Another few months of travel means more time for reading. I knocked a lot of books off my hold list at the library this year. I’m linking up with my favorite book nerds, Steph & Jana, to share with you everything I’ve read lately.
Books I Loved
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
This is a story about children that were removed from their homes and sold in adoption scandals less than 100 years ago. It is historical fiction and the Tennessee Children’s Home was the center of a lot of scandals. I had never heard of this before, so I ended up doing a lot of reading in addition to this book. Children were ripped from their parents or in some cases, the parents were told their newborns had died during childbirth only to be sold to rich families. It’s heartbreaking and this story did a great job of winding a fictional story through this history.
Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg
Mayor Pete is one of the most popular public figures right now, but I knew very little about him. I loved his book. He breaks down his decision to run for mayor, the struggles he has had while in office, being deployed to Afghanistan and coming out. I feel like I have a much better understanding of his background now.
“WE DON’T ACTUALLY WANT TO GO BACK. We just think we do, sometimes, when we feel more alert to losses than to gains. A sense of loss inclines us, in vulnerable moments, to view the future with an expectation of harm. But when this happens, we miss the power of a well-envisioned future to inspire us toward greatness. Here, someone will say I should be careful, as a progressive, to go around speaking of greatness. Especially in this moment, when “make great” is the mantra of a backward populist movement, the word seems associated with the worst in our politics, its champions consumed by a kind of chest-thumping that seeks to drown out any voice that would point out the prejudice and inequality we still must overcome.“
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
After a little break from any books about WW2, I ended up with this one and the next on my list from the library at the same time. I read this book without knowing much and by the end, I was having a hard time believing the story. Once I realized that it was a true story, it changed my whole perspective of the book. What was unbelievable became a real miracle come true.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
I think anyone reading this book should know that it was a screen play to start, so the writing style is not the greatest. Similar to We Were the Lucky Ones, this is based on a true story and real characters. What a treat that this author was able to sit down and hear this story firsthand.
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I could not put this book down. I loved the way it was written like a series of interviews. I felt like I was getting a secret behind the scenes view of my favorite band. I hope someone makes this into a movie or a TV show just because I want the music to come to life.
“Let me tell you the sweet spot for being in rock ’n’ roll. People think it’s when you’re at the top but no. That’s when you’ve got the pressure and the expectations. What’s good is when everybody thinks you’re headed somewhere fast, when you’re all potential. Potential is pure fuckin’ joy.“
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ranter
We have been researching books and stories from the countries that we are visiting. A few books came recommended in Cambodia and we are on the library list for a few, but we found this one at a bookstore while visiting and bought it. It is a story of a family during the Khmer Rouge regime. It follows them while they are ripped from their home and moved around the countryside. I would recommend this to anyone to help learn more about Cambodia’s recent history and I’m so grateful our friend, Amy, put this on our radar.
Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado
As a sociology major, I’ve read lots of books about poverty in the US. This is the first book I’ve read from the point of view of someone living that life. Linda Tirado will make you laugh while also explaining the difficulty of living under the poverty line. It was a very quick read, but I learned quite a bit. I didn’t agree with everything she said, but that isn’t the point – it’s just an introduction to a different point of view and a very important one that is under represented.
“If you feel that something must be done before the villagers find their pitchforks, here is what you can do: Stop being a dick to service workers whenever possible. Start filling out those stupid surveys when someone’s done their job well, because they really do make us get a quota of them. Stop pretending you’re doing us a favor or performing some high moral duty by refusing to tip. And start admitting that you need us as much as we need you.”
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
I saw this on Chelsea’s latest book roundup and it sounded interesting. It happened to be instantly available from the library and in perfect time for the few days we had on the beach in Thailand. I finished it in less than 24 hours. Sometimes, you just need a book with an interesting mystery to devour quickly. I will definitely check out her other books.
Books I Liked
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin
I thought this was a great book, but I didn’t love how it all ended. Sometimes that can take a book from my “loved” list down to this part of the roundup. I wish it would have gone a different direction, but I still really liked it.
She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore
This book took me a while to get into, but I was curious enough to understand how it all played out. I wish this would have been a book club book for us because I found myself wanting to talk about it while reading it and definitely when I was done. If you’re read this, I’m curious what you thought. Did you find the historical part interesting or was it too far fetched for you?
I Love Yous are for White People by Lac Su
I picked this book up after we left Vietnam. It’s a memoir about a Vietnamese family that left after the war and came to the US. It isn’t easy to read, but it’s so important to hear these stories and understand more about the refugee experience from as many people as possible.
Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino
Click the title for this kindle for CHEAP right now. This is another great beach/pool read. Love story set in New York City. I flew through this in a few quick reading hours at the beach.
At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider
I liked this book a lot because there was a lot I could relate to in this chapter of life. It’s written by a mom that packs up her family and takes a year to travel the world. We have been to a few of the same places they visited and it’s fun for me to compare reactions to places. I love reading people’s travel stories and if you’re into that, definitely grab this book from the library.
The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
A good beach read – as most of her’s are. Identical twins separated by divorce and then brought back together by life’s events. It’s easy and entertaining.
The Others
Ratf**ked by David Daley
This book was about gerrymandering in the US. If you want to learn more about this issue, pick this up to read. If you aren’t interested, I wouldn’t recommend it. It gets a little dry at times and it took me a long time to finish it. It will make your blood boil multiple times, so beware.
The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass
This book was just fine for me. I liked the characters for the most part, but nothing really stuck with me after the fact and I read so many others that I would recommend. It was just OK.
Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
I loved The Book Thief and I was so excited to read another by this author. I just didn’t love it. His writing style is very different and I love trying to work through his story telling, but I just didn’t love this book. I finished it, but it wouldn’t be one I recommend.
Have you read any of these? I’m finally “on track” for my reading goal of 75 books this year, but our next few weeks will be very busy with my mom meeting us in Australia for a road trip. Are you following along here yet? We will have all kinds of Kangaroo photos to share.
