Trying to get caught up from the great computer crash gave me a chance to revisit the books I read in February and all I can say is eight is great. I laughed out loud to Tina Fey and Amy Pohler, traveled back in time with The White Queen, visited Cuba, improved my sleep, and took a hard look at myself and how I view the world around me. Books are wonderful tools!

Links take you to Goodreads for summaries.

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (3 stars)

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea why I originally picked this book up. Did a friend recommend it? Did I read a glowing review of it? No idea. If you look on Goodreads, it has a 3.1 average rating. That’s probably because it has mostly five star and one star ratings. It seems people either love it or hate it.

And then there are a few people, like me, that seemed to be ambivalent towards it. The story structure is cool. I enjoyed the story and the characters until I didn’t. And I’m not exactly sure when that was.

Read it or don’t. But I think there are better choices.

Next Year In Havana by Chanel Cleeton (4 stars)

I love historical fiction. I hated history in school, so books like this always send me down a rabbit hole to fill in the gaps of what I should’ve already learned. I’ll admit to knowing very little about Cuba’s history and Cleeton makes it come alive on the pages of Next Year in Havana.

This is a book about history, politics, family, and love but not necessarily in that order.

I can’t tell you if I loved the story, the setting, or the characters the most, but I will tell you that I loved this book. Read it and get swept away now.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo (4 stars)

This is a book I think everyone should read, regardless of their race or gender. I heard Ijeoma Oluo speak at the Wisconsin Library Association and she is articulate, powerful, and real and her story made me reconsider many of my long-held beliefs and made me aware of some that I didn’t even know I had. And she writes as well as she speaks, making it clear that she doesn’t care about ruffling feathers if it opens up a dialogue. If Oluo is angry, she is equally hopeful and that is the message that I took from her book and her speech.

“We can find our way to each other. We can find a way to our truths. I have seen it happen. My life is a testament to it. And it all starts with a conversation.”

Yes Please by Amy Poehler (4 stars)

Before I read this book, I was not an Amy Poehler fan. It’s not that I disliked her- I had seen her in a couple of movies and thought she was funny, but that was it. I grabbed the audiobook from my library because I have a goal to read 12 biographies this year (yes, I set reading goals at the beginning of each year) and I had heard several people talk about this one. Easy enough.

To say I was pleasantly surprised is a major understatement. The audiobook, which she narrates herself, is like listening to Poehler tell you stories about her life and her work. It even includes guest appearances from other stars like Carol Burnett, Kathleen Turner, Patrick Stewart, and Seth Meyers AND Poehler reading a chapter of the book to a live audience.

If audiobooks are not your thing, never fear. The print copy of the book includes actual copies of a poem she wrote as a teen and other mementos of her youth as well as photos of her childhood and early career. It’s as visually appealing as it is fun to read.

Pick this one up for a fun and surprisingly inspirational read.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (5 stars)

As a chronic insomniac, I cannot say enough about this book. It’s divided into four parts, Part 1: This Thing Called Sleep, Part 2: Why Should You Sleep, Part 3: How and Why We Dream, and Part 4: From Sleeping Pills to a Society Transformed. Each was informative and fascinating in its own way, and I found myself taking notes throughout the entire book.

Whether you are a chronic insomniac like me, someone who loves the science behind sleep, or someone who is just looking to get a better night’s sleep, you will find great information and tips in this book. Highly recommend.

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (4 stars)

The White Queen, the story of Elizabeth Woodville’s rise from commoner to queen, is the second book in the recommended reading order of the Plantagenet and Tudor novels by Philippa Gregory. I have to say, I am absolutely loving this series. Gregory’s writing is captivating and thrilling and heartbreaking when it needs to be, and although there are critics that take exception to her imagination filling in where historical facts are short, isn’t that what historical fiction is all about???

(I read the first book, The Lady of the Rivers, back in January)

Bossypants by Tina Fey (4 stars)

When I worked at the library, I would see this creepy-looking cover come across the counter and I swore I would never read it. But after listening to Amy Poehler’s story, I knew I had to listen to Tina Fey’s.

Much like Yes Please, I found Fey’s book to be a good mixture of personal and professional stories. I enjoyed hearing more about their antics behind the scenes of SNL and her stories of 30 Rock (even though I never watched it).

I enjoyed her perspective on work, family, and life. I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone, especially the audio version .

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena (3 stars)

Maybe you don’t know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .

So the premise of the book is super intriguing. It has everything a good thriller needs. And I think I’m the only one of my friends that didn’t LOVE this book. I liked it.

I can honestly say I liked her writing., her story and her characters. Yes, it was suspenseful… but also predictable. I still recommend this one because so many of my good friends LOVED it. I think this was just a case of a book not being a good fit.

Eight is Great…. What Did You Read?

So you know that I think that my February can be summed up by Eight is Great. What about you? What did you read? Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

Did you enjoy this?

Check out more of my monthly wrap ups here!