The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

Inspiring. A friend couldn’t believe that I hadn’t read Anthony Ray Hinton’s memoir titled, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice, so I picked up this inspiring story and am glad I did. Hinton describes his life as a poor black man in the South who finds himself sentenced to death. How he finds hope from that dark place, and how three decades of incarceration transformed his life and the lives of a community of inmates, occupies much of the narrative. By the time he achieves justice for his mistaken imprisonment, most readers will share Hinton’s joy and feel renewed hope in the hope and endurance of the individual human spirit. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase The Sun Does Shine from amazon.com.

No Good Alternative

Absolution. The second volume of William T. Vollmann’s carbon ideologies treatise is titled, No Good Alternative. Having come to grips with nuclear energy in the first part, Vollmann now turns his attention to natural gas, oil and coal. Vollmann explores our reliance on fossil fuels and the consequences of that for our planet. He writes with passion and empathy, asking for absolution from future generations over what this generation has done, explaining as the title indicates, we were not able to find another way. Through both volumes, Vollmann tries to listen and learn and understand why. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase No Good Alternative from amazon.com.

A Single Thread

Embroidery. If you have any interest at all in the lives of single women in England before the middle of the 20th century, consider reading a novel by Tracy Chevalier titled, A Single Thread. Protagonist Violet Speedwell is thirty-eight years old in 1932 and realizes that she’s unlikely to marry, given the deaths of so many men of her cohort during The Great War. Living at home with her cantankerous mother becomes unbearable, so Violet moves to Winchester and tries to make a living as a typist. She joins a group doing embroidery for the cathedral and makes friends and learns how to handle a needle and thread. Meeting a bell ringer turns Violet’s life in quite another direction. If any of that sounds appealing to you, pick up this novel, return to the past, and relax to the sound of the bells of Winchester Cathedral. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase A Single Thread from amazon.com.

This Poison Will Remain

Recluses. What was I thinking? I’m usually reluctant to pick up a crime novel by a prolific writer I’ve overlooked out of fear that I may add yet one more series to my reading queue. I read a review of French novelist Fred Vargas’ ninth Commissaire Adamsberg series, a book titled, This Poison Will Remain, and I decided to read it. I was pulled into this gripping story of revenge and justice populated with two different recluses: the spider variety and a nun. Adamsberg is a detective in the tradition of the greats: overflowing with instinct; respectful of his team; and a detective who follows a meandering path until he achieves resolution. Now that I’ve been bitten by Vargas with this novel, I’ll be on the lookout for her next installment in this series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase This Poison Will Remain from amazon.com.

The Girl Who Lived Twice

Fire. David Lagercrantz continues the late Stieg Larsson’s millennium series featuring Lisbeth Salander with a novel titled, The Girl Who Lived Twice. Fans of the series will enjoy the return of Salander and Mikael Blomkvist in another exciting adventure. Both protagonists are on a search for answers and truth and they need each other’s help. Both are driven by a fire inside that propels them on their quests. Physical fire also appears and raises the stakes. Larsson’s estate made a wise choice with asking Lagercrantz to continue writing this series. I found this sixth installment as well written and engaging as the ones earlier in the series written by Larsson. Readers who like character-driven action novels are those most likely to enjoy this novel and this series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Girl Who Lived Twice from amazon.com.

Quichotte

Satire. Fans of literary fiction are those readers most likely to revel in all the levels of delight that can be found on the pages of Salman Rushdie’s novel titled, Quichotte. Rushdie structures the novel as a story in a story. Part of the novel pays homage to Cervantes by updating that classic satirist with a skewering take on contemporary life. Words ricochet from racism to reality television to the opioid crisis. In more subtle ways, Rushdie explores family separation and the things that can alienate us from close family members. For every three references that made me chuckle, I’m sure two passed me by in the writer’s exuberance and my inattention. Smart readers can open these pages to be treated with respect and then lean toward understanding the importance of reconciliation in our lives. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Quichotte from amazon.com.

Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth

Poverty. Any reader interested in getting perspective about poverty and our national class divide should consider reading Sarah Smarsh’s finely written memoir titled, Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth. Smarsh blends her personal story with reflections and observations about life in America. I found myself thinking about choices and the challenges of breaking out of poverty, as well as the rewards of hard work. The lives of women dominate this narrative including the imagined unborn daughter of the author who is addressed in a quirky way in the text. Nonetheless, whether a reader experienced poverty or is merely curious, this memoir is likely to stimulate reflections about life in our contemporary culture. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Heartland from amazon.com.