(#partner #freebooks: All books noted by asterisks (***) indicate I received the book for free from the publisher, the author, or another promotional company to review. All opinions are my own.)
We started Spring Break last week, but we have a family vacation planned for April so we’re not doing anything. I mean, why would we go when the kids don’t have school!?!? 🤷🏼♀️ Anyway, the weather is turning spring-like with rainy days and warmer temperatures. Spring is my favorite time of year so I’m loving it!
Last Week’s Reads:
- *** A Grip of Time by: Lauren Kessler (Red Lightning Books) Pub Date: May 1, 2019
- I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. Investigative journalism can sometimes feel dry and boring, but Kessler brought such humanity to the topic of prison reformation. I really enjoyed this book; mostly, hearing from the prisoners themselves. (Read my full review here.)
- Next Year in Havana by: Chanel Cleeton (Berkley) – Pub Date: February 6, 2018
- I read this one last year and it was one of my favorite books of the year! In preparation of Cleeton’s next book, When We Left Cuba, I thought it would be a good time to reread this one. It was just as good as the first time! (Read my full review here.)
- Five Feet Apart by: Rachel Lippincott (Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers) – Pub Date: November 20, 2018)
- My daughter and I read this one as a read-aloud and we both loved it. There were some mature themes (boyfriend/girlfriend, kissing, sexual body references) that I skipped over so I’m glad we read this one together. It was a great story and we’re excited to check out the movie coming out soon! (Read my full review here.)
- Dear Martin by: Nic Stone (Ember) – Pub Date: September 4, 2018
- A small book (just barely over 200 pages), but it packs a huge punch. In response to so many young Black (unarmed) men being gunned down by law enforcement in recent news, Stone delivers a book that addresses the subtle racism that is so present in today’s world. Eye-opening, revealing, and honest, this is a must read for everyone! (Read my full review here.)
- *** The Other Americans by: Laila Lalami (Pantheon) – Pub Date: March 26, 2019
- An immigrant from Morocco is killed in a hit-and-run accident. From there, each chapter is a new person’s perspective – the daughter, the wife, an old high school friend of the daughter, the investigative cop, and even the dead man – on what was happening leading up to, and then past, the accident. I loved the writing of this one and will have a full review up tomorrow (on its Pub Day)!
- *** Renegade Women in Film and TV by: Elizabeth Weitzman (Clarkson Potter) – Pub Date: February 5, 2019
- A quick and fun book about women trailblazers – both past and present – in the film and television industry! A great book to have read during Women’s History Month, too!
- *** In Another Time by: Jill Cantor (Harper Perennial) – Pub Date: March 5, 2018
- When Hannah wakes up in a field clutching her beloved violin, she has no idea how she got here or what’s happened the last ten years of her life. During that time lapse, WWII has happened and the world is very different than the last memory she has. While I loved the fresh perspective of this one, there were some problematic things for me. I will dive deeper into this one with a full review next Monday!
- *** 🎧 Cherry by: Nico Walker (Knopf) – Pub Date: August 14, 2018
- Suzie’s (from the Tattered Cover) recommendation made me get this one immediately! I LOVED the narrator, Jeremy Bobb, and he deserves a 5-star rating alone. As a semi-autobiographical novel written by Nico Walker from his prison cell, this one is interesting, to say the least. Gritty, raw, and vulgar, it’s definitely not for everyone. I’ll have a full review in the next week!
Currently Reading/Listening:
- *** The Mastermind: Drugs, Murder, Betrayal by: Evan Ratliff (Random House) – Pub Date: January 29, 2019
- We’re about to take a family vacation to see my in-laws and one of my favorite things to do is share books with my father-in-law who reads very quickly. I chose this book because it sounds right up his alley. I was hoping for a follow-up to Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (my #minireview here) that would be just as engaging!
- *** We Cast A Shadow by: Maurice Carlos Ruffin (One World) – Pub Date: January 29, 2019
- This one has been on my radar f.o.r.e.v.e.r. so I’m prioritizing now! It sounds sooo good and the few reviews I’ve read have been great!
Likely to Read Next:
- *** #IMomSoHard by: Kristin Hensley & Jen Smedley (HarperOne) – Pub Date: April 2, 2019
- I have a feeling this one is going to be hugely funny…or a huge flop. Humor can be hard, but I’m hoping it’s just the light read I’m currently craving!
- *** When We Left Cuba by: Chanel Cleeton (Berkley) – On Shelves: April 9, 2019
- Well, what can I say? I’ve been waiting to read this one since I got approved on NetGalley, but I really wanted to wait until I was closer to the release date. The time has finally arrived and I can’t wait to dive into this one!!
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by: Oyinkan Braithwaite (Doubleday) – Pub Date: November 20, 2018)
- I have yet to see a bad review on this one! Everyone seems to love it and I’m in the mood for something unique!
Tell me, friends, what’s been your favorite reads lately?
Happiest When Reading 
I really loved Women Talking even though it was an odd book. There’s no action, which I know will turn a lot of people off, but the premise and where the author goes with it still has me thinking days later.
I finished The Other Americans as well, but am going to wait to read your review until after mine is written so it doesn’t influence me!
In Another Time was too weak for me. My favorite book of hers is The Hours Count.
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I just DNF’d Women Talking…I could not get into it. I could see how it would make one think though. I tried it digitally and I think I may retry it in an actual book.
I can’t wait to read your review of The Other Americans!
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