The last time I rounded up my reading was August, so clearly I’ve fallen off my posting schedule! But I’ve just tipped over 115 books (including board and picture books, but not counting re-reads or manuscripts, unless the manuscript was one I didn’t read for work in any way, and I don’t ever post about these!), so it’s time to catch up and post about a handful of them.
Some of since last time:
- The Eagle Huntress, Aisholpan Nurgaiv with Liz Welch (out next year): You know, her.
- Redacted fantasy: I don’t remember finishing this. Did I? The jacket copy made me think it was going to be What I Wanted, and it was not, so I stopped, I think.
- Trans Mission, Alex Bertie: I get to shepherd this into paperback, following another employee’s departure, so I read it. If you know someone who’s exploring transmasculine identity, this memoir and guide would be a good book to offer.
- Turn This Book Into a Beehive!, Lynn Brunelle ill. Anna-Maria Jung: I learned a lot about bees AND you can in fact turn the book into a beehive.
- Beautiful on the Outside, Adam Rippon: Work reasons.
- Redacted, historical romance: I can’t remember this at all, which is…sad.
- This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone: This was almost too smart for me but wow, I can’t even explain it, it pulled my heart apart in a good way.
- We Are Okay, Nina LaCour: A rec from a friend, of a sort. Part of the queer YA canon and unmissable.
- Queen of the Sea, Dylan Meconis: This is graphic novelry on overdrive–the story of an isolated girl and how she saves a queen, or perhaps herself. There’s the story, but also it’s packed with cool facts. Not a one-sitting read.
- I finally finished The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang. I was reading this at the beginning of the year. Ha ha.
- Heartstream, Tom Pollock: This isn’t available from a US publisher, so you’ll have to get an import copy, but it stomped on me, and I really recommend this YA thriller.
- The Vagina Bible, Dr. Jen Gunter: I was walking home and stumbled past the Strand the night she spoke, and so I decided to go to her event, and I’m glad I did. I endorse this 99%, and I am thrilled to learn cool shit like the walls of my vagina are making glucose. No, really–I knew the basics, but the science stuff in here is great.
- Redacted, book that’s getting a lot of awards buzz: I was really disappointed in this, and I think the buzz is look at me, I’m so cool for looking at this buzz, because I thought the read was uneven and the protagonist, voice, and packaging not in keeping with the category/
- Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Julie Andrews with Emma Walton Hamilton: I always think of Mary Poppins and Maria Von Trapp when I think of Julie Andrews, but her career and life wasn’t quite so shiny. I enjoyed this quick read.
- Narwhal’s Otter Friend, Ben Clanton: A companion to Narwhal and Jelly, and bwa ha ha I loved this, especially grumpy jelly.
- Only Mostly Devastated, Sophie Gonzales: A boy transfers schools and ends up in class with his summer fling–a guy who’s definitely not out. And then this is a romance-romance. It was cute and sweet. Comes out next year.
- Codename Villanelle and Killing Eve: No Tomorrow, Luke Jennings: Bindups of novellas that the TV show is based on; they’re fascinatingly different and I need some other fans to read them so we can DISCUSS.
