What a whirlwind these last two months have been. May was filled with birthdays, wine tastings, and bachelorette celebrations. In June, we traveled out to San Rafael, CA for a fantastic wedding weekend celebrating my brother and his new wife, and then had a double wedding weekend at the end of June. We also spent a lot of the last two months packing and finally moved into our new townhouse! I may or may not have spent the morning digging through every box of books just to find these titles for this picture, oh and I fractured my pinky toe this week after running into my vacuum cleaner.
Didn’t find much time to read, bake, or engage on Instagram between all the busy, but looking forward to a relaxing summer ahead!
Tell me what you’ve been up to the last few weeks!
Genre: Academic Literary Magical Realism
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
Format: Hardcover
Quick Synopsis: Nell Young was an up and coming star in the world of cartography, until her father curiously fired her from the prestigious Map Division of the New York Public Library, all seemingly over a junky highway folding map. Seven years later, after her father is found dead in his office, hiding the very last copy of the very same map, Nell sets out to discover what is so special about the map, and what dark mysteries it could be hiding.
Quick Review: This is quite literally everything I love in a book. A literary tale with a sprinkle of magic, grounded in the here and now, equal parts plot and character driven, a setting that is a character in itself, all served up in short well-written chapters that flow together seamlessly. And of course, the maps. I loved the storytelling style and one continuous narrative despite multiple POVs. I so appreciated the sense of wonder Shepherd brought using the weird wide world of maps. A fascinating love letter to adventurers and map-makers alike.
Who Should Read This: Anyone who likes a dark academic book. Anyone who likes Harry Potter. Anyone who still prefers to use a hardcopy map.
Genre: Mystery
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audiobook
Quick Synopsis: In the style of Murder on the Orient Express, Hercule Poirot finds himself once again entangled in an interconnected web of strangers who all have something to gain from the murder of one passenger on the Nile River.
Quick Review: I enjoyed the seemingly simple yet classic premise of Death on the Nile. A love triangle, a murder, lots of glitz and glamour, and one whip-smart handle-bar mustached detective. However, I didn't quite jive with this book as much as her other books. Maybe it's because I listened to it, and with so many characters and so much dialogue, that probably isn't the best way to take in an Agatha Christie (although, I'm sorry to say that the movie didn't redeem itself for me either). The pacing was also pretty off. The murder didn't occur until the midpoint of the book, which annoyed me at first, but by the end, I realized I think I liked the first half of book better than the second.
Who Should Read This: Anyone who likes old Hollywood glamour. Anyone who likes the game Clue. Anyone who likes cozy mysteries.
Genre: Social Commentary Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Hardcover
Quick Synopsis: Ike, a black man, is fifteen years out of jail, committed to keeping his record clean, but too late in accepting his son for being gay. Buddy Lee, a white ex-con with a drinking problem, also finds he has a lot to learn after realizing he screwed up bigtime with his family and son. When their married sons are brutally murdered, Ike and Buddy Lee come together on one last quest for vengeance.
Quick Review: Razorblade Tears is a shattering tale of regret, vengeance, and acceptance. It was interesting to watch Ike and Buddy Lee as they confront their own prejudices about and practice empathy for their sons and each other, and realize the fact that intent doesn't equal impact. But this book really tested me in a way that enlightened me - I had to really find a balance between having compassion for the two fathers and their journey, but also not excusing them from their past actions (and inactions). I always find it to be a testament to the author's writing when you find yourself with a flood of different emotions, not to mention, rooting for the antiheroes. While, at its core, Razorblade Tears will tug at your social conscience, the author never sacrifices plot and entertainment. There's a thrilling and fast-paced cinematic factor Cosby brings to each page. I'll just say you don't want to be on the shit-list of a lawn care business owner with a guilty conscience and a thirst for revenge.
Who Should Read This: Anyone who likes discussion about social issues. Anyone who likes to practice compassion. Anyone who doesn't mind a bit of gore.
Genre: Dystopian Oral History
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audiobook
Quick Synopsis: World War Z was a devastating apocalypse where the living dead plagued all corners of the Earth. But now that it’s in the past, Max Brooks documents the stories of survivors and their comrades, so the human dimension of the war may not be forgotten.
Quick Review: World War Z is an oral history, and the audiobook production did not disappoint. A full cast of characters really helped to differentiate the various experiences from each other. Each chapter was a complete story in its own right, and I was glad to not have to necessarily remember every little detail throughout the whole book. While each chapter was a complete story in their own right, there were definitely some I enjoyed more than others. I personally enjoyed the chapters with themes of survivalism and adapting to this new way of life, but there were many chapters that were way more political than I was expecting, and I enjoyed those less.
Who Should Read This: Anyone who is sad The Walking Dead is ending. Anyone who believes history is doomed to repeat itself. Anyone who likes the movie (don't worry, the book is completely different).
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