Anita Brookner Project Check In

I love the slow novels of Anita Brookner.

They are deeply character drawn, and honestly feel a bit claustrophobic. They are nonetheless fantastic. 

She has a way of writing that moves me so deeply. 

source: New York Times

Here is my April 2024 Check In

My next Brookner: The 1983 novel Look at Me

isn't this cover sullen?

I've decided that I will read her remaining novels in publication order. I am so excited about this project.

Deep reading through an author's oeuvre is one of my favorite things to do.

Happy reading. ☕️ 

Update: Fall 2023

I won't make myself read in publication date. I've decided to read whichever I'm interested in at the time. You can't go wrong with Brookner. And, even her "miss" is a closer home run in 3/4 of what I read from the contemporary section these days. 

End of March DNF Energy

I am just DNFing up a storm. Honestly, I love a good DNF.

Too many of them and I start to feel antsy...

"Am I choosing the right books? Why am I not finishing these novels? Am I feeling slumpy?"

Turns out that most of my recent DNFs have been recommendations or gleaned from watching videos. Ummmm well that HAS to change!

Cue my deep journaling session about my reading taste.

stock photo

I use this in all areas of my life: If NO ONE was looking (and honestly no one is looking :) , what would I be reading or wanting to read?

The facts are:

My stakes are low. 

My reading is JUST for my enjoyment and enhancement.

My time is limited so I need to choose my books wisely. 

Henceforth (clearly things have gotten serious now), I will be documenting my DNF escapades and reveling in the joy I feel when I delete a book from my kindle or remove the download.

Exhale... what a beautiful space of reading freedom I am living in. Although I've expressed this in the most dramatic fashion possible, I feel fantastic to shout into the void, "If it isn't worth reading twice, it's not worth reading once."

It's Okay to Read All The Time

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Quick reminder to myself and any/all who pass this post.

It's okay to read often. It's okay to re-read often. It's okay to read a ton or a few number of books.

It's okay to read non-fiction only. Fiction only. Classics only. Middle Grade only. Or anywhere in between.

I loathe the new society (though is it new really?) that demands we all be the same, yet different.

I soak up all of my free time with chapters of great books.

I don't justify or explain this to anyone.

Only fellow bibliophiles understand the sublime feeling of coming in close contact with great literature.

There is a feeling of complete love and joy when I conquer a great work (Hello Proust, I'm looking at you).

No matter who you are. No matter where you are on your life's journey, novels hold the key to a certain happiness that touches the soul. And unlike a favorite ballet, or museum... you get to return to the work over and over again.

Happy reading ☕️ 

Weak Coffee, New Books and Early Mornings

I write to you from my desk with a cup of really weak coffee. As I've been cutting WAY back on the good juice, when I do have it, I try not to have the hair raising, swamp water that I normally make. The weak stuff will take some getting used to for sure.

More and more I'm considering starting a brand new BookTube channel, but I'm unsure.

I see that it is just saturated with creators, but at the same time, my goals for making the channel have more to do with a hobby, flexing a creative muscle, and having a snapshot of reading experiences week to week. I'll keep thinking about it, and in the meantime I'll catalog my reading thoughts here- although my readership is extremely low because I refuse to promote this blog. :)

Either way, I've been busy on the "read 8 books at a time" reading front.

Books I'm adding to my reading plate this week:

update a week later: I DNFed this one.
May return it maybe not

I'm excited to add these to a full, but bustling literary plate. 

Hope your springtime reading is going well.

A Hard To Do Book Review: Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

 

isn't this cover amazing

5 ⭐️ 

I'll do my best to review this novel, but it was so deeply moving that I'm lost for how to accurately review it. 

What a painful and beautiful reading experience.

It was at times claustrophobic to live inside of our protagonist's head, but I don't think Nolan could have accomplished the goal of making us understand her.

This visceral, gritty, emotional novel is at heart, the story of a lost young woman trying to find a comfortable place to land within herself.

We accompany her (and her inner monologues) on exploitative sexual escapades, obsessive romantic thoughts, and through repeated and completely self-destructive behaviors - until it hurts.

My heart was broken open over and over by this novel.

The best part is that on the surface, this is an easy DNF for me, but Nolan as such a melodic and raw way with words that this was a train wreck of a person and story that I could not look away from.

I will remember my 5 ⭐️ journey experience for years to come. I highly recommend.

P.S. If you hated A Little Life, don't let the few comparisons scare you off. That was torture with NO point (sorry if you don't agree, but I despised that book). This story has depth.

6 Month Project: Reading Metamorphoses by Ovid Translated by Stephanie McCarter

This cover is absolutely stunning

I'm so excited for this translation it hurts.

Ovid was a Roman epic poet who lived in the time of Augustus.

I read the introduction (minus a few sections that were very spoiler filled), and the translator's note (which I adored), and I am so excited about this project. 

Aiming for a slow reading, because as most know, this is NOT a cheery epic poem. 

It is filled with violence, rape, force, change... and it is very powerful.

I trust Stephanie McCarter to take me on this journey.

Classics I Want to Read This Spring: 2023

stock photo: all the springtime vibes

Oh it's that time of year. 

Bees are buzzing. Stress is mounting. Books are calling to be read. 💐 

I've been playing around with returning to BookTube as a creative/hobby project within the next few weeks. I just want to make sure that I don't return and suddenly want to leave again.

I've dealt with regrets about deleting my 67 videos before, but was honest that I didn't like the bubble that YouTube put my channel in. I think I'll be aiming for a different course this go-round.

Either way, this is born out of a desire to show how reading is helping my anxiety during this most stressful of times.

This Springtime I am gearing up for lighter reads. Some re-reads (of course), and other classics that I've been meaning to get to for quite some time.

I have Kindle Unlimited for another 10 days or so, and will see if I make good use of it before considering if I will renew. In that time, I am able to access some classics (most classics I own on kindle anyway) that I don't currently own. 

I can imagine myself spending lazy Sunday mornings reading opening chapters from classics that have been on my mind for quite some time.

Here are the classics I want to spend time with this upcoming Spring season

Emma by Jane Austen

A Room With A View by E.M. Forester

Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope

There's nothing like a springtime TBR full of light feels

Of course I'll pepper this list with all sorts of in-the-moment reads. That's the point of my reading life. To feel inspired, changed, excited, alive and connected to the human experience.

There's no need for a huge or ambitious spring classic TBR. Keeping things light and comfortable. I will have so many other reads going at the same time as these classics, but they are ones I really want to get through.

Longer sun in the day, warmer weather, all beg for light reading. 

Happy light springtime reading my slow living friends. 

Approaching Springtime Update to Blog Colors

Spring is a great time for tea and slow living

A simple refresh.

I've decided to do a color update to my blog and will change it back to its deep, dark academia aesthetic at a later date.

I have a low readership, so it probably doesn't matter much to many, but I'm enjoying looking at it these days. 

Here's to a happy change of the season and many sun-filled reading days ahead.

My Springtime Re-Read: Emma by Jane Austen

 

2023 Classic Re-Read: Emma

I am an avid proponent of re-reading. 

I believe deeply that if a book isn't worth reading twice, it isn't worth reading once.

My time is so valuable. So precious.

When I read, I am seeking to be entertained or to touch the sublime- all else is folly.

I'm ONLY here for the 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reads. Nothing else will do.

I don't need to be a large part of the cultural conversation about currently published literature.

My degrees are NOT in literature. I do NOT care if someone else deems me "Well Read" or not. 

I've heard it all:

"Why would you waste your time reading Proust? It is so meandering and boring"

"Wow, you've read Proust! That's amazing."

"Jane Austen is so boring. I just don't get how people love the boring teacup drama. Who can even understand her anyway."

"Austen is timeless. She's the best writer I've ever read."

See where I'm going?

You have to read for yourself. YOUR own taste. What calls to YOU.

If you don't, you have a racked up list of novels that didn't excite you, and all you're left with it the fact that "people" can say you've read good stuff?  Or not, depending on to whom you're speaking.

ALL of that to say :).... Emma is my spring re-read. I'm in the mood for some nosey, messy, Austen drama followed up by a light screen adaptation. 

As with all re-reads, I know the story. There's no need to rush it. Emma will live alongside all of the other novels I have slotted for my Spring reads, and I'll most likely set a chapter goal. 

There are 3 Volumes, but if I'm honest, once I get into the novel, I will probably keep going. That's the Austen way.

She gets you into the drama and she is so darn funny, you can't look away.

Happy Springtime re-reading to you slow living friends. 🌸 

I Love the Public Library

The glories of a strong cup of coffee- I miss you

I've lived in a myriad of cities. Next to finding the farmer's market (my current city doesn't have one), I find the library. 

Honestly, I HAVE to know where the free books are.

There is something about walking into building - perhaps the last free space on earth - and being surrounded by so much entertainment, knowledge and beauty.

Most everything you want to learn lies between those walls.

Librarians are one of the most untapped resources in public spaces

I make sure to ask for my librarian's assistance on copious topics. Although I am no stranger to being able to navigate the library system, I always assume there is something that the librarian knows that I don't know. This is often the case. 

If you are ever in the library, take this challenge: Go to the librarian and ask for help locating a book on a topic that you're unused to. You'd be surprised at how much they can help you.

What to do if you can't afford books

My local library has a recommendation system. Patrons are allowed to recommend one book every 30 days. It doesn't mean they will buy it, but in my case they purchase about 60% of my recommended books!! I think it's because I recommend a lot of obscure literary fiction novels.

The best part about this is that the novels stay in rotation and other patrons can then check them out or see them listed as options for reading!

You can moderate your book shopping with library shopping

If I feel like buying a ton of books (which happens ever so often), I can scratch that itch with a few hours at my local library.

I can leave with an armful of novels and nonfiction and come home and look at the pretty pretty stack on my table.

This is a great way to see what I want to purchase to own (especially because I'm an almost exclusive Kindle reader). The stakes were low. I borrowed the book from the library, read a few chapters, decided I loved it, got it on kindle and finished it.

OR (more rarely, but still likely), I read the book in physical form from the library, enjoyed it (or didn't) and was grateful I didn't have to pay $14.99 for a kindle book that I didn't enjoy

Unpopular Opinion: Library books can be better than owned books

How many unhaul videos have you seen? 

How many times have you given books away to clear out space? 

How many of those did you think, "I didn't really love this?"

As a bookish minimalist, I will NOT exceed ONE bookshelf in my house. The books on it are my absolute favorites to thumb through and my favorites to re-read. I am. HUGE re-reader - always.

The library both digitally and physically allow you to read and try out the novel without committing to the shelf space. 

I don't care to impress anyone with my stacks of books in my house, and as far as the "The bookshelf is a conversation starter" plea, you can just as easily say "Have you read anything good lately?" And go from there. 

Do yourself a favor

Head out to your local library if you haven't been in a while. 

Access the value resource that is your librarian. 

Happy reading ☕️ 

When Books Surprise, When Books Disappoint, When Books Drag

Can this title be longer?

Seriously though, Of my last bout of books I had a few surprises and a few dead ends. 

I used to do individual book reviews here on this blog, but I won't do that anymore. It will be easier for me to lump them in like a weekly reads video.

When Books Are a Slog

This book was fine enough. I did have a good time reading about the characters' lives, and I like the addition of family dynamics in any romance, but it didn't feel like a small town.

I am grossly upset when ANY heroine is SO unsure of herself and lacks confidence SO much that is 80% of her internal dialogue ("How could he EVER like me? I'm broken..., etc.")

It got old real quick for me. She was beautiful. Stunning. Smart and a great mother. It is (of course) understandable that after her divorce she would be a bit conscious of her steps when it came to love, but this was a bit lusty, he "wiped the tears from her eyes", kind of romance. She must have cried every time he said or did any nice this. I HATE my heroine being this weak. I hate it. 

All of that said, I still recommend it. Support BIPOC romance authors.

My gosh I wanted to like this so much.

It took me 10 days to read 30 pages. Um... it was time to reassess. If you've been here for any length of time, you know that I don't care about flying through books. I actually loathe that style of reading for myself.

I do not enjoy novels that don't know what they are. Like Clarice Lispector, you feel that something is brewing underneath the surface, but I couldn't access it at all.

It felt like a stretch and reach to add a depth that maybe wasn't there by using confusing, circular narrative style for the sake of being "experimental".

I wasted my money and all of my time. 

When Books Surprise

Cold as Snow by Jessica Enough

This book was fantastic. I can easily sum it up by saying it was a deep exploration of the mental inner workings of a daughter trying to figure her way out in the world with a mother that she can't quite understand, and she doesn't even understand why it's so important for her to come to an understanding.

Profoundly character driven, this novel explores the emotional landscape of our protagonist through an up close lens. As we go through the day with her and her mother, we can see just how their connection and relationship has shifted our protagonist's view of the world.

I loved this novel.

I'm so surprised by how much I enjoyed this 420 page novel. 

I can't remember how it came on my radar, but I'm so glad that it did. 

I'm not a big "twists and turns" kind of plot-driven reader, but there is something to be said for spending lots of hours with a page turning novel.

This novel explores the Incel movement through the eyes of several members, and our lead detective. 

There are several trigger/content warnings for SA, kidnapping, murder, child abuse, gunfire, prison, etc.

This is NOT something I'd normally read, or finish and it is a testament of Pascal Engman's storytelling and writing ability that I gave it 5 stars.

I have a few books going now and will report on them soon, as well as, make an entire blogpost to capture the copious amount of DNFs that I've had lately!

Happy reading.