August Poetry and Prose

Poems Poems Poems
1. “From the Sustaining Air” by Larry Eigner
2. Age at the Beginning of Knowing by Joanna Klink
3. Captain Lovell, [“My eyes are shaky and glimmer like the stars”] by Gabrielle Calvocoressi
4. August 16 by Zakaria Mohammed translated by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
5. They/Them by Danez Smith
6. “Any fool can get into an ocean…” by Jack Spicer

Books Books Book
1. The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang
2. Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

Okay okay, it felt like a kind of slow month for reading, honestly, but writing this out I realize I did read two long books, totaling about 1200 pages. I think I felt like I didn’t read as much because I didn’t come close to finishing the service95 book for August, so I felt like I failed Dua Lipa yet again, however(!), I was in Portugal for almost three weeks and I found out Katabasis is on Laufey’s September book club so I’m technically ahead of the curve in that regard. It all cancels out, I’m sure.

Alright, TSOK has been on my TBR for a long time, and thankfully my friend loaned me his copy and that meant the time had finally come. Wow, what a great story! I love a long book that doesn’t mince words and that’s able to present a fully fleshed idea, plot, and ending all in one. I found myself losing steam about 30% through, and then back at 40% I was locked in once again for the long haul. I did cry and gasp and feel connected to the characters. The story follows a family, from two different POVs (mother and son), through a fantastical world based on feudal Japan. The family lives in a remote village that is less progressive and more removed from the going’s on of the Empire. The propaganda and deceit begins showing its face and we are there with the characters as they grapple with this information and situation. Great story!

My girl Rebecca has done it again! I have recently discovered that some people are not fans of R.F. Kuang and that hurts my heart a little. The discourse online right now is fascinating, because it seems people are hate reading her work, knowing it’s not the style of writing they enjoy, and that’s always a bummer. Her writing focuses on historical fantasy, academic writing, satirical takes, and she is very detailed in her themes and information. You will learn but it’s not overwhelming. She talks about Colonialism, imperialism, misogyny, racism, cultural appropriation, and the like. She loves to create imperfect protagonists and it’s always an incredible read. This is not for everyone, but it is certainly for me. All this to say, I love recommending R.F. Kuang, and this book is no exception. A romance adventure where two rival grad students journey to hell to save their advisor. This book is literally grad school hell, and it’s quite thrilling. Around 70% of the way through I lost steam, but powered through a few chapters and was right back on track at 77%. I love that none of her books are predictable, but rather hopeful. There are things you hope will happen, but you never know what will happen.

Book Goal Tracker: 28/30