Knights of the Hill Country

By Tim Tharp
Hardback
233 pages

So it's a football book. I don't sport. But I enjoyed the book - I even set aside my delicious homemade cheesy ham his cute because I was so close to finishing it and wanted to focus.

There is a lot of football in the book, but it's not really a book about football.

The protagonist is a high school senior. He plays defense for the football team - which has been undefeated for 4 straight seasons.

His home life is a bit of a mess, and so is his best friend.

It was a surprisingly engaging book!

I picked it up to vet for lit circle choices in my classroom, and it doesn't quite meet what I want for that, but I am glad that I read it.

How it Went Down

By Kekla Magoon
Paperback
325 pages

Tariq Johnson was shot outside of a convenience store and then the shooter drove off. The shooter was a white man in a predominantly black neighborhood, and was released by police the next day.
The book explores the impact of this event on a community, and it also explores the questions of equity, justice, and racism.
There are 18 distinct viewpoints that the story is told from - which at first was a bit confusing; however, the characters are each so vivid that it becomes easy to follow.
This book was engaging, affecting, and a quick read. I picked it up because I'm thinking of adding it to the curriculum As a lit circle book.

The Lovely Bones

By Alice Sebold
Paperback
328 pages

It's bittersweet and sad. The protagonist is murdered as the book begins, and the story follows the aftermath her death causes for her friends and family.

I read this in one day.