August Reading

 I read some really good books in August, which cannot be said of every month. I would definitely revisit a few of these in the future, and am hoping that my "good book" streak does not end come September.

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I read this book in two days, partially because it's not very long, but mostly because it is just so good. The format is a little different - short chapters that describe "Dream House as ...", and then go into that specific style. The plot circulates the relationship between the author and "the woman in the Dream House", bringing to light an abusive and manipulative relationship between two women. Even though I may be a little biased because Machado lives in West Philly with her wife, this is truly one of a kind.

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Though I mentioned this book before, I just completed it over the past month. It reads beautifully and the ending comes to a lovely conclusion. Based off true events, I learned about a part of pre-WWII that I'd never known before, and in the eyes of a fifteen year old girl, the events play differently than they would as a series of facts. I can see myself returning to this story in the future as well.

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I began too many race-related texts at once, but this is the first I completed. I really liked the memoir feel of this, as it made it a little bit easier to read than books that are jam packed with facts and figures. It is concise and informative, and great to read to get yourself thinking. The author mainly writes about England, but the themes apply to the US just the same.

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Even knowing how this mystery is solved, I would read this book again. It's dark and twisty and everything you expect to have from Gillian Flynn. Libby Day, the unlikable protagonist, is the only survivor of a slaughter (can it be a slaughter if it's only 3 people?) from when she was young. Now in present day, she is trying to firm up what actually happened that night. The chapters jump around in time and perspective, and I flew through it. I also love how a majority of the story takes place in 1985 Kansas.

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This is clearly geared towards young, teenage boys, as the narrator is that of a 6th grader. I had heard about the series due to its popularity and movie, and thought it would be worth checking out. The story held up, but at this point in my life, I feel like there are so many other fantasy novels that better hold my attention. I really like the Greek mythology angle and maybe would have gotten more out of this if I had read it rather than listened to the audiobook.

July Reading

 I didn't finish a single book in June, further disappointing myself on top of all the other tasks I failed to accomplish. So, I was very proud to have finished three books in July. Even though I'd started them earlier in the year, it felt real good to complete them.

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The beginning was slow reading, with long descriptions and vague references that I had to keep looking up on the internet to decipher. While I consider myself culturally unaware, I think it still would have taken a little searching to figure it all out. Once I resigned myself to reading without fully understanding every sentence, the story read more quickly. About halfway through I began to lose interest. Some plot lines dragged on a bit, and at points the book skipped ahead years within a chapter or two. It seemed like too much detail was given to newer characters without fleshing out the original ones. The ending was also abrupt, but I honestly have no idea how the book could have ended in a different way. With such a long story, eventually it has to just...end.

 

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When it comes to reading Harry Potter, there's only a few groups of people: the super re-readers, the have-read-series-once, the want-to-read-series, and the no-interest. Basically, no need for me to describe it in depth to you. I really liked the Winky and SPEW storyline, especially since it's cut out of the movie. And Cedric's death is given a comical lack of drama -- Harry just hazily sees the curse and, oh, he's dead now. Gotta drag a body.

 

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Though I should have gotten to this before now, reading this in the current climate gives it a horrifying twinge I never would have experienced has I read this back in 2009. The fear of surveillance, exploitation of people of color, and rewriting history to benefit those in power hit differently in a time where trusting government or corporations is simply laughable.

May Reading

At the end of each month, I will make a post about the books I've been reading. Through May, I have begun quite a few new titles and returned to others I never finished.

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I have owned this book for a very long time, and finally picked it up. It's a quick, endearing sory story about a cast away mouse with adorable illustrations. Definitely recommend if you like children's literature.

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Since I am reading through the Harry Potter series for the first time, I am flying through it. I saw the movie for this book when it was in theaters, so it holds a special place in my heart. The series is absolutely exceeding my expectations.

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Since completing Prisoner of Azkaban, obviously I immediately began the next book. I have only seen the first four movies, so I know the big plot points here but am excited to get into those deets.

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This book was difficult to get into at first with loads of thick sentences. Most of the references were lost on me, but I got through it with some time on Wikipedia. The story picked up and goes in a (mostly) chronological order and it became more enticing to read. I am reading it on the Libby app and have not completed it yet.

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This non-fiction book reads like a manifesto, as a collection of essays and interviews. As a queer black woman, Brown discusses how to fully seek and consume pleasure--or at least I think because some parts are confusing for someone (me) who has no prior knowledge on the subject. I am also partway through this one, but certainly am already more informed.

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The first in the series, this YA novel is a quick read. As a dystopic fantasy with mostly short chapters, I have been flying through it and am already anticipating reading the rest of the series. The narrator-protagonist occasionally has repetitive or predictable thoughts, but the story takes some turns I had not anticipated. It's possible that these plot twists are written on the book jacket, but I haven't seen it.

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I first read Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin and loved it, so I figured it was time to go back to her original personal development book. She outlines a year-long experiment to take her life from mediocre to 'happier'. It lends itself to slow reading, since it breaks itself into small sections easily. I also just want to savor every bit.

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This is about as far from the erotic Grey series as you can get. Taking place in 1941, the novel details the Russian military abducting 'outspoken' Eastern European families to labor camps and Siberia. In the voice of teenage Lina, this story moves both temporally and emotionally. The chapters are really short and it is so easy to just keep reading.