Oof. It has been a month, a year, an eternity. A lot of books I enjoyed this month, thank goodness. And I read straight through into March and already have a couple books done for that month. It has been that kind of a year so far. I enjoyed getting to share a lot of these reads and would love to hear your thoughts if you've read any!
- No One Will Save Us: A Reimagining of the Atlantic Slave Trade by Julie L. Brown (received for review from LibraryThing)--I'm so glad I asked to review this because I don't think I ever would have seen it otherwise, and I absolutely loved it. This is the inspiring, educational, and just freaking awesome alternate history we need. The warrior women of Kana (the primary of multiple cultures in what we would call Ghana that Brown brings to life) stop the Atlantic slave trade in its infancy--even traveling to Virginia to bring their people and others back home, and allying with the Powhatans along the way! If you're looking for a satisfying, hopeful (but still realistic about physical and political difficulties) work of fiction right now, I would highly recommend this!
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Book club read)--This has been on my TBR for years and has enjoyed so much popularity, so I was glad to finally read it. I see what everyone sees in it--it is a beautiful ode to friendship and nice to see that relationship be the central focus of the book; furthermore, the immersion in the video game world is extremely timely, and I hope we see more books like this that capture the actual culture and art of the current generation(s) that grew up on video and computer games.
- Sipsworth by Simon van Booy (Other book club read)--This restrained fable about an older woman and a mouse just wasn't what I was looking for right now, but it's well-written and definitely spoke to the other members of my book club.
- Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott (Another book club read)--I think this was my favorite read of the year so far. It's been on my TBR for a couple years, but I'm actually glad I read it now, because it really fit the present moment for me. Building on the Slavic and Jewish folklore around Baba Yaga (who I had a brief obsession with as a kid), Nethercott follows a brother-sister pair of her descendants who inherit her iconic hut on chicken legs. It's a story about running, inherited trauma, and the stories we tell ourselves--and how just because our grandparents' stories went a certain way, doesn't mean we don't have the power to write our own stories, that if we choose, we could stay and fight, instead of run. Another book club member called it "the most Jewish story we've read," and although I think people who aren't Jewish, especially immigrants and the descendants of immigrants to America, could definitely relate, I concur that there is something about the way American Judaism is at this present moment that Nethercott handily encapsulates.
- Stay Awhile by Chrissa Rose--Cute grumpy-sunshine, all the tropes romance with an MMC that is definitely too good to be true, but who cares?
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