As the month of love comes to a close, I realize that many of the books I have read this month were not actually love stories. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a wonderful reading month overall. 

“The Yellow Wall – Paper” by  Charlotte Perkins Gilman: 

I picked this short story up on a whim, and I was pleasantly surprised! 

Throughout the story, we follow a young woman, who has just had a baby, and her husband. During this time, we follow our main characters’ descent into madness. 

I was incredibly moved and intrigued by the concept of this short story. This woman, who has been forced into isolation, still fights for herself until she mentally and emotionally can’t anymore. 

Her husband is her doctor and he believes he is correct in keeping her from the outside world and social interaction, believing too much of it will do her more harm than good. However, the way he treats her is as if she is a child, not as an adult who knows herself better than others could. 

“The Yellow Wall – Paper” serves as a reminder that mental health is just as important as physical health and affects different people in differing ways. At the same time, the story is a tale of feminism and making choices in a time when it feels like the mind is being deceiving. 

“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger : 

Earlier this month, my English teacher gave me a copy of “The Catcher in the Rye” and thought I might enjoy it. I’m delighted to say that she was correct. 

“The Catcher in the Rye” follows the main character, Holden Caulfield as he is kicked out of his prep school and roams the streets of New York City during the days before Christmas. Dull plot summary, I know; however, this book is absolutely amazing. 

Caulfield is a character people either love and understand or hate and find immature. I discovered that I understood him more than I care to admit. 

Caulfield, in many respects, is not a likable character and that shows throughout the character interactions he has. He is straightforward, cunning, jealous, gross and overwhelming. Perhaps it is because he realizes and recognizes his flaws and imperfections that makes him a better character. 

Caulfield is just a typical, messed up teenager trying to understand the ways of life. If I had read this novel before I was in high school, I would have hated it. If I were to potentially read it after high school, I think I would’ve hated it then too. He is trying to be enough for the people around him, but a fear of failure and anger towards others sticks in his way. 

For teens, this is a wonderful and incredible novel that has withstood book bans, controversy and conflict. 

Honorable mention: 

“Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay: 

I have yet to complete this collection of essays (I’ve been reading this for over a year now) but it is such a good read. 

Gay dives in topics of sexuality, gender equality, workplace disadvantages, and abuse. She is brutally honest and doesn’t hold back in her opinions on anything. She understands all sides of an argument, but she doesn’t stray from her opinions and backs everything up with quotes, statistics, and anecdotes. 

Overall, my reading month hasn’t been the greatest, however what I have read has been engaging and enriching. I can’t wait to see what March has in store for reading.