Mexico by Josh Barkan

• A collection of short stories about life in modern Mexico.
• The stories shared common themes, while providing a variety of settings and characters.
• It is a great quick read.

The Heirs by Susan Rieger

• This novel is about family secrets that emerge after the father's death.
• The plot keeps a nice pace that mixes action with character development.

Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010 by Charles Murray

• After seeing this book referenced several times and taking an extremely accurate online quiz about class based on Murray's work, I decided to read this book.
• The majority of this book looks to data, and sidesteps moralistic augments.  However, the end of the book concludes with Murray's call for reversing troubling trends.
• The audiobook handles tables and graphs oddly.  It verbally references them, without describing exactly what information the referenced items convey.  Additionally, the last CD of the 10 CD audiobook includes notes and sources, which is quite awkward.

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

• I loved Girl on the Train, and was excited to dive into Hawkins next novel.
• The story is told from the perspective of numerous characters, which can be confusing.  Listening to the novel helped me better differentiate between the characters by the narrators voices.
• Into the Water captured the murkiness I enjoyed with Girl on the Train.

American War by Omar El Akkad

• This is as fresh take on the many post-apocalyptic novels, movies, and TV series on the market.
• In a way this could nearly be a teen or YA novel since during much of the novel the main character is under 18.
• The civil war in this novel is not a simple conflict of North vs. South, or good vs. bad. Instead there are many competing interests with lives caught in between them.
• I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to Akkad's next publication.

The Son by Phillip Meyer

• This is a gripping novel that covers the familial history of a large Texas ranch.
• The story is told through four viewpoints, which give windows into events impacting the all of the narrators.
• I am really enjoying the AMC show The Son.  The book and the TV series are somewhat like alternative realities.  They are very much alike, but different.  I find both to be quite enjoyable.

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia

• This novel focuses on the murder of a high school senior who had big plans to move to the city.
• Set in a small town, this novel showcases the many relationships between people in rural communities.
• This is a mystery that focuses on character development.