Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis: This is a readable, funny, charming account of a family in Flint, MI, in 1963 and the trip they take to Birmingham, as seen through the eyes of 10-year-old Kenny. I had a few issues with structure and pacing, but the stories themselves were great.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt: I enjoyed this read on the whole, though it was definitely slow in parts and took a long time to get to the central plot line, the murder. I appreciate the ways that Berendt wove together strands of different characters' stories; it would have gotten a bit boring if it was just the story of the man accused of murder.
The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor: My dislike of short story collections is well established, but I was happy to find that this wasn't a collection of disconnected stories; it's more like a novel with each chapter told from a different character's perspective, during which we get to learn about their individual backstory. It's not a happy collection, but it does end with a note of hope and empowerment. I'm glad to have read this book and would definitely recommend it.
Sorceress of Darshiva by David Eddings: This is a surprisingly enjoyable book given that our band of heroes basically spends the entire book on the road. Eddings' writing is annoyingly repetitive at times, though I suppose I can forgive him for reusing descriptions and putting his effort mainly into the character banter I love so much.
I Bring the Voices of My People by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes: This book is so damn good. Walker-Barnes takes some thorny topics, like gendered racism and the problems with racial reconciliation in the church, and leads the reader through them with clarity and truth. For all Christians and anyone else concerned with racial justice, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The Seeress of Kell by David Eddings: This was a nice ending to the series; I don't mind a somewhat excessive happily ever after where everyone is married off and peace is restored to the entire world. On the whole, I liked this book, but it was clear that Eddings was getting a little tired of these characters after ten books. I'm glad to have reread the whole series, and it's still one of my favorites, even if as an adult I recognize more of the flaws.
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Cutting for Stone and Cold Comfort Farm
Five years ago I was reading: The Garlic Ballads and Generous Spaciousness
Ten years ago I was reading: Silas Marner
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