Show Us Your Books, January 2021

Well, friends, here we are at the start of a new year. Where everything is fresh and we have a clean slate and optimism is high except instead of all that, now we’re living in the shadow of a fucking coup attempt by lunatic white supremacists stoked by the words of a fucking narcissistic madman.

Let me be clear: if you are in any way, shape, or form OK with what happened at the Capitol last week and can defend it by saying “they’re just upset”, I don’t want to hear it. Not only do I not agree with you, but you’re also wrong. Being upset that your preferred candidate lost an election is not an excuse or justification to rain down terror, chaos, and murder in the halls of the U.S government. Or plant bombs. Or call for the hanging of the vice president simply because he was intending to do what the president chooses not to: uphold the Constitution and do his job.

Now, I am fine with the fact that there were protests. I don’t agree with why they were protesting, but that’s as much my right as it is theirs to protest. But it crossed a big fat line. If people with black or brown skin tried to do that…well, we all know how that would turn out. Because they’ve tried to exercise that same right to protest and were met not with handholding down some stairs or a wide berth to cross a threshold but with tear gas and rubber bullets and fire hoses. And all they wanted was something far simpler than the overturning of a legitimate election.

So don’t tell me it’s the same. And don’t tell me we don’t live in two Americas.

Oh, and also? These motherfuckers made me feel bad for Mike Pence and agree with Mitch McConnell, so they can go double fuck themselves.

/rant (which could actually be much longer but I don’t have much left to say that hasn’t already been said and said better than I can say it).

I had initially decided it didn’t feel right to write about books in the wake of what happened, and I wanted to share a list of books that might help to explain how there’s two Americas but when I started going through what I read last month, I realized that most of those books, most of them fiction, actually do a good job of that. So, this post is what it’s intended to be: just a review of what I read last month.

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. This is the sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which I loved so much I bought this one from some Amazon UK seller because I didn’t want to wait for it to be released in the US. Anyway, it was great. Not quite as good as the first one, and she’s definitely setting this up for a series, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable, well done YA thriller.

This is All I Got by Lauren Sandler. This is nonfiction, and it focuses on a young homeless mother’s quest to find housing in New York City. It is an eye-opening read, even if you’re familiar with a lot of the challenges faced by homeless mothers. It’s incredibly well-written and while the subject of the book, Camila, isn’t entirely sympathetic, she’s determined and strong and it makes the book that much more compelling.

The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz. Some random lady on Twitter recommended this book to me and I’m so glad she did. I loved it so much, it was one of my favorites of 2020. I don’t want to say too much about it but if you’re a fan of books like The Mothers, An American Marriage, or Mrs. Everything, I think you’ll like this one a lot. It’s not a perfect book, and parts will make you angry or sad or even puzzled, but it’s worth reading.

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel. This is a HARD book to read. It’s almost as depressing as The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, filled with grief and loss and tragedy on a grand scale. There’s also abuse (sexual, physical, and animal) as well as suicide and overt racism, so if you’re triggered by those, I’d refrain from reading this book. But if you can deal with those subjects, this book is excellent.

Midnight Atlanta (Darktown #3) by Thomas Mullen. Like all the Darktown series, this one is a thriller set in 1950s Atlanta and highlights the rampant racism the officers (and now reporters because one of the cops from the other two books is now a reporter) face. The whole series is outstanding, this book is great, and I can’t wait for book 4, whenever that comes out.

Earthings by Sayake Murata. I liked Convenience Store Woman enough to read this one, but it is one of the fucking weirdest books I’ve ever read. It started off strong but then it went off the rails into really fucking gross. I think there’s some fairy tale elements going on but I’m not sure I got it. I was too disgusted. Some of the themes the book tackled, like motherhood, are interesting, though. If this glowing review entices you to read it, note that it does deal with sexual and physical abuse and there’s also some incest going on.

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour. OMG, did I love this book. It’s satire on some level (if you know who Gary Vee is, you’ll definitely appreciate one of the characters) but it’s also a commentary on race, workplace culture, family, and relationships. It’s so well done and well written and I got it from NetGalley but I didn’t finish it before it was published.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey. I learned about this book from a few SUYB participants and it’s short, engaging, different, and interesting. The best way I can describe this is like if The Postman (Kevin Costner movie) and The Handmaid’s Tale had a baby being raised by queer quasi-vigilante feminist Pack Horse Librarians fighting for a more inclusive world.

The Arrest by Jonathan Lethem. Didn’t make it past page 10. This book was so stupid. I liked Motherless Brooklyn but this one was not worth the gas to drive to the library to pick it up. Yup, it was so bad it wasn’t even worth leaving the house for. And in the age of COVID, how often do you turn down the option to leave the house?

TL; DR: All of the books I read last month save for The Arrest and Earthings are worth reading.

Currently reading: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. I know it was a lot this month. Perhaps this is why I should go back to regular blogging? I don’t know. We’ll see. Anyway, now it’s your turn to link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some of the other readers joining us this month. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for February 9 for the next one.