I would recommend all four books I read for the month of October. There’s even a book on this list I gave a FIVE STAR review (that’s rare!). Yes, this month is very female-focused, but I think there is still a good variety to choose from. This month’s book reviews include a historical fiction piece about a female aviator, a contemporary romance, a fascinating memoir by a mother, and a strong voice from the Black Lives Matter movement. I hope you find a book to add to your must-read list!

   

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Sex and Vanity

I expected to love Sex and Vanity because I loved the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy (by the same author) but I didn’t think this book was as good. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked it but in comparison, this book fell a little short. The main reason I didn’t like this book as much is because the main character really annoys the reader at times.  She seems a little clueless, childish, and narcissistic and it isn’t always easy to cheer for someone with those qualities.  Furthermore, the ending seemed rushed.

At the start of the book, a young adult is going to her old babysitter’s lavish wedding in Capri, Italy. She brings along her older cousin as her guest. Throughout the wedding festivities, the reader is introduced to many interesting characters that will continue to play key roles throughout the rest of the book. An event occurs at the wedding that will have a lasting impact on the main character.

Later, the story jumps ahead a few years to when she is engaged to a very wealthy man who her family doesn’t exactly approve of. Will the event that happened years ago in Capri come back to haunt her at the worst time?

In summary, I enjoyed the book but when comparing it to the author’s other books this one doesn’t quite stack up.

   

Rage Against the Minivan

You should read Rage Against the Minivan NOW!! I loved it. Although I can’t relate to all aspects of her life – infertility, miscarriages, religion, divorce, interracial adoption, etc., the equality in a marriage chapter and her parenting chapters spoke to me so much. The topics I couldn’t directly relate to were still very entertaining.

The author is a divorced mom raising two white biological kids and two adopted black children all close in age. She was previously married to a youth pastor and the author is a marriage and family counselor as well as a blogger.

This book had me laughing out loud and sympathizing with some of her unique situations. Personally, I’ve never read her blog but now I will have to check it out. I really hope she writes more books.

   

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

I liked I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. This book definitely made me think about my own privileges and racism. 

I loved her anecdotal references from her life and really wish there would have been more.  The author talked a lot about her faith and the frustrations of being Christian and having racism be so prevalent in religious practices.

In the book, the author talks about having hope in the shadows. She doesn’t think there is going to be racial equality in her lifetime but has hope that it will get better for her children and grandchildren as more people put in the work to acknowledge racism and make efforts to change. Everyone has racial prejudices. We need to acknowledge, learn, and do better.

The personal anecdotes about job interviews, racism in the workplace, and church were fascinating. I loved how she wrote about not wanting to hear your confession about the time you were racist. Instead, the author wants you to learn from times you have been racist and think about what you could do differently the next time you are in a similar situation. Own it!

I think this is an important book to read. The reason I didn’t rate it higher is because I wanted more personal examples from her life (I really liked those parts) and the themes seemed a little too broad. I wish she had addressed more specific ways to change for the better.

   

Her Last Flight

Her Last Flight is written by one of my favorite authors (you know I love historical fiction). At first, this book seemed really slow to me and I thought it was going to be a slight let down. Nope, the last quarter of the book really sped up and became amazing.  There were twists I absolutely didn’t predict.

A photojournalist is researching the story of a very famous pilot who went missing.  Now she’s discovered where his plane crashed and has found a journal which might lead to more answers about his disappearance and another famous lost pilot.

The story jumps between the biography the photojournalist is writing about this famous pilot and the time period when she follows a lead to interview the person closest to the famous pilot.

The timeframe is in the 1930s – 1940s when flying wasn’t a fete the ordinary person took for granted. People who loved to fly would participate in stunt shows to pay for their own fuel. Flying competitions to set distance and speed records fascinated the public and the successful pilots became world-famous. Tons of money was spent trying to locate missing well-known pilots.

If you read this one – stick with it, I promise the book gets really good!

   

Need more book recommendations? Take a look at my September Book Reviews and Recommendations!