Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

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There There by Tommy Orange

August 2019

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Severance by Ling Ma

August 2019

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The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

August 2019

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The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

July 2019

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Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

July 2019

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Beartown by Fredrik Backman

June 2019

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Inheritance by Dani Shapiro

May 2019

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Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

finished May 2019

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Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

March 2019

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The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea

April 2019

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Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

April 2019

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The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

April 2019

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The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Feb-Mar 2019

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The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

Jan-Feb 2019

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Circe by Madeline Miller

2018

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The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

2018

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American War by Omar El Akkad

2018

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

2018

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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

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Educated by Tara Westover

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You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

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Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

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Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

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Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

This was an engrossing, powerful, painful read. Cora is a slave on a plantation in Georgia. After her mother escaped and left her behind, Cora becomes a 'stray,' an outcast and orphan. Her lack of attachment leads her to say 'yes' when Caesar suggests they escape, and what ensues is an unforgettable, harrowing journey that sheds powerful light on the horrors of slavery and the indomitable human spirit. I LOVED this book!

"Freedom was a thing that shifted as you looked at it, the way a forest is dense with trees up close but from outside, from the empty meadow, you see its true limits. Being free had nothing to do with chains or how much space you had (179)."

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

This was a quick read, and completely enjoyable. The narrator, Julia, is fifteen and so well depicted. Her older sister, Olga, was the 'perfect Mexican daughter' - dutiful, loyal, and loving - but is suddenly killed in a tragic accident. That leaves Julia as the only child of a family torn apart by loss and longing. I loved Julia's vivid and sharp wit, her refusal to fall into expected roles, and her willingness to peel back layers of secrecy and pain in an attempt to understand who she is - and who her sister was.

“But how do we live with these secrets locked within us? How do we tie our shoes, brush our hair, drink coffee, wash the dishes, and go to sleep, pretending everything is fine? How do we laugh and feel happiness despite the buried things growing inside? How can we do that day after day?”

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Have you heard of the tragedy of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff? This ship was employed by the Germans as part of Operation Hannibal, a civilian evacuation near the end of WWII in an attempt to evade the advancing Red Army. The outcome was horrific, leading to an immense loss of life far greater than the more famous Titanic. While 1,500 were estimated to have perished when the Titanic sunk, the estimate of lives lost in the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy is an unfathomable 9,400. Unbelievably, these events are little known. This story, told through the eyes of four different narrators, reveals history in powerful and personal terms and also helps illuminate the events of WWII through the eyes of German civilians, among others. I love historical fiction for the insight it offers into a different time and place, and this novel is an excellent example.

“War had bled color from everything, leaving nothing but a storm of gray.”

The Color of Water by James McBride

This is a powerful memoir and a quick read. It offers insight into the lives of both the author, James McBride, and his mother, Ruth, a white Jewish woman who married a black man n 1942, when interracial marriage was not only unaccepted but was cause for hatred and ostracism. McBride grows up as one of 12 children (!) who were raised primarily by their mother alone. This book is a tribute to her and her legacy, and I was constantly in awe of Ruth's resolve, strength, and refusal to let the opinions or actions of others sway her strong values. McBride is an engaging writer and each page rings with authenticity and emotion.

“It was always so hot, and everyone was so polite, and everything was all surface but underneath it was like a bomb waiting to go off. I always felt that way about the South, that beneath the smiles and southern hospitality and politeness were a lot of guns and liquor and secrets.”

Purple Hibiscus by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie

Wow! This novel was stunning. I returned to Adichie because I was such a fan of Americanah, and this novel didn't disappoint. The story takes place in Nigeria and is told through the eyes of 15-year old Kambili. She and her brother, Jaja, live a sheltered and very privileged lifestyle, as her father is an extremely successful businessman. The obedience of Kambili and Jaja, as well as their quiet, meek mother, soon makes sense, as we observe the abusive family dynamic. This powerful, engrossing novel includes political upheaval, religious fanaticism, and social protest and is ultimately a powerful coming-of-age novel that kept me engaged from the first page to the last.

“She seemed so happy, so at peace, and I wondered how anybody around me could feel that way when liquid fire was raging inside me, when fear was mingling with hope and clutching itself around my ankles.”