In 2021 I am attempting to read 65 books. It’s my loftiest goal yet and while I am happy to report I am on track, I am wary that this goal may sometimes feel like work and that’s not okay. So, I am publicly announcing that even if I don’t hit 65 books, that’s okay. Because the real goal is to feed my soul through one of my favorite activities, reading. This year is also a little different because my husband is joining me! His goal is different because he’s not a reader but we’re both pushing ourselves to grow in 2021 and so he’s aiming to read 12 books in addition to his constant re-reading (listening) of Harry Potter on audio while he works. Here are my February reads.

Persuasion by Jane Austen
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Fiction, Classic
Review: I started the month with a re-read of my girl, Jane. And let me tell you, this book hits different at 29 than it did at like 25 when I read it last. Officially, I think, Persuasion might be Austen’s most romantic novel. And I realize that perhaps I’m biased because I can relate to unrequited love and patience and waiting but there is something about love deferred that is so romantic. Plus Jane is wise and witty and this line, “when the pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.” is excellent and I’ve been dwelling on it since and thinking about how pain often coincides with growth and how Anne and Captain Wentworth went through so much growth through their pain and how, sure it could have worked if they had gotten together initially, but there somehow is more beauty in their relationship because of the wait.

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Review: I wanted to like this book because I enjoy Moyes but I couldn’t do it. Partially, because I just can’t root for adultery. Sorry. It’s a trigger and also not cool. Even if it’s “true love” which I disagree with so there’s also that. I’m not convinced of soul mates and I think justifying adultery due to soul mates is lame. So there you have it. It was well written but I didn’t like the plot.

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Non-Fiction, True Crime
Review: This book was so interesting and addicting. For someone who listens to crime podcasts a lot, shockingly, I wasn’t super familiar with much of Ted Bundy’s story. Hearing it from someone who knew him personally added so much. Some people say that she was too generous in her book toward Bundy but considering she was his friend, and a close one, I think it was appropriate. I think if we all put ourselves in her shoes and had to come to grips that one of our close friends was a serial killer, it would be incredibly difficult for us. But if you’re interested in an in-depth dive into Bundy’s story, Rule does a great job and after “reading” this, I talked to my mom since she fit his profile and was in his kill zone during the time he was active. Which was wild to consider, that if Bundy had chosen Wyoming instead of Utah or Colorado, would I cease to be a human? Would my mom have been a victim? If you like true crime and don’t want super gruesome details, this a great book.

The Good of Giving Up by Aaron Daimiani
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Non-Fiction, Religion
Review: This book was recommended, I think from a Think Theology writer and since that’s a resource I trust, I thought I would give this book a chance since I’m trying to understand liturgy. I read this book in eight hours, that’s how good it was. As someone who does not come from high church, this book was thorough in its explanation and had some excellent takeaways about the purpose of Lent. His overarching point was that Lent is about humility and letting go of our self-sufficiency. ”Yes, we need encouragement, love, and empathy our whole lives. Most people don’t get enough of that. But we don’t need to be the epicenter of reality, worshipping ourselves and demanding others to join in. That will only make us self-involved. We will be ill-equipped to suffer well, to grow from negative feedback, and to put others ahead of ourselves. That is no way to live.” Challenging and encouraging all at once.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Review: There is a reason this book won so many awards. Her insightfulness into race in the West, especially America is brilliant. While I enjoy a good love story, again, I can’t with people cheating on their spouses. I am thankful for the ways that this challenged me and show me racism in my own life. I would 10/10 recommend this book though, even if it does contain adultery. Because the realities it shows are worth it. It will make you cry probably and show you privilege but that is important.

How to Fight Racism by Jemar Tisby
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Non-Fiction, Religion
Review: This book was incredibly helpful, practical and full of grace and truth. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything but the general approach of awareness, relationships and comment as a way to fight racism was an incredibly helpful model. I think in a world full of people terrified of CRT, Tisby does a good job explaining racism in a way that honors humanity. “Hope is not blind optimism it is a realistic assessment of current conditions with faith that tomorrow can be different.”

Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery
Rating: 2.5/5
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Review: I read this one as a backlist read of one of my favorite authors and while I love L.M., I didn’t love this book. The plot was rather vapid and a little problematic. There were a few good lines though and I’ll never say Montgomery isn’t an excellent author because the Anne books are still fantastic. “Our ideals are always beautiful, whether they so translate themselves into reality or not.”

Adrian is still working on his current read but we’ll add that review to March’s roundup! As of right now I’ve read 12/65 which is 2 books ahead of my goal and is so encouraging! Right now I’m reading some really good books that I’ve been meaning to read for a while!