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My Volcano
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
33 posts | 18 read | 13 to read
On June 2, 2016, a protrusion of rock is spotted by a jogger growing from the Central Park Reservoir. Three weeks later, when it finally stops growing, it's nearly two-and-a-half miles tall, and has been determined to be an active volcano. As the volcano grows and then looms over New York, an eight-year-old boy in Mexico City finds himself transported 500 years into the past, where he witnesses the fall of the Aztec Empire; a Nigerian scholar in Tokyo studies a folktale about a woman of fire who descends a mountain and destroys an entire village; a white trans writer in Jersey City struggles to write a sci-fi novel about a thriving civilization on an impossible planet; a nurse tends to Syrian refugees in Greece while grappling with the trauma of living through the bombing of a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan; a nomadic farmer in Mongolia is stung by a bee, magically transforming him into a green, thorned, flowering creature that aspires to connect every living thing into its consciousness. With its riveting and audacious vision, My Volcano is a tapestry on fire, a distorted and cinematic new work from the fiercely talented John Elizabeth Stintzi.
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BarbaraBB
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Finally, we‘re on. The #ToB23 has started!

Today was the Play-In and right from the start we‘re choosing another book than the judge in the official tournament. Their winner is, not surprisingly, My Volcano, a book that was very popular among us too. It was a close call between My Volcano and An Island. The latter however won with one more vote! An Island will enter the #LitsyToB 23 against The Rabbit Hutch. Thoughts?

Cinfhen Not surprised we are already veering from the official tournament!! Also I‘d be SHOCKED if Rabbit Hutch doesn‘t advance in both tournaments!!!!! 3w
Ruthiella Interesting! I liked both but for me An Island has the edge: shorter, lovely writing and easier to follow. 3w
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I was just thinking it‘s just like the ToB to make My Volcano the winner of that match! 3w
See All 36 Comments
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella I loved The Island and voted for it but I must say that My Volcano keeps lingering in my mind. So many themes in that book. 3w
kwmg40 I liked My Volcano better but reading the comments of other Littens has made me want to re-examine my views on An Island. So this is the best of both worlds for me, where both books advance and I get to see further discussion on them. 3w
sarahbarnes Interesting! Yes not surprised at all that Volcano was their pick. Here we go!! 3w
rmaclean4 I read An Island when it was up for The Booker, and it has stayed with me. Happy it won our Play In round. 3w
jlhammar Wow, only one vote making the difference for us! Happy My Volcano won the official tournament. Enjoyed the judgement, especially this bit โ€œI loved the bombast of the book, the feeling that I was tearing through time and space while reading it, the mystery of how all the pieces fit together, the remarkable and unrelenting presence of each rendered moment.โ€œ 3w
BkClubCare I am thrilled with both winning LOL - An Island seems like a book that will be taught in HS - it is tight and literary. My Volcano is a wild ride and has many great elements, but too many โ€œhuh?โ€s ๐Ÿ˜ 3w
Deblovestoread As a newbie, I am just excited about my vote winning in our tournament ๐Ÿ˜€ 3w
batsy I only read An Island and was really surprised by itโ€”a lot of it is still playing in my mind. But Volcano sounds super intriguing so it's kinda cool that it won, too. I'm off to read the judgment! 3w
Jas16 I was so excited waking up today knowing the tournament was starting! I was happy with the judgement although none of these books were ones I felt especially strongly about. I do think it is interesting that only one vote determined our winner and I love how varied our opinions are. 3w
BarbaraBB @jlhammar That is a great quote indeed. I think the judge really said good things about all three books. She did it hem justice - and we only just started. Looking forward to all discussions! 3w
Larkken @BkClubCare I agree with your thoughts on Island! I've not finished yet but it has lots of interesting themes and they're presented in a digestible way which would be nice for schools. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around My Volcano! 3w
BarbaraBB @Larkken I can see why. I remember @Hooked_on_books saw the volcanoes as a metaphor for gun violence, and @Megabooks for climate change. We had a great discussion about it in the comment below my review - if you‘re interested! 3w
BkClubCare @batsy - it is a lovely ruling ๐Ÿ’• A great start to the tourney. (edited) 3w
Megabooks Great ruling! I‘ve got to say I agree with most of her observations. She pinged right on what I thought about both An Island and My Volcano. I‘m a bit disappointed that MV won‘t advance here, but I think in both tournaments, Rabbit will likely be the next winner in this bracket. And @Larkken I hope you check out that discussion Barbara mentioned because it was really interesting that @Hooked_on_books and I saw different things. 3w
squirrelbrain I loved the judge‘s comment that all 3 of the books felt like they were in conversation with each other. I‘m pleased for both winners - ours and the official one but I agree with you @Cinfhen about The Rabbit Hutch proceeding in both. 3w
BarbaraBB @Megabooks I am glad that My Volcano advances in the ToB for now. There is really so much to say about it! 3w
Hooked_on_books I am THRILLED with today‘s judge! I just loved My Volcano and am so happy to see it advance. For me, it was the clear winner of the play-in round (boo on us for picking something else! ๐Ÿ˜). And it should totally beat Rabbit Hutch. ๐Ÿ˜‰ 3w
BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books It might! It‘s the TOB ๐Ÿ˜‰ 3w
Chelsea.Poole I voted for Island because I hadn‘t yet finished Volcano but I was enjoying it, even if I maybe didn‘t get everything the author was trying to do. I haven‘t read the judge‘s comments yet so I‘m anxious to see what they say. 3w
merelybookish I hadnt read any of them and kind of picked An Island randomly. So my vote and input don't count for much. ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ™ˆ 3w
Well-ReadNeck Lol. I picked 2am. ๐Ÿ˜ 3w
RebelReader I picked My Volcano 3w
RebelReader @squirrelbrain Where do you go to read the judges comments? 3w
Suet624 I had a rare DNF with My Volcano. Because of my work schedule it was overwhelming for me. I hope to go back to it when things settle down. Reading An Island now. :) 3w
squirrelbrain Thanks for posting the link! @Suet624 I hope you enjoy reading the judges‘ comments @RebelReader (edited) 3w
batsy @BkClubCare Yes. This struck me: "I loved that the book felt like an explosive device injected into our current eraโ€”and into history itselfโ€”and detonated." That is some recommendation! I hope My Volcano is available on Kindle soon or in a more affordable version for the international market. 3w
BarbaraBB @merelybookish Haha! Well it would have been a draw without your vote so this is better ๐Ÿ˜‰ 3w
BarbaraBB @Well-ReadNeck Only you and @Cinfhen did. It didn‘t stand a chance! 3w
BarbaraBB @Suet624 An Island is just your kind of book I think. And I think you‘ll love My Volcano @batsy 3w
Suet624 @BarbaraBB I'm glad to hear you think it's my kind of book. Now that the March 7th election is done I'm looking forward to having the time to really sink into An Island. Hoping also to get back to My Volcano eventually. 3w
cariashley Finally catching up on TOB after a busy week of work travel! Honestly I didn‘t love any of these but My Volcano had its moments for me. I agree it‘ll probably be moot in a Rabbit Hutch showdown anyway (and I‘m only halfway through that one!) 3w
Addison_Reads I am glad My Volcano won in the official #ToB23. An Island is the only book on the shortlist I haven't read yet. With so many people voting for it though maybe I need to read it now. 3w
57 likes36 comments
review
Ruthiella
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

๐ŸคฏWhat did I just read? This is (I think) simultaneously four alternate version of what happens after a volcano bizarrely appears in Central Park NYC. I know I didn‘t keep it all straight. But I enjoyed the journey. The back of the book says โ€œpart parable, myth, science fiction, and eco-horrorโ€. Yes, yes, yes. And more.

And with that I am an official #ToB2023 completist! ๐Ÿฅณ

merelybookish Well done! ๐Ÿ‘ 4w
Ruthiella @merelybookish Thanks ๐Ÿ˜Š 4w
squirrelbrain Great review - I feel pretty much the same about this one. Well done on completing! ๐ŸŽ‰ 4w
See All 26 Comments
jlhammar Right? It is crazy, but kind of cool. And wow to your completist status! I‘m excited for the tournament to begin. 4w
Ruthiella @squirrelbrain Thanks! I can‘t wait to see if I can find a review on Goodreads that explains it all to me! ๐Ÿ˜‚ 4w
Suet624 Congrats! That's a big accomplishment considering the selection of books this year. 4w
Hooked_on_books I loved this utterly bananas book. Congrats on completing! ๐Ÿฅณ 4w
Ruthiella @jlhammar Yes, insane but also fun. I‘m excited now too to hear what the judges will make of the shortlisted novels! 4w
Ruthiella @Suet624 ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ Yes, this year was a bit of an uphill climb. 4w
Ruthiella @Hooked_on_books It was completely bananas! ๐ŸŒ But so creative. The โ€œotherwiseโ€ has to be their own creation, right? 4w
Chelsea.Poole Great job!! 4w
Ruthiella @Chelsea.Poole Thanks! ๐Ÿ˜Š 4w
sarahbarnes Nice work! Glad to see you liked this one too. 4w
Ruthiella @sarahbarnes It was confusing yet entertaining! 4w
BarbaraBB Congratulations! So impressive! And you finished on a high ๐Ÿ’• 4w
kwmg40 I felt the same way about this book. Congratulations on finishing the list! 4w
Ruthiella @BarbaraBB Yes! It was a nice finish to the 18 books. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ (edited) 4w
Ruthiella @kwmg40 Thanks! Looking forward to see how it does in the play-in round! ๐Ÿค” 4w
BkClubCare ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ 4w
Ruthiella @BkClubCare ๐Ÿ˜Š 4w
batsy Wow, that's really cool. Well done! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿพ And this one does sound especially unique. I think it was you and I (maybe? ๐Ÿ˜†) who were hoping for something Jeff VanderMeerish from thisโ€”is that what you thought of it? 4w
batsy *me and you, you and I, something like that ๐Ÿ˜‚ 4w
MicheleinPhilly Well done! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ 4w
Ruthiella @batsy It does sort of wander into VanderMeer territory, but is also very much it‘s own thing. I actually had NO expectations about this one because every one said it was banana pants. ๐Ÿ˜‚ 4w
Ruthiella @batsy PS It was The Echo Wife from last summer where I was disappointed that there was more romance and less weirdโ€ฆmaybe that‘s what you were thinking of. ๐Ÿค” 4w
Ruthiella @MicheleinPhilly Thanks. ๐Ÿ˜Š 4w
70 likes1 stack add26 comments
review
jlhammar
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

Well, that was a wild ride! Supremely weird, frenetic, polyphonic, impactfulโ€”I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to. I especially liked the storylines with Angel and Old Otherwise. Hope this wins the #ToB23 play-in match.

squirrelbrain I (rather surprisingly) really enjoyed this too. 1mo
sarahbarnes Yes! 1mo
batsy I haven't read this though all of the reviews have piqued my interest. I just finished An Island and I'm rooting for that one. It's a quiet, sad book ๐Ÿ’” 1mo
69 likes3 comments
review
sarahbarnes
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

Wow, I‘m so glad I decided to read this despite my reservations. What a book. Unbounded creativity and an unflinching look at so many things we have to answer for, from climate disasters to transphobia. Sometimes I was definitely in over my head, but I couldn‘t put this one down. Thank you #ToB2023!

Megabooks Great review! Glad you ended up reading it! 1mo
Ruthiella Sounds like a wild ride ! I‘m looking forward to reading this one. 1mo
See All 10 Comments
squirrelbrain Great review! And I agree completely, I‘m so glad I read this. 1mo
Cinfhen Maybe I need to revisit this book before the Tournament ๐Ÿ˜awesome review 1mo
kwmg40 Nice review! I felt the same way about this book. 1mo
BkClubCare Woo hoo! I agree!! ๐Ÿ‘ There was just an earnestness in this that worked for me. 1mo
Chelsea.Poole Great review. I‘m reading this (slowly) now! 1mo
BarbaraBB Fab review and you are right, if it weren‘t for the ToB we probably wouldn‘t have read it 1mo
Hooked_on_books I loved this, too! And I didn‘t know about it before the tournament, so I don‘t know if I would have found it otherwise. 1mo
46 likes10 comments
review
squirrelbrain
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

Now, this was weird and I didn‘t have a clue what was going on most of the time but I really liked itโ€ฆ! Does that make me a bit weird too?! ๐Ÿคฃ

I liked some of the story lines better than others and I preferred the earlier parts of all of the stories. I *think* the book as a whole is an allegory of the โ€˜butterfly effect‘, where what we do, particularly in terms of environmental impact, can have a ripple effect across the world. ๐Ÿค”

batsy I want to read this one! But looks like I'll have to buy a copy and maybe I need to budget my book-buying for the moment ๐Ÿ˜‚ So I'll probably get to it much later. 1mo
Lindy Helen, I absolutely love this novel and, yes, it‘s weird. ๐ŸŒ‹๐Ÿ‹ 1mo
BarbaraBB Great review! I enjoyed this one much more than I expected to! 1mo
See All 16 Comments
Cinfhen Love your insight! I just couldn‘t get through it. This is the year I #HailTheBail and don‘t feel guilty about bailing on books that aren‘t speaking to me 1mo
Cathythoughts Interesting review Helen ! Stacked. 1mo
Chelsea.Poole I‘m slowly making my way through this now. โ€œWeirdโ€ is a great description for this ๐Ÿ˜† It‘s working for me more than I thought it would, I must say! 1mo
Hooked_on_books Hooray! So glad you liked it! I thought it was absolutely fabulous! And I‘ve heard people talking about loving books they don‘t really understand, so I don‘t think that makes you weird. Not on that account, anyway. ๐Ÿ˜‰ 1mo
squirrelbrain @batsy -I could send you my copy (that would get round a book-buying ban, right?!) but we‘re still having issues here in the UK with sending international post. If things improve I‘ll let you know. 1mo
squirrelbrain Yes, @Chelsea.Poole I went into this fully expecting not to like it, but I really did, even if a lot of it went over my head. 1mo
squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - weird is wonderful, surely?! 1mo
Megabooks Great review!! There was A LOT going on in this one, and great point about the butterfly effect. ๐Ÿ’œ 1mo
sarahbarnes Great review! I‘m reading this one next and very curious about it! 1mo
batsy @squirrelbrain You're so kind but please don't worry about it! I'm still so behind and I'm hoping that in due time a Kindle version shows up ๐Ÿ˜ Thank you for the offer, though ๐Ÿ’œ 1mo
Librarybelle Great review! 1mo
Suet624 I just got mine from the library. The reviews have intrigued me. 1mo
squirrelbrain @Suet624 @sarahbarnes - I hope you enjoy it! (edited) 1mo
71 likes16 comments
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BkClubCare
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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โ€œAnd so, just like that, Ash became everything, and nothing, and forever, and never having ever been at all. He became the aching blank that bears the weight of everything.โ€

36 likes1 stack add
blurb
squirrelbrain
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Sunday afternoon, with a book, a blanket and a dog! โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ

This book is bonkers; I haven‘t got a clue what‘s going on, but weirdly I‘m rather liking it.

I‘m also reading A Little Life and an ARC of the new Rebecca Makkai (I Have Some Questions For You) and that‘s pretty much my #weeklyforecast too.

(If only I could spend the whole week on the sofa with books, a blanket and the dog!)

Cinfhen Henry looks so comfy!! Like he can‘t imagine a better way to spend the weekend either ๐Ÿ˜Š 2mo
majkia Awww, Henry. 2mo
rockpools Aww, that looks so cosy! 2mo
See All 12 Comments
TrishB Perfect โ™ฅ๏ธ 2mo
batsy ๐Ÿ˜ 2mo
Graywacke Cute pup! 2mo
julesG Those puppy eyes๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜ 2mo
LeahBergen Henry! ๐Ÿฅฐ 2mo
dabbe Those soulful brown eyes, Henry! Whoah! โฃ๏ธ๐Ÿพโฃ๏ธ 2mo
BarbaraBB Looking so cute. Perfect Sunday. Also I love your edition ๐Ÿ˜ 2mo
Megabooks That is the most precious face! What a great reading buddy! ๐Ÿ˜ 1mo
Suet624 What a sweet pup you have there. 1mo
77 likes12 comments
blurb
Chelsea.Poole
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Moving on to My Volcano for #ToB2023 ๐ŸŒ‹

Mel Just picked this one up at the library! 2mo
73 likes1 comment
review
kwmg40
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

Most of the time while I was reading this book, I had no idea what was going on, but honestly, that didn't reduce my enjoyment of the story! It's weird and chaotic but also has beautiful moments and creates very vivid images. #ToB2023

Second book finished for #FabulousFebruary @Andrew65
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
BkClubCare Vivid! I agree 2mo
Ruthiella I like that cover! This‘ll be the last TOB book I readโ€ฆso it‘ll be a while before I get to it. 2mo
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB I‘ve not seen that edition before. It is great! 2mo
Andrew65 Great ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ 2mo
kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65 Thanks for stopping by! 2mo
kwmg40 @BkClubCare There are so many great images that are staying with me -- stars burning out one at a time, houses walking around on legs .... 2mo
kwmg40 @BarbaraBB @Ruthiella I borrowed this edition from my local library. I think it's the original edition from Arsenal Pulp Press, an indie Canadian publisher. They also publish Ivan Coyote, whose books are terrific. 2mo
41 likes8 comments
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BkClubCare
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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So excited that ILL found me this! #ToB2023

โ€œReality is nothing but the opinion of power.โ€ - old witch‘s proverb

Ruthiella ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ 2mo
BarbaraBB I hope you‘ll like it! 2mo
Suet624 ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ 2mo
See All 18 Comments
shortsarahrose Hurrah for ILL! ๐ŸŽ‰ ๐Ÿ“– 2mo
Hooked_on_books Hooray! I loved this and hope you do, too. It‘s pretty bananas! 2mo
BkClubCare @Hooked_on_books - I โ™ฅ๏ธ๐ŸŒ !! Oh, and look, there‘s a ๐ŸŒ‹ emjoi ๐Ÿคฃ 2mo
BkClubCare @shortsarahrose - I know right? Mine costs $3 but that is fine with me. 2mo
BkClubCare @Suet624 - I don‘t think I am going to be a 100% completist but this is one I felt I needed to get to. 2mo
BkClubCare @BarbaraBB - me, too! I have too many books going at the moment; this one is now number 1 priority 1๏ธโƒฃ 2mo
BkClubCare @Ruthiella - Have you read it yet?! ๐Ÿ˜ฌ 2mo
BkClubCare โ€œReality is nothing but the opinion of power.โ€ - old witch‘s proverb 2mo
BkClubCare โ€œThe attendant in the booth yelled emptily to him, knowing he was paid enough to be outraged, but not to take action.โ€œ 2mo
Ruthiella No, not yet. It‘s the only one I had to buy, so I will read it last since library borrows are time limited. 2mo
BkClubCare @Ruthiella - ๐Ÿ‘Œ I purchased Mouth to Mouth so I‘m saving that. 2mo
BkClubCare @Ruthiella P.S. I ordered 2 tee shirts. ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿ™„ 2mo
Ruthiella @BkClubCare Was one the version with the book covers? I like it a lot. 2mo
Suet624 I won‘t be a completist either but I‘m doing my best. ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ 2mo
BkClubCare @Ruthiella Yes - on royal blue. I also got a long sleeve yellow - might be last year‘s design. 2mo
47 likes18 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

I didn't love this one, and I didn't hate it, but I think I get what Stintzi is trying to do, and I appreciate it. The repetition and the multiple realities capture well the feeling of "where do we go from here?" that seems to be pervading life for a lot of us and especially for those in my children's generation (poor GenZ...y'all don't even get the hope of the late 80s/early 90s before you have to face serious crap. At least you have YouTube).

ImperfectCJ This is my January #doublespin, and I'm counting it as finished in January because I finished it before noon on February 1. Also #tob2023 2mo
44 likes1 comment
review
RebelReader
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Mehso-so

I didn‘t love it,but I didn‘t hate it either. It doesn‘t get a pick from me because it was hard to follow the story lines at times. I never would have read this if not for #ToBshortlist2023 and even then it took some of you saying good things about it and my library had it.

Megabooks It was a lot to follow. If he had bit off less, it would‘ve been stronger. 2mo
RebelReader @Megabooks I totally agree and then it would have been a pick for me. 2mo
Ruthiella Wow! Your library had a copy? This is the one I had to buy. Probably it will be the last one I read, since I don‘t have to rush to return it. 2mo
RebelReader @Ruthiella I‘m so fortunate that my library is well stocked. I‘m there at least once a week for pickup and I‘ve started using Libby a lot more for audio too. 2mo
48 likes4 comments
review
cariashley
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Mehso-so

Just way too much going on here, which I know was the whole point, but the constant wtf-is-happening feeling made me tired. I really liked certain storylines, especially Ash & Joao, and the early parts of Mackayla‘s thread before it got real weird. I liked this more than 2 AM, but need to read the third play-in round book for #tob23.

BkClubCare I *think* that I requested this via ILL. I hope! Library will charge me $3 and that is just fine ๐Ÿ˜† 2mo
Megabooks I feel like if he had pared down the number of characters or timelines, it could‘ve been stronger. 2mo
cariashley @Megabooks completely agree. 2mo
54 likes3 comments
review
Megabooks
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

This metaphorical book about climate change and gun violence lands in the top half of #tob23 reads for me. Another great one for discussion! I had trouble keeping track of the multiple timelines at points, but symphony of voices was hard to put down.

Suddenly, a volcano erupts in Central Park. There are links around the world where strange things start happening with animals. Meanwhile, the author notes the escalating toll of gun violence.

Hooked_on_books Yes! It‘s not just in my top half, but one of my top books! Which means it probably won‘t make it out of the play-in round. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ 2mo
BkClubCare If only I could find it! 2mo
See All 12 Comments
RebelReader Originally, I thought I would pass on this one, but I‘m reconsidering. 2mo
Ruthiella I‘m super curious about this one. @BkClubCare I ended up buying it because no libraries had it. I almost always end up buying one every year and it‘s usually a small press book, so I don‘t mind throwing a little cash their way. 2mo
sarahbarnes Okay, I might have to check this one out. 2mo
BarbaraBB Great review. A symphony of voices indeed, all calling for my attention but at times too chaotic for me 2mo
BarbaraBB Do I spy @squirrelbrain โ€˜s calendar ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜? 2mo
Cinfhen Im getting more & more curious about this book ๐Ÿ’š 2mo
squirrelbrain Right, I‘m just going to bite the bullet and get this one! 2mo
Megabooks @BarbaraBB yes you do spy @squirrelbrain โ€˜s calendar! Thank you Helen! ๐Ÿ˜˜ 2mo
squirrelbrain ๐Ÿ˜โ€ฆ. And I capitulated and ordered the bookโ€ฆ.! 2mo
98 likes2 stack adds12 comments
review
BarbaraBB
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

A light pick because of its originality. The book is bonkers! A volcano arises in the midst of Central Park and it seems connected to Mount Fuji. All over the world volcanos are acting up and weird things start happening everywhere. Unimaginable things. I don‘t watch many movies but I‘d make an exception if this book would be made into one.

#ToB23 #ReadingTheAmericas2023 #Mexico ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ #52Booksclub23 #FirstWordIsThe #pop23 #FirstTimeAuthor

Cinfhen Hoping to pick this up over the weekend!! Awesome photo ๐Ÿ˜looks like a gorgeous sunny day ๐Ÿ˜Ž 2mo
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen sunny but cold! Curious what you‘ll think about this one ๐ŸŒ‹ 2mo
squirrelbrain I can see I may have to get this one soon! ๐Ÿค” 2mo
See All 26 Comments
Megabooks I finished this up last night and agree. It started out a strong pick but got a little too fantastical to stay one. I still enjoyed it though. I‘m also using it for #booked2023 #transcharacter. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป (edited) 2mo
Hooked_on_books A movie made out of this would be like an acid trip! But, frankly, the book kinda is, too. I really responded to the volcano as metaphor for gun violence. It‘s this huge thing staring us in the face and we just shrug and look away (in my country, that is). I really liked that message, as it‘s so true. 2mo
BarbaraBB @Megabooks I already used another one for that prompt 2mo
BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I never thought of gun violence but I never do in real life either. I agree that it is different when you live in the US and guns are everywhere. You might be right about the volcanos being a metaphor. What do you think @Megabooks ? (edited) 2mo
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I love the cover. 2mo
Megabooks Barbara @Hooked_on_books I read it as climate change. That was what has popped up everywhere and can have multiple outcomes depending on how we react. (I kinda liked how the book had multiple outcomes for the characters, but it was a bit confusing!) I can see gun violence too. This was an interesting one. (I forgot you read manhunt this year, not last, B. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป) 2mo
Hooked_on_books @Megabooks @BarbaraBB I think there are many metaphors in this book and climate change is one as well. Every so often in the book, there‘s a date, a name, and how the person or people died, and all but one are deaths by gun violence. The names are otherwise unconnected to the rest of the story in the book, so that‘s how the metaphor revealed itself to me. 2mo
Ruthiella I like bonkers! I‘m looking forward to this one. ๐Ÿ˜œ 2mo
LaraReads Gorgeous photo! And what I wild sounding book. Love the cover too. 2mo
Librarybelle Gorgeous photo! 2mo
batsy Great review and excellent photo, as always! ๐Ÿ™‚ 2mo
AshleyHoss820 Now I know why this has been on my TBR! Sounds awesome! Love this review! 2mo
BarbaraBB @Megabooks @Hooked_on_books I read it as climate change too and how we look away while the sighs are everywhere. I kept wondering about the mentions of real people killed by gun violence. I thought they were killed due to gender or sexuality. I think I made that up because almost all narrators are lgbtqi+ 2mo
BarbaraBB @AshleyHoss820 @squirrelbrain @Ruthiella I can‘t foresee if you‘ll like it or not, I guess you probably will 2mo
BarbaraBB @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @LaraReads It‘s a gorgeous edition too, format and paper quality are ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿฝ (edited) 2mo
BarbaraBB @Librarybelle @batsy Thank you. The church tower Anne Frank could see and listen to is in the background (edited) 2mo
Cinfhen I love this sidebar conversation- it‘ll help me as I start the book @Megabooks @Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB And I agree, the physical quality of this book feels really special. I love the size & format. And how cool about the church tower. 2mo
squirrelbrain I agree @Cinfhen - this book sounds rather bonkers so understanding the metaphors before one starts may be rather useful and insightful. Thank you @Hooked_on_books @Megabooks @BarbaraBB 2mo
Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB I do see a focus on LGBTQ+ people killed being mentioned, but I think Philando Castile was included and as far as I know, he was not queer. But of course I could be wrong about that. And I do think the author intended the volcano to be a metaphor for many of the ills of society that we simply choose to ignore, which is part of why I thought this book was so good. It has a lot of depth. 2mo
Cortg Sounds like a fun read! I may have to check it out! 2mo
BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books It‘s a very powerful message and metaphor, and brought to us by the author in a complete new and original way. It‘s very good, I agree. I now appreciate it more thanks to our discussion! 2mo
kwmg40 I have this out from the library and looking forward to it, especially after reading the discussion here. 2mo
BarbaraBB @kwmg40 I‘ll be very interested to hear your thoughts about it 2mo
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review
Hooked_on_books
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

In a relatively lackluster #tob2023 year, I‘m delighted to say I LOVED this! It‘s completely bananas and won‘t be for everyone, but the volcano in Central Park, temporal anomalies, and metaphors galore really worked for me. I‘m so glad the tourney put this one on my radar.

Ruthiella Sounds fun! This is the one I had to buy, so I‘ll probably get to it last, only because no one will be waiting for it from the library! ๐Ÿ˜… 2mo
batsy This sounds intriguing! Something fresh and different, so I'm looking forward to it. 2mo
squirrelbrain Gah! This one is silly-expensive over here so I was hoping it would be no good and I could skip itโ€ฆ ๐Ÿคฃ 2mo
See All 29 Comments
Hooked_on_books @Soubhiville I think you‘d like this one! 2mo
BarbaraBB I am reading it now too and not fully into it yet but I hope I‘ll feel like you! 2mo
Cinfhen I‘m hoping to pick it up this week and I‘m happy to send you my copy @squirrelbrain xxx 2mo
Cinfhen I started Babel on audio last night @Ruthiella @batsy @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB I‘m actually REALLY ENJOYING! Im surprising myself and probably @TrishB and @julesG ๐Ÿ˜˜๐Ÿค“ 2mo
julesG Glad you're enjoying Babel! The audio was good. I started Babel on audio, then wanted the physical copy because of the footnotes and Chinese characters. I ended up doing immersion reading. I'm not saying it's a bad book, the last part just didn't sit well with me. 2mo
Hooked_on_books @Cinfhen I actually didn‘t like it much at all. I found the messaging heavy handed and never really connected with the story. 2mo
Hooked_on_books @julesG The last part didn‘t sit well with me either. The constant barrage of โ€œviolence is the only way,โ€ which I don‘t agree with at all, was disturbing. 2mo
julesG Yep, that was my issue, too. 2mo
Cinfhen Ohhhh, I forgot you read this one ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธright now im still enjoying the setting & world building but we‘ll seeโ€ฆ still 8 + hours to go ๐Ÿ™„ 2mo
batsy @squirrelbrain I know! I just saw that there doesn't seem to be an affordable Kindle version, either. 2mo
Hooked_on_books @batsy @squirrelbrain The publisher is a really small press in the US, so they may not have the reach for good deals on foreign distribution rights, which is a bummer but understandable. 2mo
Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB I hope you like it, too, but part of me thinks this may not be a book for you. I hope I‘m wrong! 2mo
Megabooks I just started it this morning and couldn‘t agree more!! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป 2mo
Soubhiville Thanks for the recommendation, I‘ll see if my library has it ๐Ÿ˜๐ŸŒ‹ 2mo
MicheleinPhilly This is one I‘m skipping. It just sounds way too weird for my tastes. Glad you enjoyed it! 2mo
sarahbarnes Oh nice! I might give this one a try based on your review! 2mo
BkClubCare YAY!!! ๐ŸŽ‰ Certainly one I wouldn‘t have found if not for the TOB. 2mo
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I am listening to Babel on audio. Kind of enjoying it too. I certainly learn a lot about translating! 2mo
BarbaraBB So far I am enjoying My Volcano Holly ๐Ÿคž๐Ÿฝ 2mo
Cinfhen Oh how fun that you have both these books going @BarbaraBB 2mo
squirrelbrain You‘re so kind @Cinfhen - in fact you‘re a one-woman ToB bookshop! However, it‘s probably the same cost for me to buy it as it is for you to post it, so don‘t worry for now and I‘ll keep an eye out for itโ€ฆ. 2mo
Cinfhen If you change your mind lmk @squirrelbrain ๐Ÿ˜˜ 2mo
Hooked_on_books @MicheleinPhilly It‘s for sure not for everyone, so I get your response! 2mo
MicheleinPhilly My local indie picked this for book club a few months ago and not a single person showed up. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ 2mo
Hooked_on_books @MicheleinPhilly That‘s so sad! It‘s a niche book for sure, but for someone like me, it‘s so good. I‘m sorry people missed out on it. 2mo
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BarbaraBB
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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#weeklyforecast 03/23

I am reading The Lover‘s Dictionary, a wonderful little book sent to me by the lovely @KarenUK . Next will be the tagged one for #ToB23 (just like you Cindy!) and I hope there‘ll be time to start American War!

TrishB Good week ahead ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป 3mo
Cinfhen Can‘t wait to see what we make of 3mo
Ruthiella I bought a copy of My Volcano in print since it was the only ToB book I couldn‘t get from my library. I hear it is a trip! ๐Ÿคช 3mo
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella It is a beautiful published edition. I hope the content is as good ๐Ÿ˜‰ 3mo
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Sophronisba
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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The jogger, the first person to see the peak of the volcano sprouting from the middle of the reservoir in Central Park, in the early hours of June 2, thought the volcano was a breaching humpback whale. . . . She stared at it for a full minute--stretching all the while--before continuing her run. She couldn't afford to stop any longer because she didn't want her heart rate to drop.

#SundaySentence

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Cinfhen
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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First #BookMail of 2023๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰ I‘ve seen lots of MIXED reviewsโ€ฆ so keeping expectations low ๐Ÿ˜‰

Megabooks This is up for me too! 3mo
Cinfhen I love the print and size of the book!!! @Megabooks 3mo
britt_brooke Striking cover! 3mo
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review
Jas16
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Mehso-so

This is the type of novel I would usually avoid and only picked it up because of #TOB23. I still really hoped that I would like it and become the kind of reader who would embrace this style of writing but as things progressed I found myself skimming more and more. I wanted to see where it would all go and now I know.

BarbaraBB That doesn‘t sound hopeful! 3mo
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review
Addison_Reads
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

Wow! This book is weird but the message behind it packs quite a punch. We follow several different outcomes, through different POV's, all surrounding what happens when a volcano suddenly emerges in Central Park.

I love the diversity of characters and the author's ability to address social injustices and climate change all within this pre-apocalyptic world. This book isn't going to be for everyone, but it certainly leaves a lot to talk about.

MicheleinPhilly My local bookshop picked this as a book club selection a few months ago and no one showed up. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ It just sounds way too weird for my tastes. 4mo
Addison_Reads @MicheleinPhilly It is definitely weird, but I tend to enjoy books that fit that category. I can completely understand others not being interested though. 4mo
See All 11 Comments
squirrelbrain This is one I can‘t get hold of in the UK, but I‘m not sure if it‘s for me, anyway. Great review though! 4mo
Ruthiella I have a fairly high tolerance for weird! ๐Ÿ˜‚ This one intrigues me. 4mo
Suet624 I‘m excited to read that you liked it. Stacked. 4mo
BarbaraBB Sounds like a typical TOB read! 4mo
Megabooks Huh! I didn‘t have this on my list, but I‘ll definitely check it out now. Thanks! 4mo
Hooked_on_books I‘m really looking forward to this one. It stood out to me when I read the longlist. 4mo
sarahbarnes Great review! This one definitely sounds intriguingโ€ฆ 4mo
Cinfhen This one really caught my eye too but it‘s still expensive!!! It‘s a very interesting longlist this year!! Lots of titles fall under the weird banner๐Ÿ˜‚ 4mo
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review
Robotswithpersonality
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
This post contains spoilers
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Pickpick

Honestly, the message is so important, I'll forgive the strata of icky bizarre that might otherwise edge towards aggravating rather engaging. I will continue to look for slightly more fluffy FUCKIN' WEIRD books - this one is definitely more Library at Mount Char than Kaiju Preservation Society on that spectrum. Diverse representation, multiple transgender characters; does relate deaths of real black, trans, queer people. By a non-binary author.

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Robotswithpersonality
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Ouch. ๐Ÿ˜” I'll keep my unreasonable optimism, thank you.

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Robotswithpersonality
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Doomscroll, anyone? ๐Ÿ™„ Oh algorithm, you were just trying to help!

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Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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July has been a great reading month. Lots of queer authors and Canadian writing.

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Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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What Iโ€˜ve been reading over the past week:

Iโ€˜m all about the 5-star books in today's Friday Readsโ€ฆ + a 2-star flop
#queer #retellings #ramayana
https://youtu.be/g35Ck1C2ws0

shawnmooney ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ’• 9mo
yasha_anand nice video, ive subscribed :) 9mo
Lindy @yasha_anand Hi Yasha! Thanks for subscribing and commenting. ๐Ÿ˜Š 9mo
yasha_anand @Lindy you're most welcome, have a good day ahead :) 9mo
43 likes4 comments
review
Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Pickpick

Weird, wonderful, pre-apocalyptic, kaleidoscopic, with a large cast of mostly queer characters who live in places across the globe. Set during alternate reality summers of 2016, when a volcano rose out of Central Park in NYC. Imagine a mash-up of works by Emily St John Mandel, Kafka, David Mitchell, Yan Ge, Sequoia Nagamatsu, & Baba Yaga talesโ€ฆ & throw in 16th c Mexico. I felt buoyed by the vast vision & hope for the future. #LGBTQ #Canadian

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Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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There‘s a certain amount of whimsy in this novel, and there are also pages like this one, set apart from the story, containing the name and death information of a real person who died as a result of violent racism, homophobia, or transphobia.

Karisa Sounds like a powerful juxtaposition of fact and fiction 9mo
Lindy @Karisa yes, indeed. The theme of community, the recognition that we are interconnected, makes these death notice pages even more poignant. 9mo
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Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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They stood & watched group after group of marchers pass. Marchers in leather, in rainbows, on foot or on bikes. Advertisements. Organizations. Politicians waving from the back of banner-laden trucks. So many queer bodies, watching & marching alongside so many other non-queer bodies. The parade was supposed to make the white trans writer feel included but they didn‘t feel it. They knew what they looked like to the people on the street. They felt โฌ‡๏ธ

Lindy (Continued) so far from belonging. 9mo
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Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan [ @shawnmooney โ€˜s hometown], a craft brewmaster talked about his inspiration to swiftly rebrand their bock as the Prairie Bock-cano, the new label an illustration of Saskatoon‘s modest skyline interrupted by an erupting peak.

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Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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As he carried the drink out to the patio, Susan Sontag‘s Regarding the Pain of Others under his arm, Ash felt his image of New York shift with the knowledge that a volcano was emerging in Central Park.

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Lindy
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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The urban spaces Dzhambul‘s greenness overwhelmed grew over with his mutant thistle and other plant life. The green‘s cells grew quickly with his guidance, and huge organisms spread effectively and efficiently. Giant hives of green bees occupied skyscrapers along their path. The air he liberated grew clean again. He wanted nothing but for the world to be one endless wave, and sanitized.

Lynnsoprano Love your photo! 9mo
Lindy @Lynnsoprano Thanks, Lynn. Echinops won‘t be blooming in my garden for another month, but it‘s interesting at this stage too. 9mo
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Tonton
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Arrived today! An erupting volcano in Central Park starts things offโ€ฆgetting ready for a kaleidoscopic ride tonight.๐Ÿ˜Ž