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*Audiobook Challenge 2022 : "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd: My heart needed this book in July. It's one of the last books I wrote a full blog post about on this little bloggy blog before I went on siesta. I had a different book picked out for July, but I'm glad this was my book. The tale of courage, overcoming racism and the beautiful exploration of "chosen family" was a coooool glass of lavender lemonade in my world. This book continues to reside on the list of books I will read or listen to when I need to be reminded of the power of standing up to your fears and standing up for the people in your life who are persecuted. Rated PG-13 for heavy themes centered around racism, domestic violence and addiction.
A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier: I have read other books by this author and she does a great job with descriptive writing that keeps me turning the pages. This book is another coming of age book (I like those, can you tell) about a woman who leaves her closed up life as a spinster and forges her own path in the city. When she arrives in the city she finds a group of women who come together to embroider cushions for the local church. The friendship that builds between the women is beautiful and I felt like I was part of their group as they talked about their individual struggles with being a woman in a time that didn't accept women in the workplace and general society unless there was a war and they were the only option. This was a lovely book to listen to while I drove for work and needed something to listen to in my office. Rated PG for mild life themes, but as I recall it wasn't too sordid.
The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair: This book was a powerhouse. Last month I talked about enjoying books that take me on a journey of different cultures and time periods of history that are unfamiliar. This book fit the bill and then some. Wow. It also had an element of mystery that I did not see coming and when all was revealed I was speechless and maybe my eyes leaked a bit. This story is set in India and portrays a family who have their own biases and struggles and the young protagonist doesn't really understand why everyone is so at odds with life. Then she discovers something in the "secret garden" on the family's property and everything changes quickly. A topsy turvy tale that I really loved listening to and hardly stopped listening until I knew the resolution. Rated PG-13 for dark themes centered around racism, keeping secrets, abuse and manipulation.
Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson: I had high hopes for this book and it was a bit of a snoozer. Luckily it wasn't too long and I enjoyed it enough to finish, but I'm not sure I will recommend it to anyone. It has a similar premise to Guernsey in that letters are exchanged after a mysterious address is found in a book (so not safe in this day and age) and ultimately the plan is for the two people to meet at the museum they love so much. I was underwhelmed and maybe hoped for it be as wonderful as Guernsey and set myself up. Nonetheless, it's a mild read and I would say a solid PG.
My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie: July was Q3 recharge vacay which meant I picked a 500+page book off my wish list. Oh, sister, that Eliza! She was a champion who deserves so many more accolades than a catchy tune in a Broadway musical. While I was reading it I wrote the following on my personal Facebook page, "hats off to Eliza. Between the wars, babies (living and deceased), adultery by Hammy while she was pregnant, contracting yellow fever and mobs on her doorstep OFTEN -- I don't know how she did it. American women originate from some hearty stock who put up with a lot of shit before they could vote, earn a living and own property. A lot of sacrifice that I honor with gratitude." This book was VERY GOOD. The authors did an exceptional job at researching the facts and intertwining them with the fiction that kept me reading. This one took me longer than a week to read, but I powered through and it was good to the last word. Rated heavy PG-13/low grade R for tales of war, adultery, death and sadness. HOWEVER -- this sits in the Top Five of 2022 and is definitely worth your time and rounded out the patriotic month for me.
As always, thanks for stopping by my cozy book nook to catch up on my random reviews!
Until next time, my lovelies,
-R
