In all honesty, reading has not been a priority for me this summer. There is no real reason behind the shift; I have just not felt the pull to consume books back-to-back like I normally do. That being said, the books I have read lately have all been tremendous hits for me, and I want to share my most recent crop of titles with you.
James by Percival Everett
James is an unbelievably beautiful reimagining of the classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as told from the perspective of the escaped slave Jim. James blew me away with its creativity and its brutally honest look at the reality of slavery. This book is a masterpiece.
What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
If you are a NPR nerd like me, you will recognize Stephanie Foo as one of the journalistic geniuses from This American Life and Snap Judgement. In this personal memoir, Stephanie puts her talents to work diving deep into PTSD and learning how to heal from it. I have read a lot of non-fiction books about trauma, as well as memoirs, and Stephanie’s combination research with a generous telling of her life story hit my head and my heart with equal potency. This book is not an easy read, as Stephanie shares unimaginable details from her abusive childhood, but it is hugely informative, as well as beautiful and redemptive.
The Tell by Amy Griffin
The Tell is another personal memoir, also sharing a harrowing story of childhood abuse, only this time the events are buried deep inside the body of the author. This memoir shares the process she took to dive back into her childhood to discover the truth about her past. Due to the subject matter, his book is also difficult to read at times, but I appreciated the author sharing her story while weaving in themes of family, trust and moving forward.
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
This novel is my first exposure to Strout’s expansive body of work, and I enjoyed every page. Tell Me Everything is more character-driven than plot-driven, and reminds me a bit of Sally Rooney’s work in that way. If you are looking for a high-speed page turner with cliff hangers aplenty, this is not the book for you. But, if you are looking for a gentle unfolding of dialog-driven narrative and a feeling of connection to characters that will make you wish you knew them in real life, Tell Me Everything is your next read. The plot is a slow build that paints a beautiful picture of relationships and what it means to build connections with others along the way.
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