Show Us Your Books: August

Man, after hitting a good reading stride in July, I slowed down again in August. I only finished two books. But both reads were really good, so I'm calling that a win.

We Never Asked For Wings

by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

At the beginning of this book, it is really hard to find any sympathy or affection for Letty. Honestly, I never really ended up liking her, but I found myself wanting her to sort things out in the end. She became a mother when she was a teenager but didn't really seem to grow up or take responsibility ... until her mother forced her to. Suddenly, she has to learn how to take care of her two children while running a household. She stumbles. Quite a few times. Her son is surprisingly mature and well-adjusted, however he eventually makes a decision that has some life-altering consequences for two families. The story sheds light on immigration and poverty and made me think about both of them a little differently.

The Barefoot Summer

by Carolyn Brown

A man is murdered. He leaves behind three widows -- none of whom knew about each other until his funeral. The women could not be more different despite their shared husband. The women end up working through their varied stages of grief together as each tries to escape to a cabin where each had spent their honeymoon. Tension gives way to tough conversations and realizations about the man they married. I liked the book because it combined a few of my favorite things -- romance and a mysterious crime.