Recent Reads

I read several hours a day. Reading is my time to slow down and  rest.   I read on my Kindle most now as holding a book can be a physical challenge, but hardcovers offer the tactile pleasure of hands on the paper. My latest reads:

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: A look at the complicated results of decisions in lifestyle for Natalie whose dreams and reality do not match. Readers gain insight into her faith, tradition, and desires of womanhood. 

Their Divine Fires by Wendy Chen: Placed in the Chinese countryside during the Cultural Revolution, this novel reveals secrets held by generations as it weaves the life story of  two sisters and their mother.

A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman:  A novel that  is told in three parts  that details decades on the arid acres of Western Australia where Meredith Downs and the McBrides who own the Station, a million acres of sheep, minerals, and arid soil. A story of love, sorrow, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Sandwich by  Catherine Newman: Set in Cape Cod, Rocky,  a mother and wife, is settled in between two generations of her grown children and her parents.  The tale is relatable for the mid-life challenges Rocky faces and readers will be nodding in reflection of her hilarious commentary.

First, They Killed My Father by Loung Ung:A memoir of a young Cambodian girl who survived the Pol Pot Regime, starvation, and other aspects of war. A powerful narrative about a girl’s resilience and determination to survive.

Nanaville by Anne Quindlen: A love story written as a love letter to her son Arthur. The book is full of advice and wisdom for grandparents. Reminders to be quiet and let the new parents do their thing is reiterated humorously and something that grandparents can easily have experienced.

The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson:  A librarian and prison inmate herself finds her passion for improving the literacy rates of underserved people in Louisville and prisoners in the penal system.  This novel explores the injustices that prisoners  face and the power of literacy for everyday purposes.