This month started with lofty aspirations of reading countless of books while sitting by the fireplace on cold snowy days. In reality it has been a month of long work days, millions of errands, and very few moments to read. In addition, it has been 60 degrees and sunny in Nebraska, so my wishes for snow have gone unheard by Mother Nature.
While I had hoped to update you with reviews of everything I have finished this month, I am here to acknowledge that I have started 3 books and finished none. However, I feel that it is important to recognize that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, life gets in the way. That is why it is important to acknowledge the incremental progress that was accomplished.
This month I started reading Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by John Lewis with Michael D'Orso. This is an amazing story about the life of the late Civil Rights leader and Congressman, John Lewis. While the story is a memoire of the fight for civil rights in America, the story starts out by introducing us to John Lewis and his incredible story of growing up in the deep south. I am only 20% through the book, but so far it has been amazing. The storytelling is extremely engaging and the content encourages us to reflect on our own upbringing and grapple with our own privilege. As soon, as I complete reading this novel I will certainly provide a full review.
The next title that I am tackling this month is Ordinary Girls: A Memoir by Jaquira DÃaz. This is an amazing memoir by a latxn author who also happens to be a UCF grad (GO KNIGHTS). The story chronicles her upbringing and follows her life from her time in Puerto Rico to her transition to the United States. This memoir is compelling, heartbreaking, exhilarating, and extremely powerful. In her writing she tackles difficult subjects such as poverty, racism, drugs, violence, sexuality, mental health, and domestic violence. While I am only a quarter of the way through this novel, I can already say this book will be one of my favorite works this year.
The last novel that I have attempted this month is Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This month, I made an effort to read more books by BIPOC authors and to read more non-fiction works. The one fiction novel on this list is this masterpiece of gothic horror and suspense set in Mexico. For this novel, I am trying something a little different. My husband and I have decided to read this novel together and so we take turns every night reading to each other so we can embark on this adventure together. So far we are loving this story and every chapter keeps us hooked and longing for more. The writing is suspenseful, compelling, and fills you with a sense of dread and anxiety that is perfect for horror novels. While we are only 40% of the way through the book, we can't wait to finish this novel.
And there you have it folks, a brief review of the books that are currently keeping me company while I spend the holidays longing for home, but staying put in Nebraska to help prevent the spread of Covid. I will definitely come back with a full review once I finish these amazing novels.