If I had to think about the things that have kept me together over this near year of pandemic living, I’d have to say books and exercise. Both activities allow me to escape for a brief time. We all could use a little break these days, right? I’ve upped my workouts to six times a week and have a whole schedule I follow to keep me on track. I’ve been consistent with exercise for a while, I just can’t remember when I’ve been so organized with it.
As for the books, I tend to read a lot anyway, but I’ve been really making more space for that. Getting lost in a story is the perfect antedote to what’s outside and what’s on the news. I’ve been taking many breaks from the news and TV in general and just diving into a book. In January, I managed to squeeze in seven books. It seems like it’s a pattern for me, these last few years, to really deep dive into books in January.
What I read in January:
Such a Fun Age – I had no idea what to expect with this book. As I read, it took some turns that I just did not expect. Even up until the end. There are a some interesting themes explored here. I rooted for the main character, sometimes, more than she did for herself.
Blacker the Berry – Fascinating book written in the 1920’s. It explores colorism and had me equal parts angry and sad. I kept wanting to will the main character in a whole different direction. She, in turn, always did the opposite.
The Wedding Party – This was a love story that was a nice break from some of the stuff I’d been reading. You know where the story is going but it’s fun getting there.
Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents – So many people talked about this book in relation to what is going on in the country right now. In so many surprising ways, they were right. The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Talents, hit on some current themes. The kicker is the books were written in the 90s. I was disappointed that this trilogy was never finished since author, Octavia Butler, unexpectedly passed away while writing it.
Girl Gurl Grrrl – Re-lat-able. The author talks about her life as an expat in London. As a Black woman from Virginia, in some ways she’s escaped the overt racism in this country. But she makes it clear that The UK and the US are two sides of the same coin. Still, things seem to be far worse in the US and she makes no apologies for choosing to raise her children there instead of here. Even with the racism there, at least the police don’t carry guns. Significantly decreasing the chances that someone she loves would be murdered by the police.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown – I wasn’t sure, at first, where this book was going. Does she like him? Is she even into guys? It was all debatable at first. This was a fun and sexy read with some characters I knew from a previous book, Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I’ll be picking up the third in the series, Act Your Age, Eve Brown.
The Favorite
If I’m choosing a favorite, it would have to be Such a Fun Age. I liked that I didn’t know where the story was taking me. It was a bit of a ride and I wasn’t sad or angry by the end. The main character described in the story how I feel about the book. She was talking about an incident and she said that it could be enjoyed because even though there was racism, no one died and no one got hurt. These days, that’s a relief. Things happen everyday but if we can make it through mainly unscathed, that’s a win. So exercise and books are my getaway from it all tools. What’s helping you escape?
