It’s been a hot second since I talked about books on the blog! Over the past few months, I read a mix of fiction and non-fiction. With a celebrity memoir, a novel that explores race and class, a guide to becoming a millionaire, and the final three books in the Harry Potter series, there’s something for everyone in this Recent Reads roundup.

Nothing to See Here | 3.5/5 Stars

Nothing to See Here, a novel by Kevin Wilson, is the perfect whimsical, light read for quarantine. Despite its premise of children who catch on fire, the book doesn’t read like science-fiction at all. Rather, it explores the relationships between the characters as they navigate their unusual predicament. Overall, I give Nothing to See Here 3.5 stars for its delightfully quirky concept. The one con to the novel was that I didn’t find the female characters’ inner monologues to be believable. Their thoughts and motivations struck me as an obviously-male author’s flawed attempt to write female perspectives.

A Good Neighborhood | 4.5/5 Stars

A Good Neighborhood, a story set in North Carolina that follows star-crossed lovers Xavier and Juniper while exploring the concepts of race, class, and what it means to be a good neighbor, is the third novel by Therese Anne Fowler. Fowler’s previous works were historical fiction (you can read my reviews of them here), so A Good Neighborhood was a pivot for her. I found it to be an exceptionally good pivot with delicious descriptions of southern scenery. The setting itself served as a character of sorts in the plot, which felt fitting to a southerner like me.

Of all the books I read over the past few months, A Good Neighborhood was the most thought-provoking. It made me think about race, privilege, and systemic factors that work for and against individuals, which ended up being interesting timing, as I finished the book just a couple of days before the George Floyd protests began. In full disclosure, Therese Anne Fowler is a white author. While I found her book to be well-done and thought-provoking, I recognize the importance of reading the works of black authors, especially on the subject of race. I’m still way down on the library’s waitlist, but I can’t wait to read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.

Why Not Me | 2/5 Stars

In Mindy Kaling’s memoir Why Not Me?, the actress, writer, producer, and comedian recounts a variety of her life experiences in her signature humorous manner. I was looking for a book I could download from the library instantly and chose Kaling’s on a whim. I consumed the entire book in less than a day but thought it was a run-of-the-mill celebrity memoir. The only part I found particularly interesting was Kaling’s discussion of her relationship with B.J. Novack, her co-star/co-writer on The Office and close friend. Now, I have my suspicions that Novack is secretly the father of her child, but if you’re looking for a juicy, quality celebrity memoir, I’d guide you to Jessica Simpson’s Open Book instead.

Quit Like a Millionaire | 2/5 Stars

In my quest to learn more about personal finance, I checked out Quit Like a Millionaire. The author, Kristy Shen, rose from an impoverished childhood in China to become a retired, 30-something millionaire who travels the world fulltime. Along with her husband, Bryce Leung, Shen outlines her tactics for reducing spending, building a million-dollar portfolio, setting up your investments to weather financial storms, and retiring far earlier than the average American. Quit Like a Millionaire was an informative read, with the chapters on investment the most helpful in my opinion. However, Shen’s “money is everything” and self-described “no-bullshit” approach was not my cup of tea.

Harry Potter – Books 5, 6 and 7 | 5/5 Stars

I finished reading the Harry Potter series for the first time! I now understand all of the hype that eluded me when the books and movies first came out. The series is beyond endearing and I have so many thoughts on it, many of which I won’t bore you with since everyone and their brother read Harry Potter long before I did. I will say that Hermione Granger is still my favorite character by far. Also, I was surprised by how intense the books got! I’m a grown woman and I had several nightmares about Voldemort and Nagini (😂). I’m honestly a tad sad that the series is over, but now I do get to look forward to watching the final two films.

You can find more of my book reviews here and here.

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