Category: Books

River of Fire: On Becoming an Activist by Sister Helen Prejean – Audio book read by the author.
I had read Dead Man Walking the year the company I was working for presented the opera based on the book. What struck me about the book Dead Man Walking was how Sister Helen’s arguments against the death penalty were in large part very logical assertions grounded in the socio-economic injustices of the criminal justice system. River of Fire, however, is a more personal book; it details her childhood and how she came to enter the novitiate and the events that led up to the start of her work with death row inmates. Indeed the last line of the book is the first line of Dead Man Walking. Sister Helen is so smart, articulate, and charismatic, but also self-aware, humble and hilarious. I really enjoyed reading about how her work and life played out against the backdrop of Vatican II.

A Life’s Work by Rachel Cusk – 4h 20m. A very raw and honest account of new motherhood and how can tear you apart and then force you to rebuild yourself. I read these essays feeling as if Cusk really understood a lot of what I struggle with when I consider being a mother, particularly the sense of panic that there will never again be enough time in life. Her writing is dry to the point of being somber, but then when I read it outloud to my husband, it was actually quite funny because she captures so many of the ridiculous moments of being a parent – her account of a weekend with kids is priceless.

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom – 10h 22m.
“I did not yet understand the psychic cost of defining oneself by the place where you are from.”
Broom’s memoir about growing up in New Orleans East and how where you are from informs who you are. It is somewhat a misnomer to call this a memoir because it is also the story about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – who is able to recover and who isn’t, recovery vs. abandonment. I read this while the California wildfires were raging. I was struck by how the two incidents are so much the same in terms of devastation, but so different in terms of response and recovery. It seems like we are at a point when hurricane season is barely a blip in the news cycle, even though the road to recovery for the affected areas is so much more difficult economically, socially, and politically.

A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds – Audiobook read by the author.
This YA book is written in verse, which was one of the reasons Reynolds wanted to read the audio book himself. It is lyrical, breathless, tragic, and angry. The book takes place within the seconds that the elevator takes to travel to the ground floor as the teenage main character is on his way to avenge his brother’s death. At each floor, someone gets on, that makes him question the narrative of his life as a young black man.

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas – 6h 46m.
The latest installment of Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series that reimagines Sherlock Holmes as a woman. I really enjoy Thomas’ writing. Her characters are never easy to get to know or to like, which often turns me off when I’m reading fiction. Somehow, however, these characters fascinate me, and I wante to read on. This book was not as twisty as the previous ones in the series – it was actually pretty straight forward for a Sherry Thomas book.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler – Audiobook ready by the author and friends.
I like audiobooks that have a twist, and this one, with guest narrators, certainly did. I’ve never watched Parks and Rec, but this book often shows up on lists next to Tina Fey’s Bossypants. Bossypants was one of the first audiobooks that I loved – it made me laugh and laugh, and I was hoping Yes Please would be in the same vein. I didn’t love it as much as Bossypants, but I did enjoy the backstage stories and Poehler’s insights into how entertainment is made.

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani (translated from the French by Sam Taylor) – 3h 50m. Unsettling novel about the relationship between two women – a nanny and the lady who hires her. I kept seeing this book pop up on “best ” lists, but I don’t think it was entirely to my taste. All the characters were really self absorbed and unpleasant, and ultimately the plot left one with more questions than answers. Perhaps that the feeling of instability is the point of the novel.

Not as many books read in September, mostly because one of my reads was quite intense and lengthy. I also probably did more random internet surfing this month than usual – probably a result of COVID fatigue starting to wear on me.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson – 4h 35m. Funny, touching read. Lillian, the main character, is asked by her wealthy childhood friend to come care for her stepchildren who have a strange behavioral quirk. TBeneath this seemingly satirical story, is a contemplation of class, wealth, and how we create and maintain connections while figuring out what you really want in your life. One of my favorite quotes:
“Maybe raising children was just giving them the things you loved most in the world and hoping that they loved them too.”

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan – Audiobook narrated by Mark Bramhall, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews, and Rebecca Soler. This was actually a middle grade book, something I didn’t realize until I was a couple chapters in. It’s a magical, musical, and engrossing story that tells three different stories which somehow intertwine. It is a story about music, specifically a harmonica, and the people who find joy and solace in owning it. Part of the charm of the audiobook is that musical excerpts that are prominent in the story are incorporated into the audio experience.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown – 15h 45m. This classic recounts the bloody, brutal, and heart-breaking story of the conflict between Native Americans and the White people who settled the American West, taking ownership of land that, to the Native Americans, didn’t really belong to anyone. In the opposition between the drive for growth and “progress” on the one hand, and peaceful earth-conscious living on the other, bloody, cruel, and desperate conflicts seemed inevitable. This was a hard book to read for me because it is hard to imagine how reparations can be made when the country that we are now is so different from the country that was taken from the Native Americans.

Limelight by Amy Poeppel – 6h 49m. Light, fun, fluffy novel about a woman who befriends a trainwreck of a pop star about to make his Broadway debut. She attempts to help him get his life on track, while trying to keep her own life together. The scenes that took the reader into the rehearsal process made me miss work and the excitement and energy of creating theatre.

I actually got a fair amount of reading done the month. A lot of the books that came off my holds list had long wait lists; there was an urgency to finish them since it would be a while until I would be able to borrow them again.

After the Wedding by Courtney Milan – 6h 24m. Milan is one of my favorite authors, and she happens to write historical romance novels. I love that her books are smart, funny, and detailed and that her characters are complex and diverse. This one was intriguing to me in that it featured a hero whose father is a Black abolitionist, though I’m not sure how realistic the hero’s experience in Victorian England was. The fact that he was Black seemed to be important and trivial at the same time. Milan’s plots have never been her strong suit, but her novels are more about characters than plot.

The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead – 7h 43m. This was a dense, complex novel about elevator inspectors, specifically the first female Black elevator inspector in an unnamed metropolitan city. There is some brilliantly allegorical writing here.

Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson (audiobook narrated by Stevenson) – Stevenson leads the Equal Justice Initiative, which seeks to challenge inequities in the criminal justice system. A lot of his work deals with death row inmates, and people who are in prison for life – which, he phrases not as, “sentenced to life in jail”, but rather as “sentenced to die in prison.” This book is about the work he does to fight for prisoner’s rights and freedoms. His sense of compassion and ability to be clear eyed and empathetic at the same time is inspiring. Stevenson makes both gutwrenching and logical arguments for reform to the criminal justice system. He says at one point, “It is easier to be white and guilty than Black and innocent.” Another striking comment he made is how he calls anti-death penalty activists “abolitionists”. That really led me to realize that like 19th century abolitionists, these activists are looking to abolish something unfair and cruel. Years ago I read Sister Helen Prejean’s memoir Dead Man Walking, and I thought Just Mercy was similar in the way it balanced the demographic facts of death row inmates with their personal story.

Normal People by Sally Rooney – 4h 25m. A novel that follows two people from high school through graduation from college, charting the ebb and flow of their complicated relationship. Sometimes at night, after I put the three year old to bed, I lie next to him and read to myself until he falls asleep. Often he asks me to read my book aloud to him. This was one of those books. Not entirely appropriate in terms of language or situation. Oops. All in all, I was pretty lukewarm about this book. Maybe the angst of entering into one’s early twenties isn’t my favorite topic anymore. While I have great empathy for anyone going through that youthful turmoil, I’ve been there and don’t wish to return.

No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Hurt Us by Rachel Louise Snyder – 10h 26m. This was a really eye-opening book about domestic violence. Snyder looks at the issue from the viewpoint of victims, abusers, and institutions, combining research with profiles of real people. She gives a really compelling and sobering account of the reality of domestic violence and the obstacles to ending it. She really highlights how the shame, secrecy, and fear of violent relationships makes it difficult to prevent. In her view, domestic violence is a process; there are clear steps and indicators and progressions to how it plays out, often tragic ones. She advocates for implementing systems where these indicators are recognized and addressed, where women are empowered, where men are taught to resist sexist and violent cultural narratives, and where the resources of a community can work together. It was interesting to read this alongside Just Mercy – both books talk about how we as a society need to pay more attention to preventing crimes rather than reacting to tragedies.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – 6 h 24 m. Engrossing. This book was about the trainwreck of a family imploding, and I couldn’t put it down. Spoiler alert: I understand the Hulu adaptation starts with a mystery. The book gives away the answer to the mystery in the first chapter. (Sorry, Husband!)

On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman (audiobook narrated by Mia Barron) – Breezy, funny, and light. The main character works for a private school, buys a house and life unfolds as a mysterious photo album is found in the attic. It’s a novel about sweet cute people with their sweet cute problems. Everyone is good and the dangers we face in our lives are our own inhibitions.

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversation by Mira Jacob – 2h 35m. Graphic novel written by an Indian American author detailing conversations that she has with her mixed race son at a time when being not white can be complicated and difficult. Jacob explores questions of what it means to be a “good” minority, and how that can’t protect you when someone gets into office that preaches a rhetoric harmful to people who look like you. Her son was born when Obama was elected the first time, and of that she writes, “… and suddenly there was a new place for you in the world.” I hope I can have such honest conversations with my children as they grow.

Dear Girls by Ali Wong – 4h 54m. Funny, raw, open, and a little graphic, in this book, Wong writes a series of letters to her daughters. She muses on being the daughter of immigrants, a comedian, a woman and a mother. So much of what Wong writes in this book really resonated with me. My favorite line: “Asian women live forever, and having kids is like a 401(k) for companionship.”

I actually got quite a lot of reading done in July. I had books that I was really excited to read with some really powerful, forward moving narratives.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – 6h 24m. Novel about light skinned black twins, one of whom leaves their small Louisiana town and passes for white, and the other who returns home with a dark skinned daughter. It’s an intergenerational story. There is so much to unpack in this book about how our past is part of us, even when we re-invent ourselves. Particularly heavy is the idea of what burdens can you escape, and which ones you carry with you always especially when you are black. I also found the relationships between the characters so fascinating, and how the most “successful” couples were the ones that couldn’t get married.

Lady Be Good by Meridith Duran – 5h 32m. So one of my not so guilty pleasures is reading romance novels, mostly historical romances. I like the escapism of knowing there is a going to be happily ever after at the end, and the big emotions, that seem out of date to write about these days. I do tend to be pretty picky about which romance novels I read, though. The writing has to be smart, but not too anachronistic, and the plots not too ridiculous. The women have to be able to save themselves and the heroes can be a little tortured, but not so much that they are unkind or cliched. I had actually read this book before, but I didn’t remember that until about a third of the way through the book. But it still holds up. It’s about Lilah who works at an auction house, and Viscount Palmer, who strikes a deal with her to help him catch a crazy stalker. The plot is just minimal enough of a framework for some really great characters.

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman – audio book read by Michael Sheen. The is the second book in the Book of Dust Trilogy. Like all second books in a trilogy, it is a little unsatisfying in that you still don’t know where the story is going. But it was a good adventure and some really beautiful musings about growing up and growing apart from those you love.

Quozl by Alan Dean Foster – Hard copy, so no reading stats. Over ten years ago, my husband and I did a book swap of our favorite books as teenagers. I had him read Jane Eyre; he handed me this book. I finally got around to reading this dog-eared copy. Well, mostly. The first chapter is missing half its pages. (But then I asked myself – are the first fifteen pages of a book really that important?). Anyway it’s a story of a group of aliens that come to America and secretly settle in Idaho. It was slow to start (which I guess explains why it took me ten years to read it), but the story ended up being quite far reaching. It’s a little unsubtle in it’s criticism of human foibles, but was entertaining nonethe less. I realize that one thing I like about hard copies of books is being able to physically hold my progress in my hands.

Last Boat out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese who Fled Mao’s Revolution by Helen Zia – 11h 37m. I picked up this book because I wanted to read a book about some part of Asian history. This non fiction book tells the story of four people who grow up as Shanghai falls to the Communists, and about each of their survival paths. I am embarrassed to say that even though my parents are from Taiwan, I know very little about the history of how Chiang Kai Shek came to bring his soldiers there and terrorized the people of the island. That is actually a very small part of the book, but I found it fascinating. I was struck by how all these events are not so far removed from us today. I mean the events in the book took place around the time my mother was born. Also – funny is that despite the different paths the people in the book took to survival, they all somehow ended up in the United States eventually. I’ve long been fascinated with stories of immigration and the things that lead people to uproot their lives and start somewhere new.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood – 6h 58m. Sequel to the Handmaid’s Tale. This was definitely less cerebral than the Handmaid’s Tale, much more plot driven. I could definitely tell that it was written, as Atwood says, as a response to people wondering what happens at the end of Handmaid’s Tale. But I feel like that question mark at the end of the first book was what made it so successfully unsettling.

All Our Wrongs Today by Elan Mastai – Audio book read by author. An average (or really slightly less than average) son of a brilliant scientist living in a slick Utopian version of the present uses his father’s time machine to travel back in time and ends up changing the course of things to our very pedestrian present. It was trippy and a little mind bending with the concepts of time travel and changing futures, but it had a lot of humour, heart and beautiful things in it, about realizing how the things that are important should be important no matter what world we live in. It was a fun listen, and the end really choked me up.

I didn’t get as much reading done in June as I had hoped. I think I need to be better at using reading to fill time rather than scrolling the internet. But still, some good reads. I spent much of my June reading life thinking about the advantages that I have and how hard it must be to navigate in a world in which you don’t fit into the dominant image of what a successful person looks like.

White Fragility by Robin D’Angelo – (6h 22m). I had placed this book on my holds list months ago, and ironically it came off my holds list the day George Floyd was killed. I have mixed feelings about this book in that I feel like the people who are likely to read it, probably are those who are already open to its ideas, and thus least likely to need to read it. The concept of the book feels a little like “preaching to the choir.” Also, D’Angelo defines “racism” and “white supremacy” in a way that neutralizes them, I think in an attempt to make them inclusive terms rather than divisive terms. I’m not sure that rhetoric works, though.

Reading this book is likely to be a very personal experience, and I don’t know that it’s a book one should recommend that others read- you kind of have to come to it yourself. I’m not white, but a lot of what D’Angelo writes about does hit home for me both as a POC and as a “model minority”. What I found compelling is how she asks us to recognize white as a race, recognize the implications of there being a dominant culture in this country, and recognize that those in the minority cannot enact change without the help of those in power. I wanted the book to be more useful than it was, though, I guess that actionable items was not the point of the book. It is meant to be a starting point. There was a great reading/ resource list at the back of the book, however.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin – (time – didn’t track). I remember my brother reading this book when we were little and he raved about it. It was a smart, fun read. More timely than I would have expected.

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson – (3h 31 mins). This time/narrative bending book about three black families in Brooklyn was another hold that came through at a opportune point. Interestingly my friend was talking to me about the Tulsa race riots the day before I started reading this, and the Tulsa race riots played a formative part of the life of one family in this book. Indeed, I think a lot of this book is about how our past influences and informs our present, no matter how much we think we can strike out on our own and leave our family behind. At the same time, it is difficult to overcome generations of systemic racism and challenges without other people having faith in you. As always, when I read books, the way parenthood plays out in them resonate with me the most. I loved this quote, the father’s thoughts at a coming of age ceremony, and the encapsulation of the passage of time and stages:

“But what is the father of the child supposed to do with his hands? His big open hands. Where were they supposed to go when all they wanted was to reach out for his child, hug her, hide her from the world? These hands that learned at seventeen how to snatch smelly diapers away from her tiny body, rub A&D ointment over her rashed behind, hold her util the stinging stopped, until the crying stopped. Hold her- over his shoulder with his massive hand behind her fragile head, then on his chest, in his lap, in his arms, on his back, on his shoulders, his hand on her shoulder as she scooted too fast away from him….”

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal, narrated by Meera Sayal – Audiobook. Fun listen, though probably a little more racy than I expected, given that I listen to audiobooks a lot around my children. But the plot, involving a woman who gets a job teaching English at her local Sikh community center, alternates heavy and light, ultimately leaning towards heavy. I liked the characters and how the book addresses the invisibility and frustration of older women.

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West – (4h, 39m). Funny, but also sad and infuriating. West’s writing – about being fat, about feminism, about how dehumanizing society can be to people who don’t fit a certain mold, namely white and ideally male – is raw, powerful, dramatic, visceral. It was interesting to read Lindy Wests’s book in the current racially charged climate. Much like how racism is rooted in systematic oppression by a dominant culture, there are really strong societal prejudices against people who are overweight that put them at an incredible disadvantage. From concrete things like how things are not built to accommodate large people, and indeed there is no incentive for companies to change that, to the more subtle messaging about how overweight people are undesirable. She also writes some really powerful stuff about the white male culture of comedy and the misogyny it perpetuates. She writes for a more inclusive world, for freedom of choice, for society choosing to be better. It’s a really good book.

“The only answer is decide we’re worth helping.”