The Kindest Lie: A Novel | 
The past couple of years, I participated in a lot of book clubs, always trying to read the books. But looking back to my 2023 reading, I must confess being disappointed. So my New Year resolution is to only read books that I'm interested in.
This book, for example, I knew it wouldn't be a pick for me, and my instinct was correct for most of the books picked by my book clubs.
Now, I'm sure 2024 will be a more rewarding year for my reading.
I‘ve got 12 books ready to go for clearing off my TBR in 2024, one month at a time! I‘ve had some of these for a very long time and always put them at the back of the list. Some will also be for #ReadOrDonate @julieclair - thanks for inspiring me to tackle the TBR!
pickThis was a interesting audiobook to listen to.
Read for a prompt for:
#PopSugarReadingChallenge2022
pick4-6-22: My 32nd finished book of 2022! 2008, Obama has just won the presidency. Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated black engineer is happily married and her husband is itching to start a family. But Ruth harbors a secret. She had to give up a baby at the age of 17. She promised she would never look back but now has decided to return home to Indiana to seek her son out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣3️⃣2️⃣
pickI love the setting and overarching themes of this book: set in 2008, just as Obama was first elected, this ambitious debut deals with race, class, parenting/motherhood, and personal responsibilities. I was often frustrated with main character Ruth, who is bright and successful, but just so selfish and prone to really dumb decisions as a grown woman, and didn‘t find Midnight‘s narrative very believable, but this was an overall pick.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
pickI picked this up on a whim at Target and it blew me away. The story, characters and atmosphere of the book were all so engaging, I read it in a couple days (even with a job and a toddler) An intense and beautiful book.
Hi #lmpbc Group K! These are four books I‘ve had on my list for a while now...Would love to hear your preferences :) Can also suggest others!
@Kayla.Adriena @shellleigh33 @LiteraryinLawrence
pickThis was between a pick and so-so for me. I enjoyed it but wish they would have fleshed out the back half of the story more and spent more time developing that aspect of the story.
Checking this off my #bookspinbingo board
The latest deal. 😊
pickI really enjoyed this story. It was about a woman who tried to live with a lie and realized she couldn‘t do it anymore. She traveled to her hometown to find the baby she gave birth to but never knew and had to face all of the things she hadn‘t over the years.
so-soSet in 2008 after the first election of Barack Obama, a black woman returns home to face her past only to find that the racial and social tensions of her childhood still persist. The Kindest Lie considers a monumental achievement in black American history (the election of the first black president) against the unfortunate, but persisting backdrop of a racially divided town. Was 2008 a sign of changing times, or did it exacerbate an uglier truth?
pickI fell into this one. I‘m never sure if it‘s my current mood when I start a book or the quality of the story itself that makes me fall hard. Maybe it‘s a little bit of both, but Ruth‘s story grabbed me. The pieces of ourselves we hold close - do we have a right to let them go - or not - as we see fit. I loved how this book explores that question.
pickAn impressive debut that deeply examines race, class & motherhood with strong character development. Ruth's story - and her family's story - is compelling and moving and beautifully written. This one will sit with me for a while.
so-soI really wanted to like this one based on all of the reviews I read. For me though, it was so-so. I had to add the audiobook to reading it just to finish it as it wouldn‘t hold my complete attention without it.
Not sure if it‘s me or the book or the timing/combo....but this is a #Bail 😢Just bland and disappointing 😫 I read about 40 pages and was BORED 😐
bailedI tried I really did. But this book was such a chore. Johnson‘s themes and ideas really interested me but the execution was subpar. I really didn‘t care for the characters. I felt like I knew them in the beginning but as the story went on the characters felt more and more unlikable. Maybe I‘ll revisit because I didn‘t absolutely hate it but after a string of books I couldn‘t stop thinking about this really wore me down.
so-soI really wanted to love this book. I had such high hopes but it just didn't deliver. I didn't like any of the characters. The author really missed the mark.
The book is set in the period between Obama being elected and his inauguration. The author does a good job of reminding us all that what BLM was protesting about this summer has been here all along. Long before cell phone videos and body cams.
The February #authenticbooks box has arrived!! I seriously cannot praise them enough!!! They are so thoughtful and intentional. There‘s even a letter from the author! Their bookmarks are gorgeous, the candles, the recipes, playlists, chocolate and so many other goodies. I‘m especially excited about the self-care tracker they included! It‘s really cool how they promote other small businesses and causes! Love love love!
Settled into our new home in a new state and I‘ve actually had time to read and this book is growing on me.
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️
I appreciated the themes of race, class, and motherhood in this book, but it didn‘t pack the punch I expected. I was frustrated by Ruth‘s selfishness, and at times she seemed to lack accountability for her regrets and empathy for her family‘s choices. Midnight‘s character also felt a bit inconsistent to me. #BOTM
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a really beautiful story. I really felt Ruth‘s pain. I could understood how much shame and guilt you can feel because of one mistake you made and being afraid what your loved ones think of you because of that mistake. The book also represented systemic racism really well. I highly recommend this one. This was my #bookspinbingo No 5 pick.
pickWhat seems like a page-turning mystery quickly turns into a study of racial inequality and its weight within a community. Thought-provoking, this one will elicit strong emotions.
Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLfVnEPgBtR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I don‘t know if it‘s because of the move bot because of the story but I haven‘t picked this up in a week and I find myself longing for my fantasy TBRs that have already been packed up. I do think the story and perspective is an important one to hear, I just wish it pulled me in a bit more.
so-soI appreciated the themes in this book (motherhood, race, class, marriage) but never fully connected with the characters. The story moved slowly and didn‘t feel unique. Good, but not great. #botm
so-soThis was very close to a lukewarm Pick, but the MC was horribly selfish and continued to make horribly selfish and harmful decisions right up to the end, with the last terrible decision keeping this a So-So. The story in general started out VERY slow. I liked enough to see what the author publishes in the future, but this book was meh for me. #BotM
so-soSadly Cindy I found this more #MehThanYeah. There is a good story in here but I think the author just tried to do too much and the disparate strands didn‘t successfully coalesce. Ruth frustrated the hell out of me and her reckless decisions towards the end of the novel didn‘t endear me to her struggle. #BorrowNotBuy #BOTM
bailedI just can‘t connect with the material at all. Sometimes I enjoy uncovering lives different than my own, but her reactions to her martial crisis and giving up her child for adoption just don‘t make sense to me. Also, some points were belabored enough to drive me batty!
I don‘t think this is a terrible book, but it‘s not right for me. #ItsNotYouItsMe
Seems like I chose the right #botm because I‘ve bailed on two others from the library!
It‘s bitterly cold outside so I‘m getting cozy with my February #botm.
@Librariana was nice enough to provide some explanation as to libraries‘ Libby purchasing habits on my last post about this book. A must-read if you‘re a big Libby user.
To continue the convo, the tagged book is from a library that is a small city in IN. Two people passed on it before it came to me. I had been watching the line. That‘s how I knew. It follows the rules you mentioned in the last post and that‘s really helpful to know. Cont...⬇️
They‘re here! 🙌🏻🥳
I love it when both boxes arrive on the same day! #botm
I got my third new release from yesterday from the library. I guess the two people in front of me passed on it? 🤷🏻♀️ Now I have 13 audiobooks checked out from the library. Wish me luck!! 😂😂 This was also a #botm selection.
📚 My February 2021 BOTM picks 📚
What did you pick?
Yayy, February picks are up!! So excited for this one! Can‘t wait to see what others choose! #BOTM
pickI enjoyed this debut novel. This story revolves around a family secret which leads to the unraveling of others. The secrets and how they unfolded were fairly obvious (there were not multiple possibilities really) which took away from the suspense, but, ultimately, not the story. #ARC #LibraryThing #EarlyReviewer
