Poems!
1. Bon Courage by Amy Gerstler
2. Sonnet by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson
3. Walking in the Winds of Boedo by Daniel Durand translated by Jordan Landsman
4. The Man Who Discovered Uranus by David Kirby
5. To the stranger who stole my bike by Ethan Chua
6. Julius Caesar by Nick Makoha
Books!
1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin
2. These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
3. Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
Here me, here me! Almost lost July to the summer sky but we are not done yet with this month.
First book was just a random find from the tbr list and it was great! I learned this is a 1969 classic sci-fi novel which is the “most popular” book in the author’s larger speculative fiction series/universe. It was a fast read (medium-paced), and indeed an interesting one, fifty years ago or not. I would say it was a solid story that leaves you curious. The ambisexuality of the characters and the cultures of the Gethenian people is explored in a way that teeters on sus, but I think is handled with genuine curiosity and care. It is tricky to follow at first, so as with many books of this design just settle in for the ride and know that it all starts to come together. When I finished I had a desire to eventually read another book or two of hers, but not right away.
These Heathens was the ACLU book of the month, and I LOVED it. Fast-paced, funny and creative, real, and interesting. Queer Historical Fiction at it’s best. The novel covers reproductive rights, sexuality and identity, activism and civil rights, faith, and the like. Highly recommend!
Service95’s book of the month is one I already read. Not to brag ;D
Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi
Alright, last but not least (but not most?) I read Emma Brodie’s love story. I think this is a good story, but not a fantastic one. Their chemistry is surely real. The creativity within the plot and how detailed and specific it is really drew me in. A connection forged through scene improv is right up my alley. Their realistic enemies to lovers that barely lasts because they are so young. The age gap being addressed appropriately. The real world problems and emotional tolls. The fanfiction piece. All positives. I do think their strangely aggressive moments, as a couple, felt a bit out of place. It’s written off as a side-effect almost, but idk that element went a little too far for me and kept this book from going up in my ranking. Also, the plot did dip a little and then it comes back in the end. As in the book may have been a tad too long? Not sure. However you really do get to know the characters through so many phases of life and they did feel fully fleshed. The ending being open ended kind of didn’t do it for me. If you get to the end and wonder how it was open ended, maybe I was reading too much into it and was too invested in the options at the end. Marriage and how someone chooses to live out their days on their own terms and in their own way, feels like a great topic and it kind of turns cheesy/generic in the end of the book. For me. So if you still have no idea what the book is about, that makes sense this is a tragic review. Think sci-fi tv show nerds fall in love but one vanishes. Then their life paths cross when they are both doing different things than when they left one another. Two people with almost a twin-like connection meet once again and old wounds arise, new wounds form, but new roses also bud. There’s acting, there’s improv, there’s illness, death, insult and injury, fame and fortune, highs and lows, and there’s love and sex.
Genre challenge is going to have to get kicked into gear!
Book Goal Tracker: 30/40
Genre Challenge Tracker: 3/10
Reads the World Tracker: 4/10
Madeline Daily 