There isn't really a common thread in this round, so I'm not going to try. I will say that two of these were so freaking packed with feels. There are worth the read, and they're going to stick with you long after you're done reading.
Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews was one heckuva twisty thrilling ride. Florence aspires to be an author, but hasn't found her big break just yet. Then, an amazing opportunity comes her way. Florence has the chance to be the assistant to the mysterious Maud Dixon. Maud's work is well-known, but no one knows who she actually is. Helen (aka Maud) and Florence are on a book research trip when tragedy happens. Florence wakes up in hospital alone. It appears Helen has been killed, and Florence now has the opportunity of a lifetime. Given the secrecy of Maud Dixon, Florence could finally be the author she has dreamed of being. However, this decision is not as easy as it seems, and there are some big challenges ahead as Florence takes on the charade. This was a clever premise, and another thriller that kept me turning those pages because I needed to know how it all ended up for Florence/Maud. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this recent release!
Beartown by Fredrik Backman was a book I have simply waited too long to read. It's absolutely beautiful and captivating and heartbreaking and just all the things you hope a book will be. The story centers on a hockey team in a small town. Hockey is baked into the town's identity, and the story explores what this connection means, especially when a traumatic event occurs. As Backman books tend to do, it was the characters in this one for me. They were so wonderfully written, and the way their stories each unfolded, both with joy and pain, just drew me into the town. This was one of those books that sucked me in from its first pages, and it did not let me go until the last sentence. The good news is that there is a sequel. I'm not sure what that experience will be like, but I can tell y'all that this book is one you must have in your life.
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji was a fascinating exploration of how bias plays into our lives each and every day. Rather than being a "call out" of behavior, it explores how this shows up and why this matters. It is very much grounded in research and understanding what science can tell us about why we act the way we do. It is also one of those books that I want/need to go back and revisit the key points to really digest the concepts and understand how this is showing up not only in others, but in me, too.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum is an incredibly emotional, powerful and tragic read. The story focuses on three generations of Arab-American women. Deya has grown up without her mother, Isra. She has been told her parents were tragically killed in a car accident when she was young. However, she discovers some correspondence that makes it seem this isn't what actually happened. The story then goes between Isra and Deya's. In Isra's story, it's how she entered into her marriage and what came next. In Deya's story, it's her quest to find the truth. This is a story of a culture of silence, incredible secrets, and important revelations of the truth. It is a book that has stayed with me and will stay with me. It is full of so much pain, but there is also such power in the truth that is told.
Onto the next ones!
