A big bunch of books that I requested from the library all came in at once. Any recommendations for where I should start??

I have wanted to read When the Emperor Was Divine ever since I read Julie Otsuka’s other book, The Buddha in the Attic. When the Emperor Was Divine is a spare little book about a Japanese family’s experience before, during, and after they are sent to live in an internment camp. While it is a shameful story, highlighting a terrible period in American history, the matter-of-fact and bare style in which it is told is perfect. Otsuka is a very talented writer and her books are a delight to read.

Help for the Haunted by John Searles is not a book I would have necessarily picked up, but my book club won an opportunity to Skype with John Searles as part of his #50bookclub50states. We are excited to “meet” him on June 1 and I will post more about that once it happens. The premise of Help for the Haunted is an interesting one: two sisters are being raised by parents who help people who have experiences with the paranormal. At the beginning of the book, though, the parents die and it is a mystery why. The book bounced from past to present and I was pulled into the story, particularly the end, which completely surprised me. I look forward to trying Searles’ other books.

I’ve had The Headmaster’s Wife by Thomas Greene on my to-read list for a long while. And, then it’s been on my nightstand for a long while since I had a boon of books come in for me at the library. It was an incredibly quick read, but shallow. While I found the story interesting and wanted to know what happened, ultimately I didn’t enjoy the book very much. I thought the story of the author found in the acknowledgements and on the back flyleaf to be more compelling than the book itself!

I have been waiting for this kind of read for a long time. I started A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison on Saturday night and was mid-way through by Sunday night. I took it everywhere with me and did not want to put it down when I had to. It was a fascinating look into the underworld of modern female slavery. And while the subject was depressing and unbelievable in many ways, I hoped the story wouldn’t come to an end. And, as is always the case, I am sad that I now have to start something else.

I thoroughly enjoyed Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm. Following the interesting life of Grace, who re-invented herself in the wake of a crime she designed, kept the pages turning. I wanted to know more about what motivated her and loved the ending, even though I thought I wouldn’t. This is a quick read and one I would recommend, particularly as we head into summer.

It was hard not to get immediately sucked in by The Wild Truth, by Carine McCandless. It is written by the sister of the man written about in Jon Krakaur’s Into the Wild, which I read a million years ago. Carine attempts to explain why her brother did what he did. What a powerful memoir of their growing up years and their completely messed up lives. With each page, the horrors and bad choices piled up. While it was tough to stomach, and difficult to read, it was a fascinating look into the underpinnings of Chris McCandless’ life. If this version is true (their parents claim it isn’t), it is much easier to understand why he did what he did.