Dry January Equals Lots of Reading!
For the past few years, after overindulging during the holidays, I've opted in to the Dry January craze. Foregoing alcohol for the month with the idea that re-setting my habits without leaning on alcohol to relax, or escape will allow me to start out the year with new clarity. I'm not sure it works, but it does make me feel better about my likelihood of becoming an alcoholic. Anyway-it also means that I go to bed every single night with a clear head and it allows me to read more than if I had a couple of glasses of wine and nod off mid-chapter. In 2022, my Dry January resulted in one of my most prolific months of reading since I started keeping track. I've got 9 books reviewed for you, and I'm pleased to share links to my reviews below. I should also forewarn you that I started out this year with a BANG. Some seriously great writing and phenomenal books! In order of dates finished, here we go! Click on the image to read my original Goodreads Reviews.
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
****
fiction, historical fiction, female authors
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
****
fiction, contemporary fiction, BIPOC authors, female authors
The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois by Honoree Fanone Jeffers
*****
fiction, historical fiction, BIPOC authors, female authors, Feminism, likely top 10
Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
****1/2
fiction, magical realism, prose, BIPOC authors, female authors
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
***1/2
Fiction, Science Fiction
Letters to a Young Poet by Ranier Maria Rilke
****
Nonfiction, Works in Translation
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
***1/2
Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir
A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age With Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley
***1/2
Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Allison Bechdel
****
Nonfiction, Memoir Graphic Novel, Female Authors, LGBTQ