Book Review: April 2023

I hit 30 books this month which feels like a lot. Does that mean I’m on pace to hit 90 by the end of the year? It sure does. But more than the quantity of books, the April reads were all high quality and awesome. Please enjoy my recap + review.

"Mad Honey" by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

5 stars

I used to LOVE Jodi Picoult novels. After taking a 6+ year break it was refreshing to read this book. I liked that a variety of characters were represented. There were many twists and turns of a drama without the gore factor (which I don’t care for in suspense novels) The image of bees has been coming up a lot for me and this was just another synchronicity and confirmation of that symbol. I have so much to stay but don't want to give it away, but yes, I did cry a bit at the end. Just know this is a deeply moving book about feeling into love, rather than falling.

"Good Boy: My life in Seven Dogs" by Jennifer Finney Boylan

4 stars

After reading Jennifer Finney Boylan's book "Mad Honey" I was keen to read another one by her. And of course when there was a black labrador on the front, I was sold (alas, I did judge a book by its cover!) Jennifer is a trans woman and to hear her story from boyhood to becoming an adult female through the lense of the dogs in her life was really touching. Some dogs had a starring role, others were there for support in the background. Bottom line (which we all know): dogs are better than humans and we don't deserve them

"The Woman Who Would Be King" by Kara Cooney

4 stars

Women in power, especially during ancient times is something we don’t see too often. Or a queen wouldn’t have as much power as a king. In middle and high school I went through a phase of being obsessed with Egypt (I also went through a variety of random obsessions with topics like astrology, Greek + Roman mythology, dinosaurs, trees, etc) As an adult, this ancient culture is still of high interest to me. The rise of Hatshepsut, the gender non-confirming king of Egypt was a deep dive in historical Egypt as well as real life for folks during that time.  Rich in details and well researched.

"Notorious RBG" by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik 

4 stars

Another book about a woman in power. The life of Ruth Bader Ginsberg really became known to me in the run up to the 2016 election. She was kind, creative, hard working AF and absolutely brilliant. She stood up to all sorts of patriarchal fools without raising her voice but rather with her stunning legal work. She left a legacy for women in the law that will be felt for generations. I feel grateful that I was alive in the world while RBG was too.

"Dear Edward" by Ann Napolitano

4 stars

Maybe it was a bad idea to start this book, about a lone survivor of a plane crash, while on a flight. I fly enough to trust commercial airlines but sure there's always that thought of "if this plane goes down..." So TW if you’re afraid of flying this is not the book for you. That being said, this book has full details about family love while also holding space for strangers knowing that we never fully understand what someone else is going through. I liked that the book took place both during the ill-fated flight as well as the aftermath. A well-rounded fiction.

"The Story of B" by Daniel Quinn

5 stars

Honestly, I'm floored after reading this book. It is both esoteric (which I often) as well as factual. The ideas presented were some that I have held for a while now (like how weird capitalism is and how our one way of doing culture is not necessarily the best way) At the intersection of politics, religion, psychology, spirituality, history, linguistics ,sociology, anthropology and government is this book. So yes, it’s a very busy intersection. It’s fiction but very real in the course of human history. Read it now, have it turn you inside out and question your existence and culture in general. And then call me so we can talk about it. I need more folks to read this and process the ideas with me. This is a book I will come back to again and again to make meaning of the strange times we live in and how the heck we got here.

"Now is Not the Time to Panic" by Kevin Wilson

4 stars

A really lovely coming of age story (which, yes I seem to be dabbling in a bit these last few months). What a precarious time between 13 - 17. Are we even equipped to handle that time…or is the point to not handle? As someone who felt like a weird teenager, I really got what some of the characters were working through. Knowing that they could go very different directions based on a small lie or an an omission to detail made this so relatable.

Monthly Book Total: 7

Annual Book Total: 30