Books read in April:
Detransition Baby was electric and sharp and cinematic. Loved it.
Crying in H-Mart was the absolute wrecking ball I had heard it would be. Brought up a LOT of memories of my mother’s cancer. Big ugly sobs, some primal screams in the shower while John was out. Zauner’s prose regarding the illness is so raw and true, but it was her description of being Hapa, being in between that made me say “fuck.” outloud. “But you’re not even Korean.” Fuck.
Tuck Everlasting and Island were obvs both re-reads. Babbitt really crafts such a sharp story, and the writing is so evocative and imaginative for such a young reader. I listened to Islands on the way back from Puerto Vallarta, and it was such a treat, but unexpectedly arresting when we got to the death of Rontu: the reader got emotional, and though a total pro, you could tell she was reading through tears and stifling a sob throughout the event. I wept wept wept, completely out of nowhere.
Re-read Living with a Wild God, an interesting one to revisit from time to time.
Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch felt like a chore, to me, but I think, weirdly, it was a CPTSD reaction. It was very funny, and very well crafted, but man… my whole body reacts to stories of like… religious persecution and policing. I wanted to fling the book away from me at parts. This is a sensation that has crept up on me during Handmaids Tale and Game of Thrones (of all places.) Never not catching me off guard.