The 17 Books I Read in February
A solid (even thought it felt slow) month of reading! Started strong focusing on Black authors, trailed off as I got preorders in the mail and Netflix distracted me with Firefly Lane.
Some stats:
• 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reads.
• 8 books by Black authors.
• 2 library books.
• 2 were gifted from publishers, 1 gifted through a booksta Christmas swap.
• 5 nonfiction (1 poetry), 12 fiction, 17 total.
Here are the 17 books I read in February:
Little & Lion
by Brandy Colbert
review:
This book wasn’t at all what I expected (the cover? siblings. who would have thought!!!) — it covered mental illness and family dynamics and sexuality through the lives of Little (Suzette, a Black, Jewish, bi teen) and Lion (Lionel, a redheaded Jewish teen with newly diagnosed bipolar disorder). I love seeing books with characters that reflect real life, with real struggles (such as navigating meds and therapy and psych visits, or exploring sexuality and crushes and what to do with it all). YA books do this so well! I wanted a biiiiit more character development but it was solid for sure.
Honey Girl
by Morgan Rogers
review:
When @bookofthemonth sent me the February box and said this one was about “what happens after a Vegas wedding,” I expected a cliche romcom. But this book is NOT THAT. It’s poetry, absolute poetry— the words are incredibly flowery and heartfelt and they weave a tapestry that is far more than just a shallow romcom.
Honestly, it raises the bar for what love can look like (even though it veered over the edge into unrealistic at times). It addressed mental health and race and sexuality and the myth of the American dream while telling this love story between strangers-turned-wives who call themselves lonely creatures but are actually anything but. (their friendships?! like New Girl level but amped up.)
Basically, this book blew my expectations out of the water and gave me a story so much more real and rich and romantic than the inside flap gave away.
Who has read this?! What did you think? Did you love it and find it heartfelt or feel like it got too flowery and idealistic?
The Black Flamingo
by Dean Atta
review:
there’s something about YA novels telling coming-of-age stories highlighting diversity using free verse poetry that just GETS ME.
i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again— read books from and about people who are different from you! whether it’s race or religion or sexuality or family dynamics or nationality or WHATEVER. it’s good for you and IMPORTANT.
this story of michael growing up and discovering his identity and learning how to express it confidently and navigate relationships and prejudices was powerful. i learned more about the world of drag from reading this one, something i’m very unfamiliar with! it’s a fast read but a meaningful one, and i appreciated the scope and depth of it.
Strength to Love
by Martin Luther King Jr.
review:
I hate to admit it, but it took me this long to finally read a book by MLK himself. It was incredible— rich, thought-provoking, Gospel-centered, timely, relevant, powerful.
I shared several of my favorite passages in today’s episode of #theradpodcast (it’s back!!!) — take a listen to ep. 25 to hear more.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown + Act Your Age, Eve Brown
by Talia Hibbert
Dani: ★★★☆☆ // amazon / bookshop
Eve: ★★★☆☆ // amazon / bookshop
review:
Thank you to #partner@bibliolifestyle + @williammorrowbooks for sending me the final Brown sister book — spent my weekend reading these cute, fun, steamy, diverse romances and it was a great escape from the winter weather!
By the third book, I was feeling a bit like the plotlines were too formulaic and blending together, but spaced out, I don’t think I would have noticed! They’re fairytale endings for sure, but with realistic characters (with autism! and quirks! and actual human traits!) that add so much sparkle to the stories.
Basically, I’m a big fan of diverse romances and want to see more books like these on the market! Each one featured characters with traits and qualities we don’t see represented in literature (especially romance) enough, and I am HERE FOR IT.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk
review:
This book took me more than a year to work through, and I’m glad I took my time with it. The sheer number of flags on these pages will tell you how meaningful this one was for me... as a rape and sexual abuse survivor who is still battling the long term effects of PTSD, this one hit home so hard.
It gave me hope, it helped me understand deeper levels to what I’ve lived/am living through, it taught me so much about how the body holds pain and past experiences, it broke my heart as I read of stories similar and different to mine, it reminded me again and again how important therapy and EMDR and psychiatry are for healing...
(also hear me say: I am a Christian who fully believes in the power of prayer, and I also see a psychiatrist and take a daily antidepressant and have additional anxiety meds for when triggers cause panic attacks, I see a Christian counselor every single week, I have gone through EMDR, I have trusted friends and loved ones supporting me daily, and ALL of these things are helpful tools in my arsenal as I work to heal and be healthy.)
This powerful book is not for the faint of heart, and it’s not really an easy read, but wow, I am so incredibly thankful for all of the research and wisdom and stories that went into this important and needed work.
I feel seen, heard, understood, known, and most beautifully, hopeful.
When No One is Watching
by Alyssa Cole
review:
I still don’t really know how to feel this one. It’s marketed as a thriller but only the last chunk was actually thriller-esque, the first half was super slow for me and it feels a bit underdeveloped, it’s a compelling social commentary on gentrification and race for sure, but maybe it was just trying to do too much and therefore didn’t totally nail it for me?
The ending picked up speed and got freaky and had me flipping pages, but then it ended too fast and felt flat.
I think I just didn’t click into what this book was or what it was trying to be, and it just ended up being okay for me.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
by Katherine May
review:
The perfect book for an icy winter weekend in the middle of a panoramic where resting and retreating and hunkering down at home are the norm and it’s been a very difficult time!!!
Seriously, though, this book is beautifully written and resonated so much with me, especially in this season. It encouraged me to be intentional with the slower, colder, and harder seasons of life, and Im grateful.
That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby
by Annie F. Downs
review:
This was a fun weekend read (I mean, if Annie is known for anything, it’s fun, so this was to be expected!) — it felt just like her podcasts, but in book form, and with just her voice, not conversations. I appreciate learning from enneagram 7s like Annie, as a 1 who moves toward 7 when I’m healthy. Her encouragement to fall in love (with people and God and the beautiful world we live in) and pursue new things just for the heck of it was timely for me!
Firefly Lane
by Kristin Hannah
review:
I think I have read this one before, but it was in my pre-Goodreads/bookstagram days so I can’t remember 🤷🏼♀️ I read it again this weekend and swipe to see how it all ended 😭😭😭
Kristin Hannah blows my mind. The talent is just unreal! This story of two friends throughout their whole lives, through ups and downs, with all kinds of hurdles, is moving and heartfelt and had me texting my bff that she’s never allowed to leave me.
There are quite a few trigger warnings to include here— rape, addiction and alcoholism, death, miscarriage, a shooting, war and a near death experience, cancer...
But such a beautiful story of enduring friendship 😭
Fly Away
by Kristin Hannah
review:
finally finished the sequel to Firefly Lane and was glad to have more conclusions to the stories of three of the main women (Tully, Marah, and Cloud). it wasn’t AS good as Firefly Lane but reading them back to back was perf for me!
trigger warnings abound, so tread lightly, but def recommend reading it if you want to get some resolution (and growth!!!) to their storylines.
The Wanderer
by Sharon Creech
review:
Reread a fave from my growing up years (I wish I could remember exactly when I read this!) as my “teenage fave” for #aradreadingchallenge!
It was more poignant than I remembered, but I also remembered way more of it than I expected?! Sharon Creech is just SO good and her books were a staple of my childhood!
Shipped
by Angie Hockman
review:
a random library grab (via the “new arrivals” tab on my lib website since i can’t go in physically!) and it was cute!
definitely had some Unhoneymooners + Hating Game vibes, wasn’t super steamy, focused on two people in marketing/social media which was fun since that’s my world, and it made me wish i could go on a cruise!!!
The Ex Talk
by Rachel Lynn Solomon
review:
This felt like The Ugly Truth mixed with a little How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, all in the public radio world (shoutout to @wnrnradio, my local station!) — it was so fun and cute and truly delightful.
