February 2021 Reads

What I read in February. Would love to hear about the books that captivated your attention despite the pandemic fog!

Though beautifully written, something about Emma Straub's "All Adults Here" kind of nagged at me. Some of the characters just kind of infuriated me and I was like, yo privileged people, get your shit together! But it got better as the characters slowly got their shit together, there was one true-struggle character for whom I was rooting, and really, the beautiful prose was what kept me in the book until the finish.

Reading "Ask Again, Yes" by Mary Beth Keane made clearer why I was bugged out reading "All Adults Here." Kean's writing is similarly beautiful to Straub but in this book there is real, immensely painful struggle to be wrestled with. I was so captivated by these characters and desperately wanted them to find light and relief despite knowing well that life doesn't tie everything off perfectly

Whoo boy "Fifty Words for Rain" by Asha Lemmie was a doozy. Set in Japan (mostly) this was a beautifully written, painful story of family duty, belonging, strength, and impossible choices. There were definitely a couple of plot elements that I didn't see coming as I was reading.

About halfway through "American Dirt" (which I had heard about from several friends last year) by Jeanine Cummins, I had a moment where I was like, huh, I'm curious to look up the author because I was tearing through this gut wrenching story centered on the Mexican immigrant experience and was like, "Is this author Mexican?" WOW, can of controversial worms opened. I do not have the experience to say how on or off track Cummins' portrayal is, but I will say that I was gripped by this story from start to finish and praying mightily for Lydia and Luca to make it to the other side.