Books to Check Out: January 2021 Reads

It’s a new year! Which means a new reading goal! Which means I’ll be reading even more! When you’ve got a TBR as long as mine, you have to read pretty fast, and because of that, I’ve started January in full swing. I’ve got three interesting books for you this month. As promised in earlier recommendations, I’ve finally read some nonfiction to share with everyone. So strap in, and check out the books that kicked off my 2021.

Wallace: The Underdog Who Conquered a Sport, Saved a Marriage, and Championed Pit Bulls-- One Flying Disc at a Time by Jim Gorant

Wallace. Such a good good boy. Oh my goodness was this book a tear jerker. A true story of a very good, very talented pit bull? Sign me up.

Wallace tells the tale of an excitable, misunderstood pitbull and his journey to becoming a renowned disc dog across the country. This story has so much heart. It’s fun in places, sad in others. It’s inspiring, and it’s a good read to show how bad the stigma is against pit bulls. Wallace is a fantastic dog, Roo and Clara are fantastic owners, and the journey they go on will simply melt you.

I adored every part of this book. It’s so well told. You get Wallace’s own story mixed in with powerful messages about love, relationships, and tolerance. It’ll make you a better person to read it, and you’ll have a lot more appreciation for those darling pitties as well. It’s worth mentioning that Roo and Clara started the Wallace the Pit Bull Foundation, an organization dedicated to “improve the lives of dogs and people who care for them”. It’s such a great foundation, and you can check it out here.

Moo by Sharon Creech

It’s a middle grade book! This one was very exciting for me. Sharon Creech was my favorite author in third and fourth grade, and I haven’t read any of her books since. I saw the audiobook for Moo available and immediately borrowed it.

Moo is a sweet story about a young girl and her brother acclimating to a life in Maine after moving across the country. Reena and Luke spend the story helping out Mrs. Falala, and old woman who lives nearby, and her entire barn of animals, including Zora the cow. The way in which the bond grows between Reena and Zora is a charming story. The novel is full of Sharon Creech’s usual offbeat characters and situations, and even as an adult, I enjoyed it a lot. It’ll bring out your inner child in the best way, and it’ll give you an important reminder to be patient and kind in your life.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

More nonfiction! This is a book about unusual and interesting disorders and mental conditions. I’m a huge fan of psychological reads, and this one is no exception. While it’s a bit dated, reading about the different cases was something I found very fascinating. For example, this book was published a few decades ago, and seeing how Tourette’s is handled then vs. now was intriguing to me. What’s more, many of the cases don’t include any definitive diagnosis, rather they just look at the symptoms and possible explanations for what’s going on with some of these patients.

The brain is truly an enigma. In another life, I’m sure I’d be studying the brain in a more scientific field but this was a read that kept me engaged the whole way through. There’s a bit of science lingo to slog through in places, but it’s nothing that really hinders your experience reading. For anyone with an interest in the brain or psychology, this would be one to take a look at.

January started with a bang, and I can’t wait to get my hands on even more books this year. Here’s to an exciting 2021 with tons of good reads. Happy reading!