Lora's United States of Whatever

And just like that, February comes to a close! This short month had me grabbing books I knew I’d quickly devour and left me with four books to recommend and one that was a flop. The House Across the Lake : I was craving a thriller and was hoping to get my fix with this book. As I began reading, I enjoyed the flashbacks to “Then” and flashforwards to “Now” in the storytelling. More than once, I had to go back and reread as the story unfolded. The main character, Casey, uses alcohol to cope with the loss of her husband, and it blurs her interactions with her lake house neighbors. A neighbor goes missing, and Casey gets involved. This book gave me Girl on the Train and Gone Girl vibes. The twist at the end was interesting, and, honestly, it shifted my opinion about this book. I had more than one “oh geez” moment as I wrapped up this book. If you’re looking for a good thriller, pass on this one.   Nora Goes Off Script : This book was a quick, easy, somewhat fluffy read. It felt a lit...

"Reading gives us someplace to go when you have to stay where you are." - Mason Cooley I've always loved losing myself in a book, but this year, I truly lived by the above quote. From heading to Chicago and D.C. with Michelle Obama in her autobiography,  Becoming, to heading back in time to the 1940s in New York City with Vivian in City of Girls , I went places this year. The comfy corner of my couch and favorite yellow throw were my travel companions. My time was not only spent traveling, but it was also spent challenging my thinking. Many of the nonfiction books I read this year challenged my perceptions about racism. I learned so much about how my experiences have shaped my thinking and how that thinking needs to evolve.  Here were the goals I set for reading in 2020: Read 36 books Read more nonfiction Try at least one audiobook.  With the help of a global pandemic, I crushed those goals.  I read 58 books this year.  Out of 58 books, 17 were nonfiction. I li...