Books I Read in January 2022

Hello friends! We made it out of January 2022. It always feels like the longest month of the year - I don 't know if that's because coming off the holidays and diving right back into it feels like a slog, or because it's the first month of a new year, or maybe because the new goals and habits we've set for ourselves make the time feel like it's dragging. Either way, we're at the end of this month, and I've read a whopping 11 books. I believe it's a new record, and I fully expect the rest of the months of this year to not look like this. Lol. But, in all seriousness, there aren't many nonfiction titles here this month and that was very purposeful. Much like December, I chose to keep with fiction because I'm really enjoying it right now. I will always have a soft spot for true stories (because, hello history major), but oftentimes they make my heart heavy and sometimes put me in a reading slump. I could wax poetic about these things, but I won't do it right now. Just know: I'm enjoying reading fiction right now and will probably continue to do so until I feel like re-incorporating nonfiction. But I do want to note: because of the ban of Maus in Mcminn County, TN, this month, I chose to read Maus Vols. I-II immediately after that event. I don't regret it, and challenge you to buy, borrow, and/or read these if you can.

Enjoy the reviews!

Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Beach Reads, Chick Lit, Romance

Review: ** spoiler alert ** This book. I liked our main character, Annabelle. I liked that she was a strong, outspoken woman who stood up for herself both professionally and romantically. I also mostly liked how the secondary characters were written. But, my issue lies with her partner, Nick, our other main character. He shows up being HIGHLY unlikeable, "faking" misogyny, and being a genuine dick most of the time. But, we're supposed to believe that he pulls a 180 and becomes this charming, lovely, different person when Annabelle enters the picture. Yes, his issues carry throughout and create some of the tension in the book, but I also had an issue with his being in a wheelchair ONLY because the writer makes it a psychological issue more than a physical one. This feels like a huge slap in the face for people who are wheelchair-bound looking for representation only to find that it's "all in his head."

And the ending felt cheap given Annabelle's romantic history. Idk. Just not a winning combination for me. I enjoyed reading about Annabelle's office drama, her friendships, and her professional story/arc more than I did about her romance, but I appreciated that at least Jenn McKinlay's writing style when it came to the ~*spicy*~ scenes was tastefully done and not overly graphic. I purposely tried to keep the books I chose in December lighthearted and fictional, so I knew this wasn't going to be a book that changed my life. It's a good beach read or a lighter book club read, but probably not one I'll read again.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Favorites, Historical Fiction, Modern Lit, Romance

Review: After reading Circe and becoming familiar with Madeline Miller's more formal writing style (which can leave characters feeling a bit flat, making the text feel a little less engaging and the story feel slower paced), I felt like I was able to fully enjoy this book. The only reason I didn't give it a full five stars is because I felt like it was missing something I'm still not able to put my finger on. I don't know if that was a general lack of complete satisfaction at the way she ended the novel or the feeling a slight disconnect I had with most of the characters because of that writing style. I know I was a bit disappointed that Patroclus didn't train/fight with Achilles in this book just from reading The Iliad and that whole thing about how similar their fighting styles were (I was hoping for some of that).

However, I do love that Miller's books are novels set within Greek mythology - they add depth to the characters that you otherwise wouldn't get from Homer or whatever other old Greek guy you're reading. She brings the humanity. I found Patroclus to be strong in his own way, though I've read a lot of reviews where people think he's overshadowed by Achilles and find him to be a lap dog who only follows. But something to remind readers: we're reading this story from his perspective, so of course he's not going to say the characteristics about himself that Achilles finds favorable. He's not going to call himself romantic or beautiful or caring or talented in medicine or particularly skilled at fighting, especially not in comparison to Achilles. Once I accepted that, I found The Song of Achilles to be a truly wonderful read.

The spice is minimum (my absolute favorite), but the love is strong. While it didn't deliver the waterworks ending I was anticipating, I thought it was wrapped up nicely enough and was a joy to indulge in.

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Modern Lit

Review: I would categorize this novel as magical realism/historical fiction (set in the Caribbean in 1976). It sounded, from the synopsis, like a book I would really enjoy and I was excited to read it because it seemed like an Indie read with a lot of potential. However, I was let down by the amount of sexualization that happens in this book - more pages than not mention something about sex - and, if done well, I can see how it would add to a story about a mermaid. But it felt awkward and weird when I read it in this book in its context. That was probably my biggest qualm with this one, and because the book is only 187 pages, with sex or something about it being discussed so frequently, it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been. I think, if there had been less sex/sexualization and more attention to character development, the story could have been more profound and more impactful than it was for me.

With that being said, this book does delve into the themes of masculinity, womanhood, colonialism, racism, and Caribbean folklore/myth/knowledge. It's told from three narrative styles: the general all-knowing narrative that gets into the characters' thoughts/emotions, the journals from David Baptiste (one of the MCs), and the free form poetry of Aycayia, the mermaid. I loved that idea, and thought it was interesting, making the novel organized neatly and easy to follow. I also thought it was interesting how this novel speaks to local knowledge: everyone in Black Conch, an island supposed to be modeled after Tobago, knows that mermen exist, but it's knowledge kept to themselves (albeit, general knowledge within their community). It was only outsiders that didn't know about these beings, but no one had ever seen mermaids. BUT when Aycayia is caught and brought to land, it isn't *that* far-fetched because the community has that legend as part of their local stories. This story just pointed out how much we don't know about other cultures and the intimacies of their local stories/legends/myths/folklores that play huge roles in how they define themselves.

So, there was a lot about this that I liked and thought there was a huge potential for, but the execution just disappointed me. When so much attention was spent on the sexualization of the characters, more could have been spent in their emotional and mental development. It's championed as a love story, but it didn't feel that way for me most of the time.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Classic Lit, Favorites

Review: This is my first work by John Steinbeck, and wow. Of Mice and Men packed a punch that I was not expecting for a 107-page story. Given that it was published in 1937, while the country was still recovering from The Great Depression, it's a social commentary on those displaced during this time. George and Lennie are migrant workers in California looking to work to save money and purchase their own land, a take on the American Dream.

While I feel like there is a lot of analysis that could be done here (and has been done), I'll just stick with a recap of the themes: human nature, loneliness and alienation, discrimination and marginalization (of race, of mental disabilities, of gender). But to go into this book, thinking it was just going to be a simple, small tale about two migrant workers, I left with so much more. This story left me emotional and contemplative in a lot of ways.

The descriptive writing in this was fantastic, the ways Steinbeck wrote his characters was simple and effective. Overall, happy to have finally read this and certainly not disappointed.

Meet Josefina: An American Girl by Valerie Tripp, Jean-Paul Tibbles (Illustrator), Susan McAliley

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Children's Lit, Historical Fiction

Review: This was a reading challenge book, a prompt that asked me to pick a book from my childhood. Josefina was my favorite American girl as a kid, and I still remembered the beautiful illustrations from when I read it as an eight-year-old. Rereading as an adult, I can see why I resonated with her specifically. Josefina was very much an empath, wanting to be the peacemaker (which, I very much felt like I had to be in my household). Shy toward strangers but lively around those she knew well (also me). Tended flowers and liked nature. I don't remember much about the other American Girl stories, but I believe this one is slower paced in comparison.

I'm so glad I read this. It was full of nostalgia and a lot of culture! A fun read and one I hope to pass down to my children 😊

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Historical Fiction, Modern Lit

Review: I have a lot of feelings about this novel. To be frank, I wasn't a big fan of the main character and was annoyed with her throughout most of the book basically due to the ways her emotional trauma manifested itself into abandoning everything and everyone when they got too close. Because of that, though, the novel does a really good job of exploring her trauma and creating a tale that was very emotionally charged and beautifully written.

I liked the supporting characters more than the main character, but there were several issues I had with this book. I didn't like how young the MC was for the majority of this story (understanding that it was intentional), and what felt like a cop-out trope in the last third of the book. Also, considering how emotionally stunted she was in a lot of ways, there were several portions of the book that just felt way more mature than what I expected for this character. All of that being said, I will be keeping this book in my library simply for the lovely ways friendships, family, and relationships in general were discussed/written.

A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Shelves: Beach Reads, Horror-Thriller, Magical Realism, Mystery, Psychological Thriller

Review: As someone who doesn't read a lot of mysteries or thrillers, I really enjoyed this book! BOTM classified it as their magical realism pick, but I felt it fell into multiple categories. I felt like I was along for the ride in this book, and even though I tried to guess the plot twist several times, everything I did guess, I was dead wrong about. Which, in situations like this, is pleasant when you do get to the actual plot twist!

I won't say much else about this, other than: I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed the characters, I thought it was a fun, entertaining read that kept me hooked the majority of the time. The only thing that made it not a higher rating was parts of how it ended. Some psychological prisoner mentality issues were explored through the characters of this book, and it was a little disturbing (as it was supposed to be). Just, the way it was written felt a little clichéd. The end! Another successful BOTM pick in this one!

Hawaiian Folk Tales: A Collection of Native Legends by Thomas G. Thrum

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: History, Travel, Short Stories

Review: I agree with another GoodReads reviewer that said it well: "These stories are interesting, but rather bare-bones and presented in an old-fashioned style (which wasn't old-fashioned at the time, but feels flat now). I enjoyed the book, but would have loved more details to bring the stories to life."

I think this is an important and culturally beautiful book to be out in the world, and serves as a great first step into Hawaiian Folk Tales. I picked this up at the Hawaii Volcanoes NP visitor center for just that reason. There are stories in this collection that I liked better than others, but there are so many themes and cultural elements to every single tale that makes this a really rich read beyond the plainness of the text. I slogged through it at times, but then soaked it up at others. Sometimes the language felt dull, other times it felt stunning and rich. One of my favorite couple of sentences comes from the tale Kaala and Kaaialii:

His strong, wild nature was touched by the distant sob and moan of the surf. It sang a song for his sad, savage soul.

That is beautiful, but not all the writing is like that. I think Thrum's collection would benefit from either an update into more modern language while still retaining the significance and value of the original stories, or to be redone altogether by native Hawaiians. Then, I think more people would resonate with these stories, engage with them a little better, and find more beauty in Hawaiian history and culture. Because, right now, that 2.86-star rating on GoodReads doesn't encourage a lot of people to read these tales, and that's unfortunate.

Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Book Club, Modern Literature

Review: There are quite a few trigger warnings that go along with this book, which include: addiction, child abuse, drug abuse, rape, sexual assault, grief, and death of a parent.

With all of that said, this book is quite a heavy read. My book club picked it, and I think part of me kept blocking out the synopsis because of my own personal experiences with family members who have substance use disorders and were also sexually assaulted. I couldn't ever remember what this read was about and when I finally got into it, it felt like parts of my life were being played back to me. For that reason, this book was not an enjoyable read. I won't ever be reading it again, but I'm glad it exists in the world.

I do think it was well-written and very accurate in describing the struggles everyone involved with a relative who is struggling with substance use disorders deals with (including the relative). It discusses heavily themes of women's bodies, their autonomy over them, and laws surrounding them in a way that sparks thought and discussion. Lexie, one of the main characters, drove me crazy only because of her mood swings and dramatics. However, the more I read, the more I saw characteristics of myself in the ways she coddled or enabled her sister's addiction. It funneled into a co-dependent relationship that I've been guilty of having with a couple people in my life. So, as you can imagine, this wasn't a fun or light read in any sense.

Initially, I wasn't feeling the book for entirely different reasons. I felt it started out tiresome because the first quarter to third is very detailed and played out by the minute, which I didn't enjoy. But I felt like the book picked up toward the middle and then evened out the last 20%.

I can't emphasize enough: this is a very heavy read not for the faint of heart. It is very emotional, very sad, and very complex. If you are close to a situation similar to this story, be in the right headspace for it. Otherwise, it could very easily take you to a dark place. Outside of that, I'm glad the author tackled such a hard subject and put it out into the world.

Maus 1: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Graphic Novels, History, Memoir-Biography, Nonfiction

Review: Volume I begins with a memory from the author's childhood in 1958 in Rego Park, NY before delving into his parents' stories. The timeline for this begins in the mid-1930s and ends in March 1944. This volume explores the author's relationship with his father as an adult, the repercussions this experience had on his parents, and the struggle they went through to stay alive during the war.

Like most stories about Holocaust survivors, it's heavy and thought-provoking, sad and heart wrenching. An Animal Farm-esque graphic novel is such a smart way to portray this because there are violent, disturbing events that happen (of course, to be expected), but its advantage is its format. It also maybe tugs a little harder because the people are represented as animals (mice: Jews; pigs: Poles; cats: Germans/Nazis). The lightness comes from the beginning interactions between the author and his father as they sit down to discuss this chapter of his father's life, but the cracks in that relationship don't take long to show up and we, as readers, are shown the long-term effects the Holocaust had on its survivors.

This is a sad, important story. I had this in my library, but the recent ban in Tennessee got me to pick these up right away. I don't read many graphic novels, but I'm so glad I own these. They're worth having and worth keeping and, of course, worth reading.

Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Graphic Novel, History, Memoir-Biography, Nonfiction

Review: Maus, Vol. II picks up with the author cutting a trip in Vermont short to visit his father in upstate New York. We're then given a better look at the author's complicated, oftentimes frustrating dynamic with his father throughout the rest of the book as they navigate Vladek's failing health and the characteristics he's developed post-concentration camps. Vladek's story picks up right where it left off with him and Anja getting separated (we learn that Anja was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau while Vladek went to Auschwitz), and Vladek's means of surviving that horrible stretch until his liberation.

The author explores more of his own mental health hurdles and feelings surrounding creating this history of his father's life, what he means, and what this story out in the world will mean for him and his family. However, this was still an enormously heavy read. It was, again, heartbreaking. Especially as Vladek goes through a box of photographs with the author, explaining which relatives made it out alive and which didn't (spoiler: only one of his relatives made it out of WWII alive).

As far as why these books were banned -- for violence and for language on an 8th grade level -- I felt that the language didn't take away, at all, from the overarching message these books were sending. And, the violence is a direct cause or intention of the Nazi party when they started the genocide of the Jews. To censor or ban a book of this caliber, to me, is unacceptable. A saw a quote from a student on twitter whose teacher responded very frankly at teachers getting worked up over Elie Wiesel's Night being assigned that I feel sums up this situation in TN: "The author was 12 when these things happened to him. Such things happen to 12-year-olds every day."

This happened to millions of people, of a certain ethnicity and religious identity. It is the reality that they've lived with, passed down to their children and grandchildren, and that the world still remembers clearly. To ban these stories because of language (that eighth graders have certainly heard and/or are saying by now) and the reality of violence these people lived through or died because of (and I'm sure these students have been familiarized with through movies and video games) is a shame. I hope everyone who can picks these up and gives them a read.