Last year I subtitled this post “Books in the time of Coronavirus Part1” and look at us one year later. Still a mess but closer to herd immunity due to vaccines and general human carelessness!
Onto the books! I use the Goodreads rating system, which is:
- One star: did not like it
- Two stars: it was ok
- Three stars: liked it
- Four stars: really liked it
- Five stars: it was amazing
Writers & Lovers – Lily King
Casey Peabody is drowning. Drowning in grief from her mother’s death and issues with her father. Drowning in the wreckage of a failed relationship. And drowning in student debt, which is why she’s living in a moldy room while working two crummy jobs while trying to finish her novel.
It’s a book about loving to write and loving to read without the overt telltale signs of being a book about writing and reading. It’s book about an exhausted young woman flailing in deep water until she realizes that the people who are supposed to toss her the official life preserver aren’t going to do it. Instead, her chosen family tossed a Styrofoam cooler lid and a quarter of a pool noodle and that’s all she needs.
Five stars! I love books when the protagonist slowly drags herself to shore and this book provides.
SIDEBAR: Crippling student debt is so associated with today’s students I made it quite a few chapters through before I realized the book was set in 1997 and remembered that GenX has carried a lot of debt from college as well. This is me being Old but you don’t hear that enough. The system has been set to fail students for decades now.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters #1)
A fun British romance book featuring a smart, nerdy girl with fibromyalgia and her artistic, thoughtful, and well-thighed building super. After nearly being hit by a car, Chloe Brown decides to make a list to get her life back. Redford, the hunky, tattooed, motorcycle-riding artist ends up helping her out … in more ways than one! (eyebrow waggle)
Friends, after dozens of pages of witty banter back and forth between Chloe and Redford this book goes from zero to AAAOOOGAH at the flip of a page, so be prepared for that.
After years of not thinking I enjoyed romance, turns out enjoy romance where adults act like adults and use their words to ask for what they need. This was a winner, and yeah sure, I’ll read Chloe’s sisters’ books too.
Four stars and the cat lives.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood – Trevor Noah
This book, Trevor Noah’s memoir of growing up in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, is a wild ride. One page you’re laughing at his hijinks and the next you’re saying “holy #&!” at the disparities in justice, education, opportunities, just everything. And then you’re laughing again. And then there’s a little history lesson. Trevor is his mother’s wildest dreams. And the last chapter. Whoa.
Four stars, but there be trigger warnings for: spousal abuse, animal abuse & murder, strict discipline/child abuse (depends on how you weigh in on the “back in the days our parents beat the stuffing out of us and we were FINE!” memes on Facebook), and tales of heartbreaking poverty.
There is No God and He is Always With You – Brad Warner
It’s no secret I’ve been spiritually unsettled for a while now but COVID did a number on my faith in the last 12 months. WM has all of Warner’s books and enjoys them all. Since this book was on my list to read AND in the house, I started it. I DNFed the book a few chapters in. Which doesn’t reflect the book at all, just that I realized it wasn’t right for me at this point in time. I want something more concrete, and this theme of “you can give God a name but as soon as you do you can’t be talking about God because God is larger than a name” was too much “You can get with this, or you can get with that.” (see end of post) I don’t give DNF books 0-1 stars. I just file them away.
Up next: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I am excited!
All of my book lists and reviews are on Goodreads.
This a part of the Show us Your Books linkup from Jana Says and Life According to Steph. If you want to read more bloggers gush about the books they’ve read this month, click the button below and have fun!
Other SUYB posts:
2021:
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October
2020:
February | March | Spring/Summer | September | October | November | Year-end review
2019
January | February | March |April | June | July | August | December
2018
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
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Reference for ‘you can get with this, or you can get with that’ – enjoy!
I loved Writers & Lovers. The student loan debt struck me then too, and I struggled under it myself for a long time. I had help from my grandmom or I’d still be struggling. I always say we’ll be paying MFD’s student loans forever and he doesn’t even have a degree.
I lucked out because I had a scholarship to Rowan back when it was Glassboro state. But then I married a guy with loans so…yup. Loans forever.
I tried to read Writers & Lovers but I just couldn’t get through it 🙁
It was really bleak at the beginning for sure!
I really enjoyed Get a Life Chloe Brown and Born a Crime.
It was a good book month!
I loved Born a Crime. I didn’t know too much about Trevor before that but I absolutely love him now.
I started watching his videos and he’s hilarious.
Trevor Noah’s book has been on my TBR list for ages! I really want to read it soon.
I’m so happy I picked it up – it was this book linkup that convinced me to.
I loved Born a Crime but the last chapter made me cry.
Vaccine? What is vaccine? I do not know this concept (Switzerland is so ridiculously slow I’ll be amazed if they even finish the highest priority group before the summer).
I cried too, but I cried at Chloe Brown and Writers & Lovers so I thought it was just me. I hope Switzerland gets its act together soon.
I really need to read Born a Crime. I’ve wanted to for awhile now.
-Lauren
And it was a fast read too!
I loved Born A Crime. I did the audio, which he read, so the funny parts seemed even funnier.
That must have been great! I should really do more audiobooks for biographies and memoirs…