Before we get into all this literary goodness, let me tell you what we’re not gon’ do.
We will not side eye me for it taking so long to get this review of my January (and now February) reads out to you.
The end of January kicked my butt. Well, really it was the flu that kicked my butt and as a result it threw off my 7-5 (being a book fairy) and my 5-7 (writing for BGM).
Now that we’ve all touched and agreed, let’s get started.
So we are two months into 2018 and I have read three incredible books so far–I literally just got number four put into my hands as I was writing this and I cannot wait to tell you about it (when I’m allowed to since it’s an Advanced Reader Copy–how cool am I? Not really, I just have cool friends).
I am going to warn you, these three will cause all literary hangovers but in different ways. The writing styles vary so much. Each has such unique a plot line told from such interesting perspectives that span the globe. From Nigeria, to England, to Atlanta, Georgia these characters will bring you right back to your own backyard or take you on a journey into their homes and lives.
I tried to read some “fluffy” reads in between these books, but I couldn’t do it. The richness of these books made it impossible to even insult them by reading anything less than amazing immediately following them.
That’s probably why I got sick.
My body couldn’t handle all the literary greatness I kept feeding it.
Or…I’m around kids all day who are germy and gross.
The first thought, however, sounds so much deeper, so we’ll go with that.
Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo
Adebayo’s first novel is a breathtaking account of wife and husband, Yejide and Akin. Yejide and Akin have known and loved one another since their time in college in their home country of Nigeria. After university, they get married starting their life together on the premise that Akin will not take another wife and that they will forever be in a monogamous relationship. Their life is a good one and their is love is strong–but even the strongest of relationships have pain points and theirs is infertility.
Try as they might Yejide and Akin cannot have a baby. After going to everyone from family members, to specialists, to religious men Yejide and Akin’s families grow tired of waiting for the birth of child and bring to their home a second wife for Akin. Enraged and hurt Yejide realizes that the only way that she can secure her place in her marriage is to have a child. But what she chooses to do in order to have a baby has consequences far beyond what Yejide and Akin could ever imagine. What happens when we push past the boundaries of what we know to be right for who we love?
This book left me emotionally spent and took twists and turns I never saw coming. Being able to experience the book from the voice of both Yejide and Akin provided insight to their feelings and motivations in a way that was so raw my heart broke for both of them at different times in the book. This book truly explores the impact family and society has on what is supposed to be a union between two people and made me wonder how many women and men feel forced to take the same measures that Yejide and Akin took throughout the book in order to appease their families. Buy Here
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor suffered unspeakable trauma at the hands of her mother as a child. It is so unspeakable in fact, that Eleanor decides she won’t talk about it with anyone or actually talk to anyone, unless deemed necessary at work or when buying her weekly frozen pizza and vodka. Eleanor leads a very routine and lonely life, but all of that changes once she meets Raymond.
Raymond works in the IT department of Eleanor’s company and together the unlikely pair save an elderly man named Sammy who has fallen on the sidewalk not too far from where they work. This chance encounter expands Eleanor’s world in ways she can hardly imagine and helps her realize that she not only deserves, but wants friendship and love and that if she chooses to face the things she refuses to speak about, she can have it.
Y’all. I won’t even lie. Eleanor is so weird and so socially awkward that it hurts at some points as she is also the narrator of the story. Her routine is downright boring sometimes and her inability to read social cues and say exactly what comes to her mind–favorable or not–will make you feel embarrassed for Eleanor. By page 100, I was just reading to figure out what the heck her mama had done to her to make her this way.
But by the end, it was a book I was so glad I had stuck with. Watching Eleanor’s transformation and the realization of who she wanted to be was something beautiful to see when it all finally unfolded. Trust me and stick with Eleanor. By the end you will appreciate all of the nuances to her quirky life and appreciate the people in your circle just a little more. Buy Here
The American Marriage by Tayari Jones
This book follows three different characters Celestial, Roy, and Andre. Celestial and Roy are newlyweds living in Atlanta, GA. Roy has a promising career working in corporate America and Celestial is a beautiful artist whose work is beginning to quickly catch on. Before they can even comfortably settle into being husband and wife, Roy is arrested in the middle of the night for a crime that Celestial knows he could not have committed. Regardless of the lack of evidence found and the airtight alibi Celestial provides on his behalf, their world comes crashing down when Roy is sentenced to 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
While Roy’s life is put on pause, the world outside and Celestial keep going. Her artistry continues to thrive and her childhood friend and Roy’s best man, Andre begins to provide Celestial the companionship and love that Roy cannot. As Celestial and Roy spend more time apart from each other than they have together, Celestial struggles to hold on to the love that brought them together in the first place.
But after 5 long years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned and he is headed back to Atlanta to try and pick up where he left off 5 years ago and realizes while some things have stayed the same, much has changed.
I picked up this book because Auntie Oprah said to. And when Auntie speaks, you listen. My heart was broken by page 50 and then it broke again, and again, and again, and again. To say the writing was beautiful in this book is an understatement. Every character came with an incredible backstory that further shaped who they were and the choices they made and we were blessed to listen to each of them tell their story in their voice–which were all so distinct. I also really appreciated reading Jones’ novel now living in Atlanta. When she talked about Virginia Highlands or the West Side I could literally picture what she was saying in my mind and it felt all the more real.
This book had me genuinely looking at my husband and wondering whether or not I would be able to hold on to what we have if he had spent more time away from me than we had spent together. Buy Here
January and February have been filled with incredible reads and I’ve got plenty more coming your way because I may or may not be a book hoarder. As Shamar and I continue playing with the idea of buying a house this summer, I am envisioning a book nook. A place a part from our office that is exclusively for all of the books we have.
So tell me, what other books do I need to add to my rotation for the last week of February and beginning of March?
Drop me a comment!
There’s magic in our musings,
Nicole