March Madness
I have been trying so hard not to start every post, every sentence, basically every thing I type or say with “I cannot believe it is March again". But really, I cannot believe it is March again. I won’t belabor the point because my wellness post this month on Patreon will focus on how to continue moving forward when we haven’t had time to process our collective trauma (let me put that MSW to work!). All I will say for now is I am happy to still be here, writing to you all.
What Have I Been Reading:
February was a month of epic reading slumps- though I was disappointed, I tried to consistently remind myself that forcing yourself to read never ends in enjoying the book. Because I believe in new beginnings, once the clock hit midnight on March 1st, I found myself having a renewed passion for books again. Criminal Minds, see you during my next anxious month! Let’s get into my reviews:
The Yellow Wife: I’ll be real- I didn’t expect to enjoy this book. I am not particularly into most historical fiction or novels about slavery, but this one worked for me in almost every aspect. The author did a lot of research about a concept I had never learned about: “yellow wives”. This story is one of pain and suffering yes, but also the ability to love and tap into a deep well of strength. Some parts were almost too hard to read and others unbelievable (mini spoiler: people long separated finding each other) but overall it was an engaging story. 3.75 stars
Love is a Revolution: Loved! I love YA! I love stories about young Black girls learning to love themselves! This story follows Nala- she is always in the shadow of her cousin-sister-friend Imani and is having trouble learning who she really is. She meets Tye, who is cool but also a vegetarian and social activist. She is neither but pretends she is to impress him. Hijinks do not ensue, but what does is a story where Nala learns to love herself rather than who she thinks people want her to be. 4.5 stars
Meet Me in Paradise (Release Date: March 23): I recently had trouble reviewing this because I cannot really go into it without giving away a major plot point but here goes nothing: Marin always plays it safe after her mother dies, and that includes never leaving the country- unlike her daredevil sister. Her sister comes back from a work trip and suggests they go on a vacation to a tropical island, and she agrees- but her sister never makes the flight. Instead she wants Marin to use this trip to step out of her comfort zone. She ends up spending a lot of time with Lucas Tsai, the handsome (duh) stranger she meets on the plane. Marin finds herself enjoying the trip but still missing her sister. OKAY SO my two qualms are a) I felt like their love story wasn’t believable at all (I wasn’t sold until 2/3rds in) and b) this book is billed as feel good but there are actually a lot of tough topics explored (TW for trauma and death) 3 stars
The Office of Historical Corrections: This was one of my most anticipated 2020 releases and I’ve been saving it for a rainy day. The Office of Historical Corrections is comprised of several short stories and one novella. I used to not be into short stories but I am becoming more open to them- particularly because of the option to engage in different stories. In this particular collection I enjoyed all of them- of course some more than others. My favorites were Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain and Boys Go to Jupiter (let me tell you, this story was wild!). 4.5 stars.
Up Next:
Our book club pick on Patreon this month is Disability Visibility and I’ve been listening to the audiobook. It is compromised of first person accounts and they are all incredibly moving and eye opening. I am also reading an ARC of Happy Endings (the debut from author Thien-Kim Lam). It is a second-chance romance and it is really good so far. It is out May 18, and I know my fellow romance lovers will enjoy it. I didn’t make a TBR this month but I will also read Jazz by Toni Morrison for one of my book clubs, Infinite Country, and need to dive into all the library books I have checked out!
A Few Links:
Today is International Women’s Day. I will definitely be reading this article by Ashley C. Ford on “The Stacey Abrams Effect”
Did you miss the interview last night between Oprah, Meghan and Harry? Here’s a recap.
“I’m a Short Afternoon Walk and You’re Putting Way Too Much Pressure on Me
Race Matters: “As a White Woman, Can I Adopt a Black Child?”
The Best Books About Washington D.C.
I spent February not reading but engaging with Black creators. ICYMI, I did a live with Leah founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, which was a great learning opportunity.
See you next time,
Sarah
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