May 2022 Books
Red, White, and Dead by Lonnie L. Willis surprised me. I admit this is another book I kept moving down in my to-be-read file for myriad reasons. When I got there this time, I started reading. The story was much better than I expected. Perhaps, in part, because it reminded me of my time living in Boise, Idaho. But Willis also explores the intersection between religion and white supremacy in an interesting way. Told through the point of view of a private investigator, Clayton James, the story takes shape when he's hired to protect the sister of a teenager who has become involved with the white supremist group. There's more depth and more nuance than I expected in the telling of the story. While there were a few frustrating moments in the reading, overall I enjoyed the book. Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown is a simple but beautiful book. Brown brings both complexity and simplicity to nuance of emotional li