My Week in Books {8/19/20}

My kids started school today…and they could not be happier! (I never thought I’d say that sentence, but they were not fans of remote learning AT ALL.) At both of their back-to-school nights, the teachers and administration were so happy to be back in the schools with the students too. I feel confident in the procedures our district have put in place, but I also feel like it won’t last long…and the kids will be back to learning from home sooner than later. I think all of us are going to enjoy it while it lasts!

Anyway, before moving onto some #minibookreviews, here are some recent posts:

• Last Year I Was Reading…
• My Week in Books {8/12/20}
• T5T: Books Where Something Went Right

What have you been reading (and loving) this week?

Last Week’s Reads:

📖 The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

I’m really not one for classics so it’s no surprise that I knew nothing about Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. For that reason alone, I found this story fascinating as publishers around the world fought to get this book our from behind the Iron Curtain. I was also reminded of a podcast I listened to recently that explores the possibility that the CIA wrote the Scorpions’ song, “Wind of Change” (though this happened in the 1990s, not the late 1950s as the book is set in). The whole idea of government’s meddling in each other’s politics and social structures has apparently been happening for quite some time, and while it totally freaks me out, it made for a page-turning story!

I suppose I was expecting more of a thrilling spy story, but as soon as I adjusted my expectations, I really enjoyed this story. It’s a piece of history I knew nothing about and I am more curious than ever about what’s written in Doctor Zhivago…but the Cliff’s Notes version is probably enough to satisfy my curiousity! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

There are three storylines at work here – 1855, 1925, and 2017. I personally really enjoyed two of the storylines (1855 and 1925) and felt that the third (2017) was more of a distraction than a contributor to the plot.

In the earlier timelines we follow Josephine, an enslaved Black girl in New Orleans. Her mother is a Revisioner – a spiritual leader among other women who has healing abilities and insight into the spiritual realm. Eventually, Josephine and her husband are able to buy the land live on and create a kind of coop among other Black friends. When a white woman moves in nearby, she begins to confide in Josephine…and also the members of her new “club” – the Ku Klux Klan.

I loved the themes of womanhood and maternity throughout…the value of familial relationships. It offered an interesting look at how often things stay the same, even after many, many years. There was a strong look at generational trauma and how that passes down through the years as well.

Overall, this little novel (less than 300 pages) packs a pretty big punch and I’m glad I finally pulled it off my #unreadshelf! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Currently Reading:

📖 Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

I’m about 40% into this one and so far I’m just lukewarm on the whole thing. The storyline feels overly tedious to me and I’m really hoping it starts coming together in a more cohesive way soon. I’ve broken each part into sections and I try to get through one part a day (each part is roughly 100 pages) to make this brick a little more manageable (the entire book is just under 800 pages). 😳

📱*** Stray by: Stephanie Danler

I’m about 65% into this one and I also feel lukewarm about it. Honestly, this is how my reading life has been lately – really nothing is grabbing my attention. Reading almost feels like a job…and that really sucks. I keep hoping the next book I pick up to read will be the one that pulls me out of this {week’s long} funk…

(#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.)