The Mother's April Reads

Welcome to spring, readers! Happy to share more excellent reads through the month of April. Please read on below and let us know your thoughts!

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Merchants of Truth by Jill Abramson

Jill Abramson’s Merchants of Truth is a meaty, 544 pages, book that takes an unsparing look at journalism’s moral decline in the United States. As a former executive editor of the New York Times, Abramson’s writing is incredibly honest, direct and unforgiving. Merchants of Truth is a cracking read, and a complicated one, flawed in many places yet absorbing in its frank desire to hold journalism to account for becoming overly willing to sell out to advertisers and thereby endangering its own future.

Synopsis: The occasion for Merchants of Truth is the inescapable collapse of journalism as we know it and the crisis in trust that threatens our free press. Encompassing a decade of disruption and radical adjustment, the book compares four media organizations: the New York Times; the Washington Post; BuzzFeed; and Vice. These last two digital media companies, born of early viral content and gonzo reporting, are often the madcap foils to the somberness of the Times and Post – though by the end of the book, it’s clear that all four are closer to each other than they may think. Merchants of Truth raises crucial questions that concern the well-being of our society; Abramson's book helps point us to the future.

Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson

Mouth to Mouth is a deliciously sharp morality play in the guise of a thriller that can be devoured in one greedy gulp. At 179 pages, divided into chapters that rarely exceed three pages, it’s an incredibly fast read. What it lacks in length, it more than makes up for as a suspenseful, engrossing, literary puzzle. A story within a story, Mouth to Mouth blurs the line between opportunity and exploitation, self-respect and self-delusion, fact and fiction—exposing the myriad ways we deceive each other, and ourselves. The book is an absolute page-turner and will keep you guessing right up to the shocking final sentence.

Synopsis: At John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, the unnamed narrator of Mouth to Mouth recognizes former UCLA classmate, Jeff Cook, standing at the ticket counter. Jeff invites the narrator to the first-class lounge to wait for their delayed connections. Over drinks, Jeff shares the uncanny story of his adult life—a life that changes course years earlier after a traumatic, galvanizing morning on the beach when Jeff rescued a drowning man and saved his life. Jeff becomes haunted by the incident and compelled to learn more about the man whose life he had saved, convinced their lives and destinies are now intertwined. Jeff discovers the man’s identity—Francis Arsenault, a wealthy art dealer—and worms his way into Francis’ life, to unsettling effect.

The Maid by Nita Prose

Looking for a delightful, cozy mystery that works from place to plot to protagonist? Rejoice: The Maid satisfies on every level! The delight of reading The Maid lies partly in watching a hectic cast of characters unravel as a crime is properly solved. It also lies in seeing the main character, Molly, learn that thinking differently does not equal giving up friendship or high standards. What begins as a sprightly murder mystery turns into a meaningful, and at times even gentle, portrait of growth.

Synopsis: In The Maid, main character Molly Gray—an observant, detail-oriented, “special” 20 year-old—is a maid at the fancy, urban Regency Grand Hotel. She has difficulty in social situations, but takes great pride in her work. She judges people on their actions, not their words, often missing important nuances. Her characterization of certain people is central throughout the book. Ms. Giselle and Mrs. Black are “good” while Ms. Cheryl and Mr. Black are “bad.” Steadfast throughout, is the wisdom of Molly’s beloved and recently deceased Grandmother “Gran”. Early into the story, Molly discovers the dead body of Mr. Black, a wealthy real estate tycoon, in one of the guest rooms, sending her steady and “clean” life into disarray and revealing the messy, gritty activities going on at the hotel.

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