by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books)
Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read!
Description from Publisher:
"When Freddie Gray was arrested for possessing an 'illegal knife' in April 2015, he was, by eyewitness accounts that video evidence later confirmed, treated 'roughly' as police loaded him into a vehicle. By the end of his trip in the police van, Gray was in a coma from which he would never recover.
In the wake of a long history of police abuse in Baltimore, this killing felt like the final straw—it led to a week of protests, then five days described alternately as a riot or an uprising that set the entire city on edge and caught the nation's attention.
Wes Moore is a Rhodes Scholar, bestselling author, decorated combat veteran, former White House fellow, and CEO of Robin Hood, one of the largest anti-poverty nonprofits in the nation. While attending Gray’s funeral, he saw every stratum of the city come together: grieving mothers, members of the city’s wealthy elite, activists, and the long-suffering citizens of Baltimore—all looking to comfort one another, but also looking for answers. He knew that when they left the church, these factions would spread out to their own corners, but that the answers they were all looking for could be found only in the city as a whole.
Moore—along with journalist Erica Green—tells the story of the Baltimore uprising both through his own observations and through the eyes of other Baltimoreans: Partee, a conflicted black captain of the Baltimore Police Department; Jenny, a young white public defender who’s drawn into the violent center of the uprising herself; Tawanda, a young black woman who’d spent a lonely year protesting the killing of her own brother by police; and John Angelos, scion of the city’s most powerful family and executive vice president of the Baltimore Orioles, who had to make choices of conscience he’d never before confronted.
Each shifting point of view contributes to an engrossing, cacophonous account of one of the most consequential moments in our recent history, which is also an essential cri de coeur about the deeper causes of the violence and the small seeds of hope planted in its aftermath."
Why I want to read it:
I absolutely loved The Other Wes Moore, and I think the subject Moore has chosen as his focus here is important and compelling. I think he'll offer an amazing, powerful perspective.
Note: The publication date for this book has changed to September 14, 2020. (4/15/20)
Abby Jimenez's The Happy Ever After Playlist
Description from Publisher:
"Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a 'take me home' look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker's owner reaches out. He's a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.
Well, Sloan's not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can't deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There's no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?"
Why I want to read it:
I enjoyed Jimenez's previous book in this series, The Friend Zone, and the reviews I've seen of the follow up are even stronger! Since I'm reveling in great, contemporary romances right now, this one is high on my "must read" list.
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed's When Stars Are Scattered
Description from Publisher:
"Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.
Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story."
Why I want to read it:
My boys and I have absolutely loved Jamieson's previous graphic novels, but the important topic here makes me even more motivated to read When Stars Are Scattered. I pre-ordered this one immediately after seeing it on a list of upcoming publications.
And two more . . .
Deirdre Mask's The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power
#pubdayshoutouts #nonfiction #graphicmemoir #romance #contemporary #worldlit #ownvoices #socialissues #socialjustice
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Alix and Kate, I recommend both books! I do think you could read Happy Ever After Playlist without The Friend Zone (and I preferred the HEAP), but I certainly understood Sloan more since I'd read both books. Enjoy!
HEA sounds so cute!
I really need to read The Friend Zone so I can read HEAP! It's everywhere these days!