February in the United States is Black History Month and so this month I’m going to do my best to read as many of the nineteen unread books I own by black authors as possible. It’s also Feminist Lit February, which I’ll have a separate post about later (see ItsJaneLindsey’s videos on YouTube for more if you’re impatient!). I also have a few other books I’m going to be reading as well. I’m going to spotlight five like normal that I’m definitely going to get to.
1. Song of Solomonby Toni Morrison
This is my self-selected book from my 20 in 2018 list I made for myself and I’m very excited to finally read Toni Morrison, especially in February. Here is a condensed blurb from Goodreads:
Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly.As she follows Milkman from his rustbelt city to the place of his family’s origins, Morrison introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized black world.
2. The New Jim Crowby Michelle Alexander
I’ve tried to read this book many times and I always fail because I’m awful at reading non-fiction. BUT I’ve been enjoying it more lately, probably because I’m out of school and my job only kind of utilizes my brain. If you haven’t heard about this book, it’s a brilliant examination of the criminal justice system in the United States and how it basically replaced slavery and Jim Crow. If you’re not good at reading nonfiction, like me, maybe you’re better at documentaries? If so, I highly recommend watching 13th. But I’m trying to make myself read this one this month! It’s happening.
3. Sense and Sensibilityby Jane Austen
This is one of my exceptions to this TBR and it is my re-read selection for the month, which came out of my TBR jar. My excitement level about this choice has been like a roller coaster since I pulled it. I loved re-reading Pride and Prejudice, but Sense and Sensibility seems overwhelming for some reason. I don’t know. I’ll get over it. If you aren’t aware, Sense and Sensibility is about the Dashwood family whose father dies, leaving the estate to the sisters half-brother. Well, the half brother’s wife is, uh, rude to say the least, and they wind up having to move out of their home. This is a love story, of course, and basically, one of the sister’s is sensible and the other one is less so. Also, Alan Rickman plays Colonel Brandon (I think?) in the movie and I wound up shipping him with the sister he doesn’t wind up with and it was TRAGIC. This is not helping make me want to re-read this book, for the record. Anyway, it’s what I pulled from the jar so hopefully I get to it. I mean, I will get to it. Yes.
4. American Panda by Gloria Chao
This is my book of the month pick for my blog and let me just tell you, I am SO EXCITED. I feel like I’ve talked about this book a lot already, but in case you’ve missed it, American Panda is a contemporary YA novel about a Taiwanese American girl whose parents want her to go to med school and marry a good Taiwanese man. The problem is, Mei’s decidedly not cut out for medicine because germs are gross and bio is awful and she likes a boy who is definitely not Taiwanese. I’m genuinely so excited for this book; it’s already pre-ordered! On that note, Gloria Chao is running a pre-order campaign where you get access to a lot of extra content for American Panda and you are entered to win a box of books. So, if you’re interested, go forth!
5. Refugeby Dina Nayeri
This book is the February pick for Storytime with Squibbles and I think I’m going to use my Audible credit to pick it up. It sounds absolutely fascinating and timely so I’m really looking forward to this one! The Goodreads blurb is kind of long so I’m going to provide the last paragraph here: Refuge charts the deeply moving lifetime relationship between a father and a daughter, seen through the prism of global immigration. Beautifully written, full of insight, charm, and humor, the novel subtly exposes the parts of ourselves that get left behind in the wake of diaspora and ultimately asks: Must home always be a physical place, or can we find it in another person?
Alright, y’all, wish me luck! I am trying to have a month where I read all five of these things, why is that so hard for me? What book in February are you most excited for?
xx
firewhiskeyreader 