It’s been a great month for books, and I wanted to talk about a few of the ones I’ve been able to read this month.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon. I don’t always love flowery language, but it fit this book beautifully. Really unique, glad I read half of it in book form and half via audiobook. Narration excellent!
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking. It feels like a softball of a book, but I definitely find myself thinking about coziness or setting up some cozy spaces in the house. Maybe inviting friends & family over for cozy dinners.
Small Beauty by jia qing wilson-yang There is so much story in this otherwise small book. I really loved it. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, other than I knew it won the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction, and it was lovely.
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich - Ibi Zoboi. It took a bit to get into this book, but once I got into it, I wanted to see how it ended. I found myself frustrated by parts of the book, but not enough to put it down. I cared about what happened to the protagonist.
Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home. This graphic novel is beautiful - it reflect on the present German experience of Holocaust and war, and an individual looking deeply at their own family history and who was involved in what. Emotionally difficult
Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom. I’ve read a few essays by this authour before, but all were updated and elaborated on for this book. It’s brilliant, heartbreaking, and so hard to read at times (“Dying to be Competent” specifically)
Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses: A Practical Workbook for Integrating Themes, Ideas, and Inspiration into Your Class. It’s a great collection of ideas and themes to expand on in classes. Good summary of philosophical elements that can be shared while teaching.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers. I loved this book so much. SciFi, a non-human-centric universe, it’s queer, it’s engaging, the world building is wonderful and it was a pleasure to read. Looking forward to reading more from this authour.
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline - heck it was good, moody and mysterious, an exploration of loup garou. Loved the strong but honest protagonist, loved the central love story.
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis - dystopia gets me every time. Took a bit to get into it, but once I was, I was burning through it hoping they make it to Lady Ghost. It feels hot and dusty reading the book, the mood is set perfectly.
The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones - This book reminded me a bit of Station Eleven (which I loved) I liked the alternating perspectives, and meeting each character with more depth, another dystopia about disease and environment which I can’t get enough of.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Heck what was this book. I read it and I think I kind of love it, but also - what did I just read? super-hard-SF spy vs spy romance? Phew. I think I recommend it. It’s really quite beautiful.
Invisible Women - Caroline Criado-Pérez. It is a brilliantly frustrating & eye opening book. Definitely recommend reading it if you’re human. I have a hard copy and mixed that with listening to the audiobook which is narrated by the authour!
Palestine by Joe Sacco. A graphic novel memoir of his time in the Occupied Territories. Fits under the BookRiot #readharder2020 challenge for memoir.
Drive your Plough over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. Should I be so sympathetic to Janina? Perhaps not, alas here we are. My intention is to eventually read it in the original Polish & see the film.
Know My Name a memoir by Chanel Miller. Phew this is powerful. It is hard and heartbreaking and amazing and awful and I am just awestruck by the writing and the honesty and analysis and self reflection of it all.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. This felt like something special - dystopian society where The Memory Police control thoughts through the eradication of memory, in increasingly intense ways.
Love her Or Lose Her by Mallory
Fumbled by Alexa Martin