It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [March 21, 2016]

Oh no, the weather is horrible again. I haven't gone out much except for work. But I did have a chance to meet Elle from Erratic Project Junkie a few days ago!! That was a lot of fun and she's just as cool as she seems on the internet, if not cooler. Look how cute we are.

Have I mentioned how much I love meeting book bloggers?

I've been doing some spring cleaning, so most of my reading was listening to the audiobook of The Ice Twins which was a pretty good, mildly creepy thriller. The representation of mental illness was maybe not the best, but SPOOKY TWINS!! Then I spent most of a day reading The Passion According to G.H. uninterrupted, which was a very bizarre, hypnotic experience. I'm still not entirely sure what I read, but I'm glad I read it. Can we talk about how good this line is?

"Hope, for me, was a postponement."

 
Damn, Clarice.
 

THIS WEEK I READ:

• The Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne
• The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector
  

CURRENTLY READING:

 

After The Passion According to G.H., I'm not sure if I can handle reading any other novel for a little bit. So I'm investing some time in short stories. Last night I started Three Scenarios in Which Hana Sasaki Grows a Tail by Kelly Luce and I'm already halfway through it. These stories are super weird and often creepy. All are related to or set in Japan, often from an outsider's point of view. So far, so good! I'll probably finish it tonight.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [March 14, 2016]

The weather has been amazing this past week and it has had a HUGE impact on my mood. It's like it's spring! There's warmth! Even though I'm not going to let myself fall for March's tricks, all of a sudden I want to do things. What am I feeling?? Despite having a really busy work week, I've managed to go places to do activities. I took a miniature trip to Hudson, Wisconsin. It was gloomy and wonderfully creepy. I ate at a restaurant that used to be a post office (and still looks like one on the outside). And I went to a horrifying bookstore/antique shop.

Because of all this doing stuff, I haven't had a lot of time to actually sit and read. I started some stuff. Lots of stuff. On Monday I finished the very short Mislaid by Nell Zink. And as of Sunday night, I finished up a couple books that I have low-key been reading forever. The Three was an interesting, unsettling thriller. Songs of a Dead Dreamer is one of the best collections of supernatural horror stories I've ever read.

 

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Mislaid by Nell Zink
• The Woods, Vol. 3 by James Tynion IV
• The Three by Sarah Lotz
• Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti

CURRENTLY READING:

 

At this point I'm not really deep into any book. I just have a stack of books barely started. But the one that I'm most likely going to continue reading immediately is What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi. I didn't even finish the first story, that's how bad I was at reading this past week. But so far so good! She's a great writer.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [March 7, 2016]

I think my cold is finally starting to go away. So that means I'll be a normal human again soon. I finished up those socks I was complaining about, and I've already decided to design my own pattern for a pair. I just really want some intricate fair isle socks, you know what I'm saying??

This week Karen Abbott was in town talking about Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy, which was a really great audiobook read for me. She knew who I was from my blog (swoon) and allowed me to take a selfie with her. She wasn't happy with any of them. After taking eight, she told me to just go with the first one. I laid on the filters to satisfy her. She was an absolute gem and her talk was fascinating.

Anyway, as I said in my Weirdathon Week One Update, One Day Soon still has me thinking and The Vegetarian wasn't nearly as disturbing as I had expected or hoped. But it was still pretty good. I'm on the fence about these weird reads!!

 

THIS WEEK I READ:

• One Day Soon Time Will Have No Place Left To Hide by Christian Kiefer
• Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott
• The Vegetarian by Han Kang

CURRENTLY READING:

 

I was nervous about listening to a Nell Zink book on audio, but Mislaid is surprisingly narrative-y for her. So far I'm really enjoying it. Her social commentary is on point, but we'll see if all the nonsense comes together in the end or if it just... ends.

I'm giving Travelers Rest by Keith Lee Morris a try, because I wanted something creepy. And this basically sounds like The Shining, so ok. I'll take it. So far nothing creepy has really happened and the majority of the Goodreads reviews has me nervous, so we'll see if it's worth sticking with. I won't be too hard on myself if I want to drop it for something else.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Feb 29, 2016]

Happy Leap Day and Weirdathon Eve!! That's kind of fitting, isn't it? Things have been a little crazy for me this week. I've been working a lot of late shifts, which completely throws me off. And I've been working on a lot of Weirdathon related posts and planning, which is obviously time consuming. I've even managed to neglect my love, Instagram. I've been funneling my excess nervous energy instead into knitting and reknitting a specific part of a very complicated sock. I feel like I'm going crazy. I forget to drink water while I'm messing with it. I'm anxious right now, because I'm typing instead of figuring out how to fix the sock and I can see it from where I'm sitting. Ok, maybe this is getting too personal.

Really, though, that's how I've spent my week when I haven't been selling books or teaching the youth of America important Minecraft skills. I listened to TWO audiobooks this week while doing blog/sock stuff. The Argonauts was short and smart. I really liked it. The Winter People was longer and less smart, but it was definitely creepy and entertaining. I wanted to know what was going on, but some of the characters and plot didn't make a whole lot of sense. That's fine, though. I was spooked by it. Version Control was a paper book about time travel, and it was a total slump-buster, despite being 500+ pages.

Oh, also I got retweeted by Joyce Carol Oates. That was crazy and pretty much guaranteed to never happen again.

 

 

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Version Control by Dexter Palmer
• The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
• The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

CURRENTLY READING:

 

I totally lied in my Febraury Rundown and said I had finished One Day Soon Time Will Have No Place Left to Hide by Christian Kiefer. What I meant was that it's super short and I have today off, so it will be finished by the time February is over. I'm like ten pages in and like it so far, though I'm also confused by it. But in a delighted, I want to know what the deal is kind of way. And holding the tiny book is genuinely suck a pleasure.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Feb 22, 2016]

What a whirlwind week it's been! Book Bloggers Appreciation Week was a lot of fun. I only posted about it twice, but I visited SO MANY new blogs because of it. And I hosted the second twitter chat, which was a very intense, very good time. You guys have no idea how much I was sweating by the end of the hour. NO IDEA.

Oh! Also, Jenna from JMill Wanders and I got together for a second time and had a glorious evening eating Indian food, discussing the intricacies of the book blogging world, and forcing each other into buying books. Ok, I was the one doing the forcing. But I did buy The Unfinished World by Amber Sparks and The Vegetarian by Han Kang the day after. So there's my IRL book blogger appreciation for you.

All I finished this week was an audiobook I had started a while ago, as per Lauren of Malcolm Avenue Review's recommendation: Iréne by Pierre Lemaitre. The best part of it may or may not have been hearing all the French names and places pronounced correctly. I haven't looked up how these names are written down, because I don't want to know how badly I would've mispronounced them in my head. But anyway crime fiction is soooo out of my comfort zone, but I really liked this! It was all sorts of dark and had some delightful literary references. I'm definitely going to check out the next book in the series, Alex.

Reminder: The sign up page for March's Month-long Weirdathon is HERE. If you want to push your reading a little bit out of your comfort zone, there are SO MANY ways to win book money while doing it.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Iréne by Pierre Lemaitre

CURRENTLY READING:

 

Ok, so I didn't really read very much of Version Control by Dexter Palmer this past week, but I read like 120 pages of it Sunday night. I just couldn't stop. The main character works at an online dating site and the commentary on online dating/the general digital life is so good. I just keep laughing. It reminds me of Mr. Splitfoot and You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine a little bit in how on point it is about our society. And the stuff about physics/time travel is just fascinating so far. Who knew there was a book that combined these two loves of mine?? This book comes out tomorrow, so be on the look out for my review!

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Feb 15, 2016]

Happy day after Valentine's Day, book lovers! My day was pretty great. I wore a sparkly dress and everything. I also met Marlon James by surprise, so it was all around a pretty exciting Sunday.

Shaina and I had a really good time making an excuse to video chat and creating an in depth, highly analytical video about Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt. If you haven't seen it and you like that book or are curious about that book, you should probably check it out. Mostly so you can answer all of the questions that we have and couldn't figure out. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK.

I finished The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne in like two days this week and I REALLY wanted to like it. But wow. Yikes yikes yikes. It was borderline offensive. And mostly nonsense all the time, and not in easily ignorable ways. Oh well. That's one less library book I have out forever now.

Another reminder: Sign ups for March's Month-long Weirdathon are HERE. If you want to push your reading a little bit out of your comfort zone, there are SO MANY ways to win book money while doing it. And I'm still looking for some writers to enter the weird book debate!

THIS WEEK I READ:

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

CURRENTLY READING:

 

Though I'm still reading Wuthering Heights (and enjoying it) among a couple others, one of note that I just started is Version Control by Dexter Palmer. I'm only at the very beginning of it, so I can't really judge it in any way. But it promises to be an interesting and very intelligent look at time travel and how we live now.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Feb 8, 2016]

Kind of amazed that we're a week into February already. That doesn't seem quite right. And right now anything that I did this past week feels kind of completely overshadowed by Beyonce's Formation video. I'm not even a Beyonce fan, but this video is incredible and the song is so good. So excuse me while I go listen to that again.

Shaina and I finished our buddy read of Mr. Splitfoot yesterday. I won't say much, but it was SO GOOD. Expect a chatlog review in your future. I also finished The Affinities by Robert Charles Wilson on audiobook early in the week and it was pretty ok. Not a lot to say about it. Other than that I've just been starting books and making no real progress in them, nbd.

In case you missed it: Sign ups for March's Month-long Weirdathon are HERE. Don't forget to sign up! It's going to be a good time.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• The Affinities by Robert Charles Wilson
• Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt

CURRENTLY READING:

 

Technically I'm reading like 5 books right now, so I'll only mention my main focus. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte! I'm reading it with T from Bookpiles and Blanketforts. I literally had no idea what to expect from it. I don't know anything about the plot. But so far it's really good. And I'm blown away by how funny/clever it is. That I did not see coming.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Feb 1, 2016]

Oh no, the book hopping has commenced again. This week I felt intense and opposing forces; one part of me wanting to focus and finish up books I've started, the other part wanting to mood read HARD. So I'm like 40 pages into a whole lot of books, which is not exactly where I wanted to be. But that's fine.

I haven't done much this week, because I've been working really weird hours that also happen to be pretty nonstop. I did manage to go hiking two days ago, which was so good. But I'm amazed I found the time. Finishing the dainty book of short stories, Spectacle, was even difficult for me to do in a timely fashion. The stories were interesting and I really liked Steinberg's writing style at first, but both the writing and the topics got tiresome after a while. So overall, it was an ok collection.

Don't forget!! TOMORROW I'm posting the official announcement of my March event. Any guesses as to what it could be?

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Spectacle by Susan Steinberg

CURRENTLY READING:

 

I had been dipping very lightly into I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir in December, but I'm fully into it now and it is SOOOO SPOOKY. Like I want to be reading it right now, but it's nighttime and I don't know if I can deal with the levels of discomfort I'd experience. I'm really feeling this Icelandic, wintry ghost story.

Last night, Shaina of Shaina Reads and I started our buddy read of Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt. We're 40 pages in at this point and it's already all sorts of weird and cult-y and excited. It was hard to put the book down at the point we agreed to stop, but I'm a good friend so I did. It didn't hurt that this facilitated some book hopping before bed.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Jan 25, 2016]

This was a pretty good week for books. I mean it feels like it's been a pretty good start to the year. Haven't hated anything, yes!!! A Head Full of Ghosts is probably my new favorite horror book of all time. Just sayin. And Eileen was weird as hell and I have many thoughts.

In other news, if you missed it on Twitter, I made a makeup video! All products listed in the description. Check it out if you're looking for some wildly unorthodox tips, and remember: death comes for us all!!

THIS WEEK I READ:

• A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
• Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

CURRENTLY READING:

 

I literally just finished Eileen and haven't even started a new book, but this is the one that is sitting next to my foot. It seems like it's about time I get on the Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist train. I want something enthralling and completely different, so this seems like the right choice. And the title is SO GOOD ugh.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Jan 18, 2016]

Well, the #24in48 readathon is over and I'm probably going to be asleep for all of Monday (sorry for breaking illusions here). Check out my final updates here. I'm happy to have gotten 700 something pages of reading done considering I had to work this weekend. I finished a good amount of books and started a bunch more (good or bad thing? you decide). My stack of comics is steadily decreasing. Not Dark Yet was interesting and beautiful in places, but ultimately a little bit of a let down. City of Clowns was an interesting graphic novel recommended by someone who may be swayed too easily by fiction. What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank was amazing, and so was The Library at Mount Char. SUCH GOOD BOOKS.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• City of Clowns by Daniel Alarcón
• Not Dark Yet by Berit Ellingsen
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander
• The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
• Some single issue comics

CURRENTLY READING:

 

I'm reading a bunch of books right now by accident. But this is the one that has its grip on my mind. I'm anxious that I'm not reading it right now as I type this. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay is a combo of possession horror and reality TV which is LITERALLY MY DREAM. Has there ever been a plot more perfect for me? Throw in some ancient aliens and an experimental format and I actually won't have to read books ever again. Anyway, it's wonderfully creepy and clever and TWISTS and oh man, I missed horror.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Jan 11, 2016]

Very late last night David Bowie passed away. I wrote this post before this took place, and it will greatly shape my week. David Bowie was a huge inspiration to me; my favorite musician of all time. David Bowie was also one of few living things in common I had with my deceased father, as Bowie was also one of his favorites. I'm feeling enormous loss, as I'm sure the rest of the world is. Bowie will forever be a legend.

This past week I participated in another Bout of Books! It's a great, low-key week-long readathon that I can never resist participating in. Read about my comic reading party, my Lucia Berlin hangover, and ~more~ on my Bout of Books update post. Overall it was pretty successful! A Manual for Cleaning Women is now one of my favorite books of all time and it was my first read of 2016, so THAT'S pretty exciting.

In other completely unrelated news, I finally finally finally got a DSLR! I've been interested in photography for around 10 years, but I'd never had the funds to purchase a nice camera. I went with the Canon EOS Rebel T5, because I wasn't about to drop a thousand dollars on anything. I'm currently awaiting a new lens for my new baby (a 24mm f/2.8 STM lens, if you were curious) and I'm SO PUMPED. (It should get here today!!) So basically all this means is I'm super happy right now and also you will be graced with prettier pictures from me.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
• Moonshot edited by Hope Nicholson
• Cursed Pirate Girl by Jeremy A. Bastian
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• A bunch of single issue comics

CURRENTLY READING:

(not taken by my DSLR)

I'm not going to lie, I got Not Dark Yet by Berit Ellingsen because of the cover. But I also got it because of the Jeff VanderMeer blurb on the back. I'm only like 25 pages into it and nothing's really happened yet, so I can't say if I like it or not. I just put it down during Bout of Books, because I was doing a whole lot of book hopping (and finishing due library books). But I'm going to pick it up again and see if it's as dark and moving as people say it is!

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Dec 14, 2015]

Ok, it's clear that I'm still easing my way back into internet-ing. I'm trying my best, ok? My instagram book challenge game is strong, but I'm still trying to find time during my weird holiday retail schedule to actually sit down and blog. Good news, though: While listening to audiobooks, I finally finished my forever blanket! And it's glorious. Almost as glorious as crossing that off my to do list after so many years.

Sweet Pooks wouldn't stop rolling around on it when I tried to take the photo, TYPICAL

I now have 6 books down in Shaina's 12 Books of Christmas, so maybe I won't fail this challenge after all! This week I finished The Alchemist audiobook. It definitely got me in the heart a little bit and I liked some of what it said, but overall it was definitely too life lesson-y and spiritual for me. But I really miss hearing Jeremy Irons pronounce the word "omens" really strangely on a regular basis. I would listen again just for him. I also read the first volume of the comic ODY-C which was super weird and beautiful. If you like Homer and gender bending, check it out. Then I read Slade House by David Mitchell, which was a fun read and a little spooky, but not amazing.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
• Slade House by David Mitchell
• ODY-C, Vol. 1 by Matt Fraction

CURRENTLY READING:

So The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth is SUPER overdue at my library (sorry, Minneapolis), but I really really want to finish it. It's a very slow read, because the author created an old English-style language that it's written in for all 345 pages. At first it felt like I was constantly translating texts from my mom, but after 20 pages I pretty much got the hang of it. I'm way too invested now to just return it, so here's hoping it's as excellent as people say.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Dec 7, 2015]

How is it a week into December already? I sort of took care of some shit this week. I have one tiny ball of yarn left in the forever blanket I'm knitting (I've said that I started it to years ago for at least a year). All of my holiday shopping is taken care of, I just have to knit a few things. I met a book blogger (my second ever)!! Jenna Miller from JMill Wanders is so hilarious and great, you guys. Oh, and I actually did some dishes WOW!!!

I've got 3 books down in Shaina's 12 Books of Christmas already, so that doesn't feel half bad. I read the first volumes of the comics Bitch Planet and Descender, both of which I LOVED. Then I read You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman and oh my god is it great. It's like a much weirder White Noise by Don DeLillo. I'm so glad I read it, it's both delightful and disturbing. Definitely looking forward to anything else Alexandra Kleeman writes. Slowly but surely my library pile is being whittled down.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Bitch Planet, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick
• Descender, Vol. 1 by Jeff Lemire
• You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman

CURRENTLY READING:

The next library book that I have to finish by tomorrow is Slade House by David Mitchell. I'm like 19 pages in, so I can't say what I think of it quite yet, but I am intrigued.

I was bullied into listening to The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho on audiobook, but I don't really mind because it's so short and it's not horrible. Doesn't hurt that Jeremy Irons is narrating. I like some of what it's saying, I'm a little "oh boy" at the rest of what it's saying, and overall as a book it might be a bit too life lesson-y for me. But, again, I actually am enjoying listening to it.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, Where The Hell Have You Been? [Nov 30, 2015]

Oh hey, guys. It's been a month and I've missed you and this blog so much!! I sort of disappeared without explaining myself, but if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you might have figured out that I participated in National Novel Writing Month! And last night I won.

Isn't this graph horrifying? I couldn't think of an idea for the first week. Then I was lazy for the second. So basically I participated in National Novel Writing Two-Weeks, which isn't nearly as catchy. But this was my fifth year participating and I couldn't break my win streak. No way. Anyway, my novel is called The First Abduction and it's sort of a blend of literary fiction and science fiction, and I'm genuinely really excited about working on it more!

Granted, that's not the only reason I disappeared. I was going through some personal stuff, I was working too hard and too much, I had anxiety about a lot of things, I suffered some heart break, and I tried really hard to pick up all of my pieces before they could hit the ground. Reading just wasn't happening for me and it hadn't been since like September. (To be fair, though, I've literally always disappeared from the blog in the fall, so I should have seen this coming). But the experience of letting go of most of my obligations in order to catch up in NaNoWriMo (I was writing 5,000 words a day at least) was pretty incredible and led me to realize what stuff I really do want to prioritize in my life.

I've been working out. I've been more thoughtful about not eating cheez-its for every meal. I made quinoa for the first time (still really don't understand what it is, but that's fine). I made a smoothie that was green AND drank it. So basically, I'm even more white than I was before!! I want to make more things. I want to spend more time with my friends. I want to finish knitting this god damn blanket that I've been working on for the past two years.

NaNoWriMo is also rekindling the little reading flame in me. I hadn't done any creative writing since, well, November of last year really. And now that I'm peeking into books again, suddenly they're enormously huge learning experiences for my own writing. That had been true in the past, but I'd forgotten that aspect of reading. Now it's like these overdue library books have a rich new layer and I have a lot more motivation to actually read them. It's pretty exciting, tbh.

THE PLAN

This December I'm going to focus a lot of my time on reading, because it's something I really want to do now. I'm going to participate in Shaina's 12 Books of Christmas challenge (you can still sign up today!). I'll most likely be jumping over to Andi's #AMonthofFaves for some blogging inspiration as I ease my way back into blogging. On Instagram I'll be doing a photo challenge about my favorite books of the year. AND my birthday is December 31, so maybe I'll do something related to that! Or you guys can just send me a million presents, because you only turn 23 once you know.

So...What did I miss?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Oct 12, 2015]

I just got back from a wedding late Saturday night. It was sooo beautiful and I was so lucky to be a bridesbabe (that was our designated title, I didn't demand that everybody call me that, despite that being something I would totally do). When I heard that I'd be spending 3 days at their lakeside cabin in the middle of nowhere, part of me was like cool! Downtime and lakeside reading between bridal party responsibilities! It's really funny that I thought "downtime" or "reading."

This week I finished The Determined Heart about Mary Shelley's life. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I did learn a lot about her life that I hadn't previously known. I'm hosting a giveaway where you can win a copy of your own here. I'm excited to move onto my library books with quickly approaching deadlines now!

THIS WEEK I READ:

• The Determined Heart by Antoinette May

CURRENTLY READING:

Everybody loves it, so here I am. I've only just barely started Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, but the writing really is beautiful and I'm excited to see where it's going.

Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson is a little more of a typical Julianne book. It has shades of House of Leaves and S. in that there are inserts and drawings and maps and "scans" of other books and pieces of paper and stuff. It tells interesting parallel stories of Texas a long time ago and a future steam-powered Texas. I only started it to see if it was too gimmicky and if I actually wanted to read it. And, as far as I can tell, it totally isn't too gimmicky. The format and extra bits are fun to explore and it didn't feel like a chore. So now you know, if you had similar fears!

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Oct 5, 2015]

I'm moved into my new apartment and I finally have internet!! It was a looong 5 days without it, let me tell you. Luckily, I have also been horribly sick so all I can really manage to do is lay around in bed anyway. And I'm not even completely moved in yet. What a week.

This week I exclusively read graphic novels (what else is new?). The Divine by Boaz Lavie was aaaaabsolutely stunning. Like I need to purchase a copy of my own just so I can look at it and be amazed every once in a while. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll was exactly my kind of creepy. And Chew by John Layman was a pretty good time, but I don't know if I'll continue the series. Ain't got time for that.

Yesterday, despite being sick, I went to a rep night thing where reps from different publishers pitched books to us booksellers. It was very deeply exciting for me. I came out of there with a buuunch of great new and upcoming books. I got Not on Fire, But Burning by Greg Hrbek, Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson, new literary horror by Brian Evenson, Blackass by A. Igoni Barrett, and a few others. I won't brag too much. Just know that my life is essentially complete.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• The Divine by Boaz Lavie
• Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman
• Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

CURRENTLY READING:

I don't normally read historical fiction, but I'm obsessed with Mary Wollstonecraft. Her kid, Mary Shelley, is a badass too. A fictionalized account of Mary Shelley's life sounded too fascinating to pass up. Right now I'm at the beginning of The Determined Heart by Antoinette May in Mary's childhood and I'm a little tired of the "evil step-mother" plot going on, but it's bound to be more interesting once Mary becomes an adult person. Here's hoping.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Sept 28, 2015]

Do we even need to talk about my weird absences? Probably not at this point. I like hadn't been able to finish a book in about two or three weeks, but FINALLY I changed that and finished three on Saturday. Then the next day I read two graphic novels for good measure. Feels good to actually complete a thing.

I read Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera with a friend and it was a really interesting take on crossing the Mexico/USA border. Kind of strange. Still thinking about it. Bull Mountain was a fun grit lit crime thriller-y thing that I totally returned to the library 5 days late. Sorry, everyone. Rat Queens, Vol. 2 was even better than the first volume. I'm so excited to start reading single issues of it now. Black Hole and The Nobody were weird and spooky, but Black Hole is probably the most fucked thing I've ever read. Definitely recommended.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Rat Queens, Vol. 2 by Kurtis J. Wiebe
• Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
• Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich
• Black Hole by Charles Burns
• The Nobody by Jeff Lemire

CURRENTLY READING:

To make my list of library books seem less intimidating, I'm trying to bust through all the graphic novels and comics I have out right now. I've been curious about The Divine written by Boaz Lavie and illustrated by Asaf and Tomer Hanuka for a while. It's got some sort of Princess Mononoke vibes in that ancient gods appear in modern times during war. It is beaaauuuutiful and I'm loving it so far.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Sept 14, 2015]

So I totally took an accidental blog hiatus. With my new job combined with my random Wednesday-Saturday trip to Chicago (which was so, so great), the internet sort of just didn't happen for me. And neither did reading. But now I'm back with a vengeance. My lengthy to do list has finally been mostly taken care of and I feel much less overwhelmed by life.

The closest library to me closed for renovation until late January, so I'm about to switch to a fancy new library blocks away from where I work. This is a very exciting moment for me. It's like going on a first date. Anyway, I have Three Moments of an Explosion by China Miéville, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander, and The Divine by Boaz Lavie waiting for me there. Needless to say, I'm excited.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• X'ed Out by Charles Burns

CURRENTLY READING:

I'm still reading Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich, and Katie from Bookish Tendencies was NOT kidding about that first chapter. I was blown away and I'm still really into it. The atmosphere is just great.

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Sept 7, 2015]

My new job is the best time of my life. Working at a bookstore is actually just as good as it sounds like it would be. So yeah, I've spent this past week a little bit away from the internet as I've gotten adjusted to work at Magers & Quinn (by far the coolest indie bookstore ever). You can get paid to talk about books OUT LOUD. What?? Ok, I'll stop gushing now. I haven't had a lot of time to read, due to this, but I'm so glad I got to Lumberjanes. IT'S SO CHARMING. If you're interested in comics, this one is pretty fun.

Oh also, this week I'm going on a miniature trip to Chicago, so I'll still be slightly internet quiet. But at least I'm having fun, right?

THIS WEEK I READ:

• After Perfect by Christina McDowell
• Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson
• The Woods, Vol. 2: The Swarm by James Tynion IV
• Revival, Vol. 3: A Faraway Place by Tim Seeley

CURRENTLY READING:

I just got Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich from the library last week. I'm about to actually start it. Katie from Bookish Tendencies promises that the first chapter will blow you away and I'm going to trust her. I haven't read anything gritty or Southern-y in quite a while, so I'm looking forward to getting into this book. I've only heard good things across the internet. Once I finish this one, I'll only have 15 more books from the library to finish. SWEET. (Somebody help me).

What are you reading this week?

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [Aug 31, 2015]

The book slump is over. At least as far as I can tell. Tiny Beautiful Things totally fixed me (in more way than one). Rat Queens also got me completely pumped about comics again (not that I hadn't been, I just hadn't thought about them as much). It's actually perfect. It's violent and smart and funny and feminist and many-body-types-positive. Oh man, don't even get me started. I can't wait to read more. I have a feeling I now have the ability to tear through the rest of my library books pile.

THIS WEEK I READ:

• Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
• The Captive Condition by Kevin P. Keating
• Rat Queens Vol. 1, Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe

CURRENTLY READING:

 

 

If you guys didn't know, the historic Book of the Month Club is back!! It has a whole bunch of cool judges (Emily St. John Mandel, Liberty Hardy, etc.) and it's officially launches again in September. They had a preview month in August and I got my book late, but I've started reading After Perfect: A Daughter's Memoir by Christina McDowell and hope to finish in time to get in on some of the online discussions. It's about the daughter of a man who knew the man Wolf of Wall Street was based on and got arrested for similar things, so clearly it's going to be a little crazy/sad/fascinating.

What are you reading this week?