On the bookshelf in October
The first book I read was Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews. I know that it’s fall & that it seems super random to be reading a summer book in the fall, but it was next up on my list so I went for it. I was needing something that would be super easy to read & this one definitely was. This book has a love story, some history & politics, & a bit of mystery. I gave it three stars because I thought it was pretty predictable for the most part, but there were a few really shocking plot twists that seemed pretty far-fetched for the book. I felt like it ended pretty abruptly, too. Overall, it wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it wasn’t terrible either!
The second book I read was The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian. This book gave me total Where the Crawdads Sing vibes & I was sooo here for it! I stinkin’ loved that book. The Girls in the Stilt House absolutely captivated me. It shares two different characters’ perspectives — Matilda Patterson (a young African American girl) & Ada Morgan (a young Caucasian girl). I’m including their races because the book is set in the 1920s in the deep south of Mississippi. If you know anything about the history of race in the 1900s, then you understand why including race in my write up is important. Matilda & Ada come from somewhat similar backgrounds in that they are both from desperately poor families & are fighting for a better life. There are many different challenges that come their way to create roadblocks. Some of these challenges left my heart racing & I felt like my eyes couldn’t read fast enough.
Throughout the last couple of years I’ve noticed that I love reading books where the characters really embody human struggle. I absolutely love reading about resilience & about characters creating a better life for themselves. I think this all stems from my love of my job as a school counselor — those are the same things that I love about my job! Throughout the book, I totally found myself hardcore rooting for Matilda & Ada! This book is definitely in my top most-loved for 2021. I gave it four out of five stars.
These are the books I plan on reading next to help get me into the holiday spirit! Have you read any of these?
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