pickA moving, thought-provoking exploration of grief and the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters, identity and race through the lens of food. I was wholly unprepared by how much I loved this book. Highly-recommended for those who like vivid descriptions of food and place.
It was proof that I had not always been completely alone in this world. But I think I was also holding on to the loss, to the emptiness of the house itself, as though to affirm that it was better to be alone than to be stuck with people who were supposed to love you, yet couldn‘t.
Completely unintentional theme in my most recent haul. Can you guess what it is? (Aside from the fact that these are all great non-fiction books)
"Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable. We forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society, but also our thoughts, fears and dreams."
"But whom to love? To trust and treasure?
Who won‘t betray us in the end?
And who‘ll be kind enough to measure
Our words and deeds as we intend?"
Finally finished this beast in time for halloween. I can't even begin to wrap my head around it.
GODDAMNED FUCKING SHIT
– 1st chapter of Stig Sæterbakken's Through the Night
A chilling post-apocalyptic tale anticipating the devastations that could be wrought by a nuclear catastrophe set amidst a backdrop of religious intolerance and strict dogmatism that is unwilling or unable to tolerate anything out of the ordinary. The story may sometimes be bogged down by grandstanding speeches from either side, but if you could overlook it, this makes for a compelling read.
I'm not even halfway through but had to pause listening to the audiobook because I am feeling ALL THE RAGE. #stopracialprejudice
A stunning literary thriller about the legacy of childhood trauma and abuse. About how an act of violence brings to the surface old familial wounds and resentments, ultimately leading to a devastating but inevitable conclusion. #grippingread #daebak
pickOne of the most intense and violent books I have ever read, and one that will stay with me for a long time. This book is an unflinching account of the Gwangju Uprising in the 1980s in Korea told from the perspective of the victims and the bereaved. This is an important book in these troubled times.
Kept thinking of this song while reading "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller
I know now that a studied evasiveness has its own limitations, its own ways of inhibiting certain forms of happiness or pleasure. The pleasure of abiding. The pleasure of insistence, of persistence. The pleasure of obligation, the pleasure of dependency. The pleasures of ordinary devotion.
pickThis book is kooky and quirky and such an enjoyable read. Being in the head of the main character is quite an experience. I alternated between empathizing with her and wanting to shake her. Also, I never knew a birthing scene could be so much fun to read. So, that's a plus.
"Another sheep, mangled and bled out, her innards not yet crusting and the vapours rising from her like a steamed pudding. Crows, their beaks shining, strutting and rasping, and when I waved my stick they flew to the trees and watched, flaring out their wings, singing, if you could call it that."
"They are always waiting, the people of the Undersea. They spend all their lives waiting for their lives to begin."
pickIf you like dark, unsettling stories in the vein of Kafka's Metamorphosis, then this book is for you. A novel in 3 acts following a young woman's slow decline to madness after deciding to become a vegan—a choice prompted by recurring nightmares. Deeply disturbing and yet hauntingly beautiful.
Meche and Sebastian were used to each other, comfortable in their proximity. They folded and kept their dreams in the same drawer, spun fantasies side by side, lived in the easy harmony of youth which did not know the need for tall walls and sturdy defenses.
