How We Met: After listening to, and falling in love with, Circe on Audible, I knew it wouldn't be long before I started Miller Song of Achilles — 5 ★
How We Met: After listening to, and falling in love with, Circe on Audible, I knew it wouldn't be long before I started Miller's next book Song of Achilles in much the same fashion. I purchased the audiobook, and began to listen in November of last year on my runs as it seemed the only time I was really getting out of the house with the pandemic. But then it got colder and sadly there was less and less time for me to listen to the book.
It says a lot about Miller's writing that no matter how much time passed, whenever I came back to SoA, it was so easy to fall into step with it. It's like when you haven't seen an old friend in years, yet when you are together it's like no time has passed at all.
That's what reading Song of Achilles felt like — returning to an old friend.
My Thoughts: This is a unique book in itself as it represents a story we all know the ending to. That was new for me — stepping into a book with certainty that one of the main characters is going to die. Knowing that no matter what lengths Patroclus and Achilles went to they could not rewrite fate or The Fates.
Rather fitting given the backdrop of a ancient Greek myth.
I loved seeing Achilles in a new light. More specifically, as a boy who was charming and forthright; as a boy who quite simply fell in love. It can be easy to forget these iconic figures of myth were at one point children no different than you or I. Children who spent their afternoons playing in rivers, climbing trees and stealing extra figs from the table... long before they became known for what has made them memorable.
For Achilles, it's nothing short of a miracle given the weight of his prophecy, that Miller allows him to find love.
It was even more lovely to see how Patroclus and Achilles' roles shifted throughout the story. From one being the teacher, the "hero," to the other way around. It made their relationship feel like one of equals, which in the end made this book more poignant.
—
As a literary work, I was in awe of Miller's attention to detail & intentionality with mythical characters. Miller explains (in a separate video I watched on her instagram, so I promise this is not an original idea of mine) that she decided to not stick with the traditional/more common "heel" death for Achilles as it has often been used to paint Thetis (Achilles mother) in a light of neglect and carelessness.
At first I was suprised by this alternate death seen, but listening to Miller's explaination, I found myself favoring it. For more context the myth of Achilles' Heel comes from the story of Thetis taking him as a baby to the River Styx, where she dips him into the immortal waters (but essentially "forgets" to switch and dip his other heel).
Miller argues, there is no way a mother as dedicated and watchful as Thetis would make such an err. And thus, Miller uses this other myth of Achilles dying.
In my opinion, the character of Thetis was one of the most intriguing. It's easy to dislike her and the coldness she shows to mortals, but in the end I could not deny her selflessness when it came to Achilles. The complexity of her character is one I keep reflecting on even now.
—
This leads me to my last and final note regarding the sad reality of this time period and the role/perceptions of women within Song of Achilles.
In my mind this book is Patroclus and Achilles story — it is their fate that is both bitter and yet quite sweet. But this story is also so many sidestories of women whose lives are negatively altered: from Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia who is sacrificed, to Achille's wife Deidameia whose child is taken from her, to the faithful Briseis.
Much like my lingering thoughts of Thetis, these are the women I keep thinking about. I keep thinking about the parents and families who were affected by their deaths/fate, and what these stories would say if there were written.
Spot on Shelf? Absolutely. With this book, and having read more than one of Miller's books I think I can offically call her a favorite author! I listened to both this book as well as Circe on audible (both of which are narrated phenominally), but I assure you as soon as I see a copy at my used local bookstore, I'll buy them both and not think twice....more
My Thoughts: It’s hard to know where to start and what to share when it comes to a book as beloved and known as JanJane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë — 5 ★
My Thoughts: It’s hard to know where to start and what to share when it comes to a book as beloved and known as Jane Eyre. So I’ll share what I know and how I felt.
From the beginning there is something profound and moving about the way Jane Eyre speaks her mind. As she navigates the unkindness of her “home” and the allegations she must overcome among her peers, she is finally offered the greatest kindness — friendship. From here the Jane we see growing and maturing is still the same fiery and passionate person she was as a child, but she’s perhaps more hopeful.
Amidst the pages it’s easy to forget this story was written over a century ago as both the pace & language are surprising accessibly (the opposite of the mental attentiveness I need when trying to read Jane Austen novels). Equally striking is how unlikely and unexpected a character like Jane truly is for her time. In some ways she feels like a time traveler — both in a past time and very much a voice we could hear in this present moment. —
Yes, this novel still fits and likely is one of the many origins for the romance tropes we see today such as the heroine being *unique and different than other women around her.* Jane isn’t excluded from this reality, but there is a complexity to it being that unlike so many heroines in this time and in modern fiction her agency is not dependent on a someone else. Rather her agency comes within her. It is a well stoked fire long before she meets the notorious Rochester.
Throughout the book there are these moments when Jane is looking at her life and decides something needs to change, and so does the most liberating thing a woman can do: *she changes it.* She doesn’t sit, she doesn’t wait, she acts, she moves, she fights and she doesn’t waver in her beliefs even if it means losing what she loves.
❝❞
“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless?—You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,— and full as much heart!
And if God had gifted me with some beauty, and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to me, as it is now for me to leave you.” — Vol II, p. 17
❝❞
Seeing this brought me so much joy. But it also reminded me how easy it can be to forget the power we have to change our lives in large and small ways — that the road ahead of us is as solid or fluid as we allow it to be.
Not to mention, it is just fun to be in Jane’s head. She’s constantly examining things and she’s also funny and sarcastic. I swear when you are reading its like you can hear her voice, her quippy retorts given to Rochester as well as herself. —
Of course, this is not to say the book is without its problems as again it’s a product for its time. Jane unfortunately gets the lesser lot on this front as it relates to both gender roles and socioeconomic station — sadly Rochester is just as frequently a part of the problem. There are whole reviews on goodreads that do a great job highlighting these problematic pieces, and I think they are definitely worth the read when thinking about Rochester as well as one of my most compelling yet unheard character, Bertha Mason. But today, I’m just wanting to say that this book is worth the read. It’s perfect for fall with its gothic architecture, cool tones, and the way Brontë describes the the natural landscapes. It has easily become a favorite among classics for me, one I hope up again to pick up again and also an author whose work I’m keen to pick up more of.
This was my first experience with Nunez, and it did not disappoint. I went into it not knowing much about the context — as you know I The Friend — 5 ★
This was my first experience with Nunez, and it did not disappoint. I went into it not knowing much about the context — as you know I love going into a book "blind"— but what I gathered was the story followed a protagonist tasked to take over the care of a dog who belonged to her recently deceased friend. In my mind I thought it would be similar to Hiro Arikawa's The Traveling Cat Chronicles. And although the themes of loss and animal companionship were present in both books, in many ways the two stories couldn't have been more different.
My Thoughts: What surprised me most about The Friend was how there is very little plot movement. It's not so much a story about an emotional experience as much as it is a discussion about the way we move through trememdous loss, in the paraphrased words of fellow friend @write_whiskey aka Benj Landman who said it better here:
"Nunez simplified a range of emotions through discussion instead of the emotional experience itself. I didn't have to read so much about the events of emotional trauma, it was apparent; it was more about the way we move through these emotions as humans, the way we latch onto others, out support systems."
Despite this lack of "action packed movement," the story kept my attention. There is an honest earnest-ness in Nunez's writing and the way the unnamed protagonist tells stories of her friend, the differentiation between the type of tears we produce, the way our minds can protect us from trauma, and how a dog changes the smell of your flat (as well as those you continue to invite in).
Each chapter feels like a new vignette that has threads to previous ideas, and the blend of objective fact/subjective truth made me trust the protagonist more. This is magnified in the book's conclusion with a surprise I was not anticipating — the presence of which validated the book's genius even MORE for me personally *which feels like a substancial feat to pull off in such little time via page count.*
Themes of grief/loss/companionship are focal points here, but I would argue equal attention is placed on the themes of writing and literary authors, which makes sense give the female protagonist & her friend are both writers. In other words, this book ended up being a lot of what I was not expecting, and in this, I found delight.
Closing thoughts/observations: Nunez uses refrain a lot, I counted upward of 8 refrains that reappeared for one chapter to the next. This was a great way to connect ideas/discussions IMO. Also, if I'm remembering correctly, the only named character aside from literary authors, is the dog, Apollo. This was my "first" time reading Autofiction (fictional autobiography) and being aware of it (and now I want to read more).
Spot on Shelf? Like Benj, stories of loss/grief always tend to be my favorite. For me its something about always being reminded of how small my existence truly is: to marvel in that and also be a bit fearful. This book made me think about these themes in a new way that was deeply fulfilling as the reader. By far a favorite this year....more
My Thoughts: I have to be honest in saying there is no way to really "review" this book aside of being vague and nonA Court of Mist and Fury — 5 ★
My Thoughts: I have to be honest in saying there is no way to really "review" this book aside of being vague and non-descript.
What I can say is that, for me, I enjoyed ACOMAF even more than ACOTAR (the first book in this series), which I didn't think was possible. Much of this is due to the clever and inventive twists Maas infuses the book with. In other words, where ACOMAF starts and where it ends is a COMPLETE surprise. Maas takes the reader on a journey that I could not have intuited, which is a rare thing in books if you ask me. I don't think all *good books* are defined by their ability to *surprise* you, but it is somewhat of a treat when they does.
I think it's safe and unrevealing to say that a key aspect of this book is getting a look at the Night Court, something that is only hinted at in ACOTAR for being this menacing and abhorrant place. Because of this we also get to see the "players" of the Night Court and how they are similar/different from those Fayre (our leading heroine) has encountered at the Spring Court — naturally this extends futher into how these two governing "societies" respond and interact with their lay people. We also get to see more interations between Fayre & her sisters' stories which was unexpected.
That's really all I can say as it relates to the plot.
As a whole, I loved this book.
Maas' institutes the *slow burn* yet again, making sexuality a complimentary theme (among many) which is always on the fringes but never taking center stage. Center stage is for the characters and the relationships which continue to grow and evolve. If you thought Fayre was fearless and brave in the first book, just wait to see what happens here.
This book (unlike the first) does a fair bit of back and forth with the past/present in a way to reveal previous foreshadowing in ACOTAR and add emphasis to this *present story.* It's like learning your crush likes you irl, then later realizing they've been pining over you since the 6th grade (!!!) aka me pining for my talented musician husband in middle school & then meeting him when I was in college and trying to play it cool.. but that's another story.
If I had to share a tidbit of advice it would be: a) Don’t read the synopsis of these books, it’s best to go in blind and b) Consider giving this series a chance — Yes, it is "sexy" and YA, but it's also so much more than that.
Maas has a true skill in drawing the reader into each dialogue between characters; and I admire the attention she puts into themes of friendship, loyality, & family expectations to name a few.
Your opinions of the characters are constantly shifting — no one is perfect, everyone is operating under the weight of their own values and priorities like in the modern world — and we are constantly and unexpectedly being let "behind the curtain" to see what people will do or who they are willing to become in order to protect those they care for most. This alone feels real and believable even in a world of so much magic.
Spot on Shelf? Yes, I loved this book & felt like it really helped me getting out of a reading rut. There are so many beautiful themes, friendship being a key in this book and I cannot wait to see what Fayre encounters next (if I'm being honest, I'm antsy to finish my current reads so I can jump into it!). ...more
How we met: I picked this book up per my friend, Dorothea’s suggestion. Of course, I’d heard of Neil Gaiman at this point in my life, but I for one h How we met: I picked this book up per my friend, Dorothea’s suggestion. Of course, I’d heard of Neil Gaiman at this point in my life, but I for one had not yet had a chance or reason to read any of his works. So, while at Ed McKay’s I was between this and “American Gods,” and I am so happy I picked up “Neverworld” for my first Gaiman. I got the William Morrow edition with a beautiful dark green cover, which only made me want to read it more. I picked our drive to Michigan (ten hours) to take a crack at the text and see if it would stick. It did, and I finished it is 5 days.
Synopsis: This book follows Richard Mayhew a man who has moved from Scotland to London where he’s been for a few years now working a fairly successful job, engaged to a beautiful woman, and by the outside standards — even his own — he seems like he has a great life. But when we finds a girl, Door, passed out and bleeding on the sidewalk he cannot stop himself from helping her, which ultimately and quite literally flips his life upside down, changing everything he thought he knew. He soon discovers there is not just the city of London, but rather there is “London Above” and “London Below,” the latter being a place for those people who fall through the cracks. A person can only live in one world not both; and when Richard tries to return to his life in London Above, he realizes his short time spent helping Door by locating the Marquis de Carabas, has practically erased him from London Above leaving him no other choice but to find Door, and join her in her search as she tries to figure out who killed her family —a gifted family with the power to create doors where there are none and open anything — if he ever wanted to get back to his normal life again. Along the way Richard, Carabas, Door and her bodyguard, Hunter, face betrayal, death, pain all in the hopes of getting them each the one thing they want.
My thoughts: Gaiman creates an alternative reality imagining what it would be like if the people who “fell through the cracks” actually ended up in another kind of world. Hence, the creation of Neverwhere: a place filled with darkness (quite literally), magic, murder and secrets, and it’s all right below London.
I read this book for the first time last June, and I can truthfully say it may have been my FIRST dark comedy. As someone who doesn’t enjoy scary/horror/thriller books, I think I had somehow cut myself off to this style of writing.
Since then, I love the dark comedy — and I think the reason why is because it allows me to still look at something serious and difficult, but in a more approachable and nuanced way. I also believe this a big reason why I love Taika Waititi films.
Additionally, this story is told in third person omniscient, which at first surprised me because I usually, and unintentionally, read first-person narrative. Reading from this perspective allowed me to appreciate this POV as it allowed me to get to know all the characters a bit more personally since I could see their motives at play.
How we met: I went to a local bookstore with a friend a few months ago.
It was acutally my first time visiting in-person since theMagic Fish — 5 ★
How we met: I went to a local bookstore with a friend a few months ago.
It was acutally my first time visiting in-person since the pandemic. I knew I was well stocked on books at home, and honestly had no intention of buying a book (pah, I know you all laughed or shook your heads reading that). Naturally, I got through the *entire hour* of book shopping *without* picking up a *single book,* but then right by the register I saw this beautiful book.
I opened it, closed it. Went to pay $17.23 and went on my way.
My Thoughts: Magic Fish is Trung Le Nguyen's debut illustrated work. At first glance this book is the story of a young Vietnamese boy, Tiê’n, and his mother Helen, who have (over the many years) created a norm of reading stories & fairy tales to one another. What started as a way to better learn English, is now a means to bridge their hybrid languages — the English Tiê’n has grown up with, and the Vietnamese his mother and father still rely on.
This is a story about trying to tell someone who you are when you don't know the words.
This is an Immigrant Story, a Queer Story and a Fairy Tale Story.
And really that's all I want to say about the story itself. Just go read it.
What I really want to focus on is how much intention went into every aspect of this graphic "comic."
From the fairy tales Nguyen chooses, to which character is telling *that particular story* & how it mirrors their own personal story (which is explained at the end of the book).
But it doesn't stop there, even the illustration styles echo the characters' personal experiences from Tiê’n, a young boy growing up in the 90s American Midwest; to his mother Helen who grew up in post-war Vietnam; and lastly, her aunt who remembers the time before the war.
This book is a weaving of story, languages, and how we use both to connect with others as well as understand our place in the world.
I'm still struck by the way Nguyen shows the compatibility of this hybrid "English-Vietnamese" language the characters are using THROUGH the use of his graphics which combine their own two "languages'':Text and Image.
This in itself is yet another foil to further support Nguyen's personal experience & belief that these natural hybrid languages, common among immigrant communities, are "the sound of people from very different worlds doing their best to come together and make each other feel at home."
As someone who spent much of their graduate experience examining stories (hermeneutics) — how they change, how they are told from one culture & community to the next — this book really stood out in the profound freedom and agency it gives stories in their ability to change when they need to.
Spot on Shelf? Yes. unequivocally, Yes. And you should add it to yours too....more
How We Met: After listening to, and falling in love with, Circe on Audible, I knew it wouldn't be long before I started MillSong of Achilles — 5 ★
How We Met: After listening to, and falling in love with, Circe on Audible, I knew it wouldn't be long before I started Miller's next book Song of Achilles in much the same fashion.
I purchased the audiobook, and began to listen in November of last year on my runs as it seemed the only time I was really getting out of the house with the pandemic. But then it got colder and sadly there was less and less time for me to listen to the book.
It says a lot about Miller's writing that no matter how much time passed, whenever I came back to Song of Achilles, it was so easy to fall into step with it. It's like when you haven't seen an old friend in years, yet when you are together it's like no time has passed at all.
That's what reading Song of Achilles felt like — returning to an old friend.
My Thoughts: this is a unique book in itself as it represents a story we all know the ending to. That was new for me — stepping into a book with certainty that one of the main characters is going to die. Knowing that no matter what lengths Patroclus and Achilles went to they could not rewrite fate or The Fates.
Rather fitting given the backdrop of a ancient Greek myth.
I loved seeing Achilles in a new light. More specifically, as a boy who was charming and forthright; as a boy who quite simply fell in love. It can be easy to forget these iconic figures of myth were at one point children no different than you or I. Children who spent their afternoons playing in rivers, climbing trees and stealing extra figs from the table... long before they became known for what has made them memorable.
For Achilles, it's nothing short of a miracle given the weight of his prophecy, that Miller allows him to find love.
It was even more lovely to see how Patroclus and Achilles' roles shifted throughout the story. From one being the teacher, the "hero," to the other way around. It made their relationship feel like one of equals, which in the end made this book more poignant.
As a literary work, I was in awe of Miller's attention to detail & intentionality with mythical characters. Miller explains (in a separate video I watched on her instagram, so I promise this is not an original idea of mine) that she decided to not stick with the traditional/more common "heel" death for Achilles as it has often been used to paint Thetis (Achilles mother) in a light of neglect and carelessness.
At first I was suprised by this alternate death seen, but listening to Miller's explaination, I found myself favoring it. For more contextthe myth of Achilles' Heel comes from the story of Thetis taking him as a baby to the River Styx, where she dips him into the immortal waters (but essentially "forgets" to switch and dip his other heel).
Miller argues, there is no way a mother as dedicated and watchful as Thetis would make such an err. And thus, Miller uses this other myth of Achilles dying.
In my opinion, the character of Thetis was one of the most intriguing. It's easy to dislike her and the coldness she shows to mortals, but in the end I could not deny her selflessness when it came to Achilles. The complexity of her character is one I keep reflecting on even now.
This leads me to my last and final note regarding the sad reality of this time period and the role/perceptions of women within Song of Achilles.
In my mind this book is Patroclus and Achilles story — it is their fate that is both bitter and yet quite sweet. But this story is also so many sidestories of women whose lives are negatively altered: from Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia who is sacrificed, to Achille's wife Deidameia whose child is taken from her, to the faithful Briseis.
Much like my lingering thoughts of Thetis, these are the women I keep thinking about. I keep thinking about the parents and families who were affected by their deaths/fate, and what these stories would say if there were written.
Spot on Shelf ? Absolutely. With this book, and having read more than one of Miller's books I think I can offically call her a favorite author! I listened to both this book as well as Circe on audible (both of which are narrated phenominally), but I assure you as soon as I see a copy at my used local bookstore, I'll buy them both and not think twice. ...more
I couldn’t have picked a more perfect book to start the new year with.
It's amazing to think that this captivating work of ficThe Octopus & I — 5★
I couldn’t have picked a more perfect book to start the new year with.
It's amazing to think that this captivating work of fiction was Hortle's debut novel in 2020. I'd orginally heard of the book from none other than @southernisle_bibliophile whom I turn to for all my book recommendations that feature the sea + relationships + “women just trying to figure shit out” (a self-proclaimed genre I love)
My Thoughts: The story takes place on the Tasmanian Peninsula following female protagonist Lucy, a breast cancer survivor, who is drawn to the local octopuses as if connected by some invisible thread that eventually weaves their two stories.
In this book I encountered love, loss, and the reality that sometimes a situation can be so life-altering that without realizing it, *you've changed.*You are somehow someone new — someone different — and with that comes the responsibility of learning how to honor that newness rather than pushing back against it.
As for the writing itself, Hortle allows you to change POVs frequently, taking on the personas of so many different characters in addition to the local marine life who she personifies (the latter was a surprising treat).
I specifically appreciated how POVs differed so drastically in worldview: from an environmental-conscious diver, to two older women keeping alive the island’s Aboriginal traditions, to a corporate fisherman, a local seal & of course, an octopus.
Dwelling in these contrasting worldviews allowed me too see a bit of truth in each — almost siding with one idea/ideal, and then another in the next chapter. Things definitely clear up in the end, more or less. But in my opinion, this so poignantly mirrored the world we live in.
In short, this is a story of self-discovery, our connections to our bodies, to the land, creation, as well as one another & what we decide to make of it.
Spot on Shelf? Absolutely. I found comfort in how for much of the book Lucy is both aware & *okay with* no one really understanding what the octopuses mean to her and why she's getting so entangeled with them, quite literally. I also could relate to her wrestling with her body and how it was perceived/sexualized. I devoured this in two sittings.
*Personal plus* my previous-life-biology-major-self loved how much I learned about marine life and ecology. ...more
I rented this book twice before I finally got to reading it. As per usual, I didn't know much about its contents aside from the faThe Outrun — 5 ★
I rented this book twice before I finally got to reading it. As per usual, I didn't know much about its contents aside from the fact it was a memoir and given my experience over the past year with memoirs, I'd come to find that more and more I was surprised by their prose. The profound bits always seeming to hit harder with the recognition this is not a fictionalized story, but truly *somone's story.* I am drawn to that type of bravery — to go ahead and lay out all the bits, the good with the bad, not trying to stop the two from mixing.
And so, when I finally decided to pick up The Outrun, Liptrot's words left me feeling like I'd gone sea swimming - at first uncomfortable & a bit hesitant, and then utterly refreshed, shockingly awake.
My Thoughts: In The Outrun, we meet a thirty year old Liptrot coming to the painful realization that she's been an alcoholic for over a decade & if she doesn't change her life now, she'll lose it. While her addiction/recovery is the central theme of the memoir — e.g. reflecting on growing up surrounded by mental illness along with vignettes of her drinking binges, and late nights/early wakings to people she doesn't recognize — it feels like a stepping stone into the story Liptrot really wants to share — that being her experience in recovery on the wind-ridden, salt slapped Orkney Islands where she grew up. There is a profound sense of "going back" to the place she'd been so desperate to leave as a teenager in order to make sense of her life as an adult.
Growing up for most her life on an islands surrounded by sea, what ensues is a prose that teaches the reader to see as Liptrot does. And as a result through the pages of her memoir I ended up learning a lot about the process of lambing, the history of the islands, constellations, types of clouds, endanged birds, and the way of life for people who live mostly "isolated" from the rest of the world.
Early on she notes the tendency for one addiction to switch to another, which for her looks like Alcoholism to Cigarettes & Coca-Cola and eventually transforms into a desire to truly know and be aware of the things around her. We are invited alongside as she searches for corncrakes, moves to Rose Cottage on Papay, visits the Holm, and takes up sea swimming. We see her reckoning with a void that alcohol has so long filled; we see her discover new pleasures she only hoped existed, we see her get stronger even while realizing she will always have cravings.
Spot on Shelf? Yes. If the many dogearred & marked up pages of my library rental wasn't enough of a hint (don't worry, I bought my own copy/transfered notes/and erased marks from rental). Liptrot's writing is hardy, bold and daring. For me, her voice lands perfectly between two other beloved memoirs on my shelf (H is for Hawk; Everything I Know About Love) being a combination of Helen Macdonald's awe and reverance for the natural world and the telling of history (H is for Hawk) coupled with the humor and honesty of Dolly Alderton's EIKAL. ...more
How we met: When this book debuted last year, I was not immune to the hype surrounding it. I didn't know much about it asideWriters & Lovers — 5 ★
How we met: When this book debuted last year, I was not immune to the hype surrounding it. I didn't know much about it aside from the obvious — it was about writing and lovers — and that both my irl friends + those on bookgram noted it to be a favorite read for them.
It seems for me that when there is so much hype surrounding a book I respond in one of two ways:
1) I jump head first into reading it (like ACOTAR), or 2) I get fearful that the brillance will be lost on me, and so I put it aside and wait until the hype has lessened and I've deemed it safer to read.
The latter is true for this book, having sat on my shelf for a little over a year, it took agreeing to read it with my dear friend Renée that finally made it *the right time.*
My Thoughts: I would argue this is a book you *could* easily read in one sitting if you wanted to.
The story is paced well, easy to follow and — aside from the mention of food items and authors I didn't know & had to look up — the writing is unpretentious and comforting. Like a conversation with a friend. The story follows Casey a full-time waitress and fulltime writer trying to manage her college debt, loss of her mother, the tenuous relationship with her father, on top of getting older & dating all while pursuing a career that has far more failures than successes. It's a story so many of us can relate to —finding ourselves in that in-between place when you leave school and are floating between *what was* and *what is to come.*
As someone who is oddly attracted to books on loss (H Is for Hawk, A Little Life, Tin Man, etc.) I loved how believable Casey's grieving process was — those moments where she was simply living life, and something would happen that would prompt her to call her mom, only to realize she couldn't. King poignantly captures these moments of suspended disbelief.
I took my time with this book mostly because of busyness with work. Once finished, I talked with Renée Morris @so.i.read.this.book and we were both equally struck by the gentleness in King's writing as well as the sublty when about talking about real issues in society — namely the advantages and "free passes" given to men & the mistreatment of women both intentionally & unintentional based on how commonplace it is in society. So commonplace that this *theme* is easy to miss all together because it feels so normative (what’s that dang about the dangers of when societal issues start to be "normal"...?).
We see this in Casey's relationship with her father, her boss/co-workers, landlord, as well as those she's dating. There are some male characters who are easily noted as being problematic, but the majority are a combination of good and bad traits. Like real people. This is what I enjoyed the most. And when Casey finds herself in a somewhat love-triangle, as the reader I really wasn't certain what would happen or whom I was rooting for, so to speak.
Spot on Shelf? Yes. This book is a love story, but it doesn’t really read like one. I think this is because it’s also a story about loss, the expectations we place on our passions, and is just a story about a woman trying to figure shit out. This book is also a story about how writing can be a form of healing. It's one I can see myself reread & suggesting to friends in the future. ...more
Synopsis: This book was pure poetry. Relationships are key, and Sarah Winman artfully talks about the joys, ease and difficulties of friendships, r5 ★
Synopsis: This book was pure poetry. Relationships are key, and Sarah Winman artfully talks about the joys, ease and difficulties of friendships, romance as well as parent-child/adult dynamics. Set in Oxford, we follow two boys, Ellis and Michael, two friends whose love for one another is so real and so safe they “just fit.” As boys do, they grow up and things change, good things mostly but with it comes choices of who they’ll be — always together — but perhaps in a different way.
My thoughts: This book examines sexual identity and gracefully examines the choosing who we love. The fluidity of this book is so natural and easy you can’t help but be pulled along with it, loving all the characters and feeling their pain.
Spot on Shelf? Absolutely, one-hundred percent yes. This book will touch you heart, make you want to stand with the sunflowers and hold your loved one close....more
Roxanne Gay presented a relatable, refreshing and eye opening complication of essays in Bad Feminist.
Gay is not trying to say feminism is perfe★★★★★
Roxanne Gay presented a relatable, refreshing and eye opening complication of essays in Bad Feminist.
Gay is not trying to say feminism is perfect, if anything she explicitly says it’s anything but. For her being a feminist is more about recognizing how absolutely “important and necessary” feminism is in the world we live in today even with its flaws. To support this idea she looks at her experiences as a woman of color, as an educator, as a competitive scrabble player; in addition to analyzing popular films, novels, and relevant news happenings that clearly and quickly reveal we have a long way to go before women/people of color receive the same respect and support as our male/white counterparts. *but it’s not only the responsibility of those being oppressed*
My thoughts: This book taught me a lot.
From respectability politics to why “The Help” is a book and movie we should consider more carefully. I felt I was able to follow along and see things I hadn’t seen before. Her quick humor, vulnerability and sarcasm also make her quickly relatable as an author. I additionally admired how this wasn’t a “us vs. them” kind of book. Gay has a way of exposing the flaws in books/films/people respectfully without taking away their complete sense of dignity and legitimacy (unless they are really incompetent pricks). For example, she very easily exposes the danger in idealizing the romantic relationships within the Twilight Saga as well as the fan-fic inspired 50 Shades of Gray, all while also seeing why she and others love them.
There were times throughout the book that Gay’s ideas would repeat, but for me personally, seeing as a compilation of essays, I think this really spoke to the consistency within her ideology in a very endearing way.
Spot on Shelf? Heck yes. I laughed, I learned, I “gurrrrrllll”-ed if that is a thing and I was rightfully made to cringe. I’m happy I was able to read this book for my first ever book club, which in itself was a milestone for being 26, while also addressing my own privileges and biases. I’m excited to read more of Gay’s book and learn from her in the process....more
I finished this book earlier this summer, allowing myself more than a month to finish it cover to cover. I'll be honest, at theBook Review ➯ Dune —4 ★
I finished this book earlier this summer, allowing myself more than a month to finish it cover to cover. I'll be honest, at the time (and still) my experience with sci-fi novels had been minimal, but positive, and the catalyst for picking up the novel had less to do with the iconic nature of the book, but really everything to do with @tchalamet being the lead in the film releasing this October.. but if you've been here for awhile this likely isn't news to you.
Having had a couple months to reflect and think back on the tale as a whole, I can honestly say I loved it. Here are my thoughts: —
The story takes place primary on a desert planet, Arrakis, lots of sand with giant worms that devour the spice melange (but they’ll also eat you) which happens to be the most valued economic resource. There are lots of politics, religion and arostacracy all fighting for power, plus some really badass Freman who are the only ones who seem to have cracked the code on how to survive on this seemingly "unsurvivable planet," but shushhh.. that’s a secret.
I cannot say enough about how brilliant Herbert is when thinking about these relationships & powers at play which ultimately push the story along. As a reader, you are *almost* let in on every motive, which makes it easy to understand the villians and "heros" pov alike.
In conversations with Nicholas, @booksofpage - reading Dune felt like filling in a hole that's been empty. In this one novel we see how Herbert's world has single-handedly inspired and brought about so many other stories we've come to love in the world of sci-fi & film. —
One thing I feel strongly about is the difference in how sci-fi novels tell their stories in comparison to other genres. Here the focus is *not spent* on detailing the amber hues of the setting sun, the crunch of the sand underfoot, and the breeze that sends a chill down your chest as it nips at the sweat-slick skin at the base of your neck (details I also love in books). Here the way the story is written feels more ancient than that.
It feels like what I imagine early storytelling to be — even the stories of my childhood, covers pulled up to my chin. It's all movement based, plot based, every sentence working to propel the story leading you along a crumb trail. It's exciting, it doesn't dottle, it *just keeps going.* This contributes to how *surprisingly* accessible it is to readers even those who are new to the genre. Ursula K Le Guin (sci fi) and Neil Gaiman (fantasy/fiction) are two authors I love who seem to write in this same way. Of course, I think it's safe to say this writing style may not be for everyone, especially if the lack of descriptive details & emotional investment (two things I also love) are dealbreakers.
Truly, this is all I feel I can say to you without giving too much away, but I hope you pick it up.
SPOT ON SHELF? Oh yes, it feels like canon in this way....more
"This time was like one long, thick, sweet, hot drink — comforting and satisfying."
These are Anders words when he is recounting a weekend with his5 ★
"This time was like one long, thick, sweet, hot drink — comforting and satisfying."
These are Anders words when he is recounting a weekend with his children, and this is exactly how I felt while reading this entire book. 'Meet Me at the Museum' is an epistolary novel (i.e. one containing only letters). In this way is feel a lot like 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' or the 'Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,' both of which I loved.
This story follows letters being sent between two people, Anders and Tina, both above middle-age i.e. old enough to be married and have children who are adults; one the wife of a farmer in England, the other a curator at a museum in Denmark. They do not know one another when they begin writings. But what brings them together is Tina's first letter to the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark which houses the Tollund Man (a 4th century BCE mummified corpse) that has had a profound impact on her young life. Her letter is addressed to a professor who is long since passed away, and so it falls upon the curator at the museum, Anders, to reply to her inquired about the Tollund Man. What emerges between their letters are stories of sacrifice, missed opportunities, loss and how to go on living when there is less life ahead of you than behind you. In short, this is a story of how to continue to make meaning and grab the raspberries on your second pass.
I loved the vulnerability and honesty that instantly defines Tina and Anders' friendship — not really knowing one another it's like they have nothing to lose and in that they find everything they've needed. This is the type of book you cozy up on the couch reading with a cup of tea.
This book has earned a spot on my bookshelf, and is by far one of the best books I've read this year....more
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