One benefit of not having as many activities during the holidays last month was that I had more time to read, and I’ll never complain about that. I finished 10 books over the last month, which is the highest number I’ve read in a month in quite some time.
My books were a pretty solid mix of fiction and nonfiction. If you need some inspiration for books to read, hopefully at least one of these sounds up your alley. Here’s the round-up.
{fiction}
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I already mentioned this one in my favorite books read in 2020 post, so clearly I loved this one. I felt so immersed in Ifemelu’s life, first in Nigeria, then the US, then Nigeria again. I enjoyed the excerpts from her blog, and the way blogging helped her work out her feelings about both countries where she called home. This book was long but didn’t feel long, and I know it’s one that will stick with me. My rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. This is a YA historical novel set in the US during World War II, but from a perspective I hadn’t yet explored: women pilots, or WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots). Raised on her family’s strawberry farm and taught to fly by her father, Ida Mae Jones dreams of nothing but flying planes. She learns about the opportunity to become a WASP, but knows that they won’t accept her because she is Black, but she applies anyway–passing as white. I listened to this on audio (narrated by Bahni Turpin), and it was excellent. I loved Ida Mae, and I think Smith did such a good job balancing the excitement of her new life as a pilot with the inner turmoil she experienced being forced to hide her true identity. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell. This felt slightly odd to read in the winter, but O’Farrell’s writing is so immersive that it was just the warm-up I needed on a cold day. During a heatwave in London in the 1970s, Gretta Riordan calls her three grown children home because their father has suddenly disappeared. Each of the siblings is struggling in their own way, and I loved the way O’Farrell told their stories in a way that clearly painted them as individuals, but showcased their complicated, tightly-knit relationships with each other. My rating: 4/5 stars.
The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan. I was in the mood for something fast-paced and less emotionally taxing, and this suspense novel was just what I needed. As a child, Jo idolized her nanny, and after she disappeared without a trace one year, her life was never the same. Never close with her parents, she left home and hadn’t planned to come back–until life circumstances force her to return home to live with her mother. When shortly after her return her long-lost nanny shows up at the door, things get stranger and stranger. This was a fun, dark read with a perfectly creepy estate setting. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. I read this for the Bliss Books book club, and we all agreed that it was the bookish equivalent to a holiday Hallmark movie. I went in a bit skeptically, as I heard about the Groundhog Day-like premise, which I find frustrating, yet fortunately the time loop didn’t repeat as many times as I feared it would. While it was pretty cheesy and not one I’d pick up again, it was a fun little escape to pick up during the holiday season. My rating: 3/5 stars.
{non-fiction and memoir}
Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. This is another one I mentioned in my 2020 favorites list; what a great book. This is based off of Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning, but adapted by Reynolds for a YA audience. It’s excellent on audio, so if you like to learn while you listen this would be a good one. My rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. I read this because my dad recommended it, and it was also a compelling listen on audio. I think Gladwell brings up some interesting points, and I loved the way the anecdotes were reenacted in the audio version. It did make me think about the way I, personally, and we, as a society, see people we don’t know. Yet I also felt like his explanations oversimplified the situations at times, so I felt a bit conflicted about this one. Yet I do think it’s one I’ll continue to think about, so at the end of the day I’m glad I read it. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
Achtung Baby by Sara Zaske. Sara and her husband moved from the US to Germany when their first child was only a toddler, and they had a second child while living there. While in Germany, Zaske observed that most parents there give their kids a lot more freedom than most parents do in the States. This was a fascinating look, through an American’s eyes, of parenting culture in another country. While I don’t think Germans necessarily always get it right (no country does!), I think there is a lot we can learn from the way German parents prioritize independence and self-reliance when raising their children. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Wild Life by Keena Roberts. This is another story of an American living abroad, but this is from the child’s perspective. Roberts is the daughter of primatologists, and she spent most of her childhood in Botswana where her parents studied baboons. This is the story of her unique experience there, and also her struggle to fit in when she and her family traveled back to the US. I love memoir, it lets me see the world from a place (in this case, literally) that is completely different from my own, and yet I usually find ways to relate to the person’s experience as well. I really enjoyed this one. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I’m new to the world of graphic novels, but this graphic memoir made me want to read more of this genre. Persepolis is Satrapi’s story of her childhood in Iran. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough–it was funny, heartbreaking, poignant, unfamiliar at times, and yet totally relatable at others. I recommend this for anyone who loves a good memoir and also wants to check out the graphic novel genre. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Have you read anything good lately?
Linking with Show Us Your Books.
