What I've been reading: Books No. 51 & 52

No. 51 was "Full Fathom Five" by Max Gladstone, part of his "Craft Sequence" that mixes witchcraft, gods that are living incarnations of belief, and legal drama. In this installment, Kai is a priestess in an island country much like Hawaii called Kavekana. Their gods have long since paddled off in canoes, but she and others build idols to order. When an idol dies unexpectedly and Kai injures herself trying to save it, it kicks off a chain of events that threatens the future of her island. I love these books so much! He tells a nice twisty tale at a fast pace with memorable characters. I loved the straightforward way he handled a trans character in this one, especially.

No. 52 was "Jam on the Vine" by LaShonda K. Barnett. This novel tells the story of Ivoe Williams, a young black woman from Texas who goes on to be a journalist and anti-lynching crusader, based loosely on Ida B. Wells. She is an avid reader from an early age, and stealing a newspaper when she's in grade school starts an interest in journalism. She faces the challenge of being taken seriously as a black woman trying to enter a man's field, while also coming of age and discovering that she is a woman who loves other women. The description sounds a bit dry, but the book is full of passion and humor. I love the world Barnett created.

( The other books I've read so far this year: )