May 2021 Wrap Up pt. 2

May is officially over. We are almost halfway through this year. Wow. The first 3 months ticked by so slowly, but once I could leave my house again, it has flown by! Anyway, here are the books I read since my last wrap up.

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley - This book is fantastic!! It's a mystery centered around an 18 year old girl who is half Ojibwe, but unenrolled. Her uncle died of a drug overdose a few months before the start of the book, although everyone thought he quit years ago. Now her best friend is struggling with a boyfriend who is using meth and won't leave her alone. When he kills her and then himself in front of Daunis, our heroine, she begins a journey with the FBI to find out who is making and distributing this extremely addictive and dangerous new form of meth.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - This was the book club book for May. I was not really looking forward to this one, because I'm not a fan of WWII fiction. Also, it was large. It ended up being better than expected, although it was still difficult reading. It is mostly about two sisters, so the romance aspect is minimized. It was pretty good.

The Awakening of Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson - This was better than I expected. It's written like a journal of Malcolm's experience in prison where he learned about the Nation of Islam. The author was 2 when Malcolm X died, so even though she's his daughter, she is getting this information second hand. She doesn't cite her sources, so it feels like it's all a figment of her imagination. The story was good, but I'm not sure about its verity.

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala - This is a cute, Filipina, cozy mystery. The main character made me nuts. She's self-centered and dramatic and makes terrible decisions. The side characters are the best. Best friend, lawyer, dentist, and calendar aunties make this book tolerable. There's a dog on the cover, but she barely makes an appearance. It was ok.

I read a total of 9 books in May. Not terrible. I could do better (and will have to in the coming months.)

How'd you do?