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What Are You Reading Wednesday
Oct. 31st, 2018 02:32 pmCurrently Reading:
Not much movement in certain categories, but here we go -
Poetry: Nancy Boutillier, 'On the Eighth Day Adam Slept Alone', although I suspect I will DNF it this week
Fiction: At Swim Two Boys, still on hiatus; 'Flesh and Gold' by Ann Aptaker (Netgalley ARC); 'Elmet' by Fiona Mozley
Academic: Tyler Bradway, 'Queer Experimental Literature', a review copy. Changed my mind, some of his primary texts are interesting after all.
Other: technically, The Lifted Brow latest issue, still
Recently Finished:
G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King, review to come
Autumn by Ali Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was incredibly readable. For some reason, that surprised me - I was expecting 'brexit novel' to be darker and 'experimental style' to be slower going. It's light, quirky, wry, and has a very particular knack of putting words together and expressing things in just the right left-of-expectations way. The character portrait of Daniel, a man on his deathbed, is fascinating, although for quite some way through I felt cheated that he wasn't gay. Elisabeth's mother keeps calling him 'an old queen', Elisabeth justifying that he's not, but it wouldn't matter if he was - I felt that would've been strengthened if, in fact, he was. That authorial choice made more sense given the developments toward the very end with E's mother, though.
I suppose my main takeway is 'this will make a great first-year reading list item one day', although I for one would not want to assign it and have to try to convince firsties to care about the /literary experience/ of the underpaid seasonal lecturer.
I liked it; I'll definitely read Winter. But with a few days to think back on it, I'm not sure that I will re-read this one, and I suspect the details will fade out of memory fairly easily. The vibe of it will stay, though.
One Pound Meals: Delicious Food for Less by Miguel Barclay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sigh. The 'one pound per meal' gimmick loses a bit of its shine when you realise they're all one-serving meals. I'll be spending the three pounds and tripling it, I guess.
M.A. Hinkle, Death of a Bachelor, review to come
Wild Wild Hex by Jordan L. Hawk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mmm, okay. Notable for expanding the range of the worldbuilding (this one is set in the south), and for putting at least /some/ thought into how race affects different witches. I remain unconvinced that, by the rules of this universe, somehow racism doesn't work in the witch-familiar system. I'd expect it to be present, even if structural barriers are fewer, the narrative seems to presuppose that 'become a witch' means 'face no racisms'. I remain sceptical.
Up Next: I've put Ali Smith's 'Winter' on hold at the library, I'll probably start that as soon as I'm finished with Elmet. Once I'm done with Flesh and Gold I'll probably start Anna Mardoll's 'No Man of Woman Born'.
Music notes: Nothing new, but I just want it noted that Vika and Linda are pretty great.
Not much movement in certain categories, but here we go -
Poetry: Nancy Boutillier, 'On the Eighth Day Adam Slept Alone', although I suspect I will DNF it this week
Fiction: At Swim Two Boys, still on hiatus; 'Flesh and Gold' by Ann Aptaker (Netgalley ARC); 'Elmet' by Fiona Mozley
Academic: Tyler Bradway, 'Queer Experimental Literature', a review copy. Changed my mind, some of his primary texts are interesting after all.
Other: technically, The Lifted Brow latest issue, still
Recently Finished:
G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King, review to come
Autumn by Ali SmithMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was incredibly readable. For some reason, that surprised me - I was expecting 'brexit novel' to be darker and 'experimental style' to be slower going. It's light, quirky, wry, and has a very particular knack of putting words together and expressing things in just the right left-of-expectations way. The character portrait of Daniel, a man on his deathbed, is fascinating, although for quite some way through I felt cheated that he wasn't gay. Elisabeth's mother keeps calling him 'an old queen', Elisabeth justifying that he's not, but it wouldn't matter if he was - I felt that would've been strengthened if, in fact, he was. That authorial choice made more sense given the developments toward the very end with E's mother, though.
I suppose my main takeway is 'this will make a great first-year reading list item one day', although I for one would not want to assign it and have to try to convince firsties to care about the /literary experience/ of the underpaid seasonal lecturer.
I liked it; I'll definitely read Winter. But with a few days to think back on it, I'm not sure that I will re-read this one, and I suspect the details will fade out of memory fairly easily. The vibe of it will stay, though.
One Pound Meals: Delicious Food for Less by Miguel BarclayMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sigh. The 'one pound per meal' gimmick loses a bit of its shine when you realise they're all one-serving meals. I'll be spending the three pounds and tripling it, I guess.
M.A. Hinkle, Death of a Bachelor, review to come
Wild Wild Hex by Jordan L. HawkMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mmm, okay. Notable for expanding the range of the worldbuilding (this one is set in the south), and for putting at least /some/ thought into how race affects different witches. I remain unconvinced that, by the rules of this universe, somehow racism doesn't work in the witch-familiar system. I'd expect it to be present, even if structural barriers are fewer, the narrative seems to presuppose that 'become a witch' means 'face no racisms'. I remain sceptical.
Up Next: I've put Ali Smith's 'Winter' on hold at the library, I'll probably start that as soon as I'm finished with Elmet. Once I'm done with Flesh and Gold I'll probably start Anna Mardoll's 'No Man of Woman Born'.
Music notes: Nothing new, but I just want it noted that Vika and Linda are pretty great.