There’s nothing more relaxing than kicking back with a good book and a cup of tea (or glass of vino!). If you’re looking for a new book to read this month, check out our reader recommendations for two great reads to add to your book list.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI By David Grann
Genre?
Non-fiction.
How did you get hold of it?
Goodreads recommended it to me because I read Shoe Dog and Grinding It Out (about Nike and McDonald’s respectively).
What’s it about?
As the title suggests, the book is about everything! Gann tells the story of an incredibly oil-rich Indian tribe, the Osage, in Oklahoma and how its members were systematically murdered. As the death toll rises – both of the Osage and of the investigators – the newly-established FBI is called in to infiltrate a small town and determine who is orchestrating the murders. The author offers incredible insights into the challenges facing early FBI agents as well as the very interesting and sad lives of the Osage. My favourite part of reading this book is how much you learn – about the FBI, the history of the oil industry and how mineral rights work, the Indian Bureau of Affairs and, of course, about one of the most murderous and evil crimes in American history that remains relatively unknown.
How far have you got?
Finished. This was a long read but very worth the time investment.
What do you think of it so far?
One of my favourite books of all time! I enjoyed reading every chapter of the story. Even though it’s non-fiction, it reads like a novel. I recommend this book to anyone who needs a recommendation.
– Suzanne Swiderski, American
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow By Jessica Townsend
Genre?
Fantasy Young Adult.
How did you get hold of it?
I picked it out at a bookstore in Burlington, Vermont. The blurb on the back made it seem exciting and like something that I would enjoy.
What’s it about?
It’s about a cursed girl in a fantasy world and a series of trials she goes through to become a member of a magical society. Morrigan is cursed to die on Eventide, but she discovers a man who wants to take her to a magical city (and stop her death), away from her treacherous family. Once she’s there, she becomes a candidate for the Wunderous Society, which is a unique group of magical people who are trying to stop bad magic and create feats of magic that benefit the city. In going through the trials, she discovers more about herself than she ever knew and finds friends (as well as enemies) in the pressured and judgmental city of Nevermoor.
How far have you got?
I read the whole book over three days – it was a fast read.
What do you think of it so far?
I thoroughly enjoyed the creativity and imagination that the book included. The author tells the story of Morrigan Crow as if she was there herself. I would recommend it for kids between the ages of 11 and 14 because it has a few scary parts and includes complicated themes and wording. I’m excited to read the second book in the series that came out recently, Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow.
– Eliza Rinkema (12), American
See more in our Things to Do section:
12 things to do with kids in Hong Kong
New and notable books to read
Top things to do and places to visit in Hong Kong
This article first appeared in the April/May 2019 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
