This is a dark book pardon the pun. It is very long and feels very long because this is meant to be an uncomfortable book. The first quarter flies, but once the statutory rape begins it slows as you see Vanessa in deep denial that her teacher still has power over her even into adulthood and even into a small twist in the book. It shows why women don‘t come forward. This is a must read, but be prepared.

You can so tell this book wanted to be called The Whisper Man, but there was a book released around the same time with the title. A new detective thrown into the world of video games with a murderer who wants to recreate the game in real life. Good book, but be ready for a lot of explanations and old man jokes around gaming. I mean a lot. Good suspense and story. Good for this time of being locked in.

This memoir has high moments which when chugging are excellent and low moments which drag the book almost to a halt. The story begins at 14 when the author‘s mother reveals her husband‘s best friend kissed her. It goes on for years too. An ailing husband and the lover has an ailing wife. It continues into later years when the author begins to fall for the lover‘s son. The main narrative is right on, but the filler stuff was simply filler.

I‘m glad I used the library for this one rather than buying it. This was a middle of the road read in that it wasn‘t bad, but it wasn‘t a must read. A murder happens, a mom picks her child up who has a bloody sweater after being with the girl, the husband was the girl‘s tutor but something else may have been happening. Mom has to prove her son‘s and husband‘s innocence in a town where her past is catching up to her. Yup.

It is still PAUSE time in NYS meaning all non essential stores are closed. I petitioned that indie bookstores were essential, but it fell on deaf ears, ha! Ebooks for me then. I am super excited for the new NK Jemisin, but am also super excited about a new Hope Jahren book as Lab Girl was my favorite book the year it was published.

The front half of this book is great! Then the back half turns into a completely different book. I am mixed on this because it is a story which draws you in, but I don‘t know. I know one issue for me is I just finished The Holdout which had a similar plot line of two jurors in a relationship and life after.

Another rough read, but a very important look at the prison system, abuses, and ultimately redemption. There are a few descriptions of men on men rape, so be weary of there are triggers as well as lots of descriptions of violence. He owns his walk though. To be in solitary for almost 4 decades on and off. Wow.

I am giving this a so-so not because of the writing or the story, but because of the sheer number of description of essentially torture to members of the congregation. People were blasted if the pastor felt they had demons inside, meaning they were yelled at for hours by members some yelled so much they vomited blood. The female pastor, Jane would also dictate who can have kids and when. It is a rough read, but it is crazy train.

There is a part of me which thinks I may be missing something and really don‘t understand what I read. Another part really enjoyed the parts I did get. This is Offill though. She throws you off and doesn‘t write sequentially, doesn‘t give you seeds to get you on track, so you have to work to get it. Problem was, I wasn‘t sure I wanted to work for this one and kind of checked out, which you can‘t do because it keeps moving without crumbs.

A excellent book on being a beginning writer, what it is like to be a young woman in the world, and how women shape themselves to fit men standards so they stop existing (not a good thing, obviously). It is part autobiography and essay. There is lots of writing about the fear of rape and assault for those who may have triggers.

We all know that feeling of getting a stack of new books and 4 of your library holds, which you made months ago, all come in AT THE SAME TIME!

So many good books today! I had to limit myself to three picks. Which to start with though? I think it might be Solnit. #womenauthors

A very quick Leonid McGill case with a few other cases thrown in. At only 160pgs and half sized hardback, this little adventure was quick, to the point, and once again race was present. Mobsters, old rivalries, and a simple deliver of a letter is at the heart of this book. I‘ve only read book 2 and this one and had zero issues as Mosely catches you up when needed with a quick paragraph or two. It will only take a few hours to get through.

While this has a good empowering story of women overcoming a sexual BJ contest they weren‘t aware they were in, my rating comes from more the length and the flow of the book. The main story itself is well done with a good twist and the storytelling with multiple voices fit the book well. It was how many times we saw the same scene or the amount of extra non needed story lines there were in the book. It distracted from a very good story.

An interesting take on the PI genre. Instead of the drunken male PI, we have a just clean, former prostitute PI sent back into her former world to look for someone just like she used to be. The fun is due to this world, it is difficult to trust anyone as even the cops see her as a junkie. Lots of good turns too and a great ending.

This is an excellent, down to Earth, not to heady approach to the Enneagram. It is the book I might hand to someone who wants to learn about it. It is helpful to know your number as you can skip right to that chapter, but a good overview for those just learning. Every enneagram teacher has different labels for the numbers, so be ready. There is a separate study guide.

You know what‘s awesome? Walking into a Barnes and Noble and a random person says- “There is $5 left on this gift card and it has to be used today, do you want it?”
I got the new Walter Mosley even though it is the 7th in the series, of which I‘ve read none, because I love most of Mosley‘s books, but I‘ve never paid full price for one. I always did library sales or on sale e-books. I figured I owed him a new book buy because I am a fan.

The main premise of the book is very good- a mom randomly murders a guy on the beach. It then begins the unroll which is extremely tough to read as it involves mental abuse, murder, and rape. It keeps getting told too making the book a chore to read as I didn‘t want to be in the world created anymore. It is a too heavy a read.

A really great book on Korean/African American relationships in LA. This zeroes in on one fictionalized version of a true story of a Korean clerk who shot an unarmed African American woman in the ‘90s and received no jail time.
The book looks at the lives of the children of the woman and the brother of the girl in the 2000s after everyone else has settled and moved on. A great book exploring vigilante justice and post trauma lives.

A very fast progressive book about relationships. It begins with a woman getting sick on a plane while sitting next to a man. It then takes you to the man‘s story and then a character from his story, and so on. Very creative and a great read.

Saw this in the Times today and ran out to grab it. I can‘t wait to read this con story of a man who pretended to be a priest, while have 7 families, who made it all the way to Cambridge in the 50s. This sounded crazy!

This was definitely a page turner and kind of a fun read. The premise is very silly. That isn‘t meant to be insulting as I found the book fun, but a secret woman‘s group with unlimited funding trying to figure the motives of a woman who is constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time completely Mr Magooing the women‘s group‘s attempts was kind of silly. calling it a fun book for a weekend which isn‘t meant to be taken too seriously.

This was my selection this month for the other voices book club I lead at my church. This year is all about women who are authors with this selection focusing on the refugee story and her death. While we know the ending, it is her life story which is incredible- a refugee from Vietnam during the war, born blind, her grandmother tries to kill her, she survives, and gets cancer in her 40s. This is about life though as much as death.

Every now and then you need someone to tell you what you already know, but aren‘t doing. This is that book. The concepts aren‘t out there or strange in any way, but basic yet a good reminder on how you can change your mindset. This is a tiny book with lots of pictures, but a good one nonetheless. It was a good reminder that your truth is filtered through your experiences, so expand your truth by seeking others.

Set in post Katrina New Orleans, it is the twisty story of who killed Vic. Claire DeWitt is such an interesting character and the use of dreams to help her solve the crime was an interesting take as she knows what is happening, but just can't see it for herself. New Orleans really comes alive in this book, but it isn't the Bourbon St tourist part, but rather the real parts of single and doublewides. I liked it.

A good twisty turny page flipper. I wound up guessing a few of the twists, but missed a big one. A good back and forth narrative where we learn the backstory of each jury member while the big mystery is moving forward. There were some dry parts and a big leap at one point, but just go with it. It was meant to be pure fun and a good who done it. I won‘t say I loved it, but it did the job.

One of my goals this year is self improvement and a book which has just hit that nerve is this one. I‘ve begun recommending it to my colleagues and friends. I highly recommend it. What book has helped change you for the better?

The first thing to know going into this is it moves very slowly, going back and forth in time without warning even mid paragraph. Knowing this now, I couldn‘t put this down. The writing is incredible and the story will keep unfurling especially since you don‘t always know who is speaking or what time we are in even with a single narrator. I can‘t say I loved it, but it is definitely worth reading.

This was my second read through of this and it still didn‘t grab me. I re-read it because it is a Canada Reads shortlist pick, but I think this will be one of the first to be voted out. Robinson brings a name to the table, but it just doesn‘t read consistently enough for me. It has some incredible writing right next to some head scratching writing. I just didn‘t connect with this one...again.

I‘ve read a number of LGBTQ+ autobiographies and this one was incredibly different as she walks through the beginning of her story as a straight Pakistani Muslim woman trapped in an arranged marriage, moving on to another relationship, and discovering her sexuality. It is more a look into the closed Muslim culture as much as a coming out story as it takes 3/4th of the book until you here that part of her life. This might win Canada Reads.

My goal in 2020 is personal growth. As a nerdy Rev who leans left, I have to navigate waters which are always mixed politically. I was introduced to Ubuntu many years ago and it helps navigate these waters well. In short, it means “I am because we are.” It is finding humanity first over what separates us. It is incredibly difficult especially in these times. I hope to learn more.

I can see people being mixed on this book because if you are expecting a murder mystery, it is there, but not the main story. It is the story of two sisters broken relationship told in flashback and present as a killer is on the loose. The killer‘s story is very much background though, so be prepared. There are slow parts and a few eye rolling parts, but I lived in Philly for a bit and it describes the city well. It is a mix of pick and so so.

This was a BOTM pick for me and I went in cold. While the main story and Zelda‘s narration made the book captivating, the very long dive into Zelda and her boyfriend Marxie planning to have sex really threw the story off for me. Nothing wrong with sex talk in books, but it goes on for SEVERAL chapters and the main story takes a backseat. Having a narrator with fetal alcohol syndrome was a good choice though and Zelda is a character.

Wow is this book great! Weird, minimum storytelling about a romance surrounded by healers who heal by reaching inside of people and every now and then burying their cures. You will need to like weird storytelling to enjoy this one. It is a tiny book too, but I loved it.

First, this was renamed and got a new cover and is now called Truth Be Told. Second, it is now a show on Apple TV, which I have not seen, so it has a third cover. None of those were good signs to me and I went in hesitantly. The premise is great- a Serial type podcast relooks are a murder where there is a cult, love stolen, murder, and tons of secrets. The problem was it was a chore to get to the good stuff that I didn‘t care when it arrived. Meh

This is a Canada Reads shortlist- this is a tough read which at times made me physically cringe and want to skip pages. It is a first hand account of abandonment, crack addiction, homelessness, disease, and then redemption and rebuilding. There is a lot of muck which must be waded through before getting to the hope. It won't be for all. I think this one might be eliminated, but I need to read the others.

Took a trip to my favorite bookstore @oblongbooks and here was my haul. The top 3 are signed editions. Gutsy Women is signed by both Hillary and Chelsea Clinton. The Gone Dead was a shelf talker recommendation and American Dirt was 3/4ths off because I got a $20 coupon for the hardcover club. Support local bookstores!

I love Canada Reads, even though I am not Canadian or live in Canada. I wind up reading all 5 books every year and will talk to the YouTube repeat while watching it. This year, I am happy because I have 4 of the 5 books. Small Game Hunting is the only one I can‘t get without paying 2x the cover cost due to shipping. I‘m ready! https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/meet-the-canada-reads-2020-contenders-1.543...

Going on a retreat for a few days and 3 library books are coming with me. I've already read Inner Experience, but it is time to re-read Merton.

Sneaky, sneaky! I almost double purchased this book because it sounded interesting. I say I almost double bought it because the original title was “Are You Sleeping” which I own. This wasn‘t a pre-release either. They changed the cover AND the title to this! Who does that!?! Very confusing

This is tough. If you are a completionist, grab this book as you will want this collection of lost short stories. If you know Their Eyes Were Watching God and that‘s about it, you can probably skip this one. All characters in the book speak in a written 1920s slang which can be very distracting to modern readers. Some stories were great.

There will be a feeling of "this is the same book," but this book is just as good as the first one. It doesn't rest on the Black Ranger vs the Aryan Nation, but looks at the complexities of trying to do your job when everyone hates you for your skin color and you are finding a child who will be your enemy as he grows, but all are human with their own flaws. This is a great series so far, but you need the first book as it takes off from that one.

This is a short, but tense book. A cabin party is happening between two lifelong friends, their kids, one husband, and an odd neighbor who speaks about not having kids often. Memories flow as drinks flow and will interrupt the narrative without warning. This is a slow book, but very well written.

Sadly, this was a BOTM pick for me and I just couldn‘t hang with this book and I tried. I never like panning books as I think authors pour themselves out onto the page and sometimes it just isn‘t the right person reading it. After the initial story dealing with rape fantasy, I should have realized I wasn‘t the audience, but I kept on. Oh well, just didn‘t connect.

While this is a pick, I will say there were so many detail and so many repeats of NBC trying to shut down the story that it almost became tedious to read. The story though is so interesting as Farrow is telling the story of how Harvey Weinstein was brought down all while working with Matt Lauer and being brother to Dylan who accused Woody Allen of sexual abuse. There were so many twists and turns like a novel.

Ultimately I wound up liking this book, but I gave it a so-so because I almost stopped reading it at the Thanksgiving scene. There are spoilers if I say more, but one storyline got so absurd I almost quit, but Reid manages to bring it back around. There was so much in this book around race, the white savior mentality, and especially white people being outraged on behalf of African Americans taking away the African American voice. That was spot on.

As my birthday inches closer, 3 #canadareads picks for future reading. I have 2 of the other picks too, but these sounded interesting. “We Have Always Been Here” is written about the Queer Muslim movement. While I am not Canadian, I fully support Canada Reads and try to read all the shortlisted books and the long list (if I can get them in the States)

I lead an “Other Voices” book club at the church I serve where we look at books by women, authors of color, LGBTQIA+ authors, translated books, and books about immigrants and refugees. This year the focus is on women authors and this was the pick. This is my second read through and I still enjoy it, but found more hints to the conclusion in this read through. She is a tough character to like in the beginning, but stick with it and you will love it

As my birthday nears closer, the book pile begins. All but one were impulse buys based on the description of the book. I also judge books by their covers and so one was purely because of its cover and then the story sounded ok. Guess which one was the cover pick! Motherless Brooklyn came on a recommendation from a friend.

Wow, just wow is this a strange book, but a good book for an audience willing to get a little trippy. It is difficult to describe what this book is about, but all I can say is get to the party scene with the Bunnies and if you can hang with that, this is the book for you. I took this out of the library and liked it so much, I purchased it so I can read it again later. Holy cow.