Inspired by this goal, I last minute decided to only read black authors in February in celebration of black history month. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to read as much as I did in January, mostly because I quite a bit more free time in January due to spending most weekends sitting on the couch with my broken ankle. I've started to heal up in February and now I'm walking on my own! It's been incredible, but also exhausting, so I'm way more tired at the end of the day. Plus, my work load increased with my mobility. However I did finish 7 books, and I had a great reading month! Here's my thoughts on what I read:
Hunger: a Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
So this is technically an end of January read, but it was the very end of January, and it inspired me to only read black authors for the month of February. Therefore, it's an honorary mention! I loved this memoir, even though it was very hard to read, well listen since this was an audiobook (BTW Roxane Gay has an amazing voice). Gay does not shy away from her trauma, and she manages to write beautifully about her life and body. She's incredibly open about her life, which gives the reader a tremendous intimacy to the author. Despite the difficult subject, this book is well worth the read.
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
My first read of February was Janet Mock's first memoir. Mock began with the story of how she first met her now husband Aaron. She narrates it in a lush and poetic tone, drawing the reader into the romance. She then travels back and shares the story of her upbringing, her childhood with her father in California and then her mother in Hawaii, and her identity as a transwoman. It's an incredible story peppered with didactic passages about trans kids and people and what they face in the world. While it felt a bit tedious, I also understood the importance of Mock writing and sharing this information. She's also full of grace and reflection when she discusses her parents, which was incredibly moving.
This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe
My third audio memoir! I had purchased all three of these titles via Audible, and it was easy for me to consume them while I did data work or cleaned or cooked. Gabourey Sidibe was so funny and such a delight to listen to! She had some really incredible stories and told them in a very engaging manor. Her chapter on her name in particular, its history and Americans inability to pronounce, really stands out for me. It was also really fascinating to see how all the stars had aligned for her to end up in the role of Precious. She's got a great presence on screen, and it really shines through her book as well.
An Untamed State by Roxane Gay
This was my first fiction work by Roxane Gay, and damn, she is quite the writer. This book was really difficult to read. It focuses on Mireille, a woman who in the opening pages is kidnapped and held for ransom for her wealthy father. When he refuses to pay, she goes through hell. Gay doesn't shy away from the horror and trauma Mireille faces, which honestly overwhelmed me. When I finished the first part, I was worked up and crying and had difficult calming down. I was really moved and some of the writing was gorgeous, but it was almost too difficult to read. The second half was better. Mireille works on becoming whole again and her trauma and healing were so compelling to read. This novel is certainly not for the faint hearted.
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
Last year, I had the pleasure of reading Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming, and it was a gorgeously written poetry based memoir. Another Brooklyn certainly falls in this same vein. It was a very quick read about August and her friends coming into girlhood and womanhood. It focuses on friendships, family, and grief. I certainly did a lot of highlighting when reading because Woodson has a spectacular talent for stringing words together.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This was certainly my favorite read of the month. Homegoing is a fantastic novel. It follows the lineage to two sisters throughout the years as their lives have such drastically different paths. This novel is more like a book of short stories than a long history; the reader only gets glimpses of each descendant, and it leaves you desperately craving more. Gyasi has a wide range of characters, and she navigates them so well. Each story is unique and intriguing. Eventually the parallel stories come together at the very end in a really satisfying conclusion. I loved reading this and couldn't put it down. I'm certainly looking forward to Gyasi's next work!
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Okay, so technically I finished this one in March, but since February is the shortest month, and I read at least the first half in February, it should certainly count! This novel is built on the premise that the Underground Railroad is a literal railroad: a series of connected underground tunnels that a single car locomotive will run through delivering runaways to new cities. It's a fascinating concept, but unfortunately it just wasn't explored enough for me in this. Whitehead clearly did extensive research for this, and he does not shy away from the variety of horrors slavery has inflicted on this country. However, I didn't really connect with this book; I wanted a bit more character work and felt like we didn't get enough from Cora, our protagonist.
This went really well, and I read some really fantastic books. Since March is Women's History month, I've decided now to read only women in March (even though Whitehead is technically a March read, but shhh it's okay!). I liked doing this since it was a really focused reading goal and allowed me to knock quite a few books off of my overly extensive to be read list.
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