February 2021 Reads

In February of 2021 I read three books: two nonfiction and one fiction. I am behind schedule for my annual reading goal of 52 books, and I think this might be the year I do not hit it, but that is okay. Maybe I still will.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou:
I didn’t realize this was the first in a series of seven autobiographies Maya Angelou wrote. She writes with great lyricism and in some sense this reads like fiction. Parts seems like she is writing at a remove - about a character instead of as the character - yet it all reads as deeply personal. She writes very directly, even about the more disturbing parts of her life. 65/100

Why Fish Don’t Exist, by Lulu Miller:
I thoroughly enjoyed the structure of the book, as well as the content. Combines biography, science journalism, and memoir together, weaving the three so they complement each other. Very raw in the revealing of her life, while still remaining casual in her telling. 82/100

The Most Fun We Ever Had, by Claire Lombardo:
More plot happened in the first ten percent of this book than entirely in many books. And that continued for the next 500 pages. It is a whirlwind. Part of the magic of the book is the secret languages and understandings that come with years-long relationships, but if that doesn’t come off as magical, then neither will this treatment, I think. This was just a fine read. 58/100