Comment on 1. The Rose Field by # PhilipPullman . Disappointing conclusion to an u
ottsatwork@mas.to 3 weeks ago 3. Every Body: An Honest and Open Look at Sex from Every Angle by #JuliaRothman and #ShainaFeinberg.
I love the cover. The authors set up a series of real life and virtual convos and surveys (mainly in NY and the east coast?) and collected what they heard here. Accompanied by great illustrations from a few artists I recognized. It was tamer than I’m used to—our alt-weekly paper in Seattle, The Stranger, is way spicier, transgressive, and fun with its annual sex survey. But there’s not enough out there on women’s health, sexuality, and pleasure so I’m not mad. But I do thank the gay gods that I’m not trapped in the gender hell of straight people.
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4. No One Can Pronounce My Name by #RakeshSatyal.
What a premise! Every night, Harit dresses up and pretends to be his dead sister, Swati, to console their blind mother. Then there’s Ranjana, who writes paranormal romance while worrying that her husband is cheating on her. They somehow become friends while the author explores the Indian immigrant experience in America.
I wanted more though: it’s one of those books where I wished the author focused more over here vs. over there. It kinda drags too, but we do get some great payoffs by the end. And I feel a great tenderness towards these characters and the way they find and support each other. Plus the cover!
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5. Trip by #AmieBarrodale.
Much of this went over my head because of my unfamiliarity with Buddhism, plus the maddening trend of not using quote marks with dialogue. A woman dies in Nepal at a “Death and Denouement” spiritual conference, where fascinating philosophies and belief systems converge. Her autistic son runs away and ends up asea during a hurricane and she attempts to help him from the Bardo. Surreal and funny in small parts, with unflinching insights on what it’s like to raise an autistic child, but mostly confusing and frustrating.
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6. The Everlasting by #AlixEHarrow.
Incredibly good. A love story with time travel and fantasy elements. Una and Owen try again and again to rewrite history so they can be together. Harrow manages to keep it interesting even as parts of their story repeat. And with interesting gender fluidity between them too. To defy the cycle that traps you, to love fiercely and be loved in return, I never tired of reading their story over and over. Powerful stuff that makes you want to go out and fight for something and someone this hard.
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7. Starling House by #AlixEHarrow.
Loved “The Everlasting” so much I borrowed Harrow’s prior novel from the library and it’s … not good. Too much going on: a sentient house, invisible horrors roaming the grounds, evil corporations, another dimension (?), and a poorly written love story. And quite a bit more. But Opal and Arthur, our main characters here, crawled so Una and Owen could fly, I guess. Skip this and just read “The Everlasting”.
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