this is a combined post, since i was out of town the last week in march. below are my reads for march and april!

that’s the problem. we let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. what’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?

the hate u give by angie thomas. i was not prepared for how much this book would overwhelm me, but it is easily one of the best books i have read in a long time. the hate u give centers around starr, a black teenager who straddles two worlds: she lives with her parents and brothers in the hood [her words] while attending a predominantly white prep school nearly an hour away from her house. she talks about how exhausting it can be to hide her true self at school, because it’s often easier and allows her to blend in with her classmates, especially after one of her childhood best friends is shot by a white cop. this book is such a stark look at what race relations in our country are currently like, especially for youth, and it’s pretty devastating. there are very few books i am insistent people should read, but this is one of them.

hidden riches by nora roberts. after the hate u give, i needed something a little lighter, so i turned to my trusty nora roberts. hidden riches is the story of dora, an antique store owner who unknowingly gets twisted up in the world of art smuggling. with the help of her new neighbor, jed, a “retired” police captain, she deals with a series of break-ins and other issues at her home and shop. i have read this one multiple times but never before realized how quick the time frame is. she and jed meet, deal with burglars, fall in love, and solve their crime, all within a two- to three-week period over the christmas holiday. it made me laugh a little.

‘but love has to be stronger than hate, or there is no future for us.’

the nightingale by kristin hannah. this was nothing like i expected. i knew the nightingale was about world war two, but that was about it. after initially beginning a bit slow, i was surprised at how much i enjoyed this story. hannah tells the story of vianne and isabelle, sisters who mount their own forms of resistance in german-occupied france during the war. it is a story of love, family, heartbreak, unspeakable horror, and incredible hope against all odds. this one made me cry in a few places, but it was a great read. i can see why it has been so highly talked about in recent years.

the fires of heaven by robert jordan. i spent most of february and all of march and april reading the fifth installment in the wheel of time series. i got a really good jump on this in february but then got distracted by the olympics, the youth action summit, packing and moving, portugal, and unpacking, but i have finally finished. i got a little bogged down around page 650ish or so, but once i got over that hump i enjoyed the remainder of it. i have discovered that i like reading 10ish pages of this a day alongside reading other books helps ensure i stay on top of all the characters and story arcs, so i am going to try to continue that in the coming months, because i want to know what happens next.

currently reading: finishing up sing, unburied, sing by jesmyn ward and a beautiful work in progress by mirna valerio. i’m trying to get through one physical book and one kindle book at a time, so we’ll see how successful i am with that going forward.

have you read anything good recently?

xx