July Reading Recap
Hello, fellow book lovers. Happy August! Can’t believe this summer has flown by so quickly. I’m finally caught up on posting about all of the books I’ve read so far this summer. Stay tuned for my August books in just a few weeks. Happy reading!
Poverty By American by Matthew Desmond
Quick Synopsis: The United States is the most powerful country in the world, yet many of our children go without basic needs. We have more poverty in the US than in most other democratic countries. How did this happen? Desmond breaks down this problem and lays out different solutions backed up with facts and statistics.
Strong Points: I think we’ve all been guilty of turning a blind eye to the poverty in America and maybe even thinking it’s more of an individual’s problem than a societal one. In Poverty by America, Desmond breaks down the role the government plays in this problem. I was fortunate enough to attend a book talk with Desmond on his book tour for this book (if you haven’t read his other book, Evicted, I HIGHLY recommend that one). I really appreciate how he doesn’t point fingers at the political parties. Instead, he gives a nonpartisan point of view and offers ways that the government could actually tackle this problem. And no shocker here, but it’s surprisingly easy. This book made me equal parts frustrated and motivated. He mentioned what we can do to help, like supporting small businesses with shipping through UPS vs. Amazon since UPS is unionized. And overall, just being cognizant of what organizations we are supporting and how they treat their employees (PTO, benefits, fair wage, etc.). A book like this should really be taught in school. Maybe we could all shift our blame from the individual struggling to the system that set them up for failure. Ooooftah, congratulations if you made it through that long spiel.
Weak Points: This book was heavily researched. I appreciated all of the figures and stats, but it was so much that it was hard to retain. In the first few chapters, I started to underline every stat because they were so shocking, but I was moving at a snail’s pace and would be lucky to finish it by Christmas. It's a great book to have and take off the shelf now and again to use as a point of reference.
Writing Style: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Flow/Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Highly Recommend
Lives of the Wives: Five Literary Marriages by Carmela Ciuraru
Quick Synopsis: As the title suggests, this book examines the lives of the wives in five literary marriages. From their highs of falling in love to their demise of falling out of love, Ciuraru takes you inside the lives of the relationship from the woman’s POV.
Strong Points: The author selected five literary figures that aren’t as popular and ones you probably don’t know much about. We all know about Zelda Fitzgerald and her marriage to Scott, or Ernest Hemingway and his multitude of wives. Instead, this book focuses on lesser-known literary figures. I learned a lot and found it very enjoyable, but wow, were most of their marriages doomed from the start.
Weak Points: Sadly, most of the relationships highlighted crashed and burned the same way. I only wish the author would have found relationships that ended differently or not at all. It started to become repetitive. The woman finds love, he’s successful until he screws it up, or the wife has a little bit of success, the man’s ego flairs, and their relationship starts to go downhill; they cheat on each other, and the relationship comes to a sad, sad ending. I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Writing Style: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Flow/Pacing: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommend
White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link
Quick Synopsis: A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, this short story collection takes inspiration from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales and puts an even stranger spin on them.
Strong Points: This is the most odd and creative short story collection I have ever read. I'm not sure how the author’s mind comes up with these strange and trippy stories, but I like it. I’m usually not the biggest fan of short stories. By the time I get into the story and start to understand the characters, they end. These were different. Each one was so wildly unique and fast-paced, yet complex and developed, that I didn’t have this problem with this collection. A super fun read!
Weak Points: One story was a little too strange and open-ended for it to work. I even said out loud after reading it, "Ummm, okay."
Writing Style: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Flow/Pacing: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Highly Recommend
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
Quick Synopsis: Ever wonder what it’s like to go to a bathroom in space (and how did we test it before we launched the ISS)? Do you always get along with the other astronauts on the mission? How uncomfortable is space travel? Roach answers those questions and more with in-depth research and interviews.
Strong Points: If you know me, you know I am a space fanatic, especially the human innovation part of space travel. This has been on my TBR list and bookshelf for years, and after watching Interstellar, I dove right in and am happy I finally did (but also jealous of those who have not read it yet). Mary Roach is known for her humorous approach to science writing. She gives you the information in such a funny and humane way. She answers all of the questions that I think we all have about space travel.
Weak Points: None that I can really think of! I can't wait to read her other books.
Writing Style: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Flow/Pacing: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
Highly Recommend
When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach by Ashlee Vance
Quick Synopsis: We all know the big space company names like SpaceX and Blue Origin, but did you know there were others? We are in an exciting time for space exploration where private companies no longer rely on NASA’s slow work and even slower results. Vance follows four companies that are struggling to play in the big leagues.
Strong Points: If you couldn’t tell, I was on another space kick, this time with the space companies. I read Vance’s other book on Elon Musk, and it was very well done. So well done, in fact, that Musk wanted to sue Vance for painting him in an unflattering light. Just like Musk, these other space innovators are a little out there. Vance has an ability to crack people open like a nut, giving the reader a glimpse of their inner workings, making his writing extra special.
Weak Points: There were a lot of characters that blended and bounced from company to company. So, they would often be brought up in multiple chapters with the different companies. It got a little confusing to keep track of where each engineer was at what point in the company’s career.
Writing Style: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Flow/Pacing: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommend
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Quick Synopsis: A boy born in a trailer in a poor Appalachian town to a teenage mother and dead father never stood a chance.
Strong Points: Wow, wow, wow. This book was heartbreaking and tough to read at times, but it was such a captivating book. The writing was very strong, and the story played out in such a fantastic way. For this one, the hype was real.
Weak Points: At a few points throughout the book, I felt like the author started to punish the reader. It was hard to read.
Writing Style: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Flow/Pacing: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Highly Recommend
The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune by Alexander Stille
Quick Synopsis: Starting out in the 1950s as the Sullivan Institute for Research in Psychoanalysis as a liberating movement of psychoanalysis and slowly progressing through the 60s, 70s, and 80s into a brainwashing cult. This book tells the tale of how something so freeing and liberating could turn into a controlling nightmare.
Strong Points: Love me a good cult book, especially one this different. Unlike others, their members were smack dap in the middle of New York. They worked average jobs and existed in society. Except they weren’t allowed to talk to their family, had to live in apartment buildings on gender-segregated floors, and only had sex with other members of their cult or their therapist. So, not exactly normal living. This book was kind of nuts. I enjoyed reading about the 1970s, when there was a huge boom in commune living and alternate therapy. It's been a decade, and I really don't know too much about it. Very entertaining
Weak Points: I didn’t care for the organization of the book. It lacked a clear outline of what the chapter entailed but instead jumped all over, repeating points several times.
Writing Style: 3.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Flow/Pacing: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3/5
Recommend
My Murder by Katie Williams
Quick Synopsis: Lou was murdered. Her body was cloned and brought back to life. Trying to adjust to her old or new life, Lou seeks to know more about her mysterious death.
Strong Points: It’s a unique concept and unlike anything I have read before. It got me thinking: if people who were murdered could be cloned and brought back, do you think the homicide rate would change?
Weak Points: I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I cannot stand when authors write unrealistic and over-the-top, cheesy dialogue for the characters. It makes me cringe and takes me out of the story. Another complaint I have is that the author took until 60% of the way through the book to introduce the conflict of the book. With only 40% left, it was all wrapped up pretty quickly and with little detail. One last complaint: I wish they would have explained more about the cloning technology. Give the reader a little background on how they are able to do what they do. It was very vague. If you’re going to build a world where people can be cloned and brought back to life, give the reader some details.
Writing Style: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Flow/Pacing: 2.5/5
Overall Rating: 3/5
Recommend
"The wonder is that you could start life with nothing, end with nothing, and lose so much in between." -Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
