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Memorial by Bryan Washington
I skip It Books all the time. You know It Books: the ones that propel forward with praise from all the right people, Oprah, Reese, Good Morning America, NYT, author think pieces, covers sprouting elegant but edgy nondescript plants/flames/geometric patterns. The ones that feel too big to fail. Nothing to do with their authors or…
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Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi
Okay. In an effort to be truthful about my responses to the books I’m reading, I’m including my reaction but also a caveat: this is my first Did Not Finish review of the year. FYI I am about 171/250 pages through this eBook, which I rented. Akwaeke Emezi is the bestselling author of first, Freshwater,…
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Weather by Jenny Offill
I’ve not read any books by Jenny Offill before, but she’s the author of two others: Last Things and Dept. of Speculation. It’s becoming a bit repetitive at this point. “I saw it in the library and decided to check it out just in case.” While S.S. Proleterka and The Beginners wait, half-finished, on my…
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New Find: C Magazine
Do you ever peruse magazine sections in stores and libraries, hoping you’ll find something new and miraculous but assuming it’ll be just more issues of Home and Garden mags? Ignore this question if you’re in a city like New York with lots of extensive and surprising magazine shops. This question requires the experience of being…
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A Trip to the Library
Today was buzzy and full of activity… I worked hard all day and then dashed off, almost late, to a dentist’s appointment. It’s down the bike trail from my house, so I walked the 40 minutes home. I stopped by the library on the way back to pick up a couple of things I’d requested.…
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Bolla by Pajtim Statovci
This is not the book I anticipated writing my next post about, but I was scrolling through the library’s eBook selection last night and saw it. I really liked Statovci’s first book, My Cat Yugoslavia, which came out maybe 4 years ago? There’s something hungry that happens every time I find a book that’s not…
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Currently Reading
The Beginners, by Anne Serre. I love love loved The Governesses (which I read at the same time as Rachel Ingalls’ Mrs. Caliban — will never regret that pairing), and think Anne Serre is a fucking genius when it comes to describing emotions. The Beginners by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson | New Directions…
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Infinite Detail by Tim Maughan
I picked this one up at the library recently. The plot reminded me of Elvia Wilk’s Oval, which admittedly I carried around for months (even took on trips) before realizing I wasn’t even cracking it open. It’s still on my bookcase right next to the desk, waiting to be read. One of those things that’s…