Yahooooooooo!!!!!!!! Look what they let me have! When I requested it I just frankly expected a rejection and I‘m totally delighted to actually have this. More #NBAlonglist reading for me!
pickRaja is a 60-something teacher in Beirut and his 80-something mom has just moved in with him. Their relationship is absolutely hilarious, and through it we see a bit of Lebanon, especially as we get the backstory of Raja‘s gay awakening during their civil war. The tone is masterful, maintaining humor while never diminishing serious events. I absolutely loved this.
#NBAlonglist, fiction
pickI‘m so glad I got over my hate of Trust Exercise to read this one, as I really liked it! Exploring themes of belonging and nationalism by zooming in on a single small family, the reader gains greater understanding of Japan and Korea. I‘m glad I had already read Pachinko so I had some background with Korea/Japan. I do think this could have used a bit of editing, but it‘s quite good.
#NBAlonglist, fiction
#Bookhaul! My order from B&N has arrived, with 3 books from the #NBAlonglist for translated lit and one from the nonfiction list. Then, I stopped into Beach Books in Seaside on my way home and picked up the tagged since it‘s now out. I‘m excited to continue my reading of the lists!
pickThis is another superb selection from the #NBAlonglist for nonfiction! Thomas was an anthropology grad student when he started participating in fighting wildfires. Here he details that part of his life and weaves in the history of indigenous land management via fire and the environmental/climate change side of the story. It makes for a very rich reading experience. I can‘t recommend this enough.
pickA shockingly high percentage of former foster kids end up either in jail or homeless. Rowe chronicles the stories of 6 former foster kids to reveal this phenomenon while buttressing her narrative with data from studies. She also tells of some people who are trying to change things for these kids. This is sobering, searing, and absolutely superb.
#NBAlonglist, nonfiction
pickThis sly little book examines upward mobility, what we‘re “supposed” to want, and the emptiness that often results. I really liked this. I would have liked it to have more of an edge to pump it up to loved status for me, but it‘s really good.
#NBAlonglist, translated literature
so-soThis is the story of Edward McCabe, a black politician in Kansas who hatched the idea as Oklahoma was becoming a state of having it be a black-only state. I love that this man existed and that his story is being told, but I found this a bit dry. It may have been the audio, so if you try this, I would suggest print.
#NBAlonglist, nonfiction
so-soAnother odd #nbalonglist (translated) choice. In costal Uruguay, fish suddenly started dying, birds left the sky, and people got sick. In this strange dystopian world, a woman is paid to care for a child with a syndrome that causes extreme eating while keeping tabs on her mom and hospitalized ex-husband. Honestly, I didn‘t get this at all until about halfway through. The pieces came together a bit but not a very enjoyable reading experience.
pickI finished this #nbalonglist choice today, and it‘s definitely a “wtf did I just read, but I like it” book. A woman is sent to infiltrate a group of eco-extremists in Southern France. Honestly, that main plot was just okay, but when the MC gets into emails by the anthropologist who inspires the group — that was fascinating! Stuff about Neanderthals, the Cugot Rebellion, and Polynesian seafaring. Enthralling, but really out there!
