Welcome to Quick Lit, where bloggers link up with Anne Bogel at Modern Mrs. Darcy and share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately.
I will be on an book awards committee starting in February, so my reading for the year will mostly be for that. With that in mind, I’m trying to read as many “me” books as possible this month. January has been a nice combination of grown-up and middle grade reading, and there’s a bunch more great stuff I’m hoping to get to in the next couple weeks. Wish me luck!
Here’s what I’ve been reading lately:
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
When migrant workers, Lennie and George, land a job during the Great Depression as ranch hands in the Salinas Valley, their dream of owning their own farm seems like a real possibility. But their hopes are shattered when Lennie accidentally commits a crime.
I read this as my pick for January’s Anne Arundel County Reading Challenge theme: a book you’ve been meaning to read. Somehow, I managed to get through high school and college without reading this one! I’m so glad I finally got to it. It’s not pleasant or easy read, but I loved how much it made me ponder and chew on the story.
Amal Unbound, by Aisha Saeed
Amal is a Pakistani girl who loves school and aspires to go to college to become a teacher, but when she has a less-than-amicable run-in with the son of her family’s despot landlord, she is forced to become an indentured servant to pay off her debt. Despite her circumstances, Amal holds onto her dream and makes brave decisions to change the power structures in her village.
Amal had me cheering so hard for her by the end of this book. Saeed did an excellent job making me feel the pain of injustice as well as the joy that comes from observing strong young people standing up to the status quo. Everyone should read this book!
The Sittaford Mystery, by Agatha Christie
It’s a snow-covered evening in Dartmoor, England and a group of six has gathered around a table for a seance at Sittaford House. It’s all fun and games until the name of a friend is spelled out as the victim of murder. Is he really dead? Who will check on him in all the snow?
I read this for an Agatha-Christie-themed dinner party I helped organize, and the reason we chose this title in particular is because of its snowy atmosphere. Funny enough, it snowed the night of our dinner party! Overall, it was a fun read and while I found the female lead a little annoying, I did like her how she exercised “girl power” the best ways she could during that time period.
Out of Left Field, by Ellen Klages
Ten-year-old Katy Gordon is an ace pitcher and makes the Little League team as Casey Gordon, but when the coach realizes she’s a girl, he kicks her out. According to him, Little League is for boys only, but Katy doesn’t go down without a fight! She visits her library and learns about all the women who have played baseball in the past in an effort to convince the Little League organization that girls should be allowed to play.
As a huge A League of Their Own fan, this book was totally in my wheelhouse. Katy unearths information about the All American Girls (Yay Dottie and Kit!) as well as so many other women baseball players I’d never heard of! I love when fiction teaches me something new.
What are you reading this month? Please share in the comments below!
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