RECOMMENDED READS

Welcome to our literary circle, in which San Diegans pass the (printed) word on books

Miguel Covarrubias

Job: Bookseller, The Library Shop, San Diego Public Library Foundation

He recommends: “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America” by Eric Cervini (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020; 494 pages)

Why? In the first published account of astronomer Frank Kameny’s fight against the government’s systematic persecution of homosexual federal employees during Mccarthy’s Lavender Scare, Eric Cervini masterfully weaves an enthralling narrative based on firsthand accounts, declassified FBI records and 40,000 personal documents. Focusing on multiple legal battles and activism in the 1960s that birthed the Gay Liberation Movement, the book flows between the personal and intimate to the public and chaotic battle for civil rights. With the recent Supreme Court ruling that gay, lesbian and transgender employees are protected by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the monumental significance of this book is felt now and will be noted for ages as it covers LGBTQ+ history without judgment, emphasizes the intersectionality between Gay Liberation and the Black Freedom Movement, and highlights the historical figures who fought for the rights the LGBTQ+ community has now.

Marianne Reiner

Job: Owner, Run for Cover Books

She recommends: “The Last Story of Mina Lee” by Nancy Jooyoun Kim (Park Row, 2020, 384 pages)

Why? Margot Lee is on her way from Seattle to visit her mother, who lives in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood. Her mother does not answer her phone, which is very unusual. When Margot finally arrives at her mother’s apartment, she finds her dead on the floor. What happened to this quiet and reclusive shopkeeper who spoke very little English? Margot feels her mother’s death is suspicious. She starts digging into her mother’s life to understand not only what happened to her but who she really was. That’s when Margot realizes she knows next to nothing about her mother. “Mina Lee” is a magnificent exploration of a mother-daughter bond even when words fail them, when past stories and heartbreaks remain untold. It also is an examination of the Korean immigrant experience. I deeply loved this book, and Mina, Margot and their story still pop in my head from time to time — usually a sure sign of a book I will recommend to my customers and friends.