A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

I just LOVED this book! It is the third book from John Boyne that I have read and I have not been disappointed in any of them.  This one was very different. So smart, clever and surprising!  It's a bit of a page-turner.
This is a book about writers, specifically, novelists, and I loved that aspect of it.  John Boyne is a fabulous writer but I am sure he grapples with the issues in this book.  So he writes a novel about a truly despicable novelist and he makes you HATE him. But I don't know that John Boyne really hates him. He explains his behavior from the point of view of another novelist.
The plot is so good, there are twists and turns and Boyne combines fictional and "real" writers in the story, having them interact with each other in such interesting ways. I began to wonder who was the "real" author and who was fictional.
The Washington Post review of this book is great.  Here is a link to that.

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

I could not wait to get this book and read it but I have to say that I was a bit disappointed.  Maybe I read too much about it before the fact.
It was so timely, relevant, had characters that reminded me of my own children, and I loved Willa, the main character. But there was just something that did not pull me in.  I struggled to get through some chapters.  I can't really explain it. I did tell my husband to read it after I was done. Let's see what he says.

Brother by David Chariandy

Not sure on which list I found this book, but certainly glad that I did. A short, powerful story about race, prejudice, stolen ambitions, etc.  It's told from the point of view of a young man who lost his brother, tragically, from a policeman's bullet.  Quite prescient today.  The story takes place in Toronto, however, which gives us a different perspective. I think we idealize our neighbors to the north sometimes.
Beautifully written prose, a haunting book.

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

Not a book for working moms with a nanny!  It's terrifying....and based on that true story of a nanny in NYC who murdered the kids.  I remember that so well.
The book must be critiqued then by its style, its language, the way it builds the character of Louise, this "perfect nanny" who we try to understand.
I can see why it's such a best seller, and I can also see why it won a big award in France when it was released.
But would I recommend it to a young mom with a nanny?  NO!