Monday, May 6, 2019

First Monday in May: Blast From the Past

May 2008 was a great month for reading! Looking back through my reading journal, I had a hard time limiting myself to five books I wanted to share. I would still recommend these titles to others:






Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos- I know this is a part of a series, yet because I read each book by this author as soon as it was published, I never really was aware of this fact.  I love de los Santos' writing, Cornelia, and the suburban world she has created.

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan - historical fiction at its finest.  Set in 1946, this book brings to light what life in the Jim Crow South was like for black men.  I turned the last page of this book wanting to cry -and it has stuck with me for a decade. This is a title I often recommend to book clubs.

Jimmy's Stars by Mary Ann Rodman - It's 1943 and Ellie's brother Jimmy has been drafted.  Ellie writes about what life is like for her without her brother around, believing he will be home soon. Other families receive telegrams about their sons and brothers who won't be coming back, but Ellie continues to believe in Jimmy.  

Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything In It by Sundee T. Frazier- I have handed this book to many a fourth or fifth grade boy who is in need of a realistic fiction "boy" book.  Brendan has never met his grandparents because they didn't approve of his mom's marriage to a black man. He's interested in tae kwon do and rocks and has a secret- he's met his grandpa.

The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller - Miller is one of my favorite authors and I have yet to be disappointed by anything she's written - Delia and Meri live next door in a townhouse, at different points in their lives, which seem to have many parallels.  Miller explores how infidelity impacts a marriage and why some people stay in these relationships.  

These five are all winners, and reading summaries of them again on Goodreads makes me want to pick up these novels again.

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