I don't know whether to say "Whoops" or "Wow!" this month. I read almost none of the intended books and opted instead for titles that became available from my library holds list.
Here are my reviews and warnings for the books I read in February. My rating scale is not at all nuanced: numbers are assigned after mushing up several factors in my brain space and then pitting the book against other books that I've read. The takeaway is something like this:
1/5 I really disliked this book.
2/5 I did not like this book.
3/5 I liked this book.
4/5 I really liked this book.
5/5 I loved this book.
Story Spotlight: Too many words about a book that stuck with me this month.
This memoir is the story of a fracturing crisis in the author's life, when his wife confessed to having a long-term affair. It's a horrific play-by-play of all too relatable marital matters morphing into everyone's worst nightmare. It's an incredibly raw and honest look into the process of moving forward. It's also an examination of the ways humans behave when there is a moral failure in their circle.
I am grateful that this story allowed me to walk through the whole thing and consider a perspective that is so far from my natural bend. Harrison Scott Key reminded me a lot of my husband, which somehow caused his agony to be quite painful for me to listen to. I was enraged and my sense of justice was pricked again and again, but the problem he points out is this: the one incident isn't the only story. There's more to consider. And I'm grateful that this book forced me to consider. I'll admit that I cried several times, at one point pausing it and throwing off my headphones. Then I sat at my kitchen island for ten minutes, fighting the author in my mind with tears streaming down. To say it hit a nerve is an understatement. Despite all that I still recommend listening to the author's narration if you can. Hearing his story in his voice was powerful.
I think the humor is what makes this book possible. At points when the story peaks with unspeakable pain, Key's dark humor comes to the rescue. He gives the reader permission to laugh at the absurdities and ironies of life, irrespective of circumstance. Humor helps us face the hard stuff.
The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel
Content warnings and a hopefully gentle criticism: This book has some tough stuff. Real life-gone-off-the-rails stuff. Loads of language, details of marital intimacy though not any sex scenes, and I can't remember what else. The author is a professing Christian but does not filter or shield the reader from his darkest thoughts, many of which point fingers at the church. Many Christians won't like his decision to make those thoughts public, but I think it's good for all of us to consider why we do what we do: how much of it is Biblical and how much of it is church culture that we are accepting as canon.
While I appreciated Key's refusal to fake anything, I think a few of his personal thoughts could have (should have?) been left out to avoid encouraging others to indulge in wrong thinking if they find themselves in a similarly tough spot. If you read the book, you'll understand what I mean. If you don't, then you don't need to know what I mean. One part in particular troubled me, though I do think he was just trying to be honest about all the things that can happen over the course of a long-haul crisis.
If you are interested in people--in thinking about how our hearts work and how God helps us out of the unspeakable avenues of sin and suffering--then this is one of the best I can think of. I do not think this book is for everyone, but Jeff and I plan to listen to it together soon.
My rating: 5/5
The Personal Librarian: This was the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club pick for February.
A fictionalized imagining of J.P. Morgan's real-life personal librarian, Belle de Costa Greene. Born a fair-skinned black woman named Belle Marion Greener, she changed her name after moving from Washington, D.C. to New York City, and was able to pass as white. For many years she worked with J.P. Morgan to create one of the most prolific and unique libraries of the time. She was the standout female in the very male world of rare book buying.
The real Belle da Costa Green
I love to learn about the facts in fictionalized stories, to find out which parts were real and which were put there to fill out the unknowns. I was sad to read that the darkest portions of this story are true. While it's true that Belle's tenacity and strength were admirable and helped her to achieve all that she did, her own moral compass unfortunately led her to shipwreck her personal life. The way the story reads, there was a gradual decline in her morality and at some point she seems to have thrown caution to the wind and decided to live giving full-vent to her spirit. I felt a little sick reading the second half of the book. I was cheering her on and then the floor fell out. Well written and a very interesting story, but it left me feeling gross.
Content warning: I believe there were two instances of sexual content. I can't speak to the degree because I skipped over.
My rating: 2/5
The Midnight Library: This was my third read-through of the 2020 bestseller and the first book choice for our book club. Initially I loved this book because it breathed life into me. After reading it, I felt a strong desire to plan adventures, to love on people, to feel the sun on my skin, and to lean in to the many joys of this life. It also grew my compassion for the lost and lonely in the world.
This time through I was most reminded to not isolate, to live for others, and to not waste time on regret. The story also points me to focus on making life everything that it can be--being is a gift!
As with any story, not everyone loves this book. Many find it depressing and hopeless from a Christian worldview. Reading "The Midnight Library" had the complete opposite effect on me. After reading it the first time, I was practically running and leaping and praising God, so incredibly grateful for the life He has given and continues to give. I cannot believe my good fortune, and something about this story ignites a fire inside me to live fully.
Content warnings: Suicide, language, and one minor sex scene. I hit the "skip 15 seconds ahead" button once I realized where things were headed and it was over.
My rating: 5/5
Yellowface: An hour into this book I thought, "What on earth is happening?" I put the book down and turned off my bedside lamp, but couldn't shut my mind off so I roped Jeff into things. When I told him about the beginning of this story, he laughed heartily. "What the heck?" he said. "I know!" said I. And so began my experience reading "Yellowface."
The premise of the story is this: June and Athena are writers and frenemies who experience different levels of success in their careers. Athena dies in a truly freakish accident ("What the heck?!") then June steals Athena's masterpiece manuscript and passes it off as her own work. The rest of the story tells what follows from the perspective of the thief! It's clear right out of the gate that June is not going to be a reliable narrator, but I was gripped and eager to hear what her justifications could possibly be. I think Kuang did a great job of digging deep and making that perspective plausible.
Kuang's writing is fantastic. I had to know more about the person who thought up this story, so I read a few articles about her and watched an interview. This was a doozy of a book but I can't say that I altogether enjoyed my experience following along with June, who seemed to be working hard to win the award for "Ultimate Unlikeable Character."
What I did enjoy is getting a peek into the world of publishing. One point of interest is the explanation that bestsellers are not really decided on by the public, but are instead hand-picked by a handful of higher-ups and then pushed on us in a flashy and saturating campaign that we apparently can't resist.
Content warnings: Death, lots of language, some violence. There are over-arching questions of moral murkiness (from a worldly perspective) as well as cultural appropriation, but I wouldn't say that agenda is being pushed on the reader. More like it's there because that's what would actually happen if this scenario were real.
My rating: 3/5 but the author's writing skill gets a 5/5
This is the sequel to 2022's "The Maid," which I listened to while gardening last summer. I loved the first book and liked the second. As in the first, it's a mystery centered around Molly Gray, a neurodivergent maid whose unique perspective helps to solve a murder. This one was less interesting to me personally, with twists becoming fairly obvious as they approached, and the overall story being less complex. I enjoy Molly Gray as a character and loved the narration from Lauren Ambrose, but the story fell a bit flat for me.
My rating: 3/5
Worthy of a mention:
The Covenant of Water: So...I quit this one. But only for now! Three things made it a "fantastic book but wrong time" situation for me.
1. It is a very long book (audiobook is 30 hours long) and I have a hard time investing in books of this length. Fall is usually the best time for me to delve into a saga. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately...I dunno), I've been feeling more upbeat and happy stories as spring approaches.
2. Narrated by the author and taking place mostly in India, there are heavy accents that make it sometimes difficult to understand what the characters are saying. If I want to know what they said, I have to stop, remove my dish or gardening gloves, rewind it, and play again. That gets annoying the 5th or 6th time you do it.
3. The second section of the book centers around a physician plus the book is written by a physician. What that means is a lot lot lot of gory, gross medical talk that I can't listen to while I eat lunch. That's something I have to work around and, for me, fall is a better fit for my daily routines. I plan to come back to this one after the garden is put to bed in October!
Bible Reading:
I finished Leviticus and Numbers this month. The schedule I'm reading from has me doing about 3 chapters a day, which is a good enough chunk to make me feel like I'm getting into things, but not so much that a busy day can make it feel rushed. I also did a few topical studies that pertained to some things our family have been discussing. During our family reading, we're in the gospel of John.
Tomorrow I'll look at my TBR and decide on some books to read for March!
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