A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Suzanne Collins

I sped read through The Hunger Games series when it first came out but I have mixed feelings about reading this prequel. This book focuses on Coriolanus Snow who was, without a doubt, a villain in the first books. I'm conflicted about reading a novel that will likely make me empathize with someone who later condoned and even promoted the death of children. But, I'm the type of reader who has to complete a series once I start it. It'll be interesting to see what I think of this book in the end.

Forbidden
Beverly Jenkins

After watching the first six episodes of Bridgerton, I was in the mood to jump into a romance novel. I picked up this title which had been chilling on my bookcase for a few months. I’ve always loved a good Western but this one has something extra. The hero is a multiracial, formerly enslaved man who is successful in business by passing for white. Our heroine is a Black woman who longs to run her own restaurant. So, this has all the regular tropes of a good romance, but a lot more substance than you sometimes see.

Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13
Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger

This is my main read at the moment and I grabbed it because I can never NOT watch the movie Apollo 13. The first night I read this, I figured it would be a little dense and I'd fall asleep quickly. Nope. I managed to read 50 pages that first night and I would have kept going if I let myself. So far the book is an incredible, well-paced narrative. I know what happens and how it ends but the dangerous situations still feel tense and scary.

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Robin DiAngelo

I put myself on the wait list for this at the library nearly a year ago. Due to all the attention anti-racist books have received, it only arrived a few days ago. I'm two chapters in and I can see why this book makes people uncomfortable. One - it was designed to do that. Two - it's asking white people to take a good hard look at themselves and it forces people to admit things they don't want.

As a white, cis-gendered woman working at an HBCU, I know I have to be even more cognizant of my own biases and internalized racism. It's not a comfortable act, but it's important to learn so that we grow and improve. 

I'm a one book at a time sort of reader. That comes with a little bit of an exception. I only read one main book at a time. I sometimes have easier books going alongside my main read. 

My main read right now is The F*ck It Diet by Caroline Dooner. It's about intuitive eating and getting back to a place where we don't obsess about food. The book has a sassy tone and really takes the diet industry to task. I also like how the claims are backed up with science. That said, it still feels like a traditional diet book - albeit one that just tells you to eat and eat a lot more. Apparently, traditional diets just mess a lot with your metabolism which throws everyone's weight off.

My secondary reads are a nice stack of cookbooks from the library. These are all about one dish and one pan meals. Weeknights can be a bit chaotic for us trying to get dinner on the table (and in to our toddler) before her bedtime. I've only pulled a few recipes, but it's fun to learn all the many things you can actually cook in an oven. Rice! Who knew?

A Sky Beyond the Storm
Sabaa Tahir

A Sky Beyond the Storm is the last book in a series I started years ago. I am flying through it (and staying up far too late at night). I can't wait to see how this story wraps up. It's taken me a little bit of time to remember all the characters and their motivations, but I am happy to immerse myself in this world again. 

What I am most curious about is who survives. There is no way all the main characters make it out alive. 

How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen
Joanna Faber and Julie King

I have an 18-month old. If you have kids or have been around kids, you know that communication is critical... also confusing, hilarious, and frustrating. Our kiddo's vocabulary consists mainly of "up," "dada," and "DOG!" I picked up this book to help me learn a few tricks and remind me that patience and respect are key.