i read TEN BOOKS last month!

[@madelineeilert3879]

What I've come to unexpectedly love about watching your videos is reading through the comments! All the more book recommendations, differing opinions of books, and even the similar thoughts people have about watching these videos. I too watch ally's videos on normal speed because I want them to last longer.... I even watch the sponsored portions (Ana Luisa, Book of the Month, etc.) because ally deserves my time 😂 But I am seriously grateful for not only a fun and relatable creator but the wonderful audience that this channel has amassed!

[@allisonpaiges]

this is so nice of you to say :,) and i couldn’t agree more i love the comment section so much it warms my heart. my goodreads has grown significantly today haha

[@katewillread1509]

“Did I actually read this book or did my eyes just witness words?” I’m keeping this phrase bc how many times has this happened to me wow.

[@gentlygrace]

“My kink is knowledge.” Me too, Ally. Me too.

[@PressPlayChey]

When you read that sentence from the Body in Pain book, I felt my eyes starting to glaze over exactly the way they did when I read "academic" writing in college. As my favorite professor once told me after I felt bad I couldn't write "academically" 'if you know what you're talking about, you don't need to fluff up the language. Your ability to communicate what you know matters more than how you dress it up."

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

February is the shortest month but it always seems to be the one with the most s t r u g g l e s

[@allisonpaiges]

no truer words have ever been said

[@oneeyedwitch]

For books about older protagonists (and also a book about chronic pain), I recommend Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro. The story follows an older woman, Elena, trying to figure out what happened after her daughter is found dead at a nearby church.

[@cah384]

I love how colorful your shelves are

[@allisonpaiges]

hey thanks! me too 🥰

[@ameliareed8214]

I read The Body In Pain during grad school where I was studying art and critical theory; it was and continues to be the least accessible theory book I’ve come across. It was one of the few texts I DNFed for school, and 10+ years later I don’t regret it.

[@allisonpaiges]

this is validating

[@nataliemark8021]

I know you already have An Immense World by Ed Yong, but I’m gonna pile on and highly recommend you read it. It’s a wonderful non fiction that’s super accessible and full of wonder for the world we live in. 5 stars, no notes, chefs kiss.

[@allisonpaiges]

love when a book i already own is boosted in priority! ✨

[@xangel6721]

I love how you read NON-fiction when suffering because it requires less energy lol. To someone who is not as imaginative when reading fiction, this just speaks to how creative you are (aka BIG BRAIN!!) ps your videos are the ONLY ones on youtube I watch at 1x speed so that they last longer. Thank you for being here for us and being kind and wonderful ❤

[@allisonpaiges]

:,)

[@eeveesyrup]

And because she talks fast enough that it seems her brain is going my ADHD brains speed, hence no 1.5-2.0x speed.

[@tjfmd]

My favorite book that I read in February was "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt and it also fits your ask of books with older protagonists. Tova is in her 70s and I loved her so much. One of the other protagonists is an octopus! I loved reading his parts, he was such a fun character.

[@katiewass339]

Closed captions heard it as ‘what’s up hunks’ and I liked it 😊

[@hannahn6643]

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is literally so good! If you haven't read it yet I cannot recommend it enough, it is short, and about chronic illness and one of my favorites!

[@allisonpaiges]

YES top tier- on my favs shelf!

[@rowan.27]

My favorite book I read in February was What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gorden! Since you seem to like nonfiction that's a mix of personal essay and textbook, I think you'd love this one- it mixes hard statistics with the author's personal experience to weave this full picture of anti-fatness, diet culture, and fat activism. It got 5 stars from me 😊

[@raccoonsnacks]

The podcast (Maintenance Phase) that Aubrey Gordon hosts with Michael Hobbes is great too!!

[@allisonpaiges]

omg i love maintenance phase!!

[@graces.7310]

hi ally, I don’t know if you’ve read it yet, but the first book I thought of that fits existential female friendships was We Are Okay by Nina Lacour, it’s short but packs a punch. Love your videos and keep doing you! ❤

[@snhreader7765]

Top reads in February for me were two graphic novels (both are available on Kindle Unlimited). 1) They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott (Illustrator: Harmony Becker) I was immersed in this story from beginning to end. Takei, Eisinger, and Scott did a wonderful job of weaving the present with the past, providing a look into the internment camps through the lens of a child and providing a historical account of what happened at the same time. A beautiful way of providing an emotional impact while presenting the facts simultaneously. 2) A House Without Windows by Marc Ellison (Translator: Nanette McGuinness) (Illustrator: Didier Kassaï) This graphic novel was a mix of photojournalism and illustration and it was such a difficult but impactful story, informing the audience about a list of crises in a country that is most likely unfamiliar to a Western reader.

[@SynsBookNook]

My favorite book from February was Fieldwork by Iliana Regan. It's a nonfiction about family, food, foraging, buying an inn during the pandemic, and it also ties in a look at gender, how when growing up Iliana wanted to be a boy. The writing is fantastic, the storytelling really paints a picture, and the food descriptions were mouth watering.

[@shannonduarte1257]

My two favorites from February were your recommendation of A Magic Steeped in Poison (I actually gasped at the ending cliffhanger in the dentist waiting room), and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (the audiobook read by the author is fantastic). I was scared to read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, but the author makes the subject of death and cremation so interesting and important…definitely worth being afraid.

[@ginafercho4581]

Book recommendation with “older” characters. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller with main characters are 51 year old twin brother and sister. This book comes from a perspective I rarely find. Hope you enjoy❤❤

[@amanduhreads]

Your mug is spectacular!! Ally I’m sooo happy I’ve found your channel. I’ve been bingeing so hard. Thank you for inspiring me to be a better person within my mundanity. You’re so special ✨

[@littleonepaige]

my favourite in February was A Psalm for the Wild-Built, recommended by you!! it was delightful. ❤

[@ireallyamjomarch]

I also flipping loved Transcendent Kingdom. It was one of the few books that made me feel understood. So many family members struggle with addiction and this hit so close to home but in the best way possible.

[@sarahstager8450]

also, re: books with elderly main characters, I would recommend Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan! it's about the elderly Emily living alone in Pittsburgh, hanging out with her sister-in-law, fielding calls from her grown-up kiddos and just her daily life and contemplations of old age and death. very beautiful and calming but also melancholic in the best way!

[@salweststudio]

me making direct eye contact with Elsewhere this whole video 👁👁 I randomly picked it up from my library's new releases shelf last year and buddy read it with my bestie and we still talk about it to this day!!!! also I def need to read Transcendent Kingdom bc Homegoing is what got me back into reading a few years ago

[@Rachel-6016]

oki so!! my favourite books this month were two non-fictions - first was gathering moss and the second was figuring by Maria popova. Figuring is a chonky boi book, but about the lives of mostly queer women through history, including Emily Dickerson and Rachel Carson. So beautifully written and I really think you would enjoy it!! Thank you so much for sharing your love of books online, it brings me so much joy ❤❤

[@morganemadys4340]

A book about pain that really resonated with me and *was* accessible is Constellations by Sinéad Gleeson! It's a collection of essays by an Irish author who covers various themes from physical pain, illness, love and music to artistic bodies. Great read!!

[@chaoscentralbooks]

5:15 adding “slurp up all of the knowledge sap” to my daily vocabulary from here on out

[@justvynexa]

that edition of Transcendent Kingdom is so stunning! it takes my breath away every time. February was a tricky month for me, as well with a total of three reading slumps and still read. ore than I did in January… I will never understand my mental health lol so many good reads in February but my faves were The Anthropocene Reviewed (the audiobook having three extra essays that made me cry is a top tier movement), Boys Run The Riot vol. 1-4 (also made me cry) and The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, which I think you may like because Chokshi’s writing is stunning! the poor ink in my pen.

[@laurengalloway4890]

Okay so I started caste thanks to you and can tell it will be an interesting read so thank you! If you liked caste, I would highly highly recommend ‘how the word is passed’ by Clint smith. I think you’d love it. Non fiction written by a poet 🥰

[@itmedana]

omg ally! i've been meaning to recommend the history of love by nicole krauss to you for ageeesss and i just kept forgetting but when you asked for novels with older protagonists it immediately crossed my mind! it's one of my favorite books everrr, it follows more than one perspective but the most charming and memorable main character for me was that of a grumpy old man living in nyc. if you've read a man called ove i could definitely see it/this character compared to that but personally i find this one leagues more charming, funny, and emotional all at the same time. the writing is beyond incredible, it ties together so well, it's not super long, and it follows jewish main character/stories which is always a win in my book :) i really think you would love it!

[@madelinemacarthur9496]

For an "older" protagonist (the protagonist is a fem in her 30s!!), PLEASE read Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher! Really, really enjoyed this one and the world felt so unique and full.

[@andshereads]

I love how you always mention not comparing yourself to others. Not only is it just super solid advice, but it was also something I needed a reminder of recently. I lost my fiance after he was killed in a car accident on the 1st of February and I straight up could not read in the month of February. I'm still having a really hard time wanting to, and I've been getting in my head a out how much I've fallen behind because I couldn't read last month and your reminder was super helpful. It always is, but this month especially.

[@allisonpaiges]

lots of love, laura

[@tahneehyrkas4176]

Kind of late to the party but a translated book i loved that has an older protagonist is "An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good" by Helene Tursten. Went into it knowing nothing when I came across it while looking for books centering older characters and honestly just enjoyed the ride!

[@RachelHaraburda]

The only book I read in February was Ducks two years in the oil sands. I really enjoyed it even though there were some difficult themes for me. Even though its so long, I wished it was longer. The ending felt a little misplaced to me but also after reading I said 'yeah, I understand'. It felt realistic, but I also feel like that's an obvious statement sense it's a memoir. I was also working through Braiding Sweetgrass and its so poetic that it doesn't feel like reading nonfiction

[@allisonpaiges]

oooooh i have ducks on my tbr shelf i can’t wait to read it!

[@bresseguie]

my fav february read was def “Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid. I can’t believe I waited so long to read It!! (and I see It on your tbh shelf👀)

[@faithsreadingthings]

So happy you’re starting to feel better. Sending lots of love 🥰🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@beaivil4357]

For books with older main characters try 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce. It's about an elderly man who unexpectically has to walk to the other side of the country (England) with only what he has on him. I really enjoyed it and am planning to reread it before the movie comes out.

[@h.eather.e.lizabeth]

ahhh I also read Bingo Love in February and loved it!!! Transcendent Kingdom has been on my TBR for a while now but I think this may have been my push to actually read it!! I hope March brings you even more fantastic reads 📚😁

[@hotaru_in_july9000]

My top February reads were "The City We Became" and "Gathering Moss"! N.K. Jemisin is a top-tier wordsmith and the audiobook was perfectly produced imo. There are so many titles/authors/genres in your videos, the Pocket Pages Picks, AND the comments and I'm so grateful to be expanding my reading experiences beyond my comfort zone. Thank you 🤗🤗🤗

[@pepperwings]

I started The Invisible Kingdom, I think it will be really good! I keep putting it down because I relate too much with the frustration, but I also enjoy it.

[@littlemyeating4692]

Okay I might have a recommendation for you, when your looking for sapphic coming-of-age stories with female friendships: "Oranges are not the only fruit". Beautifully written, but I would definitely look up the trigger warnings before reading it. (Or maybe I'm just thinking about the book because you read a paragraph about oranges...)

[@filipacarvalho173]

My favorite books from February were the Monk and Robot duology! I read them on your recommendation and loved them so, so, so much! They became two of my all-time favorite books! 🥰 I also read the Glorious Summers graphic novels, by Zidrou and Jordi Lafebre and thought you might like them (if you haven’t read them yet). They’re about a Belgium family and their vacations throughout the years. They manage to be very funny and light-hearted, while also mentioning some more hard hitting topics. Thought you might enjoy them.😊Love your videos! ❤

[@itsmemegan5444]

“Brazen: Rebel Women Who Changed The World” by Penelope Bagieu was one of my favorite February reads! Nonfiction has been hit or miss for me but I couldn’t pass up a graphic novel that was both pretty and informative. Definitely a good mix of women in history I have and haven’t heard of, would absolutely recommend :)

[@toweringtbr]

My favorite this month was the graphic novel Blankets by Craig Thompson. It's a coming of age and wrestling with religion to fully be authentic.

[@xxlobke]

I’ve had Transcendent Kingdom and Homegoing on my shelves for ages, but apparently I need to get on it asap! 🌸

[@Cevin.]

I find it interesting that you say white teeth is a book you'd read when "studying literature" because my AP lit teacher gave me her copy when I was studying in high school bc she thought I'd like it. I think I could enjoy it at some point, but I feel similarly to the way you do about it. When you said "occasionally a line pops out at you" I felt that

[@booksinbed]

I love your videos! I also love Thich Nhat Hanh, and it's interesting to me that he says our thoughts are us in that book; I'll have to check it out! I think you can read more from him without too much worry, as I've read 10 or so of his books and haven't had that as a major take-away, at least in the sense that our thoughts are somehow true expressions of ourselves. I always remember his turn of phrase in his book Silence: our minds play what he calls radio Non-Stop Thinking, and that it distracts us from fully experiencing our lives. My other favorite of his books is No Mud, No Lotus. Your advice to take what is helpful and not throw out the whole thing is so good, that kind of thinking is helping me a lot. I had The Body in Pain on my TBR, thank you for letting me know it's so out of my league, hahah! And, I haven't seen all your videos (yet!) so just making sure, have you read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating? Not on chronic pain, but on severe fatigue, and snails!!

[@allisonpaiges]

i loooooooove the sound of a wild snail eating! it has real estate on my favorites shelf :,)

[@booksinbed]

@@allisonpaiges I'm so glad! I'd love for everyone to know about that wonderful book! I Googled and think I found a quote from that Thich Nhat Hanh book that says we are our thoughts; thank you for sharing that! I found the passage very interesting, it's about being the palace guard (awareness) and palace visitor (thought) at the same time. I'm on the same "I am not my thoughts" page as you are, and I have intrusive thoughts, so it gives me something to contemplate. I think, based on my other readings from him, that I read the passage as the thought is a part of us, just like the tea we are drinking is a part of us in the moment, and not that our thoughts show some true manifestation of our essence, but I may just be trying to make his ideas fit my ideas. Thanks again! ❤️

[@PawsAndPages81]

I read White Teeth about 20 years ago, and I liked it a lot...although to be completely transparent, I was studying literature, so that seems to confirm your theory😅

[@jewelorchid]

Given I adored Seven Days in June, I was delighted to stumble upon Easy Beauty-a memoir by Chloé Cooper Jones-at a tiny independent bookshop, which delves into both her own experience with and society’s perception of chronic pain and disability. At moments charming and others indignant, she elegantly captures: “Were you afraid?” he says. “Yes,” I nearly shout. “So afraid I lost my English.” “Oh?” he says, surprised. “What is your native language?” “English,” I say, and he laughs good-naturedly at me and I laugh at me, too, but we both know I’ve done something he could not do.

[@Tasmetu]

Not me always saving your videos for the tough days to feel better (today a doctor app for my chronic illness - such fun, you know the deal :S). Even in your negativity you provide such a safe and cozy space. Thank you for that!

[@SabciaGraal]

Yaa Gyasi ❤❤❤ i loved that book, i appreciated discussing mental health from scientific and personal perspective. Can’t wait to pick up ‘Home coming’. Love your vids girl

[@MicahRion]

Transcendant Kingdom is going on my TBR!

[@RosalindPeters]

3:30 I would like to point out that I really liked White Teeth and disliked and then DFed Book of Form & Emptiness. I wonder if Zadie’s Britishness might be a factor in why I like it as a fellow Brit… (also as a fellow chronic pain girlie - well done for getting through Scarry, it took me best part of a year on and off, and ultimately the CliffNotes version would have been more than sufficient. Wishing you greater knowledge sap in the future!) xx

[@RosalindPeters]

(Oh, and for further context, I struggled with Scarry… and I did an MPhil in Philosophy of Religion - so basically quantum phenomenology - at Cambridge. And it was still too much!!)

[@_feral_streep_]

Loooooving the Transcendent Kingdom love!!

[@azu_rikka]

I completely agree with your opinion on Yaa Gyasi, she wrote the perfect novel with Transcendent Kingdom. As a new fan, you might want to know that her name is pronounced "Djasi"😊. May I ask what kind of pain you suffer from, besides your horrible migraines? All the best from a Swiss girl living in South Africa!

[@acupofcoldtea]

Okay, kind of a random one but I think you might enjoy it: Like Water For Chocolate. Amazing writing, amazing if you love reading about food like I do. Romance, magic realism, family... just really well written. Loved the video as always!!

[@megdrummond-wilson824]

Lmao I read White Teeth in February as well! I really liked it but I can see how Zadie Smith's style is a particular taste. As always I love your work Ally, you consistently inspire me to keep reading and keep celebrating small joys 💖

[@Zablazer7]

What Doesn't Kill You is the book my sibling told everyone to read when they were diagnosed with IBD. It is absolutely illuminating!

[@poppy4280]

I read A Psalm for the Wild-Built thanks to your wonderful recommendation, and I loved it so much I read it twice in a row 😭 I cried and laughed and felt so warm and full of love!!! Thank you!

[@Katiedora122]

I've picked up a lot of nonfiction recently (for me), and I got some good ones in February. The best one was Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. I picked it up because a college friend of mine recommended it, and it turns out that I actually took a class about Northern Ireland with a librarian from Boston College who was involved in the Belfast Project discussed in the book, but go figure that I learned way more from this book than I did in an entire semester with him. PLUS the audiobook was narrated by an Irishman. But I also picked up Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas by Jennifer Raff (a solid 4 star interdisciplinary look at the peopling of North/South America) and Building A Second Brain by Tiago Forte because I am constantly trying to improve my general note taking in life.

[@hslotfan]

in february i read 8 books , which is a lot for me i usually read 5-6 :-) my favourites of the month were the charm offensive which is an AMAZING queer romance i haven’t had a romance grip me like that in a while !! and i’ll give you the sun which was an addictive YA where i adored the characters

[@jessandhershelf]

So glad you liked Citizen! My favorite from the month was a sci-fi short story collection called I'M WAITING FOR YOU. The first and last stories are connected, and so are the second and third. The first one explores love, distance, and isolation, and the fourth explores love, distance, and feeling alone despite being surrounded by people. The second and third explore the creation of the universe, morality, and what it means when somethings is defined as "good" or "bad." The fourth story contains one of my top five literary moments that made me explode into a beam of light. Overall it's just such a fascinating and lovely exploration of humanity, nature, resilience, and love. Cannot recommend enough! Also wanted to recommend THE BOOK OF DELIGHTS by Ross Gay, which is an essay collection studying delight. He decided to take note of delight every day for a year, and it's really a wonderful celebration of humanity and mundanity and nature.

[@egghead1324]

Yaa Gyasi is my fav 💖her last name is actually pronounced jessie which I learned after becoming obsessed and googling her lol

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

I have Transcendent Kingdom so I'll definitely try to get to that one this year!

[@MrsLasagna]

Thanks for another wonderful video! I am currently reading Transcendent Kingdom with my partner in our book club and we are loving it so far! Books I read in February: The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green (loved the audio book) Secret Lives of Church Ladies - Deesha Philyaw (such a great audio book!) Gratitude - Oliver Sacks (Whoa the tears, will read more by him) The Empress of Salt & Fortune - Nghi Vo (enjoyed the story, will continue with the series likely) Kiss of the Snow Queen - Tomson Highway (great novel about an Indigenous Canadian growing up during residential school era and its aftermath, really recommend) I contain multitudes - Ed Yong (spoilers: we are all just meat sacks for bacteria to thrive... Do we even have free will? 😳) A crown of swords - Robert Jordan (probably my favorite of the series so far, the most fast paced of all the books) The faster I walk the smaller I am - Kjersti Skomvold (what a weird little book. Almost DNF'd it a couple of times but glad I didn't. Wouldn't really recommend to anyone but enjoyed the read - I can't remember if this was an Ally rec? Lol) Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson (beautiful book! Short but powerful. Introduced me to a lot of great music) A taste for poison - Neil Bradbury (interesting, nice audio)

[@theeldritchfox]

Wow, that mention of Thich Nhat Hanh brought me waaaay back. If you're really vibing with mindfulness stuff, I'd also recommend checking out Jon Kabat-Zinn. He's another mindfulness OG, and I have loads of quotes from him that I reference when my brain needs a little reminder. I particularly like this one: “As long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than wrong with you, no matter how ill or how despairing you may be feeling in a given moment. No matter how many scars we carry from what we have gone through and suffered in the past, our intrinsic wholeness is still here: what else contains the scars?” Also hyped to have ordered a few Brene Brown books after the mention of her last week. 🥳

[@MsSunshinefarm]

Bingo Love is so fabulous I read it a while ago and now I’m debating a reread. Last month I read The Tea Dragon Society Series. So wholesome and cute.

[@thediaryofayounggirl605]

I absolutely love your videos. You are such an amazing person. ❤

[@kirstenmurray9992]

I started reading The Gifts of Imperfection after your last video and it is so good. the quiz you can take at the start saw right into my soul

[@Belladonna_Q]

Hi Ally! Thank you for another wonderful video and for sharing your thoughts on these delicious books. Like you, I also slumped for a whole month and just like you (by some miracle) read 10 books. How? I found my guilty pleasure in The Lady of Shalott, especially the sung version. I giggle every time Lancelot shows up. The most beautiful experience for me, however, were Papusza's poems, filled with nature, longing for the forest and the road. I would like to read more about her life in the gypsy caravan. If you can find even a few translated poems, I highly, highly recommend it. Another great experience was reading Simona Kossak. Her book, the title of which can be translated as "On Herbs and Animals", is a kind of herbarium with a short description of plants and animals from the Białowieża Forest that were important to her. But that description doesn't do this book and its author justice. She lost me a bit when she started writing about homeopathy, but the woman was friends with a lynx and took naps with it, she can even believe in unicorns, for all I care! Now I'm starting the "Saga of the Białowieża Forest", which is a natural and historical book. Sorry for this very long and possibly very grammatically incorrect comment, I hope it was understandable!

[@AthynVixen]

Ally you are not alone. I have NEVER got the hype on Zadie Smith. Ithink it was because at the time he had her big hit she was one of the few UK POC writing lit fic

[@manoeksbooknook]

February was just blegh in chronic illness world for me as well 🥴 but I found two all time favourite books and both were buddyreads with amazing people so that's a win!! Those faves are: into the drowning deep (killer mermaids, queer, disability representation, cool science that totally made me believe in mermaids. Say no more) and A Marvellous Light (gay love story in Edwardian England with super cool magic system )

[@whylal]

I love how vibrant your bookshelves are, and the colour of the mug is :)))

[@fionagraham4338]

Love this video as per! I’ve been binging your videos and they feel like a hug. I’ve got an autism memoir rec- it’s call Strong Female Character by Fern Brady. She’s a Scottish comedian and I haven’t even finished it yet but it’s great! Absolutely honest and talks about how let down she’s been by people until finally getting her diagnosis and it’s heartbreaking and frustrating but her writing is amazing and as a fellow autistic woman I’m feeling so seen! If you choose to pick it up I hope you like it 😊

[@allisonpaiges]

oooooh thank you for the rec!

[@mymindfullife7554]

Thanks for reminding me that I have Transemdant Kingdom! Top of my tbr now.

[@Cevin.]

I feel literally the same about Yaa Gyasi - exactly my feelings when I read homegoing

[@aloveoflibraries]

Lovely video as always 🥰 the books that stuck with me from February were both graphic novels: chicken with plums by marjane satrapi, author/illustrator extraordinaire of Persepolis - this one is quite brief but really packs an emotional punch - and lighter than my shadow by katie green, which devoured & unsettled & reflected back to me parts of myself that have been longing to be seen & tended to for a long time ❤️‍🩹

[@ariannawestley]

Your comment about witnessing words on paper sent me 😂 I almost never read non-fiction books for that specific reason lol

[@trin1894]

random but your hair looks so nice!

[@theresam.1121]

my favorite book I read this month was black girl unlimited by echo brown. It was so beautifully written and it touched on so many tough topics in a way that resonated so deeply with me. Check trigger warnings though!!

[@priscillacosta1307]

Hi, Allison! Thank you for the recs as always! My favorite reads of February were In the Dreamhouse by Carmem Maria Machado and my reread of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (I remember you saying that you don't usually vibe with classics, but if you ever want to give another one a chance, maybe you'd like this one for the focus on friendship and family and the more mundane aspects of life). I also read and loved Unmasking Autism which I found out about through you, so thank you! Oh, and when you asked for examples of books with older protagonists, I immediately thought of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk. So so so good, truly. Hope you have a wonderful week!

[@nisei.reader]

made my heart flutter to see besties reading with you ! (alex and sally ofc). I might need to pick up the mindfulness book soon!

[@nisei.reader]

YES TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM I read that book a couple of years ago and still think about her

[@ghoulpwr]

Thank you for your recommendation of White Teeth! I LOVe Ruth Ozeki so I will def be checking it out

[@emmakates]

i was also on a nonfiction kick in feb!! with the help of ace by angela chen (11/10 could not recommend more!!!!!) and daring greatly by brene brown, i’ve been deep in some internal discovery, healing, and transformation, so i just ate up a lot of nonfiction. currently about to finish the gifts of imperfection as well, which has been so helpful, and am about to start refusing compulsory sexuality by sherronda brown!

[@ameliareads589]

I think you are going to love The Invisible Kingdom. I like Zadie Smith a lot, but I dnf'd White Teeth too. In general I love her for her nonfiction a lot more than for her fiction, but NW is my favourite novel by her. My favourite book by Yiyun Li is Where Reasons End. In my opinion it works best on audio though.

[@allisonpaiges]

thank you so much for all your insight and recs, amelia! ☀️

[@ameliareads589]

@@allisonpaiges You are very welcome! ☺ I also recommend No Mud, No Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh. I didn't like some small gender related things in it, but it reminded me of a lot of things you tend to forget on a daily basis.

[@jaynm]

a book from an older, queer woman perspective, i recommend reading may sarton’s journal of a solitude. mundane, nature, thoughts on aging and solitude.

[@LoreReads7]

Your videos and the comment sections always give me the best recs!! love it here in this corner of the internet!!

[@juliaamiri7689]

im reading this book that i think you’d love; it’s an incredible agricultural memoir called pig years by ellyn gaydos. it’s so poignant and alive, and parts of it remind me of braiding sweetgrass.

[@AnaMoShoshin]

For older protagonists: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczek. Sort of a cozy mystery but weird and wonderful.

[@ktcrich]

I'm not having the best reading year. I've only read 2 books, both very disappointing 2 ⭐ reads. So I finally joined your Patreon & purchased this month's book. It's baby's first book club so I'm super excited for this month's reading experience 😊

[@Fiona_Co]

I wasn’t in the bookclub yet when y’all read Braiding Sweetgrass last year, and though I really liked Gathering Moss, the more personal bits were my favorite parts, so all this tells me is that I really really need to read Braiding Sweetgrass!!

[@Fiona_Co]

Tbh, I think I’ve commented about needing to read Braiding Sweetgrass before, it’s been on my shelf for so long!! I have no excuse!!

[@nanimaonovi2528]

February standouts for me were 'Indians on Vacation' by Thomas King and 'She Has Her Mother's Laugh' by Carl Zimmer. Both had a lot to say about genetic and cultural inheritance from vastly different perspectives. Happy coincidence!

[@deedsreadswithtea]

Your book recs are truly something special, but the fact that you’ve also been able to cultivate an online space where the book recs in the comments are just as wonderful? Outstanding, legendary, pure magic 😚 Chronic illness book recs: - Pain woman takes your keys - Ill feelings (Alice Hattrick) - A still life (Josie George) - Poor little sick girls (mixed reviews, but firmly on my TBR) Thich Nhat Hanh is amazing. Other self help authors with spiritual undercurrent: Pema Chödrön Tara Brach (read Radical Compassion last year, such a soothing book with practical application & guided meditations at the end of each chapter) Finally, I saw this book the other day and immediately added it to my TBR / made a note to recommend it to you: “Letters to my Weird Sisters: On Autism and Feminism” (Joanne Limburg) As always, so much love for you and your channel ❤️❤️ PS: would love to know where you found the tabs you used to mark up Gathering Moss & Transcendent Kingdom 🙏🏼

[@poppyev8188]

I usually don't care about reading wrap ups but I alwayssss watch yours 🥰🥰 like a ray of sunshine!

[@ghislainesinclair2178]

Have you read/heard of the book "The sound of a wild snail eating"? It's about chronic illness and snails and friendship with nonhuman animals and I think you would love it

[@dmh2633]

Alls well by Mona Awad is a surrealist book that deals with chronic pain. It was so good.

[@RosalindPeters]

Chronic pain recs: - Pain & Prejudice by Gabriella Jackson (non fiction; long form reporting) - The Camera My Mother Gave Me by Susanna Keysen (memoir by the writer of Girl, Interrupted) - On Being Ill (short essay - bite size!) by Virginia Woolf - Vagina Problems by Lara Parker - Chocolate & Vicodin: a quest to cure the headache that wouldn’t go away (or similar title!?) - Chronic Babe 101 by Jenni Grover (good for practical tips in lots of areas) But my tip top rec that changed my spoonie life was ‘How To Be Sick’ by Toni Bernhard. Highlyyyyyy recommend for this stage in your reading & soft spirituality journey ❤❤❤

[@RosalindPeters]

Also for fiction that features chronic pain - Idk but you just might really enjoy ‘All’s Well’ by Mona Awad. Spooky, theatrical, magical realist catharsis with main character who is suffering with chronic pain.

[@michellew6570]

My favorite that I read in February was Light From Other Stars by Erika Swyler. Absolutely beautifully written and explores the family dynamics and friendship through time and space. Highly recommend.

[@sophsbookss]

everytime you hold up a new book I tell myself “no, no more adding to your tbr, close goodreads and leave it closed you have too many” and then reluctantly end up adding it to my tbr gosh darn you

[@sophsbookss]

i couldn’t connect with song of solomon but can’t wait to hear your thoughts