Slightly different from my mid-year favorites, these are books I rated well, but did not make it onto my favorite list.
Fiction
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
These short stories sat with me, and I remembered them well after reading them. They had weight and sometimes inspired lots of thoughts. I very much look forward to reading more by Lahiri.
5 stars
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
This could have been on my favorites list, but I didn’t want to add too many. 🙂 I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, and this was a unique and interesting interpretations. I look forward to the sequel!
4.5 stars
More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer
This should probably be on my favorites too. It is a companion to Letters to the Lost, which I also enjoyed. However, I was surprised to enjoy this more. I especially enjoyed Rev. I actually found Emma to be selfish and annoying, but the author handles her personality well.
4.5 stars
Middle Grade
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley: My daughter and I read this for our book club and we both really enjoyed it. The author does a great job explaining difficult topics to a young audience. 4.5 stars
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate: This was another book my daughter and I read for book club. Applegate does a beautiful job discussing nature and animals and how to respect both in a way that is touching and helpful. 5 stars
Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead: A quirky but fun book. I really enjoyed Bob’s perspective and enjoyed the folktale aspect of the story. Fun. 4 stars
Non-Fiction
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
A powerful read. It makes me sad that this text is still so relevant today. Clearly an intelligent and thoughtful man, I have appreciated thoroughly my encounters with Baldwin’s writings and talks.
4.5 stars
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
I appreciated this book so much I went to listen to a talk given by Ms. Anderson (which was great). So compelling, which makes my heart so sad.
4.5 stars
Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell
Such a unique presentation. The poetry was compelling and well done.
4.5 stars
Caryn Considers 
Great list! The only one out of these I really want to read is ‘The One and Only Ivan,’ but I also want to read something by James Baldwin that’s fiction instead of one long essay. My mom read ‘The Fire Next Time’ and really liked it but I’d prefer to start with something else. 😛
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