On My Bookshelf No.8

I realized it has been a while! On My Bookshelf is where I recap the books I read in the last month or so. I forgot last month’s, so instead of recapping September and October (which might be overwhelming), I will just start fresh from October! Some really good ones here, I have to say, no true duds!

Also, this is the most comfortable sweater/top from Nic + Zoe (regular and plus), perfect for an elevated everyday.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi – 5/5 Wow. Add this to your “to read” shelf right now. This book has to be my favorite read in recent months. It is brilliantly written. Incredibly moving. It is about a Ghanaian immigrant family living in the US, and the protagonist, Gifty, is studying to be a neuroscientist and navigates loss, addiction, faith and life. There is a lot of depth and complexity here, and if addiction issues are sensitive for you, please know it is a core focus of the book. I was in awe of the writing and raw emotion you feel, it goes deep. 

His & Hers By Alice Feeney – 4.5/5 You know I live for a good thriller. When I heard that this was being made into a movie, I grabbed it from my local bookshop. It is a page turning psychological thriller, so I don’t want to give too much away here. There is a murder and Anna, a TV anchor, goes to her hometown to cover it. She knows the victim, and meets a man who also knew her. Both characters become involved, and the plot thickens from there. I was constantly trying to figure out what happened, it’s just so good. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue V.E. Schwab – 4/5 I am not one for fantasy, but wow. I loved this book, I nearly devoured it in a few days. The writing is so dynamic and different. It’s set in France in the early 18th century, when Addie LaRue essentially makes a deal with the devil: to live forever but no one will remember her after they meet. But a big twist comes. The things I loved the most were the descriptive settings, they were so well constructed and vibrant. You experience the culture and history in different eras, and for anyone who loves that, this is for you. 

The Last Story of Mina Lee By Nancy Jooyoun Kim – 3.5/5 This was one of Reese’s Book Club Picks, and I really enjoyed this one. But, I didn’t love it. The writing is moving and parts of the messaging hit you very deep. It’s a combination of a mystery, a story of immigration, and a complicated mother-daughter relationship. The daughter, Margot, finds her mother, Mina, deceased, and we walk through various experiences that tie everything together. Some of the storytelling aspects just fell flat for me vs. the actual content itself, but I think it tells an important story.

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