What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

I had many good reads this month, from a variety of genres! Here's what I've been reading this past month. Not included are the Usborne Puzzle Adventures books from my childhood that I've been working my way through.

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour: This story was like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. It was a painfully cringy look at both startup culture and what it can be like to be the lone person of color in a workplace making ham-fisted efforts to be inclusive. The plot became less coherent as the story went on and I disliked many of the characters' decisions, but the book is still worth a read for the very real problems it spotlights.

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: This is a genre-bending, heartwarming story centering four women's stories: A violinist bargaining for her soul, a transgender runaway seeking a safe haven, a spaceship captain bringing her family to Earth to keep them safe, and a luthier trying to find her path after only the men in her family were considered worthy of apprenticeship. I found this to be an engaging reading/listening experience and enjoyed the way that Aoki cleverly solved some of the characters' most complex challenges, as well as the "found family" feel it had.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: This was my October Best of the Bunch. It's always nice to read something that lives up to the hype. Be prepared to laugh and cry if you pick this one up.

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie: This had a clever premise and a fairly satisfying conclusion. As with most Christie novels, I was not able to arrive at the solution on my own, even though the pieces were all there in retrospect. Aside from the unfortunate marks of its time (related to both adoption and a biracial character), this book is a solid Christie mystery.

Excuse Me, Sir!: Memoir of a Butch by Shaley Howard: This is primarily a memoir of Howard's experience using alcohol and opioids to deal with the pain of being closeted for much of her life and having an emotionally volatile mother. Unfortunately the writing isn't super strong (and the book badly needs a copyedit), which is not to say that her personal story isn't important or that her trajectory of healing isn't worth honoring, but I don't feel a strong drive to recommend this memoir over others that deal with similar topics and have more polished writing.

Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain by Shankar Vedantam: I liked the premise of this nonfiction work: Not all delusions are harmful. While truth, logic, and rationality are certainly important, we are still emotional creatures, and sometimes believing things that aren't empirically true makes for happier lives, better mental health, and stronger social connections. I found this book to be strangely uplifting in its emphasis on health and happiness over being on constant guard to ensure that everything you believe is literally true.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune: I felt roughly the same about this sequel as I did about the original, though for different reasons. I enjoyed spending time in this world with these characters again, but some of the larger themes/arcs didn't work for me that well.

She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh: I really, really enjoyed this book, more than I expected. Originally published as a series of articles, this book (narrated on audio by the author) is not just a review of the life, career, and music of Dolly Parton but also an exploration of how these things speak to broader historical trends in women's rights, country music, and culture more broadly.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hazeldine: Volume One, Dawn of the Underlord, and Once There Were Wolves
Five years ago I was reading: The Next Evangelicalism, Girt, and Demon Lord of Karanda
Ten years ago I was reading: And the Mountains Echoed, Cordelia's Honor, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Best of the Bunch (October 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in October.

Of the 10 books I read this month, I had just one 5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!

A Man Called Ove has sold me on Backman. He is a master of the craft. Ove seems supremely unlikable as a character when the book opens, but as you slowly get his backstory amid his current plans to take his own life, it's clear that he's a good-hearted man with a strict set of principles who has become increasingly overwhelmed by the world and the life circumstances in which he finds himself. Past incidents are sometimes referenced multiple times throughout the book with slightly more context each time, so what seems to be an absurd feud over a car turns out to be a manifestation of grief from a man whose generation wasn't taught to talk about their feelings. Sparked by the incessant meddling of Ove's new neighbors, a kind of found family forms in the community where Ove lives, with Ove in the center against his grumpy will. (Be aware that Ove's internal judgments of others, especially near the beginning, can be quite harsh and based in ugly stereotypes.)

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hazeldine: Volume One and Cultish
Five years ago I was reading: King of the Murgos, More Than Two, and Whistling Vivaldi
Ten years ago I was reading: Breath, Eyes, Memory, Cordelia's Honor, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

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What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

It's been another good reading month! Not only am I back to my regular reading cadence, but I also read a number of excellent and thought-provoking books, both fiction and nonfiction. Here's what I've been reading!

The Feather Thief by Kirk W. Johnson: This was a well-constructed work of nonfiction about a topic I knew nothing about. Johnson does a masterful job of concisely laying out the history leading up to the theft; since the thief had already been identified and confessed at the time he learned about the theft, the suspense comes from his efforts to find and recover the stolen feathers.

I'll Have What He's Having by Adib Khorram: This was my September Best of the Bunch. I really enjoyed this adult romance with two men trying to navigate real-life challenges and figure out what they each want and deserve.

The Mandalorian: The Rescue by the Walt Disney Company: This book my 9-year-old and I read was basically one story line from The Mandalorian told through freeze frames of the show with some sound effects and speech bubbles. Whole pages just had closeup shots of people's faces or various details in the scene, and you were apparently supposed to be able to figure out what was happening just from that. I wasn't impressed.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty: This was undoubtedly longer than it needed to be, but I enjoyed it. Moriarty uses the stories of multiple passengers (and one flight attendant) receiving predictions of their age and cause of death to explore a range of ideas, from the credibility of fortune tellers to the ways that single events can change one's life trajectory. I liked this much better than Moriarty's last couple books and am very glad I picked this up.

Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference by Cordelia Fine: Fine is thorough in showing the issues with just about every type of research purportedly finding differences between women and men in skills, abilities, interests, and even brain structure. You don't have to know how to read academic research; she's compiled work from a variety of sources and made it accessible with the clearest examples and analogies. Published in 2010, it does feel a bit outdated and is not inclusive of trans and non-binary individuals, though it's well done within its narrow focus.

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson: This was an exhaustive look at the many areas of life — work, relationships, politics, and more — where the impulse for self-justification has major effects. Their plentiful examples were a good balance of research studies, real-life events, and imagined scenarios that clearly demonstrated their points. I only wish the chapter on psychology (and its sarcastic jabs at clinical psychologists who aren't researchers) hadn't so clearly revealed the authors' own self-justification bias.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers: I can definitely see why this is a modern classic and an award winner, though personally I found the reading experience just OK. The same formatting choices and ambiguity that makes this perfect for a young adult classroom kept me feeling distant from the protagonist and his story.

Jessica by Bryce Courtenay: The writing kept me engaged in this long story of a young Australian woman's life, though the bleakness got to be too much. I don't regret reading this, but it was a bit too much of a soap opera for me to recommend widely.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Project Hail Mary, A Place to Hang the Moon, The Bad Guys in the Baddest Day Ever, and The Residue Years
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, An Untamed State, More Than Two, and Whistling Vivaldi
Ten years ago I was reading: Sister Outsider and Walk Two Moons

Best of the Bunch (September 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in September.

Of the eight books I read this month, I had two 5-star reads:

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

I'll Have What He's Having by Adib Khorram

These were both very good for different reasons! Because my 9-year-old and I read the graphic novel Nimona over the span of a few weeks, I feel less confident in my 5-star rating (though very interested in rereading it on my own now). And I'm always happy to hype Adib Khorram, one of my favorite authors who is not well known enough!

At this point I will read anything Adib Khorram writes, and I'm not surprised that his first adult romance novel, I'll Have What He's Having, was as good or better than his young adult books. While he draws on some romance tropes to structure his novel, everything in between was authentic (and spicy!). Although there were a few too many sex scenes for my personal taste, I greatly appreciated how Khorram showed two men navigating real-life conversations about sex, including testing and protection, consent, and preparation and supplies for anal sex. It was lovely to see Farzan and David's romance add depth to the already full lives they each had, including close familial relationships and lifelong friendships. I love a book where there are no villains, just a lot of people doing their best in their own way. I will continue to look forward to reading whatever Khorram writes next!

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Project Hail Mary, Clap When You Land, and Wherever Is Your Heart
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages, God Land, and Whistling Vivaldi
Ten years ago I was reading: I Am Malala, Family Matters, and The Road

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Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time for planning another season of reading! I read everything on my Summer TBR list. Here are ten books I plan to read this fall. After going hard on queer love stories in the summer, I need a different mix of books in my life, so I have a split of fiction and nonfiction.

1. Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
This is what my online book club is discussing in October. I am... not really a fan of satire, so I don't have super high hopes for this one, but maybe it will surprise me, and I'm sure it will be interesting to discuss!

2. Excuse Me, Sir! by Shaley Howard
Earlier this year I read an article by Howard and was reminded I'd seen her memoir around, as she's a local author. Not too long ago I had a lovely conversation with a friend who's also a more masc queer woman about our experiences getting comfortable with our preferred gender expressions, and I'm excited to see what Howard has to say about her own experience.

3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Y'all, I still haven't read this book, despite it being on every list ever and being a movie and everything. This season is the time to finally check it out.

4. Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
I love a good psychological deep dive! Yes, please explain to me all the weird ways my brain works and what I can do to be a better human in the world.

5. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
At this point I think this young adult book from 1999 can be considered a modern classic. I did not read it in school, but I'd like to read it now.

6. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
My own year has been kind of a mess, so I definitely chose the next few reads from the "sounds uplifting" tag on my might-want-to-read list. The other tags on this book inform me I may have chosen yet another queer romance, but at least I gave myself some variety this season!

7. Nothing to Fear by Julie McFadden
Here's another kind of nonfiction I love! I have a feeling that I probably heard McFadden on a podcast and that's how I got interested in her book on demystifying death. I think hospice is awesome and that the folks who work in it have a lot to share with the rest of us, so I'm excited to pick this one up.

8. Only Love Today by Rachel Mary Stafford
It appears this book of daily inspiration may be more heavily Christian than I realized when several Goodreads friends recommended it, but I'm cool with occasionally dipping my toe back into the world of Christian books as long as they don't come with a lot of cringy, narrow-minded assumptions. We shall see where this one falls!

9. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune
I'm pretty sure I first heard about this from a Goodreads ad, but I immediately knew from the title and cover that it was a sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea and went and put a hold on it. I don't plan to reread the first book, so hopefully it's the kind of sequel that gives you some time to get re-oriented to the world.

10. Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD
This book pops back up on my radar on a regular basis, and I've now had it on my "priority read" shelf for quite a while, so I'm finally going to read it this fall!

What do you plan to read this fall?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Project Hail Mary, The Sittaford Mystery, and Our Favorite Songs
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
Ten years ago I was reading: The Souls of Black Folk, Family Matters, and More Than Serving Tea

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

After my reading got kickstarted again last month from a bout of COVID, I've been back to my regular reading rhythm. Here's what I've finished in the past month!

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour: This was an excellent depiction of shock and grief following a trauma that's not revealed until later in the book. The alternating past and present timelines kept me reading, and the plot twist was well earned.

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly: This was my Best of the Bunch for August. I adore Anita Kelly's writing, and this was no exception. This was a solid romance between two characters with realistic chemistry, a great depiction of an aroace spectrum character, and excellent side plots as well.

Ace Voices: What it Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-Ace by Eris Young: Young could have compiled a book of full interviews, one for each chapter, but they decided to cut them up into quotations and organize them by theme. This could have been fine, but they didn't do nearly enough to narratively synthesize the interview parts with research and their own experience to do each theme justice. I liked some of what they had to say, but overall it was too stream-of-consciousness and the editing too sloppy for my taste.

Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw: This was a great deep dive on the topic of bisexuality, covering a broad range of areas. It's well researched and includes both reasons for despair and reasons for hope, the combination of which will hopefully spur readers to fighting for a more just world.

The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes: This was fine, a graphic memoir I read in under an hour. I think I went in expecting something different, like "Here are the experiences that solidified my gay identity for me," with some being serious and some being funny. Instead it was more like, "Here is a series of times that I came out as gay and then immediately went back to dating guys," with some unexpected mental health elements (eating disorder, panic attacks) interspersed.

The Little Book of Living Small by Laura Fenton: This was a practical guide to living in small spaces, with a collection of case studies (complete with photographs) followed by tips and tricks for every area of the house. It leans a little too hard on the assumption that you could live in a bigger place but are living in a smaller space and can use the extra money to have everything customized for your space, but the variety of options showcased in this book will likely give you at least a few ideas even if you don't have a lot to spare.

You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie: This was a great enemies-to-lovers queer YA romance. What I especially loved was that it's our first-person narrator who's the self-centered, arrogant one when the book opens, and we get to see her transformation alongside getting a better understanding of why she is the way she is. Oh, and yes to alloromantic ace rep!

Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie: Christie's thrillers are never her best work; this is a middle-of-the-pack one, all things considered. The premise is pretty great and there were several satisfying twists, but the middle part of the book has the main character doing basically nothing but hanging around and occasionally having some conversations. So it was rather uneven and not something I'd particularly recommend.

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson: It's hard to put into words what made this book so good, but my kiddo and I both loved it. It's funny and devastating and action-packed and symbolic and queer and beautifully illustrated as well as being well paced. I would definitely read this again to dig into everything I missed the first time around.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Codependent No More and How the Word Is Passed
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, Everyday Bias, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
Ten years ago I was reading: The Fire Next Time, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, and Sister Citizen

Best of the Bunch (August 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in August.

Of the 10 books I read this month, I had one 5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!

I adore Anita Kelly's writing. How You Get the Girl is probably my favorite of their three full-length novels set in the same universe. As with all of their books, we get the perspectives of both people, so we see how they interpret and misinterpret and second-guess each other's words and actions, both worried about being too vulnerable and leaning in too hard. Julie was my favorite character, not surprisingly; Kelly spoke to my heart through giving us a character who has no idea what identity label to claim because she so rarely gets crushes on anyone and has even less experience acting on them. Unlike the romances I want to chuck against a wall where we're just supposed to root for two characters to get together because they're the main characters, Kelly gives us solid dialogue, with flirting, inside jokes, vulnerability, and sweetness. We actually get to see Julie and Elle develop a friendship over time in a realistic way. All of the side plots are great as well, which isn't always the case. I highly recommend this on audio and kind of wish I'd read the first two this way; maybe I'll go back and revisit them one of these days.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Detransition, Baby and How the Word Is Passed
Five years ago I was reading: How to Be a Perfect Stranger, The Smart Girl's Guide to Polyamory, and The Book of Unknown Americans
Ten years ago I was reading: Totto-Chan, White Teeth, and Someone Knows My Name

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