Show Us Your Books February 2021

It’s winter and we actually have winter weather. This has been great for my reading, although my mindlessness of 2020 still creeps in from time to time. There are a few book on my January list that I had no memory of until I looked them up. Granted January was a really bad month for my family, and a stressful time to live just outside DC, but I was really hoping to leave that kind of thing in 2020.

Oh well, there were quite a few excellent books that I do remember, so I’ll just focus on those.

The Best of January 2021

I had two five star reads in January- one that I read on a whim and one much anticipated audiobook.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - The story of Olive, a cranky old lady living in Maine. Her story isn’t so much of a story as a series of vignettes in which she touches other people’s lives in various ways. In reading reviews this seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate, and I loved, loved, loved this book.

Gone Crazy In Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia - When I found out I would be driving from Cleveland to DC with my kiddos I knew I had to have this audiobook to get me through. We all love this series about three sisters just trying to grow up. This is the third and final (for now?) book in the series, and I think it was the best. You can tell kids what it was like for African Americans in the 60’s but these books show in a way that is humorous and engaging for them, and powerful and sobering for adults. I can’t recommend these books enough no matter what your age.

Perfect For Long and Cold Days On The Couch

These were all library holds that I had to binge read in the few days before they were due back. That rarely works out for me, but I’m happy to say it did in January.

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter - I had to get over the fact that this was different from Beautiful Ruins, but once I did I enjoyed this book. I loved how Spokane, Washington almost became another character, and it’s now on my post COVID travel list. I’m a great lover of epilogues and this had an amazing one.

The House In The Cerulean Sea - The most heartwarming book featuring the anti-Christ I’ve ever read. This book deserves all of the hype it has gotten.

The Awakened Kingdom by NK Jemisin - I wasn’t sure I’d understand this Novella since it’s a sequel to a trilogy I haven’t read yet. But it was what the library had when I was looking for a book by Jemisin so I took it. Turns out I really loved the young godling Shill, and all of her mischief. This was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Re-Reads That Stood Up To Time

These were both books from last year’s Project Re-Read that I didn’t get to. Why? They’re so good.

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith by Tom Rob Smith - Two Londoners can’t afford to retire, so they sell their business and move to a farm in Sweden. Things don’t go so well. This book is creepy and atmospheric- give it a go on your next snow day.

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi - Two women separated by 100 years in Afghanistan. This book will punch you in the gut. It’s long, but I could have kept reading for another 200 pages.

Linked to: Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit

Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!