It’s been a while since I share a roundup on new books in my life and loved so many of my recent reads I wanted to share. Admittedly, my reading is much slower these days with two kids and the pandemic still chugging along. 

However, I really try to make it happen at night before bed and sometimes while the kid’s nap if I don’t have a ton of work waiting for me. Disconnecting before bed is healthy for us all so I really try to keep my phone out of reach charging and dedicate every other night to reading instead of television. 

It obviously doesn’t always happen but it’s my goal and one I’m hoping to be more consistent with this month. I shared some thoughts on the past 4 books I’ve read and what I am currently reading below and would love to hear anything from you that you have loved!

 

Recently Read:

 

A Woman Is No Man

I loved this debut novel from Etaf Rum which tells the story of three generations of Palestinian-American women struggling between expressing their individuality and being constricted by their culture. Once I started this, it was hard to put down and I can’t wait for her next novel.

 

An Anonymous Girl 

Such an addicting and suspenseful read! Greer and Sarah also wrote The Wife Between Us, and I’m honestly not sure which I liked more. This book follows Jessica Farris who agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. As the study continues, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields’s experiments blurs.

 

Beach Read

I originally purchased this because I needed something light and fun to read! I will say, it did have some dark moments I wasn’t expecting but overall I really liked the book. It tells the story of two writers who end up living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block. You learn about their pasts and how they come together in an unusual way.

 

Allegedly

 

I should preface this by saying this book does involve an infant death so at first I was hesitant to read it. However, after reading some reviews I thought I would try it and I’m glad I did. It’s one of my favorite recent reads. It follows the story of Mary B. Addison who allegedly killed a baby. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary, and the jury made it official. The story gives a insightful look at the justice system, mother/daughter relationships and life in a group home.

 

 

Next up:

 

The Henna Artist

I just recently started this and admittedly haven’t made it very far. I am hoping to dive in further in the next few weeks. It’s about a woman named Lakshmi who escapes her abusive marriage and travels alone to the city of Jaipur. She becomes the most highly requested henna artist to wealthy women trusted with all their secrets while trying to keeps hers underwraps.

 

Hope you are all having a lovely week and let’s hope I can get some reading done this weekend!