stephgetslit2k18

[stephgetslit2k18]

April Updates: Part 1

Currently listening to: Call Me by Kate Nash Currently reading: Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam Current book body count: 38/150 -- falling behind, but still trying This post recommends: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

Since I didn’t update all April, I’ve decided to split the April updates into two parts, detailing what I read in the first half of April in this update, and what I read in the second half of April in the second -- as well as what I’m currently reading and what’s been happening lately. I promise I’ve got a decent reason for not updating this space, and I swear updates will be more frequent.

I got through a number of fantastic books in April. However, there were also a couple that didn’t stand out -- Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift was one. I really wanted to like, but didn’t particularly enjoy. The only reason why I finished it was because it was so short; I was able to read it in two sittings and be done with it. 

Another not-great read was I’m Not Scared by Niccolo Ammanitti, and I was more than a little disappointed about this. It started off so well! I really wanted to like it -- and if I’m being honest, I enjoyed it up until I neared the end. I wanted more from it, and it didn’t deliver, kind of like pulling out your personal pint of ice-cream, only to discover that freezer burn got to it first.

Still, I’m happy to say that there were some reads I really did enjoy. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis was an absolute joy to read -- so much so that I almost didn’t want to finish it. That’s the trouble with Nooks, I guess; you lose track of the pages, and you aren’t able to tell how much of the book you’ve got left.

I’ve already recommended The Female of the Species to my parents, a good number of friends, and my partner. While it could’ve done better in terms of racial representation, I really enjoyed how nuanced every single main female character was -- and that there was only one man who really mattered in the entire book. Please read it.

Essentially, in The Female of the Species, Mindy McGinnis crafts the most interesting character. We’ve had stories about psychopaths, but I don’t recall ever reading about a female teenage psychopath who channels her knowledge of murder into creepy men who really deserve it. This is what it is, coupled with fantastic commentary about rape culture and mental health issues.

Another book I enjoyed in early April was Q. Kelly’s Reality Lesbian, which... wasn’t great, but was still a cute read about a lesbian version of The Bachelor. I always need more from romance novels -- more detail, better dialogue, just more. I should probably just stop reading them altogether, but who doesn’t love some fluff?

Maybe send me some suggestions for better LGBT romance. 

[stephgetslit2k18]

I missed out on March Madness!

Currently listening to: Hold My Girl by George Ezra Currently reading: Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Work deadlines, Lent (and Easter), and the birth of my third niece distracted me from updating this last month, but I’m back to tell you about everything I read! Thankfully, the good book streak continued into March (and seems to have followed me into April -- which I’ll discuss this weekend), so here’s hoping that the rest of the year will be excellent.

I seem to have fallen behind a little bit, with only thirty books under my belt so far. Still, I’m not too worried -- I always find time to sneak in a few pages here and there. Anyway, on with what I read in March, and believe me, I’m excited to tell you about most of them!

I got through seven books in March, which was quite the accomplishment! Seven books a month isn’t going to do anything to help me read 150 books by the end of the year, but you have to understand that I work full-time, have an extremely energetic dog, a gaming addiction, and I’ve been hitting the gym three times a week -- while in a long-distance relationship!

Enough about that; on with the books. In March, I read (and loved) All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman. It was a really short read -- short enough to finish in an afternoon, but it was put together in such a lovely, simple manner, and reminded me that I do, in fact, enjoy postmodern literature (sometimes).

Since I’d been wanting to read Because You Love to Hate Me (edited by Ameriie) for a while, I finally managed to do that! I love short stories, and anthologies, and fairy-tale retellings, so it checked most of my boxes. The stories in Because You Love to Hate Me are told from the villain’s perspective. As you might expect, I was glued to it.

I particularly enjoyed the retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, which has never been my favorite fairy-tale; that should tell you how good it was. While doing a cleanse last month, I read The Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It wasn’t riveting, but it was an easy-enough read. The ending was a little too tidy for me, but same-sex family units get happy endings so rarely, so I’ll take it.

Another excellent book I read was The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka. I’ve said before that I love diaspora fiction, but I generally stick to South Asian diaspora. I took a chance and branched out, since this is Japanese-American diaspora fiction, and while I didn’t hold it as close to my heart as I have the numerous Shyam Selvadurai books I’ve read, it was still a raw, good read.

Other notable March mentions are Popcorn Love by KL Hughes -- very cute, very fluffy, but too few conflicts, The Stars Change by Mary Ann Mohanraj -- sci-fi things with lots of QPOC, but I’m not the biggest sci-fi fan, so it wasn’t my favorite, and The Full Legacy by Jane Retzig -- creepy, witchy, gothic stuff, set in 90′s (80s’s?) London; ridiculously immersive and enjoyable.

I’ll be back this weekend to bring you up to speed on my April reading list, so check back then (perhaps).

[stephgetslit2k18]

February’s almost over!

Currently listening to: Every Time I Hear that Song by Brandi Carlile Currently reading: One Day by David Nicholls

And you might be wondering -- what have you read, Steph? Let me tell you! February has legitimately been the month of good books; the selection I’ve read this month has been pretty freaking fantastic. I was really sad to part with some of these books, once I finished them, and I’ve been looking into audiobook copies, because they were so enthralling.

As I said, most of the books I read this month have been incredible. I found myself unable to put down The Last Days of Jack Sparks, by Jason Arnopp. Upon giving it a Google, I found out that Jason Arnopp went the extra mile in fleshing out his characters (Jack, especially) by creating a digital footprint for them.

In this book, he also establishes the unreliable narrator trope pretty early on, but it doesn’t feel forced. I loved the way Jack was written, and I’ve never wanted to smack a fictional character more -- he’s every single straight, white, cis-male 20-something you know; cocky, frustratingly stubborn and annoying, with a slight cocaine problem.

Really, I can’t recommend it highly enough; I’ll be listening to the audiobook at work next week, and I might update this post with my thoughts on that. If you’re looking for something to scare you witless, but also provide the occasional chuckle, definitely pick this one up -- but you might find yourself sleeping with the lights on.

I also really enjoyed The Innocents by Francesca Segal. Okay, yes -- I do love a good book set in London (side note: I just finished Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, and everyone should play it), having lived there for two years. The Innocents tells the story of a Jewish community based in North London, and it was a stunning, almost-anthropological read.

Essentially, Adam and Rachel are getting married, and everything is going incredibly until Ellie, Rachel’s far more interesting cousin shows up. The Innocents was put together in such a palpable way that the reader can absolutely understand where Adam is coming from, the dilemma he’s in, and why the community behaves the way they do.

It’s a pretty easy read, but it takes skill to flesh out as many characters as there were in The Innocents, and Francesca Segal pulled it off. It’s a case study on small communities, human interaction, and what happens when peace within it is threatened, so if that sounds like something you’d enjoy, get yourself a copy.

This month, I also read Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley. I found it nostalgic, in the sense that it made me remember how dramatic every little thing is when you’re fifteen years old. While it definitely wasn’t the best I’d read this month, it did remind me to be kinder and more understanding towards my younger cousins, and maybe not roll my eyes so much.

Some other books I read and enjoyed this month were Aquamarine by Carol Anshaw, Another Day by David Levithan (loved it, excited for the Every Day film, even more excited for the third book!), and All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg, which... honestly, just made me start to feel a little depressed -- but also hopeful. 

Once again, if you’ve got any idea as to what I should read next, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m always looking for more things to read, and I’m open to suggestions, across the board! I’m almost done with One Day, so please tell me what I should read next! More next week, perhaps.

[stephgetslit2k18]

So, that’s it for January.

Currently listening to: Fade by Lewis Capaldi Currently reading: Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

I know, I know, it’s well into February, but since I’ve started doing this recently, January seems like the... logical place to start. You know, chronology, organization, and all that good stuff. Very unlike me, but I have to try, at least. Anyway, January -- thirteen books down, one hundred and thirty-seven to go.

I managed to read a number of really good books in January. For the most part, I stuck to my current crime-mystery-fiction obsession, and that worked out pretty well for me. One of last month’s most notable reads was Little Deaths by Emma Flint. I love historical crime fiction, and while nothing will ever top Emma Donoghue’s Frog Music, this was excellent.

Based on an actual crime that shook Queens, New York, in the 60s, Emma Flint changes things up a little. It’s a critique of how female sexuality was viewed in the 60s, especially in terms of motherhood. If historical crime fiction is your thing (especially if it’s based on an actual crime), you’ll probably be interested in reading this.

Other books I enjoyed in January were Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig, Winning by Lara Deloza, and French Lover by Taslima Nasrin. I particularly enjoyed the last one -- I’ve got a special place in my heart (and on my shelf) for South Asian fiction by South Asian writers, so if you’ve got any recommendations, I’d love to read them all.

However, if your recommendation is Shantaram, I’m not interested in reading it. Speaking of terrible books, one book I absolutely suffered through in January was Selfless by Ciara Miller. It made very little to no sense at all, the storyline was terrible and disjointed, and there was no depth to the characters, making it very difficult to connect with any of them.

Plus, I was disgusted at the framing of a teacher’s relationship with her underage student in it. We don’t need anyone adding on to the “predatory lesbian” stereotype, and while I understand that the idea of a forbidden love is a very appealing one, there are many other (better) ways to do it. Selfless was a waste of space on my Nook, and an even bigger waste of my time.

To end on a positive note, it’s fifteen days into February, and I’ve already read some really great books that I’m excited to write about, soon enough. Because of work, and general exhaustion, I seem to be losing my momentum a little bit, but it’s nothing that reading a couple of chapters on my commute and my lunch break can’t fix.

If you’ve got any ideas as to how I can read more, or what I should read next, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m always looking for more things to read, or how I can read without getting distracted by a new podcast (or Netflix, or my dog, or... you get the picture). More next week (maybe).