Book recommendations run the gamut from fun to sobering

Non-fiction first this month!

 

“A Fever in the Heartland” by Timothy Egan is a difficult but timely read about the KKK rising to take over the state of Indiana in the 1920s. It includes a shocking description of religious leaders promoting hate and intolerance and politicians taking bribes to enact gross

injustice to innocent citizens of our country. Only by the death-bed testimony of a brave woman was the brutal reign of D.C. Stephenson ended.

 

“The Wager” by David Grann, author of “Lost City of Z” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is the tale of an ill-fated voyage in 1740. A British ship sets after a Spanish galleon and its treasure only to wreck off the coast of South America. How many of the crew made it back to their home shores is astonishing. Although the audiobook performance is outstanding, I do not recommend it unless you are experienced with listening to books with many characters and complex relationships. 

 

The fiction selections this month run the gamut of fun to sobering. Take your pick.

 

“Community Board” by Tara Conklin is a fun read with several characters you may have on your own street. A millennial dumped by her husband seeks refuge at her parents’ home in the Berkshires. Local politics ensue.

 

“Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Sutanto is set in San Francisco and highlights the wisdom and tenacity of the elders, but also the need for all generations to respect each other. I am a tad weary of the exhausted mommy and her precocious toddler, but this is still an enjoyable, light tale. Good as an audiobook, too.

 

“The Half-Moon” was written by Mary Beth Keane. Keane also wrote “Ask Again, Yes,” which is an all-time favorite of mine. This one is not quite to that level, but she still is excellent fleshing out her characters and motivations. Plus, she refers to the beauty of Beach Haven at the Jersey shore, and I concur.

 

“The White Lady” by Jacqueline Winspear features young Elinor, who is recruited as an operative in WWI and again in WWII. While trying to fade into a quiet retirement, she is brought back to service by threats to her neighbors leading to secrets of her past and dangerous influences of organized crime in the present. Truly a page-turner, the action is fast and unrelenting.

 

“The Lost Wife” by Susanna Moore is a dark, spare book based on a true story of a woman captured during the Sioux Uprising of 1862. Neither side can claim the moral high ground here. Haunting and an excellent choice for book clubs.

 

“Commitment” by Mona Simpson follows a family as it copes with the mental illness of the mother in 1970s-80s California. A sobering read but relevant, and timely as we cope with rising awareness of mental illness in our country. Another great selection for discussion groups.

 

“Lone Women” by Victor Lavalle is about a Black woman who strikes out alone in 1915 Montana as a homesteader, a harsh life for anyone. Once again, I salute the pioneers of our great country. This story has violence and a stream of horror/fantasy that I usually avoid, but

Lavalle makes it work. A superb depiction of the frontier.

 

“The All-American” by Joe Milan Jr., about a high-school football player, Bucky, who just wants to be scouted for college. But due to a lack of registration when his father brought him to the U.S. years ago, he is deported to his native South Korea where he cannot even pronounce his birth name. How he copes with formidable circumstances and people is sometimes sad, occasionally funny, and frequently absurd. This is a debut novel, and it shows, but worthy of your time.

 

Follow at beckysbookclub.com for more and a list of reads that I suggest you avoid.