By Marci Lutsky
Every summer I write a column about beach reads. I don’t know about you, but I love curling up on the couch under a blanket with a good book when it’s cold out so I thought it would be a good time to catch you up on what I’ve been reading lately. People say to me all the time, how do you have time to read with young kids around? The answer is I don’t watch television and look forward to the end of the day when I’m the only one awake to read for an hour before falling asleep. Here is the good and the bad of what I’ve read in the past few months.
One of the best books I read in the past year is Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. This is the story of two families living next door to each other when a tragedy strikes, impacting the lives of all involved for years to come. This book was beautifully written and had me thinking about the characters long after it was finished.
I also really enjoyed Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. Don’t let the subject of a plane crash steer you away from this one. In the book, a boy is the only survivor of a plane crash. It flashes back between before the incident and his life after. It delves deeply into the lives of people on the plane and how the relatives of survivors cope with their loss. It is based on a real story in which a boy actually survived a plane crash which I found fascinating.
I’m currently reading two books which I can not put down. Know by Name by Chanel Miller tells the true story of a 2015 assault that occurred at Stanford University. For years Chanel was known as Emily Doe as she wanted to remain anonymous. Her accuser was found guilty on three counts and spent just three months in jail. In Know My Name, Miller courageously tells her story. This book has brought me to tears and is a very important read about a victim’s rights and what’s wrong with our justice system. The second book that I can not put down is called American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. This book has gained a lot of unwanted controversy. It’s the story of a woman and her son fleeing Mexico after their family is savagely gunned down by a drug cartel. When it was released in the beginning of 2019, it was hailed as the Grapes of Wrath of our time but quickly became the center of controversy when critics claimed the book perpetuated cultural stereotypes and that the author did not have authentic connections to Mexican culture. I find the story to be a real page-turner and everyone I’ve talked to who has read it has said the same thing.
My sister passed on to me Miracle Creek, a debut novel by Angie Kim. It was an entertaining suspense book that kept my attention. Another quick read that I enjoyed is The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. My book club recently read Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid which was supposed to be THE book of 2020. This book totally misses the mark and left me so disappointed. If you are thinking of reading it, skip it!
If you want to follow along on my reading adventures, you can find me on www.goodreads.com. I rate all of the books I read there. Cozy up with a book this winter and get reading and if you have any good recommendations, I would love to hear them!
Marci Lutsky is a local mom of nine year-old twins and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
