The highlight of my month is that I managed to reach my 2022 reading goal. My goal was to read 60 books this year and I am so proud of myself because I now dedicate time for my hobbies. One month to go until 2023, I feel like I might read 65 books this year!
Let me share what I read this month.
Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America by Mary Otto ⭐⭐⭐
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in public health or dentists!
This book just proved that you can tell a wealthy neighbourhood based on the presence of local dental offices. Mary Otto explores health inequality when it comes to oral health care! Why the sudden shift from dental care being considered a cosmetic procedure instead of a public health need? The answer could be a reason as to why health insurances don’t cover dental care because dental care is heavily tied to beauty nowadays!
Teeth expose healthy/wealth inequality and racism in our society! People can die from tooth aches as there is an overall connection between your oral health and general health! I was shocked to learn about the link between oral health and other aspects of your life. It can be hard to get a job because of your teeth appearance!
My only criticism is that I felt like she spent a lot of time in the history of dental care, the first dental school in America that I simply lost interest in some chapters! I wish she had more contemporary examples and her case studies mostly focused in Maryland! I wish she used more geographic examples!
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes ⭐⭐⭐
This memoir has been on my reading list for the longest time and felt like it’s time to get into it. I did the audio version and Shonda Rhimes narrates the book. Not to sound like a hater but I expected better from Shonda Rhimes because this felt like a self-help book and not a memoir. The chapters encourage you to always say yes to opportunities available to you.
I mostly enjoyed the speeches she gave at events. My favourite speech was the 2014 commencement speech at Dartmouth College. I thought the lessons shared were memorable, funny and full of wisdom.
Also why are memoir titles so long and usually include a colon….
Sustained (The Legal Briefs, # 2) by Emma Chase ⭐⭐
I hated this book. This was just plain bad. I read this book because it was under what to read next after finishing You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. I should have known what to expect because of the cover. First, the author is obsessed with blue eyes and blonde hair. Every single chapter, she mentions it like it’s something that makes the main character attractive and their only personality.
The book is about Jake, a lawyer who likes routine and has no time for relationships until she meets Chelsea McQuaid. Chelsea has to take care of her 6 nephews and nieces after her brother died in a car crash. The characterization of the kids was poor in my own opinion and it felt like she was pandering to popular teen interests. Those kids annoyed me! The conflict was mediocre and full of cliche dialogue. This was not for me and would not be recommended by me.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi ⭐⭐⭐
I love the mess in this book and you know I love the drama. Feyi Adekola is still grieving the death of her man and trying to improve the romance in her life. To avoid giving spoilers, she meets three different men and each man gives her comfort that she needs during that period.
Some scenes are definitely steamy so the book is for mature readers. The introductory line had me at “what happened to hello? How are you? My name is?” 😂
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides ⭐⭐⭐
I was disappointed in this book. I loved The Silent Patient by the author and expected to be engrossed in the story but I thought it was okay. Mariana visits Cambridge after her niece, Zoe, informs her that her closest friend was murdered. Mariana suspects Edward Fosca, a professor and is determined to prove she is right.
I loved that it was set in the same universe as The Silent Patient. It was nice to see Theo Faber and what led him to The Grove. The book is full of Greek mythology and history which was not appealing to me as I lack interest in that topic. I thought the ending was far-fetched and pretty much unrealistic. No clues were dropped to reveal this truth. I still prefer The Silent Patient, this book was not that thrilling! Very much confused how this was a 2021 Goodreads nominee for Best Mystery! 😑
Under The Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta ⭐⭐
Another disappointing book for me! The book is set in Nigeria during the Biafra war and follows Ijeoma as she navigates her childhood during the war. As she matures, she realises that she loves women and faces challenges regarding her sexuality in a community that does not support same-sex marriages.
So much happened and the different timelines did not help me enjoy the book. I wish it was simply set during the war or post war. I also do not like it when books have a story within a story and this had several Nigerian folktales embedded in the story. I also felt like Ijeoma’s husband had a switch in character out of nowhere. I wanted to love it but it did not wow me!