Books Read October 2020 - 258-295

In October, a few unique situations occurred which had an impact on my reading for the month. I know it looks like I read 5-7 more books than normal, but that can entirely be chalked up to the seven very short Amazon Prime/Audible Originals I listened to - six from Mindy Kaling, one from Kate Atkinson. I was also a guest commentator for a round of the Super Rooster from The Morning News' Tournament of Books - that was a lot of fun but meant I reread two books - the Rooney and the Whitehead. I also got a chance to interview author Bryan Washington, coming soon to the podcast, so I prioritized reading his book as well (which, as is pictured in my 5-star reads, was great.) Oh and then Tropical Storm Zeta blew through and left us without power for 2 days, so all I could DO was read.

 
Pictured: October's 5-star reads, with Amazon affiliate links (Bookshop doesn't provide direct image links, sorry!)

258. Just Like You by Nick Hornby ⭐️⭐️⭐️  (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
259. Sisters by Daisy Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
260. Just Us by Claudia Rankine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Graywolf Galley Club; my review)
261. This Mournable Body by  Tsitsi Dangarembga ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
262. I Have Something to Tell You by  Chasten Buttigieg ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
263. Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
264. Kind of Hindu by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
265. Help is on the Way by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
266. Please Like Me by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
267. Searching for Coach Taylor by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
268. Once Upon a Time in Silver Lake by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
269. Big Shot by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
270. Shine, Pamela, Shine! by Kate Atkinson, narrated by Gwendoline Christie ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
271. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library eBook; my review)
272. Wake Up Grateful by Kristi Nelson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
273. Welcome Home edited by Eric Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
274. Fardwor, Russia! by Oleg Kashin, translated by Will Evans ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
275. Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
276. Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
277. Summer of the Cicadas by  Chelsea Catherine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
278. The Book of Lamps and Banners by Elizabeth Hand ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
279. The Kill Club by Wendy Heard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
280. Normal People by Sally Rooney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library eBook; my review)
281. This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett, read by Ann Patchett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla audiobook; my review)
282. All My Mother's Lovers Ilana Masad ⭐️⭐️⭐️  (print galley; my review)
283. The Shadow King Maaza Mengiste ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
284. Silences So Deep by John Luther Adams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
285. Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
286. Memorial by Bryan Washington ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
287. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
288. Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal eBook copy; my review)
289. Travels with a Tangerine by Tim Mackintosh-Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (interlibrary loan; my review)
290. Burning Roses by S.L. Huang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
291. Suicide Woods by Benjamin Perry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Graywolf Galley Club; my review)
292. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library eBook; my review)
293. Galileo by Ann McMan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
294. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
295. How Long 'Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)

Total Books Read: 38

audio: 8
eBook: 13
print: 17

library: 8
personal or borrowed from Amazon: 12
review: 18

Around the World: 6
Booker Prize: 2
Crime/mystery: 3
Indigenous reads: 1
Memoir/biography/personal essay: 11
MiddleEast2020: 1
ReadtheWorld21: 1
Scifi/fantasy: 8
Spooktober (horror and dark fantasy, gothic too):6
Tournament of Books Super Rooster: 2

Review: Plain Bad Heroines

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Travels with a Tangerine: From Morocco to Turkey in the Footsteps of Islam's Greatest Traveler

Travels with a Tangerine: From Morocco to Turkey in the Footsteps of Islam's Greatest Traveler by Tim Mackintosh-Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tim Mackintosh-Smith traces some of the travels of Ibn Battuta, an avid traveler of North Africa and the Middle East in the Middle Ages. The writing is dense (he loves a good turn of phrase) but I enjoyed reading it, visiting the late 1990s version of some of these places, with the underlying current of the 14th century - Tangiers, Alexandria, Aleppo, Sur, etc. Some of these locations have been forever changed in the 21st century so this was a bit of time traveling. The author talks about how the world feels like it contracts or expands depending on how easy it is to travel - Ibn Battuta did most of his travels as the Black Plague started, which reduced travel and trade worldwide. Funny how we are in a similar situation right now!

I've read books set so many of these places that this connected to many of my reads from the last year. The author has lived in Yemen for decades and I may want to read his book about that country too.

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Review: Memorial

Memorial by Bryan Washington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love a literary relationship novel full of nuance and Memorial is just that - Benson and Mike have been together a few years but it has started to stagnate. Then Mike's mother comes to stay just as he is leaving for Osaka to be with his father who is dying. The story is told first from Benson's perspective as he works his low-wage preschool type job (which he is impressively good at) and deals with Mitsuko in their small apartment; the story shifts to Mike in Osaka. Their backstory fills in along the way. I like how much of the internal narrative we are given, the placeness of both settings (Houston's Third Ward and Osaka), and the feeling of a relationship hanging in the balance.

This came out October 6th and I had a copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.

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Review: Silences So Deep: Music, Solitude, Alaska

Silences So Deep: Music, Solitude, Alaska by John Luther Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've experienced one of John Luther Adams's works before - Inuksuit - which was performed by over 50 percussionists outdoors at Furman. The audience walks around inside of it, and the music interacts with the sounds naturally in the space. I remember the ending fading into birdsong, which was very cool.

Hearing from the author, about his connections to other artists (including Lou Harrison, one of my great loves) and how he has been inspired by the natural landscape of Alaska (or maybe his creative impulses aligned with Alaskan landscapes, an idea he explores near the end) - for me this was a fascinating read.

I had a copy of this from the publisher through Edelweiss; it came out September 22nd, 2020.

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Review: The Shadow King

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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