What to Read Next!

Libraries are open for curbside pickup!
Here are some books to reserve: 
(I added a mix of older and new because it's hard to wait on the reserve list for too long.)

 This was one of my favorite books from last year. It takes a tad to get into if you like your dialogue marked with quotations, but it is such an exciting adventure-journey story with some astounding twists. Currently reading this aloud to my 12-year-old.

  This is a thought-provoking story about the sacrifices women must make between career and motherhood and technological innovation that could change that. Reminiscent of the HBO documentary The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.

  This is on my to-read list. It just came out this year. It's historical fiction meets magical realism about the formation of Liberia. Liberia is a country created for the emancipated slaves of America, of which President Monroe was a supporter, and therefore why the capital, Monrovia, is named after him. 

   I'm always intrigued by thrillers, but have yet to read one that hasn't fallen flat for me. I think I'm always expecting a turn to the supernatural and find myself disappointed when it doesn't. I don't mind trying again with this though!

  Remember We Were Liars? I haven't read this one by the author yet and it seems to be a bit of departure from We Were Liars, being a romance of a sort, but I am willing to give her latest novel a go. 

 

 

  Another thriller, this time by an author very popular among middle school to high school readers, though this is an adult title. 

  I loved this retelling of the witch from The Odyssey. Even if you aren't too familiar with the Greek myth, you will love this beautifully written novel about a woman up against the most powerful of forces--the gods of Olympus!

  This was a great read a year ago, and an even more timely one today with the pandemic going on and quarantine just ended. Walker's Age of Miracles from 2012 is still one of my favorite books.

  On my to-read list. A story set in WWI-era Russia. A journey, a romance--sounds perfect!

  A thriller that is much more my style! It takes place back on earth after female astronaut Wells returns alone from a tragic incident in deep space. I love the mix of the family versus career issues and the stunning mystery of what happened with her crew.

Post-Quarantine Journal-June 14th

Did you miss me?

You probably didn't notice there hadn't been a post for a while. That's okay, I understand; it's been nice out, we're allowed to carefully socialize, the pools are open(!) and there's been many more important things in the news to pay attention to. 

I've still been writing. I finished and submitted my short story after much agonizing over revisions. 

I've actually started several posts within the last few weeks. But nothing I wrote seemed to express the restless, uneasy time I was going through.

I wrote one about how I'm not ready for quarantine to end. 

Another on books coming out in May (old news now).

       

Another about quarantine ending before our story has fully played out. 

Where are the lessons learned? Where is the enlightenment we were supposed to reach? Where are the world leaders banding together to enforce the changes we saw were necessary--and possible?

     

And then George Floyd was murdered and protests started and anything I wrote seemed insignificant compared to supporting black people and the systemic racism they live with everyday. I hope the protests continue until something changes or something snaps.   

   

I'm currently reading Just Mercy which I had on reserve since February and had probably been sitting in the library for months before we could finally pick up reserves. Very timely, since it is an account of a lawyer's pursuit of justice, equality and compassion for (the predominantly) black and poor people caught up in the criminal justice system. It's pretty shocking at times and a sad testament to how this country treats its weakest.