Memoirs of a Geisha by Arnold Golden is a classic and certainly a book to read or reread. I read this back in the late 90s after it was first published and I don’t regret rereading it!
Another book set in Japan but more modern-era is The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. Our hero, the cat, travels along with his owner (ahem, sorry kitties, designated person) to meet a handful of people from the owner’s life. Each person is asked to take the cat in, but the cat prefers to stay with his person. This story is both delightfully whimsical and a little tragic, but it’s certainly worth your time.
The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden is a psychological thriller and the ending is a complete surprise! A young woman takes a position as a live-in housekeeper. All is not well in the affluent home, but she is desperate for work and sticks with it. All clearly doesn’t end well (the book starts with a murder investigation) but who dies and how is tremendous surprise!
Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera is a beautifully written account of the intersection of three families’ lives in 1920s South Carolina. A poor woman escapes an abusive husband with the help of a black woman. An affluent white woman lends her assistance as she can. The story toggles between each of the three women’s perspective. This is a powerful story and is very much worth your time and attention.
Last but not least, I listened to The Go Giver by Bob Burg and John Mann. This classic business book reminds us that our goal in life shouldn’t be the almighty dollar. This is a quick and easy read with a fun story used to illustrate a giving business model.
Those are my May books—check them out if you haven’t yet read them yourself!