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

the beauty in the breaking by michele harper

9/28/2021

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The Beauty in the Breaking by Michele Harper
280 pages

What’s it about?

Michele Harper is a Black woman who works as an Emergency Room doctor.  Her memoir is one woman's journey of self- growth and discovery.  

What did it make me think about?
 What an interesting perspective.

Should I read it?
 Through her stories of life in the E.R. (treating all kinds of patients) we see Ms. Harper's intellect, her kindness, and her compassion.  What we do not see is much joy, or any humor.  This makes for a rather preachy book.  I must say that I admire Michele Harper and if I ever find myself in an E.R. I would consider myself fortunate to see her standing by my bedside.

Quote-
"I knew myself well enough to know that when I leave, I leave for good. First comes the physical separation; the emotional disentanglement follows in time,"

If you liked this try-
On the Move by Oliver Sacks
Crying in the H Mart by Michelle Zauner
​Fire Shut up In My Bones by Charles M. Blow

7 stars
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the song of achilles by madeline miller

9/27/2021

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
372 pages

What’s it about?

 In this retelling of "The Iliad" Madeline Miller reimagines the tale of Achilles through the eyes of his best friend Patroclus.  Patroclus is an awkward young prince when he is stripped of his title and exiled from his homeland.  He is sent to live in the small country of Phthia where he meets the truly remarkable young Prince Achilles.  They forge a bond that will last throughout their lives.

What did it make me think about?
 A good story can be retold forever.

Should I read it?
 I really enjoyed "Circe" by Madeline Miller and promised myself I would get to this book as well. It took me a while but I finally read it.  This is an adventure story, a love story, and a lesson in the Classics all at once.  I would definitely recommend this book!

Quote-
"Who was he if not miraculous and radiant?  Who was he if not destined for fame?"

If you liked this try-
​
Circe by Madeline Miller
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeymii
The Enchanted by Rene Denfield​

8 1/2 stars
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agatha of little neon by claire luchette

9/14/2021

1 Comment

 
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Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette
271 pages

What’s it about?

 Agatha takes her vows to become a nun in her early twenties and spends the next nine years under the care of Mother Roberta and alongside Therese, Frances, and Mary Agatha working in the nursery.  Over time more and more professional daycares open and fewer and fewer babies come for the nuns to take care of.  The church decides to close the nursery and move the nuns to a new location.  Mother Roberta retires and the three sisters are moved together and put in charge of a halfway house serving recovering felons and addicts.  "Four sisters in heavy habits, muttering Glory Bes, who slept with their mouths open and ate beef jerky straight from the plastic.  We were the opposite of invisible, but still difficult for people to see.  When people saw our habits, they ceased to see our faces."

What did it make me think about?
 Who is called...

Should I read it?
 This slim novels reads like a series of short vignettes.   Sister Agatha really touched my heart.  She is worth getting to know.

Quote-
"We'd come to Woonsocket to care for these people, but we had no idea what that meant.  We thought we had things to give them, prayer and compassion and mercy and home-cooked meals, but none of this was enough. 
It's truer to say that we -or, I, at least-had come because we'd been told it was God's plan, which a lot of the time has nothing to do with what you had in mind for yourself."


If you liked this try-
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
Driftless by David Rhodes
What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez
The Weekend by Charlotte Wood

8 1/2 stars
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Crying in the h mart by michelle zauner

9/9/2021

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NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A Best Book of 2021: Entertainment Weekly, Good Morning America, Wall Street Journal, and more

From the indie rockstar of Japanese Breakfast fame, and author of the viral 2018 New Yorker essay that shares the title of this book, an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.
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Crying in the H Mart by Michelle Zauner
239 pages

What’s it about?

The old adage that "complicated relationships bring complicated grief" is demonstrated in this memoir.  Michelle is only in her mid-twenties when she realizes that her mother is seriously ill.  She is just beginning to come to terms with her immigrant mother and their complicated love when she finds herself having to say goodbye.  Mother and daughter relationships are always complicated but this memoir shows us the added burden of being from distinctly different cultures.  

What did it make me think about?
 Mothers and daughters and food!

Should I read it?
 If you are a fan of memoirs then pick this book up.  I learned of Michelle Zauner through her music, but she is a talented writer as well.  This is a clear, candid look at growing up biracial in America.  Her mother's use of food to show love and care plays a central role in this slim book and I found these references especially illuminating. ​"I wonder how many people at H Mart miss their families .  How many are thinking of them as they being their trays back from the different stalls.  If they're eating to feel connected, to celebrate these people through food.  Which ones weren't able to fly back home this year, or for the past ten years?  Which ones are like me, missing the people who are gone from their lives forever?"  

Quote-
"It was difficult to write about someone I felt I knew so well.  The words were unwieldy, enforced with pretensions.  I wanted to uncover something special about her that only I could reveal.  That she was so much more than a housewife, than a mother.  That she was her own spectacular individual.  Perhaps I was still sanctimoniously belittling the two roles she was ultimately most proud of, unable to accept that the same degree of fulfillment may await those who wish to nurture and love as those who seek to earn and create."

If you liked this try-
Forty Autumns by Nina Willner
H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
My Brother Moochie by Issac J. Bailey

7 1/2 stars

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ramadan ramsey by louis edwards

9/4/2021

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Ramadan Ramsey by Louis Edwards
383 pages

What’s it about?

It is 1999 and Ramadan Ramsey is 12-years-old and living in New Orleans with his grandmother, Mama Joon.  His mother passed away when he was small and he has never known his father.  When his grandmother dies and leaves him alone with his Aunt Clarissa (and lots of cousins) he struggles with what to do.     Ramadan decides to sneak away and travel around the world to find his father.  His unexpected journey is at the heart of this story.

What did it make me think about?
This book is filled with great characters.

Should I read it?
This is a book that I have great admiration for.  For me the beautiful, descriptive writing (and the writing is beautiful) could sometimes actually get in the way of the story that Louis Edwards was telling.   I feel the plot was sometimes  bogged down by all the words...  Having said that Mr. Edwards writes some of the best characters.   I really liked this book but I would have loved it about 30 pages less.

If you liked this try-
Everywhere You Don't Belong by Gabriel Bump
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

7 stars
0 Comments

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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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    Quirky characters and the story told through letters to Richard Gere. Who could ask for more? 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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