Good evening, friends. Welcome to episode 3 of Speed Read Wednesday. Starting next week, anything I share here will be linked to bookshop.org. If you decide to purchase from them, I’ll receive a small commission towards buying more books. Since February is Black History Month, I will be primarily reading Black authors, but I’m also still catching up sharing my January reads so tonight’s list is a mish-mash of titles. Enjoy!
March Vol 1 - 3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell
Format: Paperback Graphic; Library copy
Reason for reading: Black History Month and these have been on my reading list for years
Plot summary: Biographical retelling of John Lewis’s life as a member of SNCC, a freedom rider and a Civil Rights activist.
My Response: Spectacular. I love the art, the juxtaposition of the events in the 1960’s with Obama’s inauguration in 2009, everything. The history of America is heavy and the only way to do better is to understand where we started, and how very little has changed.
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Format: Digital/ Kindle; Library e-book
Reason for reading: Black History Month
Plot summary: A rural noir set in East Texas. Darren Matthews, a black Texas Ranger, faces deadly racism, rural reticence and his own demons in an attempt to solve the murder of a black man and a white girl.
My Response: The sense of place in this book is visceral and brilliant. Darren Matthews is a deeply flawed, deeply relatable protagonist and the cultural examination is unapologetic.
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen
Format: Audiobook/ Everand
Reason for reading: Black History Month. This series has caught my eye for several years
Plot summary: A slice-of-life story about life as a black woman. Tabitha Walker is trying to live the American Dream when her life takes an unexpected turn which brings her to a reexamination of everything down to her most intimate relationships.
My Response:
Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau
Format: Paperback copy. Owned
Reason for reading: Self-education; husbands new job with the disabled community
Plot summary: Basic history, explanations and simple do’s and don'ts about the diverse disability community.
My Response: An excellent starter book for anyone who has questions they are afraid to ask, or who simply wants to gain understanding.
Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stephenson
Format: Digital ARC/ Kindle
Reason for reading: Sequel to Everyone in My Family has Murdered Someone
Plot summary: Ernest Cunningham is back for another tongue-in-cheek meta-mystery, this time on a train as part of a mystery writers festival.
My Response: Not unenjoyable, but continuing with this premise could overplay the playful tone of the original. Hopefully this author hasn’t locked himself into one writing trick.
Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala
Format: Paperback Library copy
Reason for reading: Book club selection; personal interest
Plot summary: Sonali Deraniyagala lost her best friend, her parents, her husband and her two sons in the Boxing Day tsunami in Sri Lanka. This book opens on the day of the tsunami and follows her journey for the next five years.
My Response: Raw, heartbreaking, and very, very honest. While I still can’t imagine how a person carries this experience, I am glad Sonali Deraniyagala shared her story.
Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case
Format: Hardcover graphic novel; Library copy
Reason for reading: Dystopic children’s graphic novel where the solution is butterflies? SIGN ME UP!
Plot summary: This graphic novel adventure tells the story of 10-year-old Elvie and her crucial mission to save humanity from extinction after a sun shift has changed life on earth as we know it.
My Response: I really appreciate any author who can take adult themes and make them accessible to children. This is a well written exploration of power, interconnectedness, community and innovation in a story of ecological disaster without feeling terrifying over overwhelming.
A Man is no Woman by Etaf Rum
Format: Hardback, Library copy
Reason for reading: On my TBR for more than a year; book club read
Plot summary: The heartbreaking and yet hopeful story of Isra and her daughter Deya, both members of a conservative Arab family living in America told in alternating timelines.
My Response: This book was so hard to read and yet so, so good. I can’t wait to discuss it with my book club.
The View From Down Here by Lucy Webster
Format: Hardback, Library copy
Reason for reading: Learning about people with disabilities
Plot summary: A memoir of Lucy Webster, a young woman born with CP, her struggles and her triumphs.
My Response: I am so glad I read this book! I love Lucy’s fierce and informative memoir about life as a person with disabilities. Her story is honest and vulnerable but not one that evokes pity. I genuinely want to personally meet this brilliant and funny human!
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Format: Digital/ Kindle
Reason for reading: A 2024 reading goal is to rediscover classics classics
Plot summary: An iconic short novel about life in the 1920’s for the bored and wealthy
My Response: I hated this book in high school, but appreciated it much more on the second reading.
The Phoenix Crown by Janie Change and Kate Quinn
Format: Digital ARC/ Kindle
Reason for reading: Swoony love for Kate Quinn
Plot summary: Historical fiction set in the days prior to the devastating San Francisco earthquake in 1906. A group of women find themselves thrown together by life circumstances and take on a diabolical, wealthy
My Response: This book was different from Kate Quinn’s usual fare, but quite enjoyable.