February Book Reviews (2017):
What did youย read in February? My choices ran the gamutย from fluffy young adult to middle school memoir to informativeย historical. I journeyed from Kennett, Missouriย to the Kingdom of Miamas. As with any trip, some were more enjoyable than others. Each offered something. (In order of how I read them.)
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry
by Fredrik Backman

Oh my goodness. This sweet, magical tale isย about a little girl and her granny, about savoringย fairy tales, protectingย memories, and cherishing relationships. It’s about the importance of dreaming and how grandmothers balanceย everything long after they are gone. The story centersย around seven-year-old Elsa who sets out to deliver a series of apology letters left behind by her deceased granny. The story reminds us that beingย different is the best way to be. Author Fredrik Backman also wrote A Man Called Ove which was one of the most engagingย books I read in 2016. I enjoyed My Grandmotherย just as much but in a completely different way.
This Book Made Me: laugh and cry and dig deep into my own memories. It made me think about family membersย who are no longer here yet still all around.
Favorite Line: โGranny then said the real trick of life was that almost no one is entirely a shit and almost no one is entirely not a shit. The hard part of life is keeping as much on the not-a-shit side as one can.โ
Loner
by Teddy Wayne

Whoa. This book is dark and intriguing, an interesting character study of a brilliant yet socially awkward Harvard freshman who goes after the girl he wants. Nothing is as it seems. Loner reads like a memoir, creeped me out more than a little, yet I could not put it down.
This Book Made Me:ย want to read more by this author and stalkย follow him on Twitter.
Favorite Line: โAll hopes I had of a roommate who would help upgrade me to a higher social stratum snagged on the gleaming barnacles of Steven’s orthodontia.โ
A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip:
A Memoir of Seventh Grade
by Kevin Brockmeier
I jumped right intoย this short memoir by Arkansas author, Kevin Brockmeier and savoredย it like a summer rain. Don’t expect aย thrillingย plot line or story arc, but instead appreciate it for what it isโa year “in the life” sort of poignant narrative about seventh grade, a year filled with pimples and hormones and that’s grippingย enough. Oh, the cringeworthy angst.
This Book Made Me: want to binge watch The Wonder Years.
Favorite Line: โHe feels the way he used to feel passing love notes to girls in elementary school. Do you like me? the notes always read. Check yes or no. But he is older now and his question is older, too, not Do you like me? but Shouldnโt someone?โย
Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens
and Hitler’s Olympics
by Jeremy Schaap

I read Triumphย for book club. The book is well researched and provides not only theย history of the Olympics and WWII before America’s involvement, but it also paints an accurateย portrait of racial prejudice and civil rights in Germany and the United States. Jesse Owens was theย fastest man in America yet heย was still considered inferior because of his race. I believe this shouldย be requiredย reading in schools but it’s probably on the banned list.
This Book Made Me:ย wonder what sort of records Owens would have broken if he’d had today’s training and equipment.
Favorite Line: โAlthough I wasnโt invited to shake hands with Hitler, I wasnโt invited to the White House to shake hands with the President either.โ
The Underground Railroad
by Colson Whitehead

In the beginning, I loved this book. Brilliant, I said. Word choices, absolutely spot-on. I imagine the description of slave life to be extremely realistic. BUT THEN. Why oh why oh why did the author take such liberties with history? For example, the Underground Railroad was described as an actual subterranean railroad. The book, classified asย historical fiction on Amazon, read as such until the “railroad” took on characteristics similar to the Night Bus in J. K. Rowling’sย world. By the time this happened, I had becomeย completely mesmerized by the story and main characters, Cora and Caesar. So I felt like a rug had been pulled from beneath me. Wasn’t the true history of the underground railroad compellingย enough without making it fantastical? This and other historical inaccuracies could be extremely confusing to someone who doesn’t know American history. At one point, it made me question my own.
This Book Made Me: confused.
Favorite Line: โThe only way to know how long you are lost in the darkness is to be saved from it.โ
Flower
by Elizabeth Craft
and Shea Olson

After reading back-to-back books involving serious topics, I decided something fluffy was in order. So I listened to Flower, which I chose because I like author Elizabeth Craft who co-hosts the Happier podcast with Gretchen Rubin. Although young adult is not my typical genre, I read a few each year because a) I was once one, b) I like variety, c) I wantย to know what’s being published and what popular looks like, and d) it helps keeps me young.โบย Bottomline,ย I’m not young. I think my niece and all her friends would enjoyย this book. It’s a modern day sort of Cinderella story and certainly served to cleanse my paletteย fromย the atrocities of Hitler’s Olympics and slavery. And I enjoyed the first partย of the story, but by the end I discovered I didn’t much care about either of the main characters even though the male character’s name was Tate. “Strong female turns weak over cute guy.” Um, no thank you. I’ll stick with the podcast.
This Book Made Me: want to each lime sherbet.
Favorite Line: โIf I don’t know the worst thing about you, how can I ever really care about you?โ
Maude
by Donna Foley Mabry
This story spans the entire life of a lady named Maudeย (as told by her granddaughter) from the early 1900sย to the late 1960s. The writing is plainspoken and the story progresses in narrative style, nothing fancy, and often more “tell” than “show”. Even so, it felt real and I connected to the character as though Maude might have been one of my aunts or grandmother. This book was part history lesson, too, as Maude lived through the Great Influenza, The Great Depression, both world wars, and the birth of five children with little to no assistance and zero pain meds. When women’s suffrage passed, Maudeย proudly dressed in her Sunday best and castย her vote among disapproving men.ย Author friends take note: this book, which was #1 on the Amazon best seller list for weeks as well as the WSJ Top Ten list, was published via CreateSpace.
This Book Made Me: think about how fortunate I am to be a womanย today, and it made me sad when it ended because Maude had become a companion to me.
Favorite Line: โWell, I guess thereโs say-so Christians, and thereโs real Christians.โ
That’s a wrap forย February reads.ย What should I add to my March list?
Happy Reading and Happy March!
[tweetthis]My Februaryย Reads @Donnama12ย @TeddyWayne1999 @simonschuster #bookreview #read [/tweetthis]
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Musical Pairing:
Go Home, Julien Baker
We are attending a Steinbeck event, so I gorged on Steinbeck!
A Steinbeck event sounds interesting! I think you would enjoy Maude because I know how you love history.
Wonderful reviews, Talya. And you must be a fast reader!
Thank you, Dot. Some of these I listened to as I traveled and while I walked the dogs.
The first one on your list has been on mine since I read A Man Called Ove by the same author. I just haven’t gotten around to ordering it yet. I’m doing that today. Some the others are going on my list, too. Thanks. Good reviews.
You will love it!