Defending Jacob by William Landay

This novel by lawyer and novelist William Landay was a re-read for me.  I read it for the first time a few years ago I think.  And I enjoyed it then, but wanted to read it again to see if there was anything new I could learn from it. It's also a series now so if I was ever going to watch it, I should probably re-read it - I'm a purist (or snob?) like that.

In this book, the story is told from Andy Barber's perspective.  He is a First Assistant DA (not the DA, but the one that manages the office) and he is married to Laurie. They have a 14 year old son named Jacob. One day, their son's classmate, Ben Rivkin, is found murdered in the park along a popularly traveled path - one that most of the neighborhood kids take to school. Jacob is arrested for it and goes to trial. 

I loved the issues that were dealt with in this book - everything from love for your child that blinds you, to the stressors that are placed on a marriage and what families do for each other. I still really enjoyed it. And even though I read the book in the past, I honestly didn't remember the last part of the book and I was still shocked and surprised. 

What I've Been Reading Lately

So I haven't been posting a whole lot but I'm reading I promise!!!

I've currently got a couple of books that I'm actively reading:

1. Defending Jacob by William Landay. This is a re-read for me - it's been a few years since I read it but I'm interested in seeing Chris Evans in the series so I wanted to re-read.

2. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I grew to love him after reading The Shadow of the Wind and I'm just continuing on.  Any book that combines mystery with bookstores is all right with me.

3. The Teenage Brain because you know, soon I will have a teenager - what the hell?!

I've also been obsessed with new podcasts and new (to me) shows.  THe positive of Quarantining is that you can totally catch up and get into new things.  Here's what I'm listening to and watching:

1. Schitt's Creek  - this is literally a family affair with Eugene Levy and his two hilarious children getting inovled in this along with an amazing cast.  The episodes are bite sized - twenty minutes - so you can get two in right before bed.

2. Twin Peaks - not to be confused with New Hampshire's Twin Mountain. I'm gearing up to watch the third season on Starz but needed to get reacquainted with everyone.

3. Dirty John - the Betty Broderick story - Amanda Peet and Christian Slater.  Need I say more?!  So good. Amanda Peet nails it.

4. Slow Burn - this podcast season is about David Duke - yes THAT David Duke. The first season was about Watergate. 

5. Women and Crime - combines two of my interests - true crime and how women experience it differently.

What are you listening, reading or watching?!

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

So, I've been really making an effort to read novels by or about women of color because I realized that my reading experience has actually been somewhat limited.  And this particular novel seemed really interesting when I read a synopsis of it, so I picked it up.

Ruby King is a young woman of color living in Chicago whose mother is found murdered in their South Side home. While the police just dismiss it as another act of senseless violence, Ruby knows that it will mean she's forced to live now with her violent father. The only one that seems to understand her is her best friend, Layla, who she has been friends with for her entire life. They are more like sisters, than friends.  When Layla;s father, the pastor, tells Layla to stay away, she becomes determined to help her friend no matter what. In the course of helping, she learns about murky loyalties that have run between families between generations and begins to see how trauma can be shared amongst families as well as communities.

I was very surprised to learn that this was West's first novel because it was so magnificently well written and takes on a number of important themes that are particularly relevant to today's world including racism, abuse, love, trust, faith and friendship. West effectively uses shifting first person and shifting time narratives to connect the reader to the characters. I may not have really liked the characters themselves or their choices but I felt like I was connected with them. This is an important book that is timely and relevant to the issues that our country is still experiencing to this date.  Highly recommended.