Well, look at that. Another month has gone by with nary a word from me on this here blog except to write about books. I can’t tell you guys how many times I’ve sat down to write and the words just won’t come. I have so much to say but the words are stuck. It hurts me.
Writing is my coping mechanism and trust when I say I have A LOT to cope with right now. Oh, well. I’ll figure it out at some point. But for now…onto the books!
Oh, wait. Before that. Thanks so much to everyone who joined me and Steph for our very last minute, very disorganized readathon. We had a ton of fun hosting it and might do it again. But more organized. And not quite as last minute. Still with prizes, though. So stay tuned for that.
Moving on.
I read nowhere NEAR the amount I read last month. I blame cheerleading and some very tedious books, one of which wound up being a DNF. Regardless, I still finished my average 7, including 2 NetGalley books. So I’m okay with that. And Goodreads hasn’t sent me any nastygrams yet so +1.
Here’s what I read:
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. Weird book that had lots of potential but wound up falling flat in some places. The plot is quite unique, but was super repetitive and circular at some points. However, the writing was excellent, and the whole twist on mass hysteria, human survival, and the apocalypse was fascinating. ARC from NetGalley. Also could not get out of my head that Karen Walker wrote a book.
Roam by C.H. Armstrong. The premise of this book, a high school student hiding her homelessness, is outstanding. But even for YA books, which I try to read objectively because I am definitely not the target audience, it didn’t necessarily deliver. It felt like it oversimplified the issue, and presented homelessness like a fairly easily solved problem given the right luck. It did depict some of the struggles but meh. ARC from NetGalley.
The Lost Man by Jane Harper. I liked this book a whole damn lot. It’s a stand-alone book from her Aaron Falk series (The Dry, Force of Nature), but it still takes place in Australia and if you’ve read The Dry, you’ll understand the one page or so that mentions that book without actually mentioning it. I think her writing is great, I love the way she tells a story and I can’t wait for whatever she does next. However, this book does deal with domestic violence so if that triggers you, maybe don’t read it.
Calm the Fuck Down by Sarah Knight. The latest in her No Fucks Given Guides, and it’s standard Sarah Knight. Snarky, funny, self-deprecating at times, sarcastic, and some good advice sprinkled in. I can’t say I gained any new coping skills for my anxiety by reading it but it was a decent read.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. Legit, Angie Thomas can do no wrong with her books. This one is as good as THUG. I can’t say it’s better because they deal with different topics (although very, very related), and I absolutely LOVE Bri. And what I love the most about her books is that they do an excellent job humanizing people who are marginalized and looked down upon. She destroys stereotypes in an effective and compelling manner, and I don’t care what age you are (well, maybe not like 7), you should read this. YA or not.
There There by Tommy Orange. Speaking of excellent books about marginalized populations, there was this one. This was also an outstanding fucking book. Gorgeously written, tying in historical facts with the fictitious plot that honestly has the potential to be real, unfortunately (the culminating incident is what I’m referring to here). I loved all the characters and how their lives all intersected, kind of like the movie Crash but in a book. My only issue was keeping track of all the characters but that’s on me. Not the book.
The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King. Sounds like a horror novel but the subtitle is The Life and Times of Fred Rogers, so pretty much the exact opposite. This book is an in-depth and very thorough look at Mr. Rogers, his life, his influence, and his legacy. However, when I say in-depth, I mean SO IN-DEPTH IT IS EXHAUSTING TO READ. The writer tries to do Mr. Rogers justice but his writing is repetitive and tedious and honestly, guys. Just watch the documentary. Unless you want every minute detail of Mr. Rogers’s life. Then read this.
The DNF was Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken. I know it’s getting rave reviews but it was just not for me.
TL; DR: On the Come Up, There There and The Lost Man should grace your TBR. Bowlaway should not go anywhere near it. Everything else is up to you.
Currently reading Brother by David Chariandy (I’m having trouble reconciling this with the fact that it has the same name as a book that gives me literal nightmares) and Good Kids, Bad City by Kyle Swenson.
Now it’s your turn to Show Us Your Books! Bloggers, link up. Nonbloggers, let me know in the comments what you’ve been reading. Don’t forget to visit Steph and some of the other bloggers joining us.
Next SUYB is April 9th, which for some reason is important to me for reasons other than SUYB but are escaping me right now. Weird. Anyway, we hope to see you then, too!
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