Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: 3 Novels to Get Lost In

Happy Monday and welcome back to summer. It's been hot and sunny around here, which is one of those love it / hate it kind of things. I'm not sorry to have a few more days reading on the deck, but it's October -- where's my beloved fall weather?

Other than work, I've been gearing myself up for a major book culling. Twice a year or so, I go through my stacks and make sane decisions about which books  I still want to read or feature and which ones would be better off finding a new home.

No matter how selective I try to be when it comes to books, my eyes are always bigger than my available time. Drat that pesky job!

What I Read Last Week

Warcross by Marie Lu (Putnam, Sept. 12): You might recall that I wasn't sure about this science fiction, techie novel (Kirkus called it "cyber punk") after the first chapter or so, but I'm glad I stuck with it. In the not-so-distant future, the world is so caught up in the virtual reality game Warcross that tournaments become major global events, complete with underground gambling and hacking. When security (both online and in real life) becomes an issue, the developer of the game hires a struggling bounty hunter to help him find the bad guy. Our hero is Emika Chen, who jumps at the chance to prove her coding skills and climb out of poverty. You don't have to be a big gamer to root for Emika, to get caught up in the action, and to try to figure out all the plot twists. The book ends with the promise for more Emi stories to come. The unabridged audiobook (Listening Library, 11 hr, 46 min) was read by Nancy Wu, who did a great job projecting Emi's emotions and pulling me into the fast-paced world of the game. Her accents and pronunciations seemed believable to me, and I really loved the way she captured Emi's personality. I'm already looking forward to the next audiobook in this series. (Thanks to the publisher for review copy.)

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (Knopf, Oct. 17): Let me start off by telling you to put this book on your reading list right now. Julia (pronounced the Mexican way), has always felt misunderstood by her family, but when her older sister, Olga--the good daughter--dies in an accident, the teenager feels her different-ness ever more strongly. This powerful novel, told through Julia's voice, explores many important themes, especially teenage depression. Many of Julia's issues stem from her strong desire to leave home, go to college, and become a writer, all of which seem impossible because her parents are extremely poor and are undocumented immigrants. What's more, she knows she could never live up to Olga's standards, even if she wanted to. In an effort to connect more closely with her late-sister, Julia looks through her belongings and discovers she didn't know Olga at all. Sanchez explores sisters, mother-daughter relationships, depression, poverty, the pull of cultural traditions, the conflict of telling the truth vs. protecting those we love, and more. The book ends with a list of resources for troubled youth. The unabridged audiobook (Listening Library; 9 hr, 41 min) is brilliantly read by Kyla Garcia, who nails Julia's complex emotions. Garcia also wonderfully delivers the needed teenage inflections and easy use of slang and swearing. The accents, including the Spanish, flow smoothly, and help create Julia's world. I loved this book and will be thinking about it for a long time to come. (Thanks to the publisher for review copy)

Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell (Washington Square Press, Feb. 2014): The beauty of book clubs is that they encourage you to read books you never would have picked up. This novel, loosely based on a true story, is a case in point. Sixteen-year-old Lesley escapes her sexually abusive father and delivers herself to the British version of child services for protection and help. We follow Lesley's dark journey as she tries to deal with and move past the nightmares of her family life, all the while coping with the British legal system and various government institutions. The book begins and ends with her fight, at the age of twenty-two, to keep her infant daughter, who was taken away moments after her birth because the system decided Lesley's past mental health issues would make her an unfit mother. I have no firsthand experience with any of Lesley's issues, but I felt Crowell presented the difficulties Lesley faced and her efforts to find help in a realistic manner. Her relationships with her friends and mentors were also believable. Although eventually redemptive, it's a heartbreaking story that drums home the need for advocacy for survivors of abuse and the need to remove the stigma for mental health issues. You can find a reading group guide at the Simon & Schuster website.

Book News

• I really loved this answer to those who accuse audiobook readers of not really reading: "Listening to Audiobooks Is Just As Good As Reading, If Not Better, So Back the Hell Off," by Alex Watt. Via The New Yorker.
• If you live in the UK, here are three book events to put on your wish list: "Autumn Literary Festivals," by Leanne Walstow. Via House.
• Good news for readers: "W.W. Norton Offers Entire Ebook Catalog to Lending Libraries," by Denis Abrams. Via Publishing Perspectives.