So many books, so little time. That seems to be the story of my life. I always have at least three books lined up in my “to be read” pile. The minute I finish one, I’m starting another. I’ve always loved reading but I know it’s kicked up into another gear with this pandemic life. Will I read less the more life gets back normal-ish? Probably. For right now, I’m enjoying my deep dive into the land of learning, fantasies and make believe. Dive in with me and check out what I got around to reading last month.
bell hooks is an author I’d heard so many good things about for years. I can’t believe that I’m just getting around to reading her work. Rock My Soul is all about Black people and self esteem. It was an interesting read. She made some points that I agreed with but there were some where I differed. It’s probably a generational thing. I’ll be checking out more of her work though. There’s another book by her in my “to be read” pile for May.
The Girl with the Louding Voice made me want to scream! I wanted so much for the main character. It just seemed like she couldn’t catch a break and I really NEEDED her to have some reprieve from all the horror that was thrown her way. She is a Nigerian girl and only wants an education. It’s her mothers sole wish for her only daughter. Then her mother dies and her dad goes back on his promise to continue to educate her because the family needs money. So, the only choice he sees is to marry her off so that he can get the bride price and pay his bills. She marries a man old enough to be her dad. And she’s wife number three. Oh, and she’s 15. Ah! I wanted so much more for her. Her life only gets crazier from here. There is a glimpse of hope at the end though. So, all is not lost.
I didn’t know what to expect with His Only Wife. This story takes place in Ghana. A wealthy family doesn’t like the woman their son has chosen to be with. Their solution to get rid of the woman is to have him marry someone else. They choose a young woman whose family could use the money. He agrees to marry her but doesn’t show up for the wedding. No matter, they do the ceremony anyway with just their families. She eventually moves in to a home he owns. He’s not there though. He lives somewhere else and doesn’t show up for several weeks – for a visit. Did I mention they don’t really know each other? They’re just going along with something their families thought was a good idea. It’s so hard to see her struggle to be this “perfect wife” for him. There are times when he seems to be down for commitment. They seem to have some small hope of making it in parts of the book but it all hits the fan in the worst way.
I saw The Two Lives of Lydia Bird in an ad on Instagram and added it to my list. It was a good read. Heart wrenching at times but good. Lydia Bird is engaged to the love of her life. She’s known him half her life. He’s on his way to get her so they can make it to the restaurant for her birthday dinner. He gets a call from his best friend and needs to run to his aid first. Lydia is upset because this friend is always in their space in some capacity and it’s her birthday.
Once he’s picked up the friend and on their way he crashes. The fiance is killed, the best friend lives. The resentment, grief and guilt come in hard. Still, Lydia manages to see her fiance in her dreams and fully live out their lives but it’s only when she takes these prescribed sleeping pills. She’s caught between her reality of him being gone and her dreams where he’s alive and well and loves her. It is quite the ride.
I don’t know how many interviews I’d heard from James McBride on the press tour for Deacon King Kong. I was still on the fence about whether I wanted to jump into this book. I’m glad I jumped off the fence! This was one I did not want to put down. The main character is a deacon at a small church. His wife dies after leaving their home one night saying she was chasing the light of God. He struggles with her being gone and the unanswered questions he has for her. He has visions of her in his daily life and walks around bickering with her as if she’s still alive.
On a random day he walks up to a local drug dealer in the neighborhood. He’s a kid the deacon has watched grow up and knows well. He suddenly pulls a gun and shoots the teen. While he doesn’t die, he is injured and struggles to come to terms with why the deacon, who was like a father figure to him shot him. For his part, the deacon, doesn’t recall even shooting the kid. There’s a plot to take revenge on the deacon and things get even more interesting from there.
Those are the books I managed to get into for April. I’ve got a nice stack going this month! What have you been reading? What should I add to my list?
