Race Against Time

 

What a book. Wow.

In an era where people cry "fake news" and disparage the media at every turn, this book made my journalist heart so proud and happy. It made me angry, too, but we'll get to that.

I'm not sure how this book flew under the radar for me. Jerry Mitchell is a longtime newspaper reporter in Mississippi whose work helped bring to justice several people who committed horrific civil rights crimes in the 1960's. From the Mississippi Burning case to the Birmingham church bombing, these were crimes we've heard about, but I had no idea people had not been properly prosecuted for the crimes.

Mitchell details each of these crimes and his work to bring these killers and KKK members to justice. It's journalism, non-fiction, but it reads like a thriller.

As someone who grew up in the mostly-white northwest, it is incomprehensible to me the disgusting crimes that went on in this part of our country in the very recent past. It's even more abhorrent how many people in power either turned a blind eye or, in some cases, were part of the murderous mobs themselves.

I don't know what it was about Jerry Mitchell that had these klansmen singing like canaries, but how incredibly satisifying.

If you're a fan of good journalism, this is a must read. I'm so glad I ended my year with this book.

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes

 

I'm sure people have written that this book is in the style of Daisy Jones and the Six.

Well.

I see it.

But, may I just say: 

This is no Daisy Jones and the Six.

If you haven't read that book, one of my favorites of last year and of all time, go ahead and stop what you're doing and read it.

Go ahead.

You're done now? Cool. Wasn't it amazing???

Okay, back to this one.

This book starts with the death of a pop star. Years after their prime, the 90s girl group Gloss finds out that one of its estranged members - the one whose abrupt departure broke up the group without explanation - has died. The rest of the book bounces back and forth between timelines. Between the height of their super stardom to life "over the hill" in their 30s (GASP!), the book tries to unravel the unraveling of the singer known as Sassy Cassy. 

There's some American Idol here. Some Spice Girls. Some MTV. Some TRL? Some #MeToo. It's a lot. And, yet, somehow, it's not nearly enough.

I found myself wondering: Is this YA or just really not well written? 

I finished it because I wanted to see how we got there. All I was left with was a desire to read Daisy Jones all over again. 

The Promised Land

What am I going to write about this book that hasn't been explored in a million think pieces since the beginning of December? Probably nothing, honestly. Still, I'm happy to share my thoughts on what is the first in a series of books by our former president that - intentionally or otherwise - live in stark contrast to the presidency that is currently ending.

A couple superficial notes...

First, this book is long. 768 pages long. 

This book is also dense. 

We know this about Barack Obama - and, he acknowledges it in this book - that he often uses 359 words when he could use 59. That didn't bother me, but it is worth pointing out. 

In many ways, it's also like a text book. While you're reading about a man entering politics and experiencing life in the Senate, then the White House, you're also getting history lessons on racial unrest, Chicago politics, the Middle East, etc. It's an important read and fascinating to hear the back stories behind the decisions he made. But, it's also not a relaxing read, so to speak. Like I said, it's dense.

We know so much about every president now, so much of is detailed here is not a surprise. Still, as he chronicles his life from childhood up until the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, I was struck how often he faced doubt. Maybe it's more in retrospect, but he certainly was not certain of every decision he made. What a contrast, if you look at the presidency we're winding down now. There is confidence here, for sure, but self-realization is a common theme throughout this book and a theme that struck me throughout.

I loved hearing about the pickup basketball games during the first presidential campaign. I loved the awe in which he approached the White House. I found myself skimming past some of the historical lessons to get to the more personal stuff. 

I realized part way through that I had heard much of it in Michelle Obama's book Becoming, which I read at the start of 2019. It was fascinating to read the experiences from both sides of the story. I found Becoming to be more personal, this book more historical and both equally valuable in understanding the Obamas' legacy.

 

The Night Watchman

 

In my role as a TV news manager, I have a "soft" rule: a story can be as long as it needs to be, as long as it holds attention. A long story - a long book - doesn't scare me. But, it has to hold up. This well-told book nearly did. Nearly. 

But not quite.

The plot is worthy, as are the characters. It's based on a 1950's attempt by the government to eliminate a reservation. Didn't learn about that in your American history classes? Yeah, me neither. (My high school history classes consisted of the school's basketball coaches showing us the entire mini-series of Roots and Lonesome Dove so he could work on plays during that time, but that's a story for another day.)

I digress.

The Night Watchman tells this story through the characters who tried to stop it and others on the reservation forced to give up - and, give in - to the whims of society around them. 

It's an important read. A spiritual one, in fact. And rich with characters who tell the story not through stereotypes, but through honest narrative.

It just took too long to get there.

It sounds so lazy now that I write it down. But, there were times at nearly every phase of this book that I nearly gave up. Then, something would drag me back in. The reward was nearly there, the characters nearly complete. I can imagine, though, giving this a 4 our 5-star review had it only been more carefully crafted to 250 or 300 pages instead of 464.

More Myself

 

I'm not here to compare two very different, very powerful, very strong women whose music I happened to love.

Maybe I am.

Either way. 

I recently read Mariah Carey's book and it just left me feeling meh. Then, I read this and I felt... empowered, enlightened, moved.

Alicia Keys is a powerful force in the music industry and this book is absolutely a reflection of that. She's also a strong wife and mother who is very much trying to define her place in the world. The best parts of this book were the ones that explored those things.

If you've followed her career at all, you know that Alicia Keys has stepped out strongly for what she believes is right and has taken some serious chances in defining who she wants to be as an artists. You feel her journey here. While Carey's book often blames others for mistakes and missteps, Keys owns all of it herself. She speaks with honesty and transparency about early attempts to turn her into a "sexy pop star." She speaks with that same honesty about the spiritual journeys she now takes and the literal trip in silence down the Nile that changed everything.

You learn a lot about Keys' upbringing and her musical journey in this book, but you also learn that it many ways, she's figuring it all out just like the rest of us. I was moved by her honesty and her strength.

And I was compelled to watch this performance on repeat, which is a fantastic way to end a good read. 

The Midnight Library

 

This book deserves a blanket, a fireplace and a bowl of mashed potatoes.

Okay, that last part got weird. But, this is how I enjoyed most of it: on my couch, snuggled in tight, full of (really good) mashed potatoes over the Thanksgiving weekend. It just feels like you should read this book in a cozy place, where you can properly contemplate the choices you've made in your life.

It's literally a book about choices. Nora Seed wants to die and, early on in this book, she tries to end her own life. But, instead of it being 'over' she ends up in a magical library, curated by a woman who showed her kindness at a difficult time in her life. That woman, her former teacher, explains to her that she's essentially in something like purgatory. She's not gone from the world just yet. Instead, she has a chance to open some of the endless books in this library and see how her life would have been different if she made other choices. What would life be like if she married that man/moved to the country/stayed in that band/followed her passion? How would her life be different? Would she truly ever be able to find happiness?

You've heard this story before. In A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, Sliding Doors, countless others. What makes this fresh is Nora. Her true sadness in the beginning, her loneliness, is heartbreaking. And even as she glimpses these other lives, you wonder what - if anything - would ever truly bring her happiness.

This novel doesn't break any ground, but it's a satisfying reminder of how we should examine our own lives and not always believe the choices we didn't make are the better ones. There are profound reminders here to live in the moment and value what's here rather than wishing it all away for the unknown. 

It feels especially important in the midst of a tough year and a pandemic to remember what we have and value the choices we did make. As for me, I'm choosing to warm up the rest of those mashed potatoes.

A Star is Bored

 

The book is called A Star is Bored. Well, my friends, so was this reader.

It had potential. It was written up as one of the most anticipated books of the fall, in fact. I first heard about the book because one of my co-workers used to work with the author. Turns out, he went from being a TV news writer in L.A. to working as Carrie Fisher's personal assistant! Fascinating fodder for a book, for sure. And, while he says the book isn't actually based on anyone... the main character is a TV news writer who leaves the grind of working the overnight shift to work for an aging actress who once played an uber-popular princess in a sci-fi movie from his childhood.

SURE it's not based on real-life...

Anyway, I was excited to read something quick and uplifting and kind of mindless. I wasn't expecting Tolstoy here. But, what started out as funny and interesting and quirky become tedious about 150 pages in. It would have been better as a magazine article or a short story or maybe just some funny cocktail party stories.

The main character is a bit lost and broken, as is the actress he works for. They have adventures, they take care of each other in their own way, he grows, etc. It's fine. Whatever, it's fine. It just never picked up the pace or really led me anywhere I couldn't go myself.

I'm not saying Lane should go back to overnight news writing (he won't need to, this book is a success.) But, if you're looking for a fun journey, you may be better off with US Weekly or reruns of The Hills.

Dept of Speculation

 

I'm late in writing this review, but I'm glad I waited. This slim, compact, powerful book that I read in a single day has been a slow burn. I liked it when I was reading it and when it was done. I see now the impact it had below the surface.

We never know the names of the characters, yet we share their most intimate moments. We see inside them and find ourselves. We see how quickly life moves from infatuation to marriage to dreams to heartbreak to ruin and back, sometimes, to happiness.

We see them fall in love, slowly at first, then to the fruition of marriage. Their story is relatable in its big moments, but more so in the small ones. The quiet reflections on what it means to be a wife and, ultimately, a mother. We see from her perspective as he cheats; we watch her recommit to the life they were trying to build, albeit with much different (more realistic?) expectations.

For me, the most powerful reflections were those on motherhood. What do we give up when we become "someone's mom"? What do we tolerate because of who else is depending on us now. The line below struck me deep in my chest and lives there now. 

This book is a quick read; like I said, I read it in a single day and probably could have read it straight through in a couple of hours. But, don't take that to mean it is simple. It's complex and profound and real.