I bought Waking Up White by Debby Irving and got it on audiobook at the same time. So, while I listened to it on my walk/runs, I kept having to stop, find the part that was resonating with me in the text to underline and notate, and then start again. I enjoyed hearing the memoir read by the author and highly recommend both the audiobook and the book itself. It’s a great primer on race in America. Debby is a good writer and speaks of her awakening in a relatable way. There are lots of things to quote, but this at the very end struck me in particular:

“I can’t give away my privilege. I’ve got it whether I want it or not. What I can do is use my privilege to create change. I can speak up without fear of bringing down my entire race. I can suggest change with less chance of losing my job. If I lose my job, I have a white husband who can support me because he’s a white man who had access to education and now has access to employment. If my husband’s job gets targeted because I speak up against racism, I have an extended circle of white family and friends who would advocate for us. At least I think they would….We have a choice to make: resist change and keep alive antiquated beliefs about skin color, or outgrow those beliefs and make real the equality we envision.”

Grab this book if you can find it.

Any book that Oprah picks is usually one I like. I so miss her old book club. She chose Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker and I knew why just from the first 10%! It’s the story of a family of 12 kids, six of whom have schizophrenia. I could not put this book down and, even though it was lengthy, read it in two days. It was that good. I absolutely recommend it and will add it to my list of best books of the year.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore is another book that’s been on my list for a while. The library, as I have mentioned, while closed, has been a great source for Kindle books. This is the complicated mystery/thriller tale of Mickey and Kasey who were abandoned by their parents, raised by their grandmother, and ended up in two completely different circumstances. Mickey, a police officer, patrols the area where Kasey, a drug addict, spends her days. There is much complication and corruption between their two lives. This book carried on at a good clip and it was suspenseful and not easily predictable. So, I would recommend it if this is a genre you enjoy.

I have had My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell on my list for a long time and the audiobook came up on Hoopla, so I have been listening to it on my walks. It was dark, disconcerting (think Lolita), and not much to my liking. And, then it was due at the library when I had six hours left to go. Did I try to renew it? No. So, this one isn’t on my recommended list, but to be fair, I didn’t finish it.

I had high hopes for The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver, thinking it might be a Sliding Doors type of story. Rather, it is her waking life and her dream life. While this wasn’t a terrible story, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. Lydia’s fiance dies in a car crash and she is having a tough time recovering. In her dream life, he is still alive and she escapes frequently. This is a summer read for sure, but not one I would wholeheartedly recommend.

Windfall by Jennifer Smith was an OK read, but the whole way through I kept thinking, it seems like a teenage story. Well, as it turns out, it’s YA. As you know, I don’t like YA. And, while this was decent YA, it didn’t have enough depth for me. And, there was a terrible loose end that just faded away with no explanation. Overall, I was disappointed in this one because I went it thinking it was one thing and discovered it was another.

I don’t usually listen to audiobooks, but to stay sane lately, my long walks have included listening to books. It’s been a nice change from my murdery podcasts. This Will Only Hurt a Little was recommended by a friend. I didn’t even know who Busy Phillips was, so I didn’t have the context for this memoir that many people would have. However, I loved it anyway. It was a great memoir on it’s own and read by Busy herself, which livened it up a lot – the voice she has for her mother is priceless. It’s sad and funny and everything in-between. A great read, I am sure, but also a terrific listen.