Big Book Hankerin’

“Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?”—Henry Ward Beecher

Right on, Henry Ward, right on. I can get behind a guy who’s all about God’s love and books, books, and more books. Weeks ago, I got a big hankerin’ for some new reads. Entranced, my car headed west towards Barnes & Noble—I was powerless to turn around. The flesh was weak. Inside, when I read this claim about debut novel Shadows of Pecan Hollow, I felt defenseless: “Set in 1970-90s Texas, a mesmerizing story about a fierce woman and the partner-in-crime she can’t escape, perfect for listeners of Where the Crawdads Sing and Valentine.” They had me at the promise of “perfect” for listeners of Crawdads.

I liked 13-year-old orphan, Kit Walker. She’s lost—understandably so—but she’s gritty, determined, and has a backbone that commands both respect and envy. Of course, she’s a child, which means she’s also vulnerable. When Kit meets Manny, a charming con-artist, her life bolts from despairing to pretty twisted. I couldn’t agree more with the Publishers Weekly reviewer who explains, “Much melodrama ensues, including some gratuitous violence. Nevertheless, Frost offers plenty of punchy lines. It’s uneven, but there’s promise here.” Speaking of promise, I don’t think this was “perfect” for listeners of Where the Crawdads Sing. Nope, can’t go there. Crawdads was special. Sharee and I agree Pecan Hollow was entertaining. But in the great expanse of stars, it’s lost somewhere in the 3’s.

Posted by Tracy

Back in a Big Way

"Sometimes, the things we think are lost are only hidden, waiting to be rediscovered."

Sadly, we all have seasons in our lives when we're MIA from books for a minute. My book-starved season is now—the current hurdle of grad school has swallowed my dedicated reading time whole—instead I’ve been chewing on textbooks and research papers for the past nine months. My month-long semester break means I need to get in as many good reads as possible. I turned to my trusted ladies for a recent release that would start my month strong. As always, Rachel and Tray don't disappoint!

I first fell in love with Anthony Doerr's writing in the summer of 2016. On a commuter train from New York City to New Canaan, Connecticut, I devoured All The Light We Cannot See in two days. I could've finished it in hours if it weren't for a pesky, high-demand internship. Will it surprise that I’d go so far as to take the book into the bathroom to steal a page or two?!?

Similar to ATLWCS, Cloud Cuckoo Land is a brilliantly woven together tapestry of stories with a beautiful overarching message at the end. Set in Constantinople and the Bulgarian Forests during the 1450s with Anna and Omeir; Lakefront, Idaho in 2020 with Seymour and Zeno; and years into the “not-so-distant future” on space mission Argos with Konstance, Doerr details the story of those five characters whose lives are brought together in a single strand. All find their way to the translations of the Greek tale of Atheon (Cloud Cuckoo Land)—a shepherd on a quest to find the city of dreams in a cloud. It may sound like a bad bar joke, but in true Doerr fashion, the book is paced out to come to a point in the five individuals' lives that showcase how transformative and influential books and stories can be.

Cloud Cuckoo Land rekindled my love of reading quicker than you can say veracious. Doerr took me back to those days of trying to squeeze out every moment possible to turn great pages. I wouldn't call the first 150-200 pages slow, but I would call them steady. A wealth of information is shared upfront for the reader to remember as the story picks up in the next 400—a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Of note: This book would be tough to Audible because there are essentially five different stories you’re jumping back and forth between – click the link above and get yourself a physical copy! You won’t be sorry. One more thing, I've been asked if this book is better than All The Light We Cannot See. I stand in Tracy's camp that ATLWCS is a timeless classic. But Cloud Cuckoo Land is a brilliant way to rediscover a good story.

Posted by Michelle

Finger Flippers

“In the times of greatest darkness, the light always shines through, because there are people who stand up to do brave, decent things…it doesn't matter what you were born to be. It matters what you choose to become.” —Kristin Harmel, The Forest of Vanishing Stars

Is Rae talkin’ book besties? She’s forever mine. When it comes to the very best pages, she has yet to steer me wrong—Rae put the rock in rock-solid, folks. I can’t wait to get eyeballs on her latest recommendations. Love me the good stuff. Meanwhile, here are a few of my latest reads that qualify as “finger flippers.”

Lucy’s makin a name for herself

Sharee and I both pounced on this late-February release. I’ve never read a Lucy Foley novel, not one, so I thought I’d give her a try. She had me turning pages. And she had me guessing. How ‘bout we let a dedicated crime fiction blogger do the honors for this cloak-and-dagger novel? “The Paris Apartment reads like a cross between Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Riley Sager’s novel Lock Every Door, and the game of Clue; this immersive mystery delights and thrills in equal measure, weaving an engrossing tale that will keep readers guessing whodunnit until the book’s final pages.” Me and Sharee agree—this little thriller warrants 4 stars for plot twists alone.

P.S. This probably isn’t well suited for your mom’s book-of-the-month selection; a somewhat steady stream of f-bombs get dropped in the chic Parisian apartment building where everyone’s a suspect. 

Kwame’s got game

We’ve been accused of not reviewing enough children’s lit here at 2@27. Guilty as charged. Forgive me, and thank my 14-year-old boy, Jonah, who procrastinated his English assignment and had to read a book in less than 24. My first thought: You know I’m an English teacher, right? What I verbalized: Should we listen to The Crossover? Jonah was game. The main character Josh Bell, a twin brother and baller at heart, felt totally relatable to Mista Jones. We both loved Kwame’s “mad beats.” Poetry in forward motion. Here’s a fantastic snippet, an ode to Josh’s hair:

If my hair were a tree

I’d climb it.

I’d kneel down beneath

and enshrine it.

I’d treat it like gold

and then mine it.

Each day before school

I unwind it.

And right before games

I entwine it.

These locks on my head,

I designed it.

And one last thing if

you don’t mind it:

That bet you just made?

I DECLINE IT.

I think anyone who can get kids to love a book written entirely in free verse poetry deserves a medal—glad Newberry thought so too. Personally, I love the theme that even imperfect families are where it’s at.

Kristin does it again

Why do I feel like Kristin Harmel and I should be fast friends? Because we’re equally obsessed with Nazi Germany? Uniformly preoccupied with remarkable stories of survival against all odds that ultimately inspire hope and other glorious feelings? Really the only difference between us is she actually writes motivating stories and I just think about it. I find, like me, she is a teacher. In The Book of Lost Names, she taught me about the value of forgers for Jewish children trying to escape the evils of the Nazi regime. In The Forest of Vanishing Stars (also based on true events), I learned about courageous partisan fighters who risked their lives to hide Jewish refugees in the depths of the wild Naliboki Forest. To the British author who said this story will “touch, educate, transform, and uplift,” Ima holla back, Amen!

Posted by Tracy

My Heart Pumped Chocolate for Project Hail Mary

Move over Bill Nye, there’s a new science guy in town. I’m not a science fiction lover—not by any stretch of the intergalactic imagination—but Andy Weir has gone completely interstellar with his latest: Project Hail Mary. I know we mete out stars to let you know just how shiny and memorable a read is, but maybe we should rank books by how very much we miss the friends we made in them.

I hate to admit that I finished this supernova novel two months ago (and I’m just now blogging about it), but man I miss Ryland Grace, a disillusioned molecular biologist masquerading as a sorta hip Jr. High school teacher. And space alien/engineer Rocky—I’ve missed him a bunch too. One reviewer said this about my buddy Rocky: “As far as I’m concerned, Weir’s alien, Rocky, from the hot, gassy planet Erid, is a stroke of genius and it sets the narrative and this novel apart. Nothing about this alien is, well, properly alien-like, the way popular culture has established….I really liked Rocky and my heart pumped chocolate for him.”

Novels about the end of the world can feel like garden-variety stories. Yes, Weir’s premise revolves around saving the solar system. Yes, time is of the essence because a microorganism called Astrophage is essentially eating the sun. And yes, billions of people’s lives hang in the balance with an impending Ice Age chilling faint hearts. That’s semi-standard fare for Sci-Fi, no? So what makes Project Hail Mary so remarkable? For starters, Weir wrote, “For John, Paul, George and Ringo” on the dedication page. (You’ll see why—perfect for across the Universe stuff.) Turns out, the former computer programmer turned novelist can create anticipation. His story starts with this hook: “What’s two plus two?” Grace follows with, “Something about this question irritates me. I’m tired. I drift back to sleep. A few minutes pass, then I hear it again. What’s two plus two?” I’m interested, are you? You’ll be riveted throughout, especially if you’re listening to PHM—I don’t know who Ray Porter is, but he cut a whole lotta mustard in his audible performance. In fact, he earned The Top Listen of 2021. Porter definitely added to the metagalactic magic. And then there’s my friends, my relatable, I-get-by-with-a-little-help-from-my friends. I miss you boys. So much so, that I’ll be sure to tune in again. Soon.

Posted by Tracy

Rock-Solid Reads

“My mama say education will give me a voice. I want more than just a voice, Ms. Tia. I want a louding voice,” I say. “I want to enter a room and people will hear me even before I open my mouth to be speaking. I want to live in this life and help many people so that when I grow old and die, I will still be living through the people I am helping.” —Abi Daré, The Girl with the Louding Voice

I’ve got two new book besties: Jenna Bush Hager and Barack Obama. Reese and I have had a bit of a falling out of late, but Jenna and Barack, we’re rock-solid. They’ve yet to steer me wrong. Here are four of the Read with Jenna picks I can’t stop thinking about. You’ve got next, Barack. Ladies first.

Favorite Listen of 2021

Had I done a Best Of for 2021, this beauty would’ve taken top prize in the listen category. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, should read this book. Which is why it’s been my most gifted book of the year so far. Hard to sum it up better than Jeanine Cummins, author of another favorite of mine: “The girl with the louding voice is a character for the ages. Adunni is a girl who narrates her own suffering with levity, who paints depth and texture and beauty into her Nigerian homeland, who tenderly cultivates her own humanity even while everything around her seeks to thwart it. She is an ambassador for girls everywhere. She is important, funny, brave, and enduring. Abi Daré has written an unforgettable novel, by the strength of her own louding voice.”

Best Memoir 2021

Seems to be a day of bests. I would add a caveat here, only because declaring bests always makes me nervous: this wins favorite new memoir I read last year. It must be said that I equally loved one written a few years ago that I waited way too long to read: Born a Crime. You can read Sharee’s review of that winner here. But back to Beautiful Country. It’s so good it landed on both Jenna and Barack’s lists. I love this description by Gish Jen: “Heartrending, unvarnished, and powerfully courageous, this account of growing up undocumented in America will never leave you.” I know it hasn’t left me.

Amor does it again.

Another Jenna and Barack crossover. Seems Michelle and George aren’t the only Bush/Obama besties. A Gentleman in Moscow remains my favorite Amor Towles to date, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love every page of this one. Pardon me while I let Ann Patchett (man, I love her) tell you why you should read this book: “Welcome to the enormous pleasure that is The Lincoln Highway, a big book of camaraderie and adventure in which the miles fly by and the pages turn fast. Set over the course of ten riveting days, the story of these four boys unfolds, refolds, tears, and is taped back together. When you aren’t actually reading the book, you’ll be worrying about the characters, so you might as well stay in your chair and keep reading.”

Family Saga with a Twist

This was probably my least favorite of the four, but considering how much I loved the other three, that’s not a fatal criticism. It’s still well-worth the read. I found the premise intriguing: while we can’t choose what we inherit, can we choose what we become? At times clunky—mostly due to trying to cover one too many social issues—it explores its premise well and leaves us with a beautiful family saga rich in culture, courage, and the sheer force of will. Not to mention a nice helping of murder mystery on the side. Word has it it’s soon to be a series on Hulu. Sign me up!

Posted by Rachel

R.J. Palacio, You Are A Wonder.

“Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.” —Napoleon Bonaparte

At two@twenty-seven, we are a family of readers. Sharee is literal family. She’s my older wiser sister who happens to be on fire as of late. You’ve probably noticed she’s reading circles around us. Sharee had a hat trick last month. A reading/reviewing hat trick!!! We’ve been reading the same book—she just finished ahead of me, I’m nearly there. Can’t wait to have a chat about it; impromptu book discussions revive me.

Let’s chat about R.J. Palacio, should we? It goes without saying R.J. deserves countless standing O’s for crafting one of my all-time favorite, wish-I’d-written-it-myself, starry, starry young-adult novels. Wonder lived up to its name in every sense of the word. Palacio “excited amazed admiration” out of me, one page at a time. It’s a reading miracle in my opinion. How on earth and all the other planets do you follow with another novel after that? I feel for ya, R.J. (Not to mention, I wish I had that same problem right about now.)

I’m here to tell you that Palacio is not a one-hit Wonder. Her latest book, Pony, is a real Winner. And why wouldn’t it be? She’s conjured up a twelve-year-old boy named Silas whose best friend happens to be a ghost named Mittenwool—an imaginary support with perfect timing and even better advice. When “they” set out across the frontier to rescue Silas’s mysteriously kidnapped father, they end up on an unforgettable, life-changing journey. If you love a good ghost story, this book’s for you. If you love a good story that underscores the need for courage in a mixed-up chaotic world, look no further. If you’re after “meditations on love and faith that feel timeless and utterly necessary,” pick up a copy of Pony today. Say it again (reading specialist) Erin O’Leary: “I feel like I just read a symphony, a melody I’d never heard before, but my heart somehow remembered. R.J. Palacio, you are a Wonder.”

Posted by Tracy

Shed a Little Light

“Each year I look forward to whom Marie Benedict will spotlight in her stories of strong women in history.”    —TarHeel Reader’s Review

Me too TarHeel, me too. Historical fiction fans will not be disappointed with Marie Benedict's latest offering. As one who has read many of her "I-am-woman-hear-me-roar" stories, this is definitely one of her best. Hedy Lamarr’s chronicle remains my personal favorite. (Her story is hard to beat). But Rosalind Franklin is a gem in her own right.

Rosalind was years ahead of her time (and her male colleagues). In the aftermath of WWII, she was exceptional in every area of science—she dedicated her life’s work to the relentless pursuit of DNA research.  Like Benjamin and Aretha, Rosalind changed the world. Shamefully, three men took credit for her ground-breaking discovery. I’m with this savvy reviewer: "Marie Benedict's powerful new novel shines a light on a woman who sacrificed her life to discover the nature of our very DNA, a woman whose world-changing contributions were hidden by the men around her but whose relentless drive advanced our understanding of humankind." 

A shiny 4.5 stars from this historical fiction lover.  Anyone who can put their life on the line in a male-dominated world and succeed deserves nothing less.  

Posted by Sharee

Crazy 4U

“Lying was like taking a breath to Shelly. Sami could never grasp why her mother felt compelled to lie when saying nothing at all would be a smarter course.”

I cannot tell a lie—I love a good true crime! My children mock me on a weekly basis when I run to the couch on Friday nights to gawk at Dateline. Was crime busting my first love? Quite possibly. At a young age, I watched Murder She Wrote with my grandma. Most of those episodes were predictable (and maybe even a lil’ bit corny), but Grandma Smith loved them. And I got hooked. When I came across If You Tell, even my mystery-solvin’ heart wasn’t ready for the story that was about to hit me.  

I imagine the most devout true crime fans may have trouble stomaching the horrors that took place behind the closed doors of Shelly Knotek’s farmhouse in the Grays Harbor, Washington. The torture and abuse Shelly’s daughters experienced, along with a number of “friends” that were lured into her web of deceit, will leave your head spinning. I’m still in shock. If You Tell is a fascinating eyewitness into the actions of a sadistic psychopath and the dark secrets that can bond siblings together for life, despite the decimation of family by the one who should love you the most.

Here’s a warning for all readers: If You Tell is not for the faint of heart. This is, in no way, a recommendation for your valentine. It’s hardly a gift for the one you love. Shelley’s story is dark and disturbing. I told my daughter about halfway through the book, “this has to be one of the most deranged stories I’ve ever read.” But I couldn’t put it down. I had to see how it ended! Just a few weeks later, she called me and told me the same thing as she was reading it. Both haunting and troubling, the story is guaranteed to make an impact. How many stories can say that? Just wish this wasn’t a true one.

Posted by Sharee