Show Us Your Books February 2025

I did not exactly start my reading year off with a bang, but I did manage to squeeze some good books in. Here’s the best of the best from January.

Five Star Reads:

Becoming a Matriarch by Helen Knott - A great and powerful book about dealing with grief and what we are to others.

Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa - I loved this book. I was expecting something like The Memory Police, but instead I got a coming of age story about a girl who goes to live with wealthy relatives for a year. Written in a light way even though it touches on some dark topics, this book was easy to read and perfect for cold winter mornings when you just can’t face getting up yet.

Four Star Reads:

What The Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales -
I loved this well researched audiobook. The author read it herself and you can hear the emotion in her voice when she talks about the ocean. I grew up near the coast in Massachusetts and this made me so homesick. Must get back to see the ocean soon.

Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu - This was my most anticipated Tournament Of Books title. I live in a city in Virginia with a large Ethiopian population so I thought I would learn more about my new neighbors. Haha no. That’s not at all what this was. This was a fever dream that jumped all over the place and I’m not even sure what happened to be honest. I’m not mad. Just confused. Still a pick, but don’t ask me any questions.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden - I thought this was one thing, then it wasn’t, then it was again but in a completely different way. That probably doesn’t make sense if you haven’t read it but I don’t want to spoil it for you.

Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman - This was my first read of the year, and I loved it! It seemed so true to me- working a job with very little power doing what you can to create any change at all. Highly recommend.