Pic1, June Books I read,
Pic2, Book I reread,
Pic3&4, June Books I’m still reading.
Piper Huguley’s “By Her Own Design: The Story of Ann Lowe, Society’s Best-Kept Secret,” delivered even more than I’d hoped for. Ann’s voice rang out, telling the hard story of her childhood in the South, to her successes and failures as a seamstress and designer in New York, such as for Jacqueline Kennedy’s dress. Romantic but real, I highly recommend. Great book club choice.
Next is Geraldine Brook’s “Horse,” which is her best yet!! It explores the full gambit of an incredible horse paired with a very talented Black trainer, as well as the collectors that attain a portrait of them, and it’s off to the races. Amazing.
“Woman of Light,” by Kali Fajardo-Anstine, is a story about the past/future of an indigenous family in the West. Page-turning portrayal.
“Last Call at the Nightingale,” by Katharine Schellman, is an engaging speak-easy come-of-age mystery set in New York, days amazingly like our own. I loved this story for it’s characters, setting, and plotting. Will certainly read the next installment.
My first Mary Kay Andrews, “The Home Wreckers,”was great fun—page-turner beach cozy mystery.
Manda Scott’s Boudicca is my brain candy. My #histfic tastes are running to more olden days, especially in regards to women fighting great forces. Wonder why.
I missed Chanel Cleeton’s “Next Year in Havana,” when published, so made up for it by reading the series about this expat family of the Cuban Revolution. Great series, the latest of which, “Our Last Days in Barcelona,” was just published.
I reread/listened to the esteemed Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” because it keeps coming up as needing to be banned. I strongly disagree. For those who care about the unborn, surely you also care about the unfortunates who are victims of incest. This book doesn’t glorify that, just deftly tells a story of Black women/girls. A story that breaks my heart/teaches, so much. Girls and women are victims of sex crimes. That is the truth. It’s even in the Bible, right there, plain as day, not hidden. Banning books such as these that explore a story which may be much different than yours, only protects the perpetrators.
Of course, I’m in support of the book because it’s written by Toni Morrison, master writer, Nobel Prize winner, Pulitzer Prize winner, and because it’s a story of suffering that We all need to more fully understand see and understand. I do agree that parents can make decisions for their teens, but why not let your teen read it and have a conversation with them about it? That is my definition of good parenting. Especially considering what all they get their hands, ears, and eyes on anyway.
As to the books I’m reading but haven’t finished, I’m out of space but can say that they are awesome/necessary, though some are very heavy while some are magical and all make me think.