“Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.” – George R. R. Martin. I found myself sacrificing sleep this month because the books were so good!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – (Actually finished this one in January but forgot to include it in my January Book Report.) If you are a fan of the original Hunger Games books, definitely read this one! It’s a pretty interested prequel, taking a closer look at President Snow’s childhood and how he became the monster we see in the main books. Lots of interesting commentary on power dynamics, political corruption, and “othering” of people. But in the end, it’s very much a young adult book so it doesn’t get overly deep.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson – The final book of the first Mistborn trilogy. I enjoyed it! It was LONG. I mean, the other two were long also but this one felt like it took longer to read. Maybe because there were a lot more diverging story lines in this one and more plot points to keep track of. But I felt it wrapped up the story really well and the ending was in keeping with the books.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal – I enjoyed this book but in the end, I’m not entirely sure how to describe it. It was not a dense read but it dealt with some pretty heavy subjects (sexual assault, addiction, childhood trauma). The main character wades through her own trauma response while trying to reconnect with a lost family member, but at the same time she gets involved in a vacation love story… I also didn’t really like the ending, it felt false. But endings don’t ruin the entire book for me. So I’d recommend this if you aren’t sensitive to difficult topics but also just want something easy to read.

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith – Galbraith is a pseudonym of JK Rowling, presumably to discourage her young Harry Potter fans from picking up these books since they explore violent issues such as murder, domestic abuse, and sexual assault. This fifth installment in the series is no different. The primary characters are a seasoned private detective and his temp-turned-business partner. While this wasn’t my favorite of the series so far, it was still an interesting read and definitely kept me guessing. Rowling does a great job of bringing the reader along in the investigation, providing enough clues to make you think you know what’s happening and then bringing in a truly surprising twist at the end. And the twist doesn’t come out of nowhere, the detectives always walk back through the clues and you realize it was there all along. Anyway, if you like good detective novels I’d recommend it, but start at the beginning of the series with Cuckoo’s Calling.

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi – This book is good. Dense, but good. I am glad I read some of the other antiracism books I’ve discussed in previous posts first, because it gave me a good foundation to really engage in some of Kendi’s deeper points. He writes like an academic, but it’s not like reading a dry textbook. He does a great job of peeling back the layers of racism to expose all the hidden nuances by discussing his own journey as a black man from racist ideas to being an antiracist activist. Highly recommend for those who are serious about continuing their journey of unlearning and learning.