Here's what I read this past month, including what I've been reading to my son!
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff: Ruff uses a monster-of-the-week theme in this supernatural horror novel, but he also cleverly ties each chapter to a different facet of systemic racism. I found the plot compelling and the writing sharp, and Ruff clearly did his research as a white man writing a cast of Black characters.
Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner: I appreciated both how Kisner adapted national politics for a high school setting and how she created a realistic plot that wasn't the typical "underdog" story. Even if everything wasn't wrapped up in a bow (just as in real life) there was plenty that was satisfying about the way various plot threads resolved.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama: Obama's writing is thorough and precise, which made the book endlessly fascinating but also dry at times in print, but hearing his story in his calm, honest, optimistic voice was engaging and uplifting. It's an investment of time but a valuable glimpse into the everyday experience of being in politics and, especially, holding the presidency.
Jada Sly, Artist & Spy by Sherri Winston: I got this as a chapter book to read to my 6-year-old, but it ended up being a little too complex for him to follow and I finished the last third on my own. I appreciated Winston's vision for this book and the way the mystery was developed, even if I had some issues with how it all played out.
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green: This book is part memoir, part history lesson(s), part meditations on life. In giving 5-star reviews of everything from velociraptors to smallpox vaccines to "wintry mix", John Green beautifully discusses how humans affect, interpret, and adapt to every facet of the world in which we find ourselves.
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl: This was a better read for my 6-year-old than James and the Giant Peach. The narrative is much simpler and the story shorter, and it's also not as dark as many of Dahl's books. It's not a favorite for me, but he really enjoyed it!
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. The mystery itself was decent, the dialogue was entertaining, and there were a number of clever misdirections with the way the story was written, but the story didn't match the promise of the premise and I found the resolution(s) rather unsatisfying.
Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look: This is more a series of vignettes than a single story. There are some good lessons in here, like about bullying and competition, but also some choices I wouldn't want my kids to imitate. A lot of what happened in the story went over my son's head due the frequent use of metaphor, hyperbole, and understated jokes.
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield: I just love these characters so much. On this reread, I chose to experience the book via audio, and it was like I was watching a movie unspool before my eyes. There are certainly some moments I'd change, and I recognize that the book's "miracles" could be seen as a bit cheesy, but I still had a great time revisiting the Moses clan in this story.
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Little Fires Everywhere and The Color of Law
Five years ago I was reading: Bread & Wine and A Prayer for Owen Meany
Ten years ago I was reading: Scale Development
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