APRIL - A Few of My Favorite Books
With nothing to do but read and write in our weird, weird dystopian world of 2020, I decided to take a detour for April. Instead of reviewing a recent read, I decided to create a list of favorite books. Of course, I can’t even pick a favorite color. The challenge was real. I gave myself permission to create a quick list. I wrote down the first books that occurred to me. And noticed a pattern. There seemed to be three primary categories: my recent favorites from book club, lifetime favorites that stuck with me, and my favorite books about the construct of race in society. I grew up in the American south. The culture of race, segregation, and bias are big social issues, and I continually struggle to figure out ways that I can be a catalyst for change. My interest may have been sparked by one of my lifetime favorites, To Kill a Mockingbird. A host of books have increased my understanding of racial issues, only a few are included here. Similarly, Jitterbug Perfume, along with a few more Tom Robbins novels, spurred my love of quirky and outrageous characters, bizarre stories, and an irreverent attitude toward the establishment. If you enjoy reading books that root for the underdog, address injustice, deliver something magical or are a little subversive, you will probably find something you like here. It was hard to keep the list short! I am already thinking of all the books that should be added. Lifetime loves: 1 Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins 2 Bone People by Keri Hulme. 3 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4 Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 5 We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates Race: 6 The Human Stain by Philip Roth 7 Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (Notably my only non-fiction listed!) 8 Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 9 An American Marriage by Tayari Jones 10 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Favorites from Book Club: 11 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 12 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 13 Euphoria by Lily King 14 We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler 15 The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
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