Hey everyone! Last month I posted my December Reading List. I managed (kind of) to tackle all of the books, which was so gratifying. If you haven’t seen last month’s reading list, check it out here.
I came up with the idea while writing my reading list to post an update when I finally finished all of the books, and here we are. Keep reading for my opinion on the books I read last month!
Whiskey Words & A Shovel. This is my first time reading anything by R.H. Sin and I didn’t do any research before grabbing this off the self. After reading it, I have come to realize that you have to be at a certain place in your life to get much from this book– whatever place that might be, I’m not there right now. Overall I found the poetry to be beautiful, but not very uplifting or empowering. It might be a good read for some people, but it isn’t quite my taste.
Milk and Honey. Rupi Kaur’s debut book was touching. I read the copy with a new foreword by Kaur, in which she explained the reasoning behind her writing techniques. To be honest, the foreword was my favorite part of this book– the rest is phenomenal, don’t get me wrong, but there was something about it that really resonated with me. I admire the strong voice Kaur has for women everywhere and how she handles heavy and heartbreaking topics with grace. Some of my favorite poems are on pages 11, 14, 30, 100, and 191. I definitely recommend this book.
The Sun and Her Flowers. Also by Rupi Kaur, and also incredible. I really like how this book tells a story of growth, strength, and resilience. As a young woman, I was able to relate to the poems and felt a strong sense of solidarity with Kaur and women everywhere. Some of my favorite poems are on pages 22, 82, 90, 130, and 231. I recommend this book as well.
Necessary Errors. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t do it for me. I was disappointed because the plot seemed so interesting– a young expat in 1990s Czech, coming to terms with his sexuality and his place in the world. I read the first 50 pages and found myself having to go back and reread every page because it was so wordy that I had trouble following it. Caleb Crain’s vocabulary choice was far too complex for me to ever enjoy reading it. Reading isn’t pleasurable when the book gives you a headache. I get that enough in school, thanks. I would not recommend this book to anybody.
Black Ice. Becca Fitzgerald sure knows how to keep you turning pages. This book is thrilling, with unexpected twists and heart-pounding suspense. What I didn’t like was the main character’s dependence on men and her ‘damsel-in-distress’ personality. Fitzgerald did not give her one moment of strength by or for herself– she was either rescuing a man or letting a man rescue her. This might not be a big deal for some people, but it didn’t sit right with me. Overall, I do recommend this book. It’s definitely a beach read; something to entertain you but it won’t change your life.
Leaving Time. This was probably my favorite book out of all of them! The way the story unfolds is riveting and the ending is unbelievable. I love the metaphors and analogies– how Picoult relates the characters’ personalities and life histories to the academic research of elephant behavior. If you’re only going to read one of the books on this list, it should be this one. I highly recommend.
I hope you all found this article interesting and helpful. I would love to hear your book recommendations and your thoughts on these books if you’ve read them! We love hearing from our readers. Reach out to us at info@twowildtides.com, @twowildtides on social media, or in the comments below.
Happy Reading!
char
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