Living History While Reading Black History

February of 2022 marked the 2-year point for our family living in some degree of restriction in Hong Kong due to COVID. It also marked the true onslaught of the Omicron variant wreaking havoc on Hong Kong and effectively forcing our family to make the decision to move away from what is arguably our favorite city. Schools are closed, offices are encouraging people to stay home, and nobody ever leaves our apartment. We are living history. I also made a vow to invest my time reading Black History, BIPOC, and feminist authors, and works that would continue to expose me to stories, histories, and facts that I was previously unexposed to. This made for some heavy nights, emotional and difficult dreams, and complicated feelings when faced with my role in dismantling a system that fundamentally benefits me because of my race but nothing else.

Not to say I only read Nonfiction. In fact, I mostly read Fiction. And I really enjoyed it. I also read one book written by a white man (chosen for my book club) and a lovely picture book/book of poetry that was given to me by my husband for Christmas....just for a break between heavy emotional works. If you're so inclined add some of these to your TBR! Because some of the books were long, I happened to read 4 and listen to 3 on audio. I blame the short month for the fact that I didn't finish my TBR until March. One more amazing piece of Black History is to be reviewed next month! In order chronologically by read-date, My February reads follow. For full reviews, click on the photos.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019

by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward