Shuggie Bain. Douglas Stuart. 2020. Grove Press. 448 pages. [Source: Public library.] Shuggie Bain is a sensitive, unwaveringly loyal boy who has the misfortune of being born to an alcoholic mother and abusive father, with older siblings who are nearly tripping over themselves to get away from the family. Set in 1980s Glasgow, Shuggie Bain is a coming of age story about a boy everyone seems to know is “no right” and who ends...
The Last Black Unicorn. Tiffany Haddish. 2017. 289 pages. [Source: Public library.] It’s rare that a book has me actually laughing out loud nearly the entire time I read it. Most comedic books are funny, but not that funny. Tiffany Haddish easily kept me in stitches throughout The Last Black Unicorn, perhaps more so because it was an audiobook narrated by Haddish herself. In her autobiography, Haddish covers it all — her uns...
How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don’t. Lane Moore. 2018. Atria Books. 224 pages. [Source: Public library.] Random scrolling in the Libby app led me to How to Be Alone, written by comedian, writer, and musician Lane Moore. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the title caught my attention considering I enjoy my fair share of alone time. How to Be Alone, however, is less about the beauty found in solitude, ...
Clap When You Land. Elizabeth Acevedo. 2020. Quill Tree Books. 432 pages. [Source: Public library.] As the daughter of an immigrant and a man whose image in my mind is nothing like what society holds … this book touched me on so many levels. Acevedo amazingly highlights a family and its complexities. She pays homage to a tragedy I’ve never heard of (flight 587 ), expresses understanding, respect and honor to a religion that showcase...
New Year, New Ci. Nicole Falls. 2021. 269 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Usually when people say “new year, new me,” there’s a lot of personal agency at play. You know, someone wants a new job and they’ve started planning. Or they want to move and start shopping neighborhoods. Cienna doesn’t have that same fortune. Instead, her career and relationship implode unexpectedly, leaving her heading into the n...
