I’m a reader. I pretty much always have a novel going to read before going to bed.

I just finished reading James by Percival Everett. Knowing it was a Huck Finn story, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it when it first came out. I remember Tom Sawyer at some point in my life, but I’m not sure I’ve ever read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I feel like I know about the story—through cultural references and other indirect avenues.

Then people started talking about James—exclaiming about the book. It started to win awards and was getting lots of critical acclaim. But it took a recommendation from my son before I committed to reading it. (He said he read it in one sitting!). I started by putting a hold on it on my library app. Because of its popularity it was going to be a several month wait.

Then after Christmas I had a gift card AND Barnes and Noble had their big hardback book sale. So I picked it up along with a couple of other titles and it spent some time teetering in my TBR pile.

I started it last week and the story immediately sucked me in. I could feel the connections to the Huck Finn story—but there was so much more.

Perspective matters. Assumptions don’t tell anyone’s truth. People are complex and multifaceted. I loved the dialogue and dialect and that surprised me.

If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read, pick this one up. I found it to be a pretty quick and compelling read. And I’m still thinking about it.

What are you reading that you would recommend?