What I'm Reading: February
aka please hold me accountable for reading when I said I would.
In years past, I would throw out a number at the top of the year and proclaim that this was my goal—I would read this specific number of books before the imaginary clock ran out on the year. I would fill my TBR and overwhelm myself to the point where I’d read maybe half of my list and be left longing for the days when I could read 4 books in a week like it was nothing. My TBR had me down BAD.
This year, though? This year we are being intentional. This year, there is no yearly TBR! We’re taking it month by month, checking our capacities with our calendars, and dedicating deliberate time to devouring the words that brilliant minds have poured onto the page to be consumed. Reading shouldn’t be a chore or something that overwhelms us, it should be an intentional joy.
Here are the books that I’ve joyfully, intentionally, decided to dive into for the month of February.
Waiting to Exhale - Terry McMillian
This is one of those books that I’ve always been interested in reading but never felt “grown” enough to pick up before. If you’ve ever seen the movie, you know that the 4 main ladies—Robin, Savannah, Gloria and Bernadine—are VERY grown women dealing with VERY grown situations at the top of the 90’s, but the book versions of them are a little less glamorous and so much more complex than their movie counterparts. The book gives nuance in the backstory and really allows each of the voices time to comment on not only her own life, but her girlfriend’s choices in a way the movie simply doesn’t have time for. It makes for some really juicy, messy dialogue that I wish would have been added to the script. Still, the film adaptation holds up the essence of the literature, and it’s been very enjoyable to replay scenes from the movie in my head with added context.
This book was recommended reading from fellow poet Jassmine Parks for our monthly writing group. I’m still waiting on USPS to deliver my copy, but here’s a description from the book’s purchasing page:
“A nature diary—in which it is human nature up for exploration—MARS. Marshall’s FLOWER BOI utilizes received formal conventions in order to articulate that which resists the limitations of form or, as the poet puts it, ‘how space can be both void and / full is a trick only the BOI knows well.’ Trick? No, there are no tricks or gimmicks here; this is a poet of ravishing innovation. The vowel, that “O,” at the center of Marshall’s BOI is passageway (‘I try to make a map of my body / See which roads lead me to drink from / a river made by my hands…’); is apostrophe (‘You, who turn your palms upward, gaze at the sky, proclaim I leave myself at the mercy of you…’); and is, at last, a hero’s journey from hole to whole to ‘How holy it is, to grab light of us and say, friend….’ I can’t imagine a world where every debut is as fearless and brazen as Marshall’s Flower Boi” —Tommye Blount, author of Fantasia for the Man in Blue
Sounds good, right?? While I’m super excited to submerge myself in some good poetry, I’m even more excited to discuss it with my group. Knowing that I’ll get to engage my thoughts with people who understand, but also truly love, the written word pushes me to stay on top of the actual reading. One foot before the other, ya know?
Oyster Knife Vol 1 - Oyster Knife
I’m a big fan of publications done outside of the industry, so I’m always scouring the internet for indie projects that feel valorous and lean towards the experimental. Imagine my delight when I came across the Atlanta based Oyster Knife Literary Collective and the debut issue of their eponymous publication. I was drawn to their focus on using the tension of the pandemic to explore possible realities through their creativity, rather than wallow in the misery of the moment—and, honestly, the artwork sold me. I'm really a sucker for a textured, abstract cover that almost begs you to stare at it and contemplate. You have to DM them on Instagram to purchase it for now, but I think a little extra effort to support indie writers is good for us, right? Right.
That’s it! I only put 3 books on my agenda this month to give myself space to sit and marinate after I’m done. I’ll add another book if time permits, with no pressure to do so. Find me somewhere on the internet next month to see my full reflections, and catch me back here with my March picks. Until next time. <3
