Transcendent Kingdom

 

Transcendent Kingdom / Yaa Gyasi, read by Bhani Turpin, 261 pgs.

Gifti is finishing her Ph.D. She is also dealing with her mom who is suffering from depression. But really she is dealing with a whole lot more.  The daughter of Guyanian immigrants, her family has struggled, her dad abandoned them and returned to Guyana, her brother died an addict who overdoses.  She is struggling with her past but the future is bright, her research is going well. She will graduate soon.

Bhani Turpin is at her best here.  Accents, multiple voices, and drama are all beautifully done.  I loved this immigrant story and could not stop listening.

Daisy Jones & the Six

Daisy Jones & the Six / Taylor Jenkins Reid, read by a full cast, 355 pgs.

One of the most popular bands of the 70's broke up at the height of their popularity.  No one know the story until now when a "band memoir" is published.  All the relevant people are interviewed and the dialog is put together to tell the story from each perspective. A lot of sex and drugs and rock and roll.  The story unfolds about how you expect but somehow it feels like you are hearing this sort of things for the first time.  I listened to the audio book which is just perfect with a cast that fully embodies each character.

Two Kinds of Truth

Two Kinds of Truth: a Bosch Novel / Michael Connelly, read by Titus Welliver, 402 p.

The latest Harry Bosch novel is possibly my new favorite.  Harry's been accused of planting evidence in a very old case and must clear his name with the help of his half-brother Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller.  Meanwhile, two pharmacists have been killed in connection with what appears to be an opioid theft ring.  Lots of action and unabashed moral righteousness - two things I generally don't have much use for - make for a great story.  Once again, the reading by Titus Welliver is terrific.