Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningha

 

Great Expectations is the story of the author’s recruitment to the first Obama campaign, detailing the issues he faced as a fundraiser. It’s an authentic and readable work, and the author’s voice speaks with first-hand authority. He is young when the story begins, his early twenties. He tends to fill the gaps of what must have been a challenging time with diversions—religion, basketball, friends, and lovers. The story shines by giving us an inside look at what really goes on in a campaign, even one fueled by what was supposed to be a grass roots movement. It also shines as the authors considers his own place in the world. He stands for not only the young people who were such a force in the Obama campaign, but also for his black friends, neighbors, and family. There are some wonderful segments discussing historical issues, as well as this remarkable time in the USA. Cunningham is an excellent writer, and I look forward to reading more of his work. Thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth, and imprint of Random House, for the review copy. The book was released on March 12, 2024.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

 

Billie and Cassie have been best friends since childhood. They share a hometown, and the kind of trauma that either binds friends together or tears them apart. They are adults now and have grown in different directions. Still when crisis occurs, they are the first in each other’s mind, and that feeling expands to obsession. Will the mystery be solved?

This tightly written novel is told from each woman’s viewpoint and sheds light on the lives of the rich, the influencers, and the people that get left behind. A page turning read, even though some of the characters seem to be stereotypical.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Bye, Baby. It was just the break I needed. Publication date is March 5, 2024.