The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye is a great story about women who are change to survive. So interesting about Portland’s racist history and how dealing with the mafia may be easier than white Christians in Portland. Sad stories about hiding from mafia, homophobia, transphobia, and racism. Great characters. The slang was a little hard for me at times, but overall added a bit of fun.
Read July 2019
Broken arm
Christi Daughery’s The Echo Killing was an enjoyable read about a journalist that connects a recent murder to her own mothers.
Read July 2019
Broken Arm
Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, tells the story of almost 16 year old Belly and her family and friends that spend each summer at the beach. Just moms, dads only come out occasionally and not at all this year, and the kids. Belly is the youngest and only girl so has often been excluded from the fun parties that have been happening every year. This year is different. She’s turned pretty. She’s more confident. She’s not just a girl, but almost a woman now. This is the summer she’s been waiting for. There’s crushes she’s had forever and new loves. Grudges and jealousy all set on a beautiful beach with bonfires.
Easy, fun read about a 16 year old becoming a woman. It was written from a place of truth that it reminded me of being young and suddenly being able to get the boys to pay attention.
Read July 2019
Liane Moriarty had Nine Perfect Strangers meet at Tranquillum House to change their life. They all aren’t strangers, one couple and a family of 3 are included in their quest for betterment. All are in a remote health spa for a 10 day cleanse which they willingly signed up for. Once there, it seems not many read the fine print about the requirements to participate; days of silence, mandatory mediations, dietary restrictions. And then the real work began.
This was a page turner from the begining. Moriarty tells the story from everyone’s perspective, including each’s opinion about each other. It starts off as a gossipy fun novel that takes a wicked turn.
Great read! Read in 2 days!
Read June 2019.
Ruth Wariner’s childhood, as depicted in The Sound of Gravel, is full of abuse. She knew it, it seems like everyone around her knew it, but in order to accept their beliefs, they had to overlook so much. Young girls becoming second or third wives to incredible old men. Men marrying more and more women when they couldn’t support the wives and children they had. Women relying on the American welfare system to pay for their lives in Mexico since by law they were not married, but single mothers of many, many children. Apologizing for sexually abusing children and being let back into the home because the man just felt so bad.
Horrifying stories filled with love for each other and hope that everything will be ok. This doesn’t focus much on the religious reasons for their lives, but more on the functional disruption it causes. The personal hurts that people, especially the women and children endure, in order to live the word of their god.
Interesting and terrifying.
Read June 2019.
In Deal Breaker, like Harlan Coben’s Home, Myron Bolivar and his obscenely wealth friend Win, are able to work outside the law due to the amount of connections and wealth that Win has. Myron Bolivar runs a moderately successful sports agency, but with the help of his friend is able to strike deals and help players with methods just slightly less underhanded than the people he’s dealing with.
This is a very masculine, bro mystery where the main good guys have almost unbelievable abilities to solve mysteries and help people who deserve a little help.
Quick, easy read.
Read June 2019
Il Libro PDX 