Lucci's List: Summer 2018 Finale

We've done it: we made it through a long, hot, wishfully endless summer together. Lucci's List Summer 2018 started off with 26 books from a variety of genres. Some books dropped off the list whilst others were added. I will conclude our summer reading list with the last of my summer book reviews. Fear not: fall's list is ripening up!

Following are the final five books of Lucci's List before Fall Leaves 2018. If you have a book you would like me to read and review, or which you would recommend for a future Lucci's List, please contact me!

A somewhat modern retelling of Greek mythology. Simple writing style without being dumbed down. Poetically flowing in parts. It reminded me of an old fashioned fairy tale, such as The Brothers Grimm might tell. Scarce plot, interesting religious imagery.

Historic fiction of the American Civil War with a sci-fi twist. This is number 2 in The Tin Box Trilogy, but would be good as a stand-alone book too. I read this after reading book 1, and the story is much more dynamic, powerful, and emotional.

In this, the third part of The Tin Box Trilogy, we come full circle. Mysteries of the past are resolved, and the pieces of one life's puzzle are put together. A satisfying end to a remarkable series heaving with incredibly journeys, multi-dimensional characters, and fantastical supernatural aspects.

Mean Girls meets Bridesmaids. The women are mostly pretty bitchy, snobby, and judgmental. There's a lot of North verse South humour which was fun for me to read. The main characters are more like snobby high school girls who you wouldn't want as friends. I appreciated that there was no romantic story arc for the main character, which is typical in modern books. This was a refreshing tale of growing up, accepting our families, and expecting more of ourselves.

And finally, the BEST book of the summer. A must read!

My favourite book I've read all summer. I recommend this to EVERYONE. It is a rare gem, easy to read and understand, while expressing powerful emotions and action.

The author speaks in a clear and simple voice, telling the story of her life as a child during the Vietnam War. As her social status grew and fell, her family remained the most important part of her life. Richly detailed and lovingly explained, this memoir lucidly expresses the fear, pain, loneliness, irritation, mourning, love, and hope of a family sticking together to beat all the odds.

The fact that the author originally wrote this for her daughter, as a sort of family history, makes each word more precious. The truth is told without pity or anger, just love.

If you ever want to read an immigrant's story, or sense the bravery of a girl on her journey to freedom, this book encapsulates the inspiration we all hope for.

Thank you, Hoang Chi Truong, for sharing your story with us.

Check back for Lucci's List: Fall Leaves 2018