RECOMMENDED READS

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

Victoria Soule

Job: Bookseller, Mysterious Galaxy

She recommends: “Instant Karma” by Marissa Meyer (Feiwel & Friends, 2020; $18.99)

Why? There’s a fine line between love and hate. Prudence Barnett and Quint Erickson learn exactly that in this hate-to-love young adult, contemporary romance. They have been forced to work together their whole sophomore year and were looking forward to a summer away from each other. That is, until a bad grade turns that plan upside down. Then a fall leads Pru to gaining a power that allows her to grant instant karma to those around her with a snap of her fingers. During a summer not so planned, they each learn things about the other — and themselves. This is so much more than a contemporary romance. “Instant Karma” has lessons on environmental issues, seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, and that not every bad deed is done for a bad reason. The characters are easy to connect to and the writing is simply beautiful. This is one book that I know I will go back to again and again. I can’t get enough of Quint and Prudence.

Leslie Ann Masland

Job: Adult Services Librarian, San Marcos Branch, San Diego County Library

She recommends: “This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving” by David J. Silverman (Bloomsbury, 2019; 514 pages)

Why? The founding of America is often romanticized as a remarkable occurrence in history — the beginning of “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” But what about the people who were already here? “This Land Is Their Land” shares the Wampanoag tribe’s perspective on the history of Thanksgiving and provides context to the events leading up to the uneasy treaty between the Wampanoag and the pilgrims. As David J. Silverman guides us through the events of the first feast, he draws significant parallels between then and now, shaking the precarious foundation of our collective understanding of America’s history. An eye-opening account of Thanksgiving told from the Wampanoag perspective, this read will prompt introspection and re-evaluation of the history we learned as children and continue to tell ourselves today. When celebrating Thanksgiving this year, consider that it is also a Day of Mourning for Native Americans and that with every remarkable change or new beginning, there is always another side to the story.