The Importance of Being Ernie and Bert by Bert and Ernie was a book I adored. I could have told you that was going to be the case before reading a page. However, this was also so much more wonderful than I anticipated! The book focuses on the friendship of Bert and Ernie through their individual personalities as it showcases some aspect of life from each of their lenses. I found myself chuckling at so many of these because they are just so very well done. This book perfectly captures the essence of both Bert and Ernie, and as an adult (and lifelong fan) I loved how their characters shone through. Again, this book was perfect. I could say this over and over (and I kind of have), but y'all, this is just one of those reads that is guaranteed to make you smile.
Read this book if - You are a superfan of Bert and Ernie. You just need something to put a smile on your face.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood was a return to the world of Gilead. This is a book that had me captivated from its first pages to the very end. I could not read fast enough because I was so drawn in, but also I was so drawn in, I didn't want this book to be over. The tone of this one is different than The Handmaid's Tale, but definitely still full of all the dystopia. This book focuses on three women - each in a different situation - that are connected, but it's not immediately revealed how. The plot is then driven by each of these three tales told in pieces each chapter which then starts to show the common threads. These characters are really what pushes the novel forward, and I found myself drawn into each of their stories. I do wish I would've re-read The Handmaid's Tale before returning to this world to really see and feel all the connections, and I would like to read these as a pair someday. The sequel definitely wasn't a need, but it was a literary experience to return back of a place and hear stories I never thought I would.
Read this book if - You want to return to the world of Gilead and see what happened after.
The Missing Years by Lexie Elliott was a book I initially was hesitant to read. It seemed it was going to be a full on ghost story which honestly isn't my jam. However, this was not exactly what this was, and that's a good thing! After her mother's death, Ailsa inherits her childhood home. With her return to this place, the mystery of the disappearance from 27 years ago comes back fast and furious. Throughout, the "ghost" of Ailsa's father is imagining where he went. There was such power as these narratives were shared, and Ailsa still didn't have the answer she craved. In addition to the options given via narratives, suspicious things start happening around the house, and Ailsa wonders if this involves her father. This book did a great job of building suspense. The thrills it brought were connected to both the physical facility, the people who were there, and the past secrets, and that's what made it so compelling! Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy (that I am woefully behind in reading), so I could be swept away in this mystery!
Read this book if - You want a thriller built on all the secrets and unsolved mysteries.
American War by Omar El Akkad focuses on the second civil war. In the year 2074, the former United States of America is divided via a conflict that began with disagreements over the use of fossil fuel and protecting the environment. Much of the story focuses on Sarat, a girl who moves to a relocation camp after her father is killed. Sarat finds connections with rebels of sorts, and she's drawn into their world. She explores how she might help their cause which becomes her own. For me, what intrigued me most about the story was not where the focus was placed. I wanted to learn more about the events and happenings that led to the war. Instead, this focused more on the after, and at times for me, too much so. I am not saying that this was a bad story, in fact this is quite well told. Rather for me the focus just wasn't what intrigued me most. As the story got further and further into the after, I wanted to learn more and more of the before. This was such an intriguing (and not entirely unimaginable) view of the future, and I had so many questions about what got the country to this place. However, the focus was definitely more in sharing pieces of Sarat's story as a centerpiece for exploring the war as a historical happening, and that just left all those questions I had lingering.
Read this book if - You want to see the future at peak dystopian levels.
