What am I reading?

I recently finished The Good Father by Noah Hawley. It's about a father who struggles to understand why his estranged son would have bought a gun and killed a major presidential candidate. Hawley wrote it before the shocking shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, but revised it to incorporate new details relevant to this recent event. I found it very sad, and extremely well-written, even though the voice of the narrator gets a bit dry sometimes. Still, there is no doubt that this father feels intense grief and shame over how he may have let his son down, contributing to the terrible turn his son's life has made. Much of the book reads like a psychological thriller, as the narrator tries to make a case for his son's innocence, and retrace his son's steps all over the country. I think this book is going to be read by book clubs all over the country pretty soon. If Oprah still had a show, I would bet this book would be a top pick for her book club.

Right before The Good Father, I read Faith by Jennifer Haigh. It's very similar--a poignant, timely and very emotional book about a family torn apart by the accusation that the oldest son, a priest, molested a young boy. In this story the characters all are forced to reckon with their own issues of faith, love and trust. Highly recommended.

What are you reading?

If you've read something amazing recently, please share! I love to know about good books and I'm frequently in a position to recommend them.

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