Monday, March 7, 2022

What We Read in February

Hey hey! I'm alone in my house for the first time since last Friday! Huzzah! After the longest, most endless stretch of illnesses - which luckily Phil and I miraculously dodged - the kids are both back in school. It's a big week for me as I return to the office tomorrow. Sob! I am honestly not very excited about it but hoping I feel good about it once I am back in the routine... But being showered/hair done/make-up on, packing a lunch, and being out the door by 6:55 each day sounds daunting! I've decided to cut myself a break this week and buy lunches. I can tackle packing lunches next week when I'm more used to leaving the house looking, well, professional! 

But back to the subject of this post - reading! February was another EXCELLENT month of reading! In general, my 2022 reading has been really great. I can't quite put my finger on why, though, but I think part of it is my recommendation sources have shifted slightly. I started to listen to 2 new-to-me book podcasts last year (Current Reading and Sarah's Bookshelves Live) and my reading tastes seem to be compatible with the hosts. I read 9 books in February, and my average rating was around 4 stars. Here is how my reading broke out. 

Excellent/Great Reads

Honor by Thrity Umrigar was a 5 star book. She is an auto-read author for me and her latest book really packs a punch. It's an extremely heavy topic (an honor killing due to a family member marrying outside of the family's religion). It was excellent. I also loved These Precious Days and Fight Night, but the other 2 were great as well. 

Just Ok



I felt men to just ok about the last 4 books. 

DNF

I also had my first DNF of 2022 - Wintering by Katherine May. I've seen this memoir recommended several places and it seemed like the perfect time to read it. But the tone of the book kind of bothered me from the start. It started at the beginning of the book where the author expresses frustration about having to leave the park (I think it was the park they were leaving?) because her husband is not feeling well. It turns out her husband has appendicitis. I just struggled to relate to being frustrated about leaving the park. We go to the park A LOT with young kids. I'm never frustrated to leave - my child is, but I'm not. And I would certainly not be upset if we had to leave because Phil felt awful. I just felt  like she was kind of uncaring towards her husband? I guess I would feel like an a-hole if I had to write out that I was upset about leaving the park and it was because ultimately my husband had appendicitis? If I am feeling annoyed toward an author, especially when it's a memoir, it's a sure sign that I need to abandon the book. Others have loved this book so I may be the outlier. Perhaps I sound like an a-hole for sharing my reaction to her reaction to her husband, but I thought it would be helpful to share what drove me to give up on a book. I'm trying to be better about abandoning books this year. Life is too short to read books that don't resonate with you. 

The boys' reading:

We've brought home some great books from the library lately! I borrowed an idea from fellow blogger, Elisabeth, and started a kid lit shelf on goodreads so I can keep track of what we've read and loved. These were the 4 favorites from last night. Shout-out to Elisabeth for suggesting the Dinosaur book. It was read multiple times and made all of us laugh! I think that was the only book I requested ahead of time - the other 3 were serendipitous grabs from the shelves. Zero was a funny book about the number zero. He's envious of the other numbers because they are worth something. As a math major, I really loved this book and Paul enjoyed it, too. I'm Sticking with You was a cute book about a friendship between a bear and squirrel. And Little Witch Hazel is a 4-part book that is pretty long, but something Paul really enjoyed. It features an owl which is an animal that Paul has loved from a young age. 


Will's interest in books continues to be a little meh, but he did say "ma ma ma" (how he says mas which means more in Spanish) when I read a book to him at naptime last weekend so it's good to see he can be interested in books. He's just not nearly as interested in books as Paul was at this age, so I worry I didn't read to him enough as a baby? Much of his reading was "second hand" while I read to Paul. But maybe it's just his temperament? Time will tell and we will keep trying to get him interested in books.

Did you read anything great in Feburary?

9 comments:

  1. Adeline cares a lot less about books than Isla did but she has recently started to pick more up without me having to be the one to suggest it ha. I think the only one I've heard about on your list is the hillary/louise penny book!

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  2. I have Little Witch Hazel on hold at the library, but I'm intrigued by Zero. I'll pop over and see if our library system has that one. I also LOVED I'm Sticking With You (I think I actually posted this to the blog a few weeks ago, but can't actually remember now) - we read it multiple times.

    I also was not a fan of Wintering. I don't remember any specifics from the book now and don't think I took a single quote from it. I feel like maybe it's a right place/right time book? Like if I'd picked it up in a different mood or in a different season it would have resonated with me? Because SO many people seem to love this book but it fell totally flat for me.

    I have the Ann Patchett book on order from the library, so I'm extra excited to read it now that you give it the thumbs up.

    I'm so, so glad everyone is feeling better again (and that you and Phil didn't end up catching any of those nasty bugs). I'm sure there will be some transition angst with going back to the office, but you might find you enjoy it more than you expected? Looking forward to updates about the return and sincere best wishes for everyone to STAY HEALTHY!!!

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  3. I did a reread of the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers and it was such a calming balm on my world. I really just love her approach to science fiction.

    I have never read a Louise Penny book, but so many people really highly recommend her books that I need to get on board!

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  4. Honor and Oh William are on my list to read. I read Fight Night and was surprised that I liked it so much, as I have read Toews before and not liked her work. But, I was reading all the Giller Prize shortlisted books, and that was a happy surprise.

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  5. State of Terror and the Patchett are on my list. I love Anne Patchett and eager to read State of Terror, though I'll probably wait for the library or at least paper back. I see what you mean about Wintering. I haven't read it but that's a very weird opening.

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  6. I'm glad to hear you liked State of Terror. I need to read that one! I wasn't sure if it would be any good, but I guess I shouldn't doubt Louise Penny by now. She is such a great storyteller.

    I read a ton of great books in February, my favorites were Piecing Me Together, Unfollow, Like a Love Story, and All the Lonely People.

    I haven't read Wintering but it's not really my style so I don't think I will. That story you shared sounds horrifying, though! I guess there's a REASON she shared it but yeah, I'd be rather turned off to the author after that story.

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  7. Thank you for the Little Witch Hazel book recommendation. We've read it 5x since it arrived yesterday. We are fans!

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  8. I actually loved Wintering, but I do feel like people have either loved it or hated it. I do think it spoke very specifically to where I was in life at the time and my need to figure out how to find a bit of focus in priorities. It’s funny, - I don’t even remember the part about the park! It might have helped that I really loved May’s interview with Krista Tippett on On Being.
    I’m really looking forward to reading Patchett’s book.

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  9. I very much agree with haven’t separate shelves for children’s books. I have one for books we have as well as a wishlist. It’s definitely helpful when buying new books or trying to find what new books to buy.

    Also, we went back into the office for the first time this week. They’re only requiring two days and weeks, but that means depending on the day you choose the office can be pretty empty so it feels similar to working at home. The main perk for me was getting to have lunch at some of the places I haven’t visited since I’ve been working at home.

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