mozaikmage (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mozaikmage) wrote2024-11-06 10:29 am
mozaikmage) wrote2024-11-06 10:29 am
Entry tags:
What I read in October!
I do not want to think about the state of the world so here is my belated monthly reads post!
Much less reads this month on account of all my library holds are months away from coming through and I haven't been going to the physical library recently, and Iphigenia took me for-fucking-ever to finish reading. Contemplating getting into webnovels.
Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 2- James Tynion IV
I read Volume 1 last year. Volume 2 sure does continue the story! I dunno. I don't think I'm a Tynion kinda gal.
Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith
Gonna be honest I read this because Jamaica was one of the Storygraph Reads The World Countries and I knew the illustrator was from Jamaica because I know her in real life and also I absolutely intended to read this book two years ago and never got around to it. And then it was ready to borrow on Libby!
I thought it was nice.
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
Birthday gift from a friend I finally got around to reading! I don't think I'm a Pynchon kinda gal either, sorry October. It was interesting and did a lot of interesting things but I wish the characters were more like people and less like boxes for abstract concepts idk.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Literally no one is doing or has ever done it like Suzanne Collins. I loved the Hunger Games in middle school to the point where I was on several different RP forums for the series, but I put off reading the prequel because I was scared it would be bad. It was not bad. It was good! And now that I'm an adult I can appreciate what she's doing on another level.
Iphigenia: The diary of a young lady who wrote because she was bored by Bertie Acker, Teresa de la Parra
For Venezuela in the Storygraph reads the world challenge. Reminded me of the Pillow Book: upper-class girl writing in a diary. Extremely depressing ending, even though the girl in question is very annoying for most of the book. A lot of interesting descriptions of like. What she thinks is important.
I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang
Reviewed this for the October read-a-thon thing in the booknook comm, but TL;DR least good of all of Ann Liang's books which does not make it bad generally but does mean I would not recommend it over If You Could See The Sun or This Time It's Real.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Very fascinating, really good example of narrative nonfiction. I'm impressed with her ability to turn her life into a story with clear themes and arcs. That's probably the hardest part about writing a memoir. Interesting perspectives on therapy and life and stuff too.
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
I've been hearing a lot recently about how the second half of one's twenties are always a big struggle but eventually you will break through and something will click and everything will be better, and this is a book about that happening for a writer and I just want it to be a universal truth and happen to me too. I enjoyed reading it.
Demian by Hermann Hesse
The influential proto-yaoi read for Germany in the Storygraph reads the world challenge. I can see how this would've inspired KazeKi and Heart of Thomas. Mildly depressing but blessedly short. Both more and less gay than anticipated.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Honestly O'Leary deserves a medal for writing a dual-pov romance where the two POVs actually sound like different people, and have narrative voices that reflect their personalities and where they are in life (a chatty editor at a DIY books publisher with a manipulative recent ex meets a night-shift nurse with problems). I generally enjoyed it all of the way through and found the relationship building convincing and the friends interesting, but I wish Tiffy's arc didn't revolve so completely around escaping an abusive man.
Much less reads this month on account of all my library holds are months away from coming through and I haven't been going to the physical library recently, and Iphigenia took me for-fucking-ever to finish reading. Contemplating getting into webnovels.
Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 2- James Tynion IV
I read Volume 1 last year. Volume 2 sure does continue the story! I dunno. I don't think I'm a Tynion kinda gal.
Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith
Gonna be honest I read this because Jamaica was one of the Storygraph Reads The World Countries and I knew the illustrator was from Jamaica because I know her in real life and also I absolutely intended to read this book two years ago and never got around to it. And then it was ready to borrow on Libby!
I thought it was nice.
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
Birthday gift from a friend I finally got around to reading! I don't think I'm a Pynchon kinda gal either, sorry October. It was interesting and did a lot of interesting things but I wish the characters were more like people and less like boxes for abstract concepts idk.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Literally no one is doing or has ever done it like Suzanne Collins. I loved the Hunger Games in middle school to the point where I was on several different RP forums for the series, but I put off reading the prequel because I was scared it would be bad. It was not bad. It was good! And now that I'm an adult I can appreciate what she's doing on another level.
Iphigenia: The diary of a young lady who wrote because she was bored by Bertie Acker, Teresa de la Parra
For Venezuela in the Storygraph reads the world challenge. Reminded me of the Pillow Book: upper-class girl writing in a diary. Extremely depressing ending, even though the girl in question is very annoying for most of the book. A lot of interesting descriptions of like. What she thinks is important.
I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang
Reviewed this for the October read-a-thon thing in the booknook comm, but TL;DR least good of all of Ann Liang's books which does not make it bad generally but does mean I would not recommend it over If You Could See The Sun or This Time It's Real.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Very fascinating, really good example of narrative nonfiction. I'm impressed with her ability to turn her life into a story with clear themes and arcs. That's probably the hardest part about writing a memoir. Interesting perspectives on therapy and life and stuff too.
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
I've been hearing a lot recently about how the second half of one's twenties are always a big struggle but eventually you will break through and something will click and everything will be better, and this is a book about that happening for a writer and I just want it to be a universal truth and happen to me too. I enjoyed reading it.
Demian by Hermann Hesse
The influential proto-yaoi read for Germany in the Storygraph reads the world challenge. I can see how this would've inspired KazeKi and Heart of Thomas. Mildly depressing but blessedly short. Both more and less gay than anticipated.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Honestly O'Leary deserves a medal for writing a dual-pov romance where the two POVs actually sound like different people, and have narrative voices that reflect their personalities and where they are in life (a chatty editor at a DIY books publisher with a manipulative recent ex meets a night-shift nurse with problems). I generally enjoyed it all of the way through and found the relationship building convincing and the friends interesting, but I wish Tiffy's arc didn't revolve so completely around escaping an abusive man.