The Next Good Book
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 so i like to read- 

friends often ask for book suggestions so i created this site in 2014 to help me think about what i read and pass it on.  

I hope you find many good books here!


e-mail-thenextgoodbook5@gmail.com

sharks in the time of saviors by kawaii strong washburn

5/30/2020

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Barnes & Noble Discover pick for March 2020 
Amazon Editors’ Pick for March 2020

​

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Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawaii Strong Washburn
373 pages

What’s it about?

 In 1995, off the coast of Kailua-Kona Hawaii, 7-year-old Noa falls off a boat and is rescued and delivered back to his mom in the jaws of a shark.  Thus begins the legend of Noa and the great expectations put upon him.  Noa is the middle child and his "specialness" has repercussions for the whole family, but especially for his older brother Dean and his younger sister Kaui.   This is a story of Hawaii, the Gods, a family, and expectations.

What did it make me think about?
 Hawaii.

Should I read it?
I really expected to love this book.  However despite the lyrical writing, the beautiful setting, and the vivid characters- I just did not love it.  Kawaii Strong Washburn is a very talented writer but I struggled to connect to the characters. I did love reading about Hawaii, and the setting was almost a character in itself.   It might have been my mood because so many have loved this book....

Quote-
​" 'Whenever I've made  a choice in my life, a real choice..'  She leans back from my head.  Touches my shoulder just for a second.  'I can always feel the change, after I choose.  The better versions of myself, moving just out of reach.' "

7 1/2 stars


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deacon king kong by james mcbride

5/21/2020

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Deacon King Kong by James McBride
370 pages

​What’s it about?

 This novel is set in the 1960's at The Cause Housing Project in Brooklyn.  The story centers around an old church deacon named Sportcoat that can't stay away from the booze.  His wife Hettie has died and he spends too much time drinking and talking to her ghost.  He is obsessed with finding the Christmas Club money she left somewhere because he is afraid the church people will think he stole it.  One day he drinks too much and walks up to the neighborhood drug dealer and shoots him.  Now the whole neighborhood gets involved to protect him.

What did it make me think about?
 Brooklyn and changing neighborhoods.

Should I read it?
 This was my favorite James McBride novel to date.  I loved the characters and he just brings Brooklyn in the 1960's to life.  It takes some patience in the beginning but if you stick it out Sportcoat may be one of your favorite literary characters this year.

Quote-
​"She'd known most of them her whole life.  They stared at her with that look, that projects​ look: the sadness the suspicious, the weariness, the knowledge that came from living a special misery in a world of misery.  Four of their numbers were down- gone, changed forever, dead or not, it didn't matter.  And there would be more.  The drugs, big drugs, heroin, were here.  Nothing could stop it."

If you liked this try-
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Ruby by Cynthia Bond
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

9 stars
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valentine by elizabeth wetmore

5/5/2020

1 Comment

 
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Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
306 pages


What’s it about?
This novel takes place in 1976 in and around the oil fields of Odessa, Texas.  Gloria is just fourteen-years-old when she shows up at the front door of MaryRose White-head’s ranch house.  She has been raped and beaten and is not safe yet.
​
What did it make me think about?
Class, racism, and justice. 

Should I read it?
This book was not what I expected.  The story is told from multiple perspectives.  With each perspective we see how this crime affects the community.  This was a really good book.  It is well-written and fast paced.  I always love a glimpse into a different world and West Texas in the 1970's was a world I had not heard much about.  In the end this book demonstrates both the ease and the difficulty in dehumanizing another person.

Quote-
“Ginny’s grandma was a toothy old woman, a believer in hellfire and hard work and punishment that fit the crime. If the devil comes knocking on your front door in the middle of the night, she liked to say, chances are you flirted with him at the dance.  When she delivered the punch line, she clapped her hands twice sharply, just to make sure Ginny was paying attention.”

If you liked this try-
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
​

 8 1/2 stars
1 Comment

dept. of speculation by jenny offill

5/1/2020

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2014

ONE OF THE 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR – THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

A Best Book of the Year: The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Vogue.com, Electric Literature, Buzzfeed
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Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
177 pages

What’s it about?

 This is the story of a marriage at the breaking point.  The narrator is "the wife".  As we read she retraces the steps that got her to this point in her marriage.

What did it make me think about?
 LESS IS MORE!  How could an author manage to pack so much into 177 pages.  

Should I read it?
 This small book is a literary tour-de-force.  It is disjointed, moving, and beautifully written.  How did I miss it for so many years? 

Quote-
​"How has she become one of those people who wears yoga pants all day?  She used to make fun of those people.  With their happiness maps and their gratitude journals and their bags made out of recycled tire treads.  But now it seems possible that the truth about getting older is that there are fewer and fewer things to make fun of until finally there is nothing you are sure you will never be."

If you liked this try-
The Animals by Christian Kiefer
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​Census by Jesse Ball​
​
​On Earth We're Breifly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
​

9 1/2 stars
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    A sad, poignant, mystical read. I won't give too much away. Quick and well worth it! 9 1/2 stars!
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    A coming of age story set in Mexico. It certainly gives you a whole new view of all the people coming over the border. 9 stars
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    “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
    ― Charles William Eliot
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     ratings

    1 to 2- I did not enjoy this book.
    3 to 4- I found some aspect of this book redeeming but would not recommend it.
    5 to 6- I really enjoyed something about this book (characters, plot, meaning etc.) but it was uneven. Some aspects were stronger than others.
    7 to 8- It was a good book.  I liked lots of aspects of this book.  I would recommend it.
    9 to 10- I was sorry to turn the last page.  I highly recommend this book!
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