What I read — January 2021
Ahhhh a fresh start. I love the beginning of a new year! I’m always so motivated to do all of the things and reading is no exception. Last year, I inadvertently completed the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge (thank you, endless quarantine). I’m challenging myself to do the same again this year, mainly because my shelves are out of control!
I have collected a substantial stack from my daily walks past the Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood. My virtual holds list is also almost maxed out at 20 books with my library card. And none of this is stopping friends, family and the internet from contributing to my to-read list on Goodreads (please don’t stop btw, I love getting all of your recommendations).
Since I started reading audiobooks at the end of last year, I’m fairly certain this is a low hanging goal… but that’s OKAY. Not everything in life needs to be a strenuous trek. Normally I’ll have a physical book and audiobook going at the same time, so for review clarity, I will put either duration or pages as the stats based on how I completed the book.
Here’s everything I enjoyed in January (there were quite a few):
Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens
Stats: Fiction, 384 pages
Quick summary
Set in the swamps of North Carolina, this is the dark coming of age story of Kya, continually abandoned by everyone and everything except for her beloved swamp and all of the creatures also calling it their home.
What I thought:
I was not ready for Crawdads. It was super popular all of last year, so I avoided it like the plague. Am I the only one who does this? Then I was out for a walk one day and saw a copy in the Little Free Library by our house. Taking it as a sign from the universe, I scooped it up... and proceeded to devour it in 3 days. The theme of loneliness and abandonment throughout this book cut into my cold, black heart like a warm knife through butter. Crawdads was the perfect mix of spellbinding story-telling: one part love story, one part coming of age, and one part murder mystery.
Who should read it:
Everyone. If you’ve been reluctant to add it to your list, do so now.
This Is How It Always Is
Laurie Frankel
Stats: LGBT Fiction, 338 pages
Quick summary
This is How explores the joy, the pain, the need for love and inclusion through the eyes of Poppy/Claude. This is how a family loves and supports. This is how a child finds who they are in a world obsessed with categorizing everyone into a neat little box.
What I thought:
I don’t feel like I have the words to capture what this book meant to me, so this is my best attempt. As a cisgender, heterosexual woman, I’ll never truly understand the heartache, the challenges, the fears of the LGBTQQIP2SAA community. This story made me feel everything. It was raw and beautiful and I felt myself aching for every character in the book. I know it’s early, but I can easily see this being my favorite by the end of the year.
Who should read it:
Please add this to your list at all costs. Also, be ready to cry.
Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change and Thrive in Work and Life
Susan David, PhD
Stats: Nonfiction, 9 hours 22 minutes (288 pages)
Quick summary
Simply put, emotional agility is learning how to unhook from negative emotions so you can live the life you want. It isn’t about denying negative emotions or pretending you’re happy all of the time. Rather, it’s about stepping out from those feelings and recognizing them for what they are... just feelings.
What I thought:
A friend recommended this one and it was eye-opening. How many times have you bottled up anger? Or brooded for days and days over a transgression? (raises hand) David explains how this is an emotional hook. And when we’re hooked, we’re stuck. We can’t grow. We can’t experience the positive emotions. This book teaches how to deal with the emotions that are holding us back (even if we don’t realize it). It’s about acknowledging them and even allowing them a space in our life, but not at the driver’s seat.
Who should read it:
If you’ve flown off the handle, gone into a tailspin of self-doubt, or spent days crying out a transgression, this one is for you, my friend.
The Woman in the Window
A.J. Finn
Stats: Thriller, 455 pages
Quick summary
Anna, or Dr. Fox, is the woman in the window, watching all of her neighbors live their lives because she won’t… can’t leave the house. Well, not after that one night… The Russells are new to the neighborhood, but something seems off about them. One night, Anna sees something she shouldn’t and finds herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined.
What I thought:
Thrillers are my jam. Give me an unreliable narrator due to either psychological disorder or drug abuse, or in Anna’s case, both, and I’m hooked. The pages flew on this one because of the micro chapters (another personal favorite). Critical reviews for this book mention that the twists aren’t overly inventive. This is fair. There is nothing ground-breaking here, but it’s still a fun read.
Who should read it:
Fans of Gone Girl and the like.
Britt-Marie Was Here
Fredrik Backman
Stats: Fiction, 348 pages
Quick summary
Britt-Marie finds employment in the dying town of Borg as the defunct recreation center caretaker after leaving her husband. Obsessed with order and cleanliness, she immediately butts heads with the tight-knit community, that is, until she begrudgingly accepts the role of coach for the youth football (soccer) team.
What I thought:
This was another grab from the Little Free Library and it just wasn’t there for me. I love Backman’s writing style and how he distills such transcendent topics like life purpose and loyalty into a clean narrative. I loved the story up-front and then felt it slowly lose momentum. By the time the shocking event happened (in the last 40 pages), I was checked out. Many critical reviews note that Britt-Marie reads like his earlier work, A Man Called Ove. Having read Ove first, I completely agree, though I somehow found the story less charming and heartwarming. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t connect with Britt-Marie or if the character development didn’t seem to run as deeply the second time around.
Who should read it:
Read A Man Called Ove instead.