This month, I have read a few 5 star books so far and I’m excited to share them with you here. Since the month isn’t over, there’s a chance I will still read another 5 star before it ends. You can see the first half of my January reading here and I will share the rest of my January reads next week. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships
Author: Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 11/23/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
In this book, Jo has a list of 30 things to do before she turns 30, which she keeps track of on a blog. At the start of the book, she checks off “kiss a stranger” when she kisses Alex, who then turns up in her life and becomes not so much of a stranger anymore. At the same time, Jo’s teenaged nieces show up unexpectedly and encourage her to work on her list, even though she can no longer go on her planned trip to Europe to visit 5 countries.
“For the last year, yacht stewardess Jo Walker has been attempting to complete a bucket list of thirty things she wants to accomplish by her thirtieth birthday. Jo has almost everything she’s ever wanted, including a condo on the beach (though she’s the youngest resident by several decades) and an exciting job (albeit below deck) that lets her travel the world. Jo is on track until the death of her nephew turns her life upside down, and the list falls by the wayside. But when her two nieces show up unannounced with plans to stay the summer, they discover her list and insist on helping Jo finish it. Though the remaining eight items (which include running a marathon, visiting ten countries, and sleeping in a castle) seem impossible to complete in twelve weeks, Jo takes on the challenge. When she summons the courage to complete item number five–kiss a stranger–and meets Alex Hayes, all bets are off. As her feelings for Alex intensify and Jo’s inability to confront difficult emotions about her family complicates her relationships, she must learn to quit playing it safe with her heart before she loses what matters most.”
Jo and her family are mourning the loss of her nephew and their grief is a large part of the story. While there is romance in this story, there is also family and finding joy amongst sadness. Jo also works on a yacht – hence the fancy ships part of the book title – and that setting is a lot of fun! I really enjoyed this book.
Title: Notes On An Execution
Author: Danya Kukafka
Genre: Literary Thriller
Publisher: William Morrow, 1/25/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I found this to be a compelling look at the life of a serial killer awaiting death by execution, as told mostly by the women who were effected by his acts of violence. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have expected this lovely purple book to cover such dark topics!
“Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours. He knows what he’s done, and now awaits execution, the same chilling fate he forced on those girls, years ago. But Ansel doesn’t want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood. Through a kaleidoscope of women—a mother, a sister, a homicide detective—we learn the story of Ansel’s life. We meet his mother, Lavender, a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation; Hazel, twin sister to Ansel’s wife, inseparable since birth, forced to watch helplessly as her sister’s relationship threatens to devour them all; and finally, Saffy, the detective hot on his trail, who has devoted herself to bringing bad men to justice but struggles to see her own life clearly. As the clock ticks down, these three women sift through the choices that culminate in tragedy, exploring the rippling fissures that such destruction inevitably leaves in its wake. Blending breathtaking suspense with astonishing empathy, Notes on an Execution presents a chilling portrait of womanhood as it simultaneously unravels the familiar narrative of the American serial killer, interrogating our system of justice and our cultural obsession with crime stories, asking readers to consider the false promise of looking for meaning in the psyches of violent men.”
This book asks its readers to consider why we are so intrigued by crime stories and pay so much attention to those who kill others. We try to understand their actions and even to humanize them – as this book seems to do with Ansel, looking at his childhood abandonment and making us have sympathy towards him. It seemed that the author was making a statement against the death penalty as well. This book contains references to child abandonment, domestic abuse, and animal harm, as well as murder. This book also talks a lot about the ways things would be different if different choices were made. How different would things have been if Ansel’s mother made different choices? Is it really nurture or nature that made him who he became?
Title: Black Cake
Author: Charmaine Wilderson
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Ballentine Books, 2/1/22
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Heard it was good.
My Rating: 5 Stars
In Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, the Caribbean black cake is the food passed from Eleanor to her children, Byron and Benny, along with a voice recording of her life story that they must listen to after her death. The story is a shifting one, in which at times you may feel confused or lost, but it will all make sense as you continue the book. According to the author, this is a story of “shifting concepts of home and family, about longing, loss, and second chances and, of course, love.” And the “small but profound inheritances…untold stories [that] shape people’s lives, both when they are withheld and when they are revealed.”
“In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage, and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?”
I’m so happy I chose this book from BOTM, and that I read it right away. It contains friends, family, food, love, the climate, biphobia, racism, abuse, and rape and it takes place in the Caribbean, the U.K., and the U.S. It is a moving and worthwhile read.
Title: Drawn That Way
Author: Elissa Sussman
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 9/28/21
Source: Books Are Magic in Brooklyn
Why I Read It: Heard it was good.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Drawn That Way by Elissa Sussman is a book I hadn’t seen on bookstagram a lot. But thanks to some of my friends there, I knew it was a YA with Jewish representation and when I saw an autographed copy at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, I brought it home with me. Gabbie and I both loved it.
“Hayley Saffitz is confident, ambitious, and intent on following in the footsteps of her hero, renowned animation director, Bryan Beckett. When she’s given a spot in his once-in-a-lifetime summer program, Hayley devises a plan: snag one of the internship’s coveted directing opportunities. Dazzle Bryan with her talent. Secure a job post-graduation. Live her dream. Except she doesn’t land one of the director positions. All of those go to boys. And one of them is Bryan’s son, Bear. Despite Bear’s obvious apathy for the internship, Hayley soon realizes that there’s more to him than she expected. As they work together, the animosity between them thaws into undeniable chemistry and maybe something… more. But Hayley can’t stop thinking about the chance she was refused. Determined to make a name for herself, Hayley recruits the five other young women in the program to develop their own short to sneak into the film festival at the end of the summer. As the internship winds down, however, one question remains: Will Hayley conform to the expectations of her idol, or will she risk her blossoming relationship with Bear—and her future—to prove that she’s exactly as talented as she thinks she is?”
I loved the drawings in the book and wished there were even more as they really brought the animation story to life. I also loved that Hayley’s film idea included a Golem, a mystical Jewish being. The female characters were great and I also enjoyed Hayley and Bear together! Elissa Sussman has a an adult book coming out in April called Funny You Should Ask, and I’ll definitely be reading that one as well.
Title: And We Rise
Author: Erica Martin
Genre: YA Poetry
Publisher: Viking Books For Young Readers, 2/1/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
And We Rise is a journey through the Civil Rights Movement told in poetry. It covers the 1950s-60s and includes historical photos. I read about things I knew about as well as things I hadn’t realized or learned about before.
“In stunning verse and vivid use of white space, Erica Martin’s debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement—from the well-documented events that shaped the nation’s treatment of Black people, beginning with the ‘Separate but Equal’ ruling—and introduces lesser-known figures and moments that were just as crucial to the Movement and our nation’s centuries-long fight for justice and equality. A poignant, powerful, all-too-timely collection that is both a vital history lesson and much-needed conversation starter in our modern world. Complete with historical photographs, author’s note, chronology of events, research, and sources.”
The book demonstrates how time passed by use of repeated stanzas indicating when Black people marched for their rights. It was powerfully done. I think this could be placed in middle school classrooms, although it does contain instances of the N word, as it was used at the time.
Title: Under One Roof
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 2/8/22
Source: Publisher via Audio App
Why I Read It: Loved her previous book.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Ali Hazelwood is releasing three novellas in the STEMinist series, beginning with Under One Roof. The audio will be available first, followed by a text version later in the year. I very much enjoyed listening to Under One Roof, which tells the story of Mara and Liam, who end up living under one roof.
“Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight. The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him…and the easier it is to love him.”
While the story was quick due to it being a novella, I found the growth of chemistry between Mara and Liam to be well done and entertaining. The narrator did a great job of voicing both characters!
Title: The Heart Principle
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Rom Com / Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley, 8/31/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: TBR
My Rating: 5 Stars
The Heart Principle is the third book in The Kiss Quotient series. This one is more of a contemporary fiction than a cookie cutter rom com, which I know upset some readers. I appreciated this story though, and really loved the book overall.
“When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better. That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she herself has just started to understand. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.”
I thought the book was a beautiful story about autistic burnout, caregiver burnout, and artistic burnout, demonstrating Anna’s difficulties with these struggles, as well as showing how Quan was the perfect partner to help her through these situations. This story was based on the author’s own experiences, which makes it even more touching to think about. The book contains reference to suicidal thoughts, an emotionally abusive family situation, the death of a parent, and recovery from cancer.
Come back next week for the rest of my January reads – and possibly more favorites!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?