Reported by Garry
Sister Stardust by Jane Green is a historical novel based loosely on the troubled life of Talitha Getty, the wife of oil heir Paul Getty, and told from the viewpoint of Claire, a small-town young woman who moves to London and takes a job as a shop-girl. One day the radiant Talitha walks in, and Claire’s world is never the same. Set in England and Marrakesh during the height of the 1960s counter-culture, this novel is a beautifully written, captivating read. MS
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is a historical science-fiction novel, set in the gang-ridden shadows of 1920s Shanghai and taking many thematic queues from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Juliette Cai is the New York-educated, 18-year-old heir to the Scarlet Gang, and her rival (and first love) is Roma Montagov, a 19-year-old Russian who leads the White Flowers. The two come together to find a cause and cure for a mysterious contagion ravaging the city, which causes its victims to tear out their own throats. Romeo and Juliet is masterfully transformed from a doomed teenage love story to a delightful blend of political intrigue, gruesome horror, race-against-the-clock mystery, and, yes—romance—set against a city that becomes a character in its own right. SH
You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix the Government and Deliver Power to the People by Elizabeth Rusch. The political landscape has never been so tumultuous: issues with the electoral college, gerrymandering, voter suppression, and a lack of representation in the polls and in our leadership have led to Americans of all ages asking, “How did we get here?” According to Rusch, the power to change lies with the citizens of this great country—especially teens. Rather than pointing fingers at people and political parties, You Call This Democracy? looks at flaws in the system and offers real strategies to improve the United States government. Each chapter breaks down a different problem plaguing American democracy, exploring how it’s undemocratic, offering possible solutions (with examples of real-life teens who have already started working toward them), and suggesting ways to effect change—starting now! AH
A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir by Colin Jost is a series of essays by the Saturday Night Live head writer about his life growing up on Staten Island and his journey to becoming the lead writer of one of the most storied and influential television shows in history. Jost’s mother was the Chief Medical Officer for the NYPD and this book includes heart-wrenching stories of her time during the 9-11 Twin Towers collapse, as well as hilariously bizarre incidents such as the time Jost watched paramedics perform CPR on a raccoon. Jost attended Harvard, majoring in history and literature, where he graduated cum laude in 2004. Our reader was laughing out loud while reading this book and said it was one of the most enjoyable autobiographies she has ever read. CD
Also mentioned:
The Matchmaker: A Spy in Berlin by Paul Vidich
A Coin for the Ferryman by Megan Edwards
The Fifth Book of Peace by Maxine Hong Kingston
Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt
French Braid by Anne Tyler
Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
Black Cloud Rising by David Wright Falade
A God in Ruins by Leon Uris
A Measure of Belonging: Twenty-One Writers of Color on the New American South edited by Cinelle Barnes
Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System by M. Chris Fabricant
Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation by Kris Manjapra
From the Hood to Holler: A Story of Separate Worlds, Shared Dreams and the Fight for America’s Future by Charles Booker
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