1930s

Out of Darkness is a heartbreaking and powerful read. This is a story about racism, disaster, love and hope.

Naomi is a 17-year-old Mexican living with her half siblings and white stepfather in New London, Texas, in 1937. Naomi is in danger of her stepfather's wrath and abuse, but she'll do anything for her siblings.

Wash is a black teen who's been living with racism his whole life; he goes to a inferior black school while the white kids go to the state-of-the-art school down the road, and he's tired of keeping his eyes to the ground. Naomi and Wash fall in love. It's against the rules--they

This book is one of those novels that makes you want to keep a notebook near you, so you can write down all the terribly witty and wonderful things people say (maybe in hopes of using them yourself someday and coming off as spontaneously brilliant as the heroine). Set in 1938 New York City, this book follows a group of men and women through the most important year of their lives. A sparkling picture of the city as well as 1930s society, this book covers jazz, tragedy, love, friendship, ambition, morality, and somehow manages to give all of these topics their due. Katey, the heroine, is as

Rules of Civility is the highly acclaimed debut novel by New Yorker Amor Towles.  The cover of the August issue of Oprah magazine referred to this book as “the one we couldn’t put down.”  The first portion does take off with gusto, but loses steam (or maybe I did) halfway through.  This story explores the not always civil relationships between several 20- something acquaintances making their way in NYC during the late 1930’s.   The story is told by Katey Kontent a smart young gal from a working class family who finds herself in the midst of friends with more privileged backgrounds.  After a