness, harassment, and loss--and walk away laughing. Shrill provocatively dissects what it means to become self-aware the hard way, to go from wanting to be silent and invisible to earning a living defending the silenced in all caps."
Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
This was alright. In the end it was better than I had thought? But I still don't know if I'd recommend it? So don't waste your time.
Goodreads blurb - "From the New York Times‒bestselling author of The Vacationers, a smart, highly entertaining novel about a tight-knit group of friends from college—their own kids now going to college—and what it means to finally grow up well after adulthood has set in. Friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth and Andrew and Zoe have watched one another marry, buy real estate, and start businesses and families, all while trying to hold on to the identities of their youth. But nothing ages them like having to suddenly pass the torch (of sexuality, independence, and the ineffable alchemy of cool) to their own offspring. Back in the band's heyday, Elizabeth put on a snarl over her Midwestern smile, Andrew let his unwashed hair grow past his chin, and Zoe was the lesbian all the straight women wanted to sleep with. Now nearing fifty, they all live within shouting distance in the same neighborhood deep in gentrified Brooklyn, and the trappings of the adult world seem to have arrived with ease. But the summer that their children reach maturity (and start sleeping together), the fabric of the adults' lives suddenly begins to unravel, and the secrets and revelations that are finally let loose—about themselves, and about the famous fourth band member who soared and fell without them—can never be reclaimed. Straub packs wisdom and insight and humor together in a satisfying book about neighbors and nosiness, ambition and pleasure, the excitement of youth, the shock of middle age, and the fact that our passions—be they food, or friendship, or music—never go away, they just evolve and grow along with us."
One Step too Far by Tina Seskis
You guys, I did like this. I really did, and I read through it fairly fast. It reminded me of the Girl on the Train. So if you liked that one, then you'll probably like this one.
Amazon blurb - "Tina Seskis's stunning debut novel, One Step Too Far, is a gripping and haunting psychological thriller. An apparently happy marriage. A beautiful son. A lovely home.
So what makes Emily Coleman get up one morning and walk right out of her life? How will she survive? And what is the date that looms, threatening to force her to confront her past?
No-one has ever guessed her secret. Will you? If you love The Girl on the Train we promise that you will love One Step Too Far, an absolutely unputdownable story of secrets and heartbreak."
Good as Gone by Amy Gentry
Very similar genre to One Step too Far and The girl on the Train - so if you like those, you'll like this. If I'm honest, I liked this one better than One Step too Far. This really left me guessing for a good chunk of the book. I'd say it's worth the read! I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Goodreads blurb - "Thirteen-year-old Julie Whitaker was kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night, witnessed only by her younger sister. Her family was shattered, but managed to stick together, hoping against hope that Julie is still alive. And then one night: the doorbell rings. A young woman who appears to be Julie is finally, miraculously, home safe. The family is ecstatic—but Anna, Julie’s mother, has whispers of doubts. She hates to face them. She cannot avoid them. When she is contacted by a former detective turned private eye, she begins a torturous search for the truth about the woman she desperately hopes is her daughter. Propulsive and suspenseful, Good as Gone will appeal to fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, and keep readers guessing until the final pages."
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