Right now, I'm reading
Dark Corners by Megan Goldin. This is the third book by this author that I have read and the second featuring podcaster, Rachel Krall. Rachel has developed a reputation as a reporter/investigator who can prove the innocence of those wrongly convicted. Now she's delving into the behind-the-scenes world of influencers. A girl is missing and Rachel may be the next target of a serial killer. So far it's living up to the hype!
I just finished
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and I highly recommend it. It's already on my list of favorites for this year. It is the fictionalized story of real-life 18th century midwife Martha Ballard. The story takes place in Maine, over the course of one brutal winter. It contains difficult topics including sexual assault, child loss, and the powerlessness of women during this time period, but still manages to stay hopeful. I loved the depiction of the marriage between Martha and her husband Ephraim.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman is another book I finished recently. Nina is an introvert with very little family. She has built a life she loves working in a small bookstore and going to trivia nights with her team. Her world gets turned upside down when she learns that the father she never knew has named her in his will. Along with an inheritance, she also learns that she has brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews and some of them want to welcome her to the family. Further complicating her simple life is a budding new romance with the leader of a rival trivia team and the financial difficulties that make the survival of the bookstore questionable. Nina must overcome her anxiety to let some new things and people into her life. The book was a little predictable, but it was a sweet, quick read.
For awhile I have been eyeing
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, and I finally picked it up. It is set on the island of Jeju in the Korea Straight. Women on the island have been making a living diving into the ocean for generations. Young-sook is our main character and she and her friend Mi-ja are taking their place in the diving collective. Young-sook and Mi-ja are young during the years of Japanese colonialism and Mi-ja is somewhat ostracized because her father was a Japanese collaborator. Over the years, they marry and have families, but a betrayal rips their friendship apart. I was interested in the book because I had heard of the diving women, but this book focuses not just on the women but the greater political affairs that were affecting their island. We follow them through WWII and the Korean war, all the way to current times. I realized that my knowledge of Asian history is lacking. This was a difficult book. The women and their families go through horrors that I can't imagine.
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Last year, I started keeping a notebook of books I want to read that either aren't available to me right now or I just don't have time for. When I run out of things to read, I consult the book to see if I can get anything on the list. I've found it to be a lot of fun and helpful as well.
Right now on my To-Be-Read (TBR) list, in addition to books in my notebook, are several physical books that have been given to me lately. I tend to read e-books more than physical books, so I need to put down my devices and concentrate on these books. Right now I have copies of The Fury by Alex Michaelides, Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister, and two books by a new-to-me author, Will Dean. I'm assured that Dean does twists in his stories very well. I'm excited to pick one of these up for my next read!
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