Currently Reading: May
Here are a few of the titles I am enjoying this summer. Some of these I already finished and some are on the "Want to Read" list. I also just signed up to the Book of The Month Club Subscription service, which I am pretty stoked about. I am excited about it because every month you get a book, or books if you pick an add on, delivered right to your door. You get access to early releases and vetted quality of books. It is $14.99/month which comes up to be cheaper than new releases on Amazon. I did my comparison and some titles were $20+. You are not obligated to purchase books every month and you can skip anytime. This works perfect for me, because I also like to enjoy occasional visits to the library or local book shops and make my selections there. Oh, and they do not charge for shipping no matter how many books you get in a particular month. Here are the 3 books I picked for my first box :
The Great Alone
Written by an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 books, Kristin Hannah's latest release is a story about a Vietnam war vet who comes back home as a changed and volatile man and moves his family to the wilds of Alaska in search of a new beginning. It is a story of a family in crisis and the ultimate test for survival of its members.
Three Women
I am still on the fence about this one, but got lured in by the raving reviews (well... + #1 New York Times Bestseller, #1 Sunday Times Bestseller #1 Indie Next Pick). Lisa Taddeo, who is a talented journalist spent eight years documenting the lives of three women : Maggie, Lina and Sloane. The book portrays their sexual desires, their emotional pains, their struggles and losses.
The Vanishing Half
This book has been on my TBR (to be read list ) ever since it came out. It is a story of family relationships, the bonds of sisterhood, black identity, history, perception and race. I cannot wait to dive into this one!
If you are interested in checking out the Book of the Month Club, here is a link to join and get the first box for $9,99 (use PromoCODE NEW5 at checkout). I am not an affiliate with them, so I am not earning any income, just spreading the word about things that I find exciting.
Also, if you are interested in checking out my current reads and reviews, follow me on Goodreads app. I post updates there almost daily.
Here is what I have read so far this month:
Little Fires Everywhere
I was fortunate enough to have enough time to finish this book in one weekend. It has been a while since I was able to afford such a luxury leisure, so I dove in head first. I really enjoyed this engrossing and delectable suburban saga of two very different families, their relationships and their clashes. Although this is a work of fiction, this immersive and thought-provoking story is unearthing the complicated issues of race, class nuance, status, conformity and at the heart of it all - the layered complexities of motherhood, unfulfilled dreams, relationships between mothers and daughters, brothers and sisters.
My Grandma Asked Me to Tell you She is Sorry
This is a hilarious, endearing and deeply philosophical story about a 7 year old Elsa and her unusual, or as some would say crazy grandmother, who passes away and leads little Elsa on a "treasure hunt" - an adventure that will tell Elsa the whole story her grandmother's life, the place where she lives and the quirky neighbors that she is surrounded by. One of my favorite lines from the book is “Only different people change the world,” Granny used to say. “No one normal has ever changed a crapping thing.” It made me think of my own children and how they might perceive themselves in this world and society and what is my role as a mother in the formation of their character and view of themselves.
Untamed
Currently Reading, will finish the review once I finish. I am on page 90 and I am definitely hitting that cant-put-it-down honeymoon phase. I have already sobbed, laughed, questioned things, reconsidered my life and who I am as a wife, as a friend, as a citizen and of course my most important role these days as a mother. So far... WOW! Making lots of dog ears and working my way through with a pink highlighter. HA!