reading recap - JAN thru MAR 2021
In the first quarter of 2021, I read 16 books and I wanted to tell y’all about them!
I know people are always looking for reading recommendations and I LOVE to give them! I also just love talking about books. Reading can be such a solitary habit but if you’re like me, you want to talk to someone about what you are currently reading.
For a little background, my favorite genres are memoirs and thrillers. I enjoy getting lost in dark and twisty reads but also like a positive personal development book. My memoir reads this year spanned from heart-wrenching childhood memories to workaholism to race and sexuality conversations to Instagram influencers… so, it’s a pretty wide variety!
Listen to the BONUS podcast episode doing teeny tiny recaps of all these in audio!
In An Instant - Suzanne Redfearn
This adventurous thriller was a great start to the year! This book covers a family vacation in the mountains that goes wrong, very wrong. You really get a deep look into these characters and their emotions from a young woman’s out of body experience. The book starts out very exhilarating and then dives deeper into thoughts and emotions as the story continues.
I have been wanting to read this one for such a long time. I feel like it is one of those books that everyone who is a “reader” knows and can discuss. (that might just be in my head) I’ve seen bits and pieces of the movie and knew the premise but this book was a mindbender. It was written extremely chaotically, it was hard to follow, and it was depressing… but that is the point. I don’t read satire but I am glad that I read this and had some deep thoughts on it.
I’ve read a book from this author before and The Last Sister was better than this one. This thriller is based in Portland, OR around a mass shooting geared towards law enforcement. It moved pretty slowly but it felt very real because very often these crimes take longer than we would initially think to solve. I enjoyed that it was based in the Pacific Northwest and once again, the end got all the action.
This popular memoir had been recommended to me so many times and I finally got to it! Another thing I love reading about is cults and the FLDS is my favorite one to read about. Tara’s family was somewhat similar to the FLDS cult but they were not polygamous and they were in rural Idaho. Her story is very interesting and, at moments, traumatic. As the title suggests, you may end up appreciating education much more after reading this book.
Girl With No Job - Claudia Oshry
This was a fun read from Instagram influencer and podcast host, Claudia Oshry. I listen to her podcast, The Morning Toast and I was excited to read her memoir. I was a little skeptical though…What does an influencer have to write about? Does everyone really need a memoir? It was much deeper than one would initially think with stories from childhood and thoughts on sisterhood, the process of grieving a parent, and being CANCELLED. The thoughts on ‘cancel culture’ from someone who has been on the receiving end was interesting and I was entertained throughout the read.
Hush Little Baby - Suzanne Redfearn
I LOVED THIS THRILLER. For whatever reason, I really enjoy books with characters on the run. This mother takes her children and drives and drives to survive. Very early on in this book, you set your allegiances with the main character and HATE her enemy; you will find yourself rooting for her through the whole story.
Boss Up - Lindsay Teague Moreno
I wanted to read this one quite a while ago because the cover was so fun and bright and that is what I heard about the author’s personality as well. It was a typical ‘business guru’ book but it was actually much more hands-on than I initially expected. Lindsay added a lot of questions to think on and clarify for you to feel better about making your next action steps in your business. While Lindsay kind of disguises that she rose to her business fame through an MLM (Young Living) I think she still has some good tips and stories for those looking at starting a business, especially those with a physical product.
I Can’t Date Jesus - Michael Arceneaux
This memoir is written by a gay Black man from Texas, which is a completely different perspective from my own. I heard him on The Stacks podcast and wanted to read his book and know even more about him and his life. This book covers a variety of stories, mostly related to Michael’s dating life and his writing career. I kind of thought of it like a very different version of Sex and the City - Michael is more enjoyable than Carrie Bradshaw.
Jesmyn wrote this memoir-style book about five men in her life who had died. Her stories of childhood growing up in small town Mississippi were thought provoking and emotional. I loved Jesmyn and her brother and their friends. The way she writes really connects you to the people in her life and when they die and mourn, you mourn. I learned a lot more about a culture in the South that I have never experienced and I definitely recommend this book.
I think this is my new favorite memoir! (it might be tied with Rabbit by Ms. Pat) That says A LOT since I have probably read about a hundred memoirs or more in the past 10 years. I loved reading about the life of a chef. The conversation about workaholism and creativity was unlike any other perspective I have ever read. As someone who relates to workaholism, I never felt that I have seen it put in words in a way that was so similar to my thoughts. I also love food and food tv shows and celebrity chegs so this was an extra great read for me!
Gregg is one of my favorite authors so I was excited to read another one of his books based in the Pacific Northwest. This was was pretty long but there are some really exciting moments. It is another book that moves between different time periods - the time of the crime and now. The most annoying thing about this book is that it isn’t a true story because this book is written as though it is a true story. I looked it up multiple times trying to figure out if it was real!
This Is Where It Ends - Marieke Nijkamp
*content warning - school shooting
I told you I read dark books. This was an intense, quick read written from the perspective of multiple high schoolers during a school shooting. It is written in small chunks of time. I hate that this topic is a reality but I will say, this book was one that I ate up. If you like the really intense page turners, this one is for you.
Notes From A Young Black Chef - Kwame Onwuachi
After reading Eat a Peach, I wanted to read more chef memoirs. This one stood out to me because Top Chef is one of my favorite tv shows and Kwame was a contestant. From drug dealing to fine dining, I loved learning about Kwame’s journey. Once again, chefs are some of the hardest working people in the world and they provide such a unique perspective with their dedication, creativity, and combination of humility and ego.
This book was a thriller that was written from multiple perspectives over a large span of time. It was quite enjoyable except when it would switch to a new perspective or time RIGHT WHEN WE WERE GETTING TO THE GOOD STUFF. Thriller readers, you know how it is. Not the craziest thriller I’ve ever read but still a great read with a lot of drama!
My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell
*content warning - sexual abuse, grooming
This book was my favorite of the quarter! (feels weird to put that after a content warning but, it is true) It is an addictive read written from the perspective of a young girl who was groomed by a teacher and how that relationship impacted her life for years to come. The writing style of this author was amazing and kept me up all night reading! I really felt like I was in Vanessa’s head and could almost understand her thoughts and decision processes even though they seem extremely wrong from an outside perspective.
Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered - Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
The hosts of the uber popular podcast, My Favorite Murder, wrote a memoir/advice book! This is a great vacation read. It was easy and entertaining and filled with coming of age stories and not murders or crimes. You don’t even need to be a murderino (MFM podcast listener) to enjoy this one!
What are your thoughts on these books? Comment below!
Any books you think I need to read?? Comment that below too!!