My Reading Month – Trees and Murder
I feel like I have been coming out of a bit of a fog over the past month – between work and life things, my life has been incredibly crazy over the past year, and it is so lovely to begin to have a little breathing room.
I still have not found myself reading all that much over the past month, and have only finished 1 or 2 physical books. This is probably due to the fact that the one of my other obsessions, RuPaul’s Drag Race, has been airing the final episodes of its most recent season, so I have been going down that rabbit hole instead. (Go Big, Be Kind, and Go West!)
However, what I have been doing is listening to a bunch of books, and have been enjoying a delicious book about trees which I bought on a whim in Bozeman recently.
Best Book of the Month
Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori
Without a doubt, the best book I read this month was Around the World in 80 Trees written by Jonathan Drori. This book is a masterpiece that was both beautiful and informative. As a tree lover I walked in ready to love it, but I was unprepared for how amazing it actually was.
From anecdotes about the hallucinogenic properties of certain mycorrhizal fungi to fascinating connections between violins and volcanoes, I spent most of this book interrupting everyone around me to tell them all the amazing things I was learning.
But the true beauty of this book is its physical beauty. With thick pages and intricate illustrations, every page was a piece of art, as you can see above. By all means, please go pick this up in hardback if you can!
Honorable Mention
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
I don’t remember how I heard about this book, but I was absolutely surprised and blown away by this story. Set in Lagos, Nigeria, this is the story of a responsible, steady nurse whose sister is a beautiful, irresponsible young woman who has a bad habit of killing her boyfriends.
At times funny, at times frustrating and always compelling, this story is about family, loyalty, love and so much more. Told in short bursts, this book is readable, fun and I am just so happy to recommend it to everyone!
I also recommend the audiobook, which is beautifully narrated by Adepero Oduye, and brings a sense of place and reality to this story.
I am excited to be getting back into reading this summer, and am currently in the middle of a bunch of books. I am really excited about the newest Expanse novel, Tiamat’s Wrath on audio, as the narrator is amazing. I am also getting interested in some regional history and am reading a biography of Meriwether Lewis called Undaunted Courage.
