Rest of November books

I found another Agatha Christie novel I'd missed the first time around at the thrift store (or maybe it had just been donated) and bought it, also for fifty cents. Cat Among Pigeons is another Hercule Poirot novel. The synopsis and blurbs on the book cover don't mention this at all, so it was a delightful surprise when he showed up like 3/4 of the way through the book. The book starts off with an Arab prince and his English pilot friend trying to hide some jewels during a revolution in the Middle East, than changes to an exclusive girls' academy in England where murders keep happening. At first the two stories seem very different, then you see how they connect. I figured out where the jewels were hidden like 1/3 of the way through the book, if that. It was pretty obvious. The first teacher who got murdered was totally a lesbian, and she was written to be really nosy and annoying with poor social skills (also she was the gym teacher lmao). There was also a subplot with the prince's cousin, who also went to the academy. I enjoyed this one, although the ending made me a bit sad. 3.5 stars, giving away. Trigger warnings: murder, guns, racism, alcoholic minor character, adult male character flirts with teenage girls (for spy reasons, but still)

I picked up The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck at Savers because it sounded interesting (synopsis here). You know I'm all about stories set in or about libraries, and the story society sounded intriguing. It was to my chagrin that I quickly realized the Fifth Avenue library in New York City barely figured into the story at all, and that this book turned out to be a Christian novel. 

Five people are sent an invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society but don't know why. They decide to meet every week to find out who sent the invitations and why and become friends. Since this is a Christian novel, things end in romance and God-finding. While I found the Christian stuff to be heavy-handed, I found the emotions and problems faced by the members interesting and handled well. The characters endure true grief and pain, and while they didn't feel real to me, I was interested in their stories and wanted to know what happened to them. My favorite (aka least sad) storyline was Coral's; her cosmetics company was going under, and it was resolved in a very satisfying way. True to form, I also liked Jett's author storyline: his favorite author might be a fraud, and he finds an unpublished manuscript in the Fifth Avenue library that contains the truth. The characters' secrets, ranked from most obvious to least obvious: why Coral left her fiancé, why Jett felt guilty about his brother's death, why Chuck lost custody of his kids, Lexa's relationship and connection issues, and Sam's short marriage to his wife. Of all of them, I never suspected anything about Sam's story. I did think he was so insistent on writing his memoir because he had Alzheimer's. There is a stereotypical mysterious librarian who is probably the one who invited them all to the Society; the secret of how and why is not revealed, and it's hinted that the librarian is an angel. Very annoying. Anyway, I enjoyed this well enough, even though all the non-elderly characters are gorgeous and attractive (do not even get me started on the "Nebraska boy"). 3 stars, giving away. Trigger warnings: deaths, violence mentions, gun mention, child endangerment mention, prison, parental abandonment, grief, anger, drug addiction/abuse and alcoholism mentions

How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen was sourced from the same thrift store as CAtP. It's a short, slim little volume of collected essays on the author's life as a reader, her thoughts on reading, and her favorite books (including lists of book recommendations from her and her friends). I read and liked Quindlen's columns in the newspaper when I was younger and remember her to be a relatable, open, and intelligent writer. If you're a book person, you're probably familiar with this famous quote from this book: "Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home." Don't you just love that? I very much enjoyed this book, although the books she mentions and lists as recommendations are very white and straight. I highly recommend reading this book if you're a book lover. 4.5 stars because I wish it were longer! I'm keeping this one. Trigger warnings: mentions of sex, virginity, birth control, probably trigger-y stuff from books' plots mentioned

Book review: The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason

The first book I read in November was The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. It's a bibliomystery and is about two friends at Princeton trying to figure out the codes and secrets held in a mysterious Renaissance book, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphilli (which is real!). Murders start happening, and they start searching for clues for those too. They have to find all the answers before their dissertation is stolen or they're kicked out of Princeton. Read the official synopsis here.

The authors are two best friends who also both went to Princeton, so the setting felt real and lived in. The characters felt a bit stiff and formal, more like adults in their late twenties and early thirties than college students, but I was invested in them and their friendships. This may be because the book is set in 1999, but I don't think that would make the characters more mature. I liked the friendships between the four young men. I liked how Tom and Paul's friends helped with the riddles and clues; their med student friend helped with the medicine stuff, and Tom's girlfriend helped with riddles that had to do with her own major. The plot with the Tom and his girlfriend Katie was interesting enough, and she did feel mostly like a fleshed-out character, but I would have rather spent more time with the book. 

The HP incunabulum and its history was my favorite part, of course; there were so many things that I learned about in rare books classes (Aldus Manutius!) and things about Italian renaissance history, science and art (Florence! the Bonfire of the Vanities!).  The cryptology stuff was fascinating, with hidden messages encoded in the text which contained riddles, with the numerical code to the next riddle contained in each answer. The rule of four refers to the last numeric code needed to detect the book's hidden messages. One riddle had to do with who gave Moses his horns, which Paul did not get immediately. I call bull on this; everyone who tangentially knows anything about renaissance art and the Bible knows that Moses has horns in Michelangelo's statue of him because of a mistranslation (rays and horns being the same word). Paul, who knows Italian and Latin and basically everything there is to know about Renaissance Italy and its art, history, you name it, would have picked up on this right away. Paul says in the book that Michelangelo (or Jerome?) depicted Moses with horns because he felt only God should have glory radiating from His face, but I don't think that's true. 

The Hypnerotomachia Poliphilli wove its way through Tom and Paul's lives and the lives of Tom's father and his friends, who became Paul's advisors and mentors. The HP was a source of life-long obsession to these men, and it impacted their relationships with their partners and each other. Tom's father being obsessed with the HP damaged his relationship with his wife and son, while Tom's obsession with the HP strained his relationship with his girlfriend. Tom's father and his friends echoed Tom and his friends. This book deals with loss, obsession, academia, friendship, depression, relationships, and more. It was very sad but very fascinating. I loved the HP parts but I don't think I'll reread or keep this one. It stayed with me for a while. 

Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Read in: November 2-3
From: the thrift store?
Format: paperback
Status: giving away

Trigger warnings for this book: murder, death (various methods, some of them violent), car crash, blood, semi-graphic major injury, other injuries requiring hospital stays, alcohol overuse, obsession, depression, sex, mentioned nudity, sexism/misogyny, privileged Princeton pigs

Rest of October books

The first book I read in October was The Far Side Gallery 3, which features a cow posing as Mona Lisa (Moona Lisa) on the cover. I got it from the thrift store. I enjoyed this one, and even though I'm pretty sure I've seen all the comics therein, did not remember all of them. The reason I keep saying that for every The Far Side book is because my high school library had the Complete Far Side, which was in two? enormous, heavy volumes. I think I've read all the The Far Side comics, Gary Larson's new stuff notwithstanding (he's recently gotten into digital drawing and started making art again. I have his 2021 calendar.). 4 stars, keeping. Trigger warnings: body horror, characters are eaten, bugs, torture? weird sci fi stuff. all pretty mild

After my Agatha Christie mysteries, I read A Miracle in Seville by James A. Michener. I bought it (all together now!) at the thrift store. This book is set somewhere in the 1950s to '60s range, although the writing style and the lovely old-fashioned illustrations made it feel older. It takes place in Spain during Holy Week (Easter), and the American sports journalist narrator follows around an older Spanish man who is the head of one of the old bull breeding families that supply bulls for bullfights. He has lost his family and status among bull-raising families, and he attempts to raise his family's name by supplicating the Virgin Mary. The three best bullfighters and their bullfighting techniques during the many bullfights during the week are described. I don't know much of anything about bullfighting, but it sounds as though Michener did his research and writes about bullfighting knowledgeably and beautifully. Part of the reason the story time feels older is due to how the Spanish festivals and bullfights and characters are written about. There is a haughty beautiful g*psy fortune teller in swinging skirts who could have stepped out of the pages of a 19th century novel. All the Romani characters in this book are stereotypes and villains. (Read more on why g*psy is a slur here). The writing is very good, though, and the etching/woodcut-like illustrations are gorgeous. The book, while pertaining to be a journalist's notes, reads like a fairy tale from the 19th century, kind of like a Hugo or Dostoevsky novel without the excess verbiage. If it weren't for the stereotypical Romani characters, and the odd/sad ending, I would have liked this book a lot more than I did. 3.5 stars, gave away this book to my dad who is proud of his Spanish heritage despite them being colonizers. Trigger warnings: anti-Romani racism and stereotyping, animal murder and cruelty, human death, maiming mentions, religious self harm

I read Little Black Bird by Anna Kirchner for Ace Week, which was the last week of October. I followed the author on Instagram well before I learned she wrote a book, and immediately put her book on my to read list because it has asexual representation and I like to support my "friends". I was delighted to buy this book from another bookstagrammer. Read the synopsis here. This book takes place in Poland (Anna is Polish) and is written in English (Anna is fluent). I liked that there's a pronunciation guide and short description of words non-Polish readers may not know in the front of the book. However, the writing feels a bit clunky? Disjointed? This may be due to the translating from mental Polish to written English. The characters don't quite feel lived in; it feels like we're told stuff about them. The exception is Wiktoria, whose POV we view the story from. Her anguish about her telekinesis and not being able to fit in is heartbreaking. Her own family treated her like a problem, and it turns out her origins are a mystery. I cared about her and rooted for her. The love interest is a slightly older boy who is bonded to her and there's insta-love and possible attraction. He has color-changing eyes, natch. The romance or whatever (both Wiktoria and the dude are ace questioning) felt very typical, YA fantasy/paranormal novel soulmates, only with less possessiveness and boundary-breaking, thankfully. I think I'm too old for YA novels, you guys; the romances make me roll my eyes instead of swoon. The magic and its usage/rules were very interesting, and the demons and mythological spirits/creatures were scary. I am not very familiar with Slavic mythology (I only know like 3 Slavic fairytales) and it was interesting to read a fantasy book using mythology I'm not familiar with. I was angry on Wiktoria's behalf about how the sorcerers treated her; the obvious thing to do would be to Harry Potter it and tell her she's important and special and to invite her to join the secret sorcerer society, etc. and gain her trust and have her be an ally. Instead they treated her like a criminal. The ace rep is pretty good, with tumblr and AVEN mentioned in the story as sources on ace info. Anyway, fascinating story, things are getting interesting, then BOOM! Cliffhanger. Seriously, there's no real resolution and the book literally ends with "to be continued...". I guess the next book will finish the story, but I don't wanna wait! Ugh. 3.5 stars, keeping. I'm going to have to reread it before I read the sequel. Trigger warnings: torture (both magical and not), stalking, magical mind & body control, demon possession, grudgingly attempted sex due to character feeling owed (consent issues), imprisonment, supernatural scaryness, a character is recovering from an eating disorder

Times it is appropriate to decorate/advertise for holidays

 New Year's Eve/Day

The day of New Year's Eve, if desired. Stores may begin advertising their New Year's Eve decorations on December 20.

Valentine's Day

February 1. The holiday occurs in the middle of the month; that is enough time.

St. Patrick's Day

March 1. Ditto.

Easter

March 18. This one is tricky because Easter floats around on the calendar, so to speak. 

Cinco de Mayo

I actually do not want anyone who isn't Mexican to celebrate this day. It is a thinly-veiled excuse to get hammered and act racist. Celebrating by listening to Mexican music and/or dining at local Mexican-owned restaurants is fine for everyone. Do not celebrate, decorate, or advertise by committing cultural appropriation. Advertising may begin on April 20, but NO ALCOHOL ADVERTISING. Not even Mexican alcohol.

Mother's Day 

May 1, although I don't think anyone actually decorates for this (unless you are having a mother's day party, in which case, the day before or day of is fine). Advertising: April 20. 

Father's Day

May 20 (advertising). No one really decorates for Father's Day. 

Independence Day (Fourth of July) 

Decorating: the last week of June. Advertising: the day after Father's Day.

Halloween

Both decorating and advertising can begin no earlier than October 1. The holiday is at the end of the month; there is no need to decorate or advertise for Halloween in September. Generic fall decorations may be used from September 1 through November 30; explicitly Halloween/spooky-themed decorations must be taken down the first week of November (thanks to Día de los Muertos). A loophole exists thanks to The Nightmare Before Christmas movie; decorate your house with decorations from or inspired by the movie, and it can do double duty for Halloween and Christmas. I don't really like or approve of this, however.

Thanksgiving

Decorating: November 1 for explicitly Thanksgiving-themed decorations (generic fall decorations may be used from September 1 through November 30). Advertising: November 1.

Christmas

Decorating: the day AFTER Thanksgiving is fine, for your personal home. December 1 is preferred. November 1 is NOT acceptable; let fall and Thanksgiving have its due. I wish people would stop acting like people who hold fast to the no-Xmas-decorating-until-after-Thanksgiving rule are joyless fun-suckers; we are merely temperate, principled people who know the value of keeping holidays in their rightful place. Advertising: I don't want to see a single fucking Xmas tree/Santa/present/reindeer/snowperson or hear a single bleeding carol until December 1. I don't give a shit about Black Friday or your bottom line. Everybody knows when Christmas is and when and how to buy Christmas decorations and presents. Advertising interference is not needed. Every year a local radio station starts playing Christmas carols earlier and earlier; last year I emitted a howl of rage when I turned on the radio station on November 15 (NOVEMBER FIFTEEN!!!) to hear fucking Jingle Bells. The madness needs to stop. 

"The Day After Thanksgiving" by Brandon Heath

Christmas decorations can stay up until January 6, Ephiphany/Three Kings' Day.

It's cozy mysteries season, m***********s

 (Not actually cursing at you; title is a reference to this iconic McSweeney's post)

I stayed the weekend at my parents' a few weeks ago (or maybe last month?) and I went to the thrift store in my hometown. You guys, the books were all 50 cents each and the DVDs were all $1 each!!! This puts my local Savers to shame. $2-5 a book or DVD? Ok, filthy capitalist.

Anyway, I bought a stack of old Agatha Christie paperbacks, which I wouldn't have done at Savers due to their prices. 50 cents a book!!! I read them all over the first half of this month. I highly recommend Agatha Christie novels if you are in a reading slump because they are exciting (murder! mystery!) yet comforting (like a lot of people, I grew up reading a lot of books by and about white people in the 1900s, plus you know the detective will solve the mystery), plus they're pretty short! These are the books I bought and read: 

• N or M
  
• Thirteen at Dinner
  
• Murder in Mesopotamia
  
• Sad Cypress
  
• The Clocks

They are all Hercule Poirot mysteries, with the exception of N or M, which is a Tommy & Tuppence mystery (never heard of this series). Tommy and Tuppence are a married middle-aged (read: 40s) couple that were spies in WWI (previous books?) and are bummed no one wants them to help during WWII because they're too old, until Tommy gets a spy assignment and Tuppence, refusing to be left out, joins (she's such a BAMF). They have to find a Nazi spy who may have infiltrated a sleepy English seaside town, and their only clue is N or M. They pretend to be strangers at the same weird inn to find the spy, and the novel is suspenseful throughout. I enjoyed this one, and I'm open to reading other T&T novels. 

The Hercule Poirot mysteries are mostly narrated by someone else who is helping him; usually his Watsonian friend whose name I don't remember (Thirteen at Dinner), or a nurse roped into helping him solve a murder (Murder in Mesopotamia), or another detective/spy friend who splits the POV/narration with his police sergeant friend (The Clocks). Sad Cypress was unique in that it just had omniscient third person narration. I was most intrigued by MiM due to its setting, as I've been to places of archeological interest in the Middle East before. 13aD was perhaps the most classic Hercule Poirot novel, while The Clocks was kind of the most different. It is set in the 1960s, for one thing, which I couldn't tell because Agatha's writing style stayed the same, so it felt the same as the 1930s. What tipped me off were a few era mentions, plus Hercule is old in this one. He doesn't even come into the novel until a third of the way through the book at the absolute earliest. Sad Cypress was kind of the saddest, and we miss out on the classic HP end monologue. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading these books, and while I guessed parts of some of the mysteries, I never guessed the whole thing or the right person. These really made my reference desk shifts go by much more quickly, and I recommend them. I will be giving these away, though.

• N or M - 4 stars
• Thirteen at Dinner - 4 stars
• Murder in Mesopotamia - 4 stars
• Sad Cypress - 3.5 stars
• The Clocks - 3.5 stars

Trigger warnings: murder, gore, blood, dead bodies, guns, Nazis, poison, sexism, probably more stuff

September books

 I actually read more than 2 or 3 books in September! Love that journey for me.

Immediately after Remember Me?, I read She's Come Undone, which was a mistake. It's just so horribly sad and depressing in a way that is in no way hinted at in the rather quirky summary. Wally Lamb is a good writer, and I cared about Dolores and wanted her to be happy, but yikes. Dolores is aptly named; the author points this out quite obviously in a patting-himself-on-the-back-for-being-so-clever way, and puts her through all sorts of sad situations. There is sort of a happy ending, at least, and Dolores finds the love she so craves. I did find the 1950s-70s upbringing interesting. Massive, massive trigger warnings for rape of a child, grooming by a predator, domestic violence, mental illness and institutionalization, fatphobia, nonconsensual sexual situations, semi-manipulated abortion, death, sex, homophobia, predatory lesbian trope, AIDS, stalking, religious abuse, alcohol and drug mentions/usage, binge eating and eating disorders, stillbirth, racism from an elderly character, infidelity. There's probably more but that's all I can think of. I left it behind in Mexico with a note telling my family not to read it (there's no way my Christian parents can handle that kind of story). Cover notes: I actually picked this up due to the interesting cover and title. It's actually the title of a 1970s song. 3 stars (4 stars for writing + 2 stars for story). 

Immediately after flying back from Mexico, I flew to New York to visit my sister and her family (I have a nephew now and he's the cutest baby in the world). We mostly hung out and went to restaurants and

bookstores. I bought Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman from Westsiders Rare & Used Books (such a fun bookstore). This feminist utopia is a reread for me, and I love it. Read my previous review here, and my mini essay comparing it to The Left Hand of Darkness here. It's so interesting how she points out that a lot of what we consider gender or how women naturally are is a result of the patriarchy and its gender roles (this was written in 1915!). However, I noticed this time how eugenics-y the book is: the Herland women are all white, despite being in a hidden part of South America or something, and they've deliberately bred themselves to be strong and tall and good at stuff and resist disease and smart, etc. I didn't really realize it until I read a quote from CPG that said that white men and women need to come together to improve the lower races, or something. All the great 19th and 20th century white feminists were all racist as hell, unfortunately. Anyway, I do like this book, but be aware of the racism and eugenics-y ways of thinking. It's critical of capitalism, the patriarchy, and Christianity (but rightfully so, imo). Loved the misandry though. 4 stars, keeping. 

Another reread this month was James Finn Garner's Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. These are fun PC satires of classic fairy tales, and it's funny to read how the tales were transformed. For instance, Red Robin Hood and the wolf chop up the woodcutter for being so sexist and speciest as to think RRH needed his help with the wolf. Per usual, one isn't sure whether Garner is poking fun at capitalism etc. or PC culture itself. I reread this one because I'm giving the series away. Trigger warnings for fairytale-typical violence, I guess? 3.5 stars, giving away. 

My last read for September was The Chickens Are Restless, a The Far Side comics compilation. I love Gary Larson's The Far Side so much. I got this from the thrift store, and I'm pretty sure I'd already seen all of these (although there were some comics I didn't remember seeing before). These are classics for a reason. I wonder, if I were to walk past all the faculty office doors at my school, how many would have a TFS comic taped to it. Probably a lot, in the sciences. 4 stars, keeping.

August books

 I bought and read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, which I think are the first two books in the series. I used to own the complete set, and I have no idea what happened to them. Did I give them away? I hope not. I got these from the thrift store. Anyway, both were fun to read, although they were way less about Mrs. PW and her cool upside-down house than I remembered, and more about the ineffectual WASP parents tearing their hair out over their undisciplined little brats' behaviors. Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, in particular, consists mostly of mothers phoning each other near tears about their darling angels' troublesome new habits, and being told to call Mrs. PW.  The books are less about the children, as I had seen it when I first read them as a child myself, and more about their despondent parents. In Hello, Mrs. PW, she is basically just a voice over the telephone; we don't ever see her. I was saddened during my rereads to find that Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is not a friend and ally to the children; she is there for and on the side of the parents. 

I thought the kids were malcriados (meaning both brats and badly raised) even as a child, and even though I no longer think spanking is morally correct, there's got to be something from latine parents' bag of tricks that could fix those problems without resorting to magical medicine.  This article is worth reading, and has some interesting points, although I don't think Mrs. PW did what she did for control; many of the bad habits the children had were genuinely annoying or troublesome, and did need to be fixed. The article author acts like bullying or constant crying are fun creative things that should not be stamped out in children. I mean come on. 

Side note: I saw they made a spinoff of the Mrs. PW books: the new series features Mrs. PW's niece Missy Piggle-Wiggle (sigh) who apparently does the same thing. Anyway, I did enjoy rereading these books, and I hope I find the other two in the thrift store or my parents' house. 4/5 and 3.5/5, keeping for now. 

Trigger warnings for these books: spanking mentions, minor physical abuse including swatting, pinching, and kicking; physical and social bullying, verbal abuse, body horror (kid level), manipulation, bad parenting, magical pharmaceuticals doled out without a license or medical degree (probably)

The other book I read in August was another thrift store find, Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella. I brought it to read in Mexico, and finished it in two days. You can read the summary here. I read about it in a book enewsletter and thought the premise intriguing. This book was published in 2008 and it shows, what with the fashion and celebrity mentions (amnesiac Lexi is devastated to find out that Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt split up). It's also very Bridget Jones-esque, with the fashion brands and celeb dropping and stupid decisions (how did this bitch not catch on the second+ time that people were exploiting her amnesia?). However, the amnesia premise was interesting to me, and Kinsella is a good enough writer that I was engrossed with the book regardless. I was somewhat let down by the answer and the ending. Spoiler: Lexi ends up with the guy she was cheating on her husband with, and we're supposed to root for that? She ends up coming out on top of a business deal where she failed to save her department, allowing them all to get fired? Her motivations for becoming a total business bitch were just that her dad passed on his debts to her family and someone made fun of her teeth? She doesn't even really get her memory back? I'm not mad I bought and read this book, although I won't be keeping it. I actually left it behind in Mexico on purpose. 3.5/4 stars, gave away. 

 

Trigger warnings for this book: many mentions of dieting and exercising for weight loss, spit in food mention, sex mentions, car crash mentions, infidelity, corporate backstabbing and greed, neglectful parents, teenage delinquency, amnesia, classism, lookism (character is mocked for her crooked teeth)

July books

Ugh I am so behind on these. Anyway:

I picked up The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen (pickle heiress?) from my library's used book sale. It's a historical fiction, Christian Regency romance mystery. I was on the fence about it, since I don't really like Christian romance novels (they tend to be cheesy), but I do like Regency-era historical fiction and mysteries, so. You can read the book summary here. I actually enjoyed this book to the point of staying up late to finish it. I'm always rooting for a spinster heroine (solidarity), plus I love a good Gothic mystery. The mystery in this book is very solid (although not as Gothic as it initially seems), and it kept me guessing. The historical accuracy (as far as I can tell) was decent, with the situations/actions only being a little too modern or improper. The heroine loves Jane Austen novels and reads or thinks about them throughout the book. Come to think of it, this novel is a bit Persuasion-ish, what with the ignored plain oldest daughter being left to take care of an estate by herself by her vain, neglectful family. The romance was fine. I don't think a rector/curate/whatever would be that flirty back then; he was practically rake-ish. There is a Mr. Darcy-esque scene where the heroine comes across him swimming shirtless, ooh-la-la. Christian romance novels are so funny to me because they have the same sort of sexual tension/almost kissing/noticing their hot physique scenes, but immediately after they happen, the protagonist(s) is like "help me, God!" because you're not supposed to lust. It's hilarious. I'd recommend this book, but only if you're ok with Christian morals or themes. 3.5/5 stars, giving away. 

Trigger warnings for this book: murder with firearms, a character is burned via arson, mentions of a large aggressive dog(s), suspense, slight Gothic horror (that turns out to be something else)

I was so excited to get my hands on Unclobbered: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality by Colby Martin (summary), as it deals with the "clobber verses" in the Bible that seem to condemn homosexuality and are the reason so many Christians are homophobic today. Each clobber verse is addressed in a chapter, while alternating chapters detail Colby's growth as a Christian and what happened after he started believing that it isn't a sin to be gay. The clobber verse chapters are well-researched, with Colby discussing the historical and religious context of the verses and digging into ancient Hebrew & Greek terms. The citations are in endnotes; I would have preferred footnotes, but I'll take it. However, there were a couple of verses where the end result of all that research wasn't clear. This is probably because the verses aren't that clear themselves, but it was still kind of disappointing to me since I wanted to hear "this verse is not about/does not condemn gay s3x". The other chapters were interesting, but Colby spends more than half the book talking about himself (and the gay and affirming Christians he talked to along the journey). I'm glad he's on the correct side, and I get why it was such a blow to be fired from his pastoral job when he had a big family to support, but that pales in comparison to all the queer and trans people that have been shunned or murdered or killed themselves because of what Christians believed those clobber verses said. People have been hurt by these misunderstood, mistranslated, misapplied verses, and Colby's out here whining about getting fired from a homophobic church? I found the whole "coming out of the theological closet" thing eyeroll-worthy. Christian allies' pro-gay books need to stop making it about themselves and their journeys and how great they are for being accepting. Just like with My Son, Beloved Stranger, this is a book for straight people. 3.5/5 stars, keeping for now. 

Trigger warnings for this book: homophobia, probably transphobia as well, rape and gang rape mentions (from Bible stories), cishet centering, religious abuse, gay s3x mentions (from Bible passages), Christianity

Book review: Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Spoilers, kinda

I read Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann in June for Pride month, although of course I bought it months ago. Official book summary: 

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting--working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she's asexual). Alice is done with dating--no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done. 

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!). 

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

I was excited to read this book about a biromantic ace girl of color who worked in a library (so me!). Alice is super into Tumblr and pop culture, to boot. I did enjoy reading this book, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. I did feel somewhat seen, but since the protagonist was a 19 year old college student who swooned and interior-monologued like a fanfiction character written by a teenage girl who read exclusively 2000s chicklit and 2010s tumblr posts, I felt more distracted and annoyed by the verbiage (it makes Meg Cabot books look like scholarly texts). All that stuff kept pulling me out if the story. It is so very internal. Also, there were not nearly enough scenes set in the library. Literally just like three.

It bugs me that the summary says Alice's ex-girlfriend broke up with her because Alice is asexual, because she actually dumped her because she felt Alice wasn't attracted to her and didn't truly love her since she didn't enjoy sex with her. Alice couldn't bring herself to tell her she's asexual. Some GoodReads reviewers said that the ex's high sex drive and need for a fulfilling sexual relationship was written about in a slut-shamey way, but I didn't pick up on that. I do agree a lot of the issue would have been resolved if Alice and her ex had sat down and talked about their views of sex and how un/important it was to them. That's what you do as adults. Anyway, that part of the book is at the beginning and fairly short. The book does tackle misconceptions about asexuality. Said GR reviewers also pointed out how weirdly Alice's attitude/experience towards arousal and sex was written about, to the point of being incorrect. I did not notice that initially, but I think they are right.

Alice's friend drama was of the annoying if-they-just-talked-to-each-other-it-wouldn't-be-a-big-deal variety, which was dumb. I felt her best friend Feenie was too harsh and unkind towards Alice and was much more in the wrong than she was. It also annoyed me how controlling Alice's parents and significantly older siblings were and how they were dead-set on her becoming a lawyer when she wasn't interested in it at all. I hate stories like that. Being the baby of her much older family explains Alice's naivete and immaturity, however. They and Alice's friends were always trying to make Alice's decisions for her. It makes sense in that context.

The love interest part was fine. Takumi was adequately swoon-worthy and their relationship was cute. I got kind of annoyed with how much Alice got all deer-in-the-headlights around him and clammed up or ran away, but to be fair I did the same stuff around that age whenever I encountered my crushes. Due to the way Alice's and Takumi's relationship was written (aka through Alice's romcom crushy lens), I was confused when Alice said she wanted to date Takumi instead of just being friends; their relationship felt quite romantic to me, so I thought they were already sort of together. I certainly have never taken care of a male friend when he was sick, or cuddled with him under blankets while watching a movie, nor have they ever cooked for me. I'm not sure how sustainable their relationship is, since it's based on Takumi continuing to be fine with no sex, but whatever. I know there are asexual/allosexual couples that have made it work. I found the cutie code silly to the point of being annoying.

Overall, while I found the writing annoying and the characterization somewhat lacking, I am glad I bought and read it. I do wish I had this book when I was 19. This is an #OwnVoices book (the author is also Black, although I don't know if she's ace), and I liked the way race and microaggressions were talked about. 4 out of 5 stars, because I liked it a lot more right after I finished reading it, haha

Cover notes: I like that the colors are supposed to be of the asexual flag, although there is not enough gray. I would have made the model's top gray, or made the background gray and kept the top white. I like the font and purple color of the title. What are those bangs, though?

Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Read in: June 28
From: Target
Format: paperback
Status: keeping

Trigger warnings for this book: sexual harassment, attempted sexual assault, acephobia, aphobia, controlling parents/family members, a character takes a picture of another character while they're sleeping without their consent, racism mentions, discussions of sex, lust and arousal. That's all I can think of

Pet peeves at work

I wrote this ages ago, well before the pandemic. I haven't worked in person in a regular way at the library for well over a year. We're supposed to start working in-person again in September, which I'm both looking forward to and dreading. Anyway, enjoy.

• when I'm sitting at the reference desk and someone asks for another librarian 
• what am I, chopped liver?!?
• when no one takes me seriously, including students, because I look like a student
• when someone I've been helping with research in the archives asks another librarian for help
• and they totally know I could help them so it's clear they don't want me
• and my colleague doesn't know I've helped them previously so *she* dives into the archives to look for stuff that I totally could've looked for and found 
• and that's very nice of her but it feels like she's doing my job for me, plus I feel guilty since she's already so busy
• and I'm mad at the scholar for going over my head
• especially since it's something they never even asked me for help with!!!
• when people expect me to have an encyclopedic knowledge of eeeeeeeverything in the library. like lol yeah right
• but it bugs me because I also kind of feel like I should know everything we have
• when instructors ask us to do a library visit/instruction session with their class the week of, or, God forbid, the day before their class meets, especially during the busy season
• like yes, we were just totally sitting around twiddling our thumbs waiting for you, this won't inconvenience us at all
• when people dump their crap donate items to us that we totally already have 1000 copies of, but by all means, give us your old junk
• when people assume they can just waltz into the special collections and riffle through our archival holdings themselves. Oh did you go to library school? No? Then you can't. 
• relatedly: when patrons want to access something in the archives and the other librarians just... let them into the off-limits-to-patrons room without even checking with me!!!
• when people LICK THEIR FINGERS to turn pages, especially of archival items!!! *shudder*
• when people bring food and drinks into the special collections reading room even though I specifically told them not to. You're not special and our rules do apply to you.
• gods just remembering that time a girl put a FRESH PEELED COCONUT on an ARCHIVAL BOX and it left a WET STAIN on it still gives me rage of the librarian variety. I'm having angina just thinking about it
• when I have to be at work for something first thing in the morning right after I've worked a night shift
• when people studying in the library don't throw away their trash or clean up crumbs, etc. ESTE NO ES UN HOTEL!
• when people studying in the library don't turn off the lamps they've been using when they leave and then I have to because no one else cares
• when someone comes to talk to me at the reference desk but they stand at the side of the desk instead of coming to the front of the desk in front of me like a normal person, even though there's no one there. like wtf???
• when my coworkers send out passive aggressive emails that are totally aimed at me
• when people are suuuuper slow to leave at closing time. Like I've already rung the buzzer and flicked the lights on and off and told you personally that we're closing. This isn't a store or restaurant where they close the doors but let you hang out for longer, just LEAVE already. 
• shoutout to the patron who kept trying to have a conversation with me ten minutes after closing time in the face of my repeatedly telling her we were closed and she had to leave 
• 
• also shoutout to the patron, who when I straight up told him we were closing and he needed to leave, asked me if he could have a couple minutes more. *John Mulaney voice and face* NO!
• when people ask me "are you busy?" at the reference desk. Yes, I am busy, I have specifically chosen to work here on this very public desk in the library labeled "REFERENCE DESK" where other librarians have helped you before/which is where your instructor told you to go get research help on my own personal project, it's not like the main/most important thing in the library is helping patrons or anything, I'm definitely going to turn you away
• like honestly I'm just social media-ing in the times between helping people 
• forreal dude just roll up and ask me your question
• when I see a student hovering near the desk while I'm already helping someone and I say "do you have a quick question?" and the student says "yes, I need help with [finding sources for their paper, something that is going to take at least fifteen minutes and for which they are definitely going to have to wait for me to be finished with the student I'm currently helping, obviously, don't play]"
• when a student asks me if we have a certain book. I realize this is very standard in libraries, but these are Gen Z students who absolutely know how to use the internet, there is no way they don't know about the library catalog because we make all freshmen do a library scavenger hunt and/or we've personally demonstrated how to look up books and articles in their classes, just go to the library website and click on Library Catalog, my dude
• I don't typically mind this but it's annoying when I'm helping someone else with a real research question
• when students walk allll the way from the back of the room where the printers are to the reference desk at the front of the room to ask for help with some tech problem when they could have just asked the computer lab worker, who is situated at the middle of the room in an obvious separate desk, for help
• when I catch students getting physical in the study rooms. Gross. Like hello, these are STUDY rooms, do not "get a room" here. ESTE NO ES UN HOTEL! 
• the same goes for couples getting cozy on our giant bean bag. Like do you want to have to tell the admin assistant you got body fluids on the bean bag? Because I'm not going to be the one to do that, lovebirds.
• when students are loud
• when the printers don't work
• when the student workers get too comfortable and treat their shifts like a social hour or study time only. You're here to work, so even if there's not a whole lot for you to do, look around and see if anyone at the printers looks like they need help, computer worker
• when people (especially student workers, who should know better) listen to music or videos without headphones, or when they have the headphones but the audio is WAY TOO LOUD and the sound is still very audible
• when the wifi doesn't work, which is MOST OF THE TIME!!! This is a UNIVERSITY and a UNIVERSITY LIBRARY besides!! Students come here to study!! Like WTF!!!
• when I contact IT about this and they're like hurr durr we can't do anything
• when it's too cold or hot
• and we don't even have control over the temperature in our own library!!! Freaking physical plant department does, and of course they can't be arsed
• when people ask me for stuff with a very "you're The Help and I'm your boss" kind of energy
• you know, like this is The Devil Wears Prada and they're Meryl Streep and I'm Anne Hathaway. Just like spiritually/mentally flinging their designer coat into my face
• Like obviously I'm going to help you! That is my job! I just don't like them putting on classist airs about it
• obviously all of the typical librarian and archivist pet peeves apply too 
• when people ask me for things they've already asked me for, especially if it's something I had to work to get, such as a thesis from an obscure part of the archives area. Like did you not read the email I sent you? We've been over this? Hello?
• when people come talk to me for no reason (depends on my mood). If it's not information based, I don't know how to handle conversations, and you're wasting my time and the time of anyone waiting for me to be available for questions.
• I'm especially thinking of white baby boomer men. White baby boomer men are soooo annoying because they think they are so charming and funny, and they usually aren't. I hate the stupid jokes they make. I'm a huge target for them at that front-facing desk, as any young woman in the service industries knows.
• when someone incredibly technologically ignorant is trying to do something at the computers and keeps asking me questions about the simplest things. I know it's not their fault but it's still annoying to me. Like ma'am, you should know how to how to use email if you're in college/applying for a job. I especially dislike when they ask me for help every 30-60 seconds and make me get up from my desk every time instead of just admitting they're going to need my help for every single step of the way and can I please sit with them and help them. Like let's be real here.

The Sleepless Grape

 Like any ready fruit, I woke
falling toward beginning and
welcome, all of night
the only safe place.
Spoken for, I knew
a near hand would meet me
everywhere I heard my name
and the stillness ripening
around it. I found my inborn minutes
decreed, my death appointed
and appointing. And singing
gathers the earth
about my rest,
making of my heart a way home
the stars hold open.            

 

~Li-young Lee, from Water Stone

Disney Loteria cards

I recently bought a Disney version of a loteria game from someone on Etsy. It's a really cute idea and I like it a lot, but there are a lot of cards missing from the game. Obviously, in any updated version of the game, the racist Apache and negrito cards should be removed. However, there are so many cards missing that would be relatively easy to find! In searching for "disney loteria" on Etsy, I immediately found a different version of Disney loteria from another Etsy seller. Therefore, I decided to write up the ideal version of Disney loteria, with the different/best options for each card. 

el gallo - The version I bought has Hei Hei the rooster from Moana, while the other version has Panchito Pistoles from The Three Caballeros. They're both valid, but I'd choose Panchito over Hei Hei because he's Mexican. It just feels right to have him be the rooster in a game of Disney loteria, doesn't it? He's Disney and Mexican.

el diablito - My version turned this into "la diabla" and put Cruella de Vil, which is perfect. The other version has Hades, which both works and doesn't, as Greek mythology is far older than Christian theology, and probably Jewish theology as well. He is the ruler of the underworld, but he's not evil like the devil is (although he is the villain in Hercules). Overall I think Cruella is a better choice, as her name literally is devil. You could also use any of the devils from that one piece in the original Fantasia.

la dama - My version's choice here was Minnie Mouse, which makes sense. The other version put Lady from Lady and the Tramp, which is a nice little bilingual joke. Lady = dama. I do want Minnie to be featured in this game but I love the pun aspect of putting Lady. 

el catrín - Coincidentally, my version put Mickey Mouse, who is in white tie (la dama y el catrín are kind of paired). The other version actually has Goofy in white tie. I love the idea of putting, like, a penguin here instead (Mary Poppins), or like Bert with the penguins (if I remember correctly they're dressed the same). 

el paraguas - the umbrella. Both versions got it right here, by putting Mary Poppins and her umbrella.

la sirena - Ariel (The Little Mermaid) for both, obviously. Mine actually went out of their way to find a picture of her where she's posing like the original illustration.

la escalera - the bookshelf ladder from Beauty and the Beast, naturally, for both.  I highly approve.

la botella - My version has the bottle Smee is drinking from (Peter Pan), while the other one used the Drink Me bottle from Alice in Wonderland. I prefer the second option; it's much more iconic, and the picture of Smee drinking would go better under el borracho. Isn't Tinkerbell trapped in a bottle as well? That's another option.

el barril - My version has Pooh with a barrel of honey, while the other has the older brother from Onward standing in a barrel (I've only seen that movie once so I don't remember if that happened or not). Doesn't Pooh eat honey from a honey pot, not a barrel? I'd personally use the barrel that the snake gets stuck in in Robin Hood.

el árbol - Mine has Tarzan swinging in the trees, while the other has what I believe to be the big, lit-up tree from Disney Animal Kingdom. I prefer the latter, but not everyone is going to know that reference. I would have chosen Grandmother Willow from Pocahontas.

el melón - Melón can mean either melon or specifically cantaloupe. My version left this one out, and I can't see if the other did as well. I'd use the melon Rafiki uses to paint in The Lion King.

el valiente - My version used Hercules, while the other used Merida. That totally makes sense, and I like the gender neutrality. Hercules is more of a call back to the original flexing man illustration, while Merida's movie is literally called Brave because she's brave, so both work. For her it'd be la valiente.

el gorrito - Basically, the little cap. Mine has Jiminy Cricket and his top hat (Pinocchio), while the other has Mickey in his sorcerer's hat. I'd choose the latter, as it's more iconic. 

la muerte - Death, in the form of a skeleton wielding a scythe. My version has the evil queen in hag form with the poison skull apple (Snow White), while the other version has Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas). Both work quite well, but I'm leaning towards Jack as he's actually a skeleton.

la pera - the pear. My version left this one out, while the other appears to have photoshopped a picture of the pear into baby Moana's hand, presumably to be able to include her (she is adorable). I'd try to find a movie screenshot with a pear in it, rather than resorting to that.

la bandera - Mine has Lightning McQueen with the black and white checkered racing flags above him, while I can't tell if the other one included that card or not. La bandera is of course the Mexican flag, which is shown in The Three Caballeros and Coco, but the racing flags are a creative way to make this card politically neutral. I'm sure there are plain generic flags flown in medieval-set movies like Robin Hood.

el bandolón - This is a specific musical instrument used in mariachi bands, similar to a lute or guitar. There's a lot of mariachis in Coco; one of them must have a bandolón. This one was omitted from my version, while the other one just photoshopped a bandolón into a picture of Miguel (Coco).

el violoncello - I believe this is the old, full name for cello. Mine omitted it, while the other has a picture of Clara Cluck playing the cello. I know there's a few scenes in various movies with a group of musicians; one of them ought to be playing the cello. I'm pretty sure one of the musicians in the opening ball scene in the live action Beauty and the Beast is playing the violoncello. 

la garza - the heron, omitted from my version. The other version just photoshopped a heron next to the Queen of Hearts, as if she was using that instead of a flamingo for the croquet game. Lazy. Maybe we could cheat a bit and use any heron-looking bird, like a stork or one of those skinny birds that flies overhead during the circle of life in The Lion King. 

el pajaro - Here mine used the bird from A Bug's Life, while the other version used a picture of Maleficent with her raven on her shoulder (Sleeping Beauty). I prefer the former. "Bird" is very generic, so you can easily find examples in pretty much every movie. I'd personally use the birds in Cinderella or Snow White; they're more iconic. For a standalone bird, maybe Zazu from The Lion King.

la mano - My version used Mickey Mouse's hands, while the other used Wreck-It Ralph's enormous hand. Personally Mickey's gloved hands are more iconic; I would just use one á la the original.

la bota - The boot was omitted in mine, and I can't find it in the other. I'd use Gaston's boot(s), which we already get a closeup of during his invasion of Belle's home. Easy. Done.

la luna - My version uses the full moon behind Simba, Timon and Pumba doing their hakuna matata dance. It's lovely, but a crescent moon should be used. I cannot find the other version's moon. It would be cool if the crescent moon city from Treasure Planet were used. 

el cotorro - My version has Iago, Jafar's parrot (Aladdin). I can't find the other version's parrot card. I'm fine with Iago, but I'd love a parrot from The Tiki Room. Bonus Mexicanness: my grandpa worked on the Tiki Room. I guess we're sticking to animation though.

el borracho - My (misspelled) version has Hades as the drunkard, while Smee is rightfully put as the drunkard in the other version. Doesn't somebody get drunk in Pinocchio? That could be another option.

Obviously the el negrito card is racist so we're not discussing it, but I'm shocked the version I don't have chose to keep it in and put Dr. Facilier. That's messed up.

el corazon - My version put the Queen of Hearts with her heart lollipop-looking scepter, while the other version has the casket with stabbed heart lock/decoration that the evil queen is holding (Snow White). Both work, but I like the Queen of Hearts a bit more for this card. Doesn't one of the Disney Princess movies end with a heart around the couple's heads? I'd use that.

la sandia - Neither version included the watermelon. There's a fruit stand in Lilo & Stitch, probably with a shot of watermelons. I know a few characters have done Carmen Miranda reference costumes with fruit on their heads.

el tambor - Mine didn't include a drum card, and I can't find it in the other version. This one makes me mad, because there are so many musical numbers in Disney movies. Most of them show somebody playing a drum. There are so many options. Dopey plays the drum in Snow White.

el camarón - Omitted for mine, and unfindable for the other. The French tank-cleaning shrimp from Finding Nemo. They literally used Martin and Dory for el pescado and they didn't think about the shrimp? Another option is a seafood or "Under the Sea" scene from The Little Mermaid.

las jaras - The arrows. My version used Merida and her bow and arrows for this, while I can't tell for the other version. I personally would use the arrows from Robin Hood. 

el musico - My version uses Miguel from Coco, as he's a musician, while the other uses the dwarf band from Snow White. I love Miguel, of course.

la araña - Mine omitted this one, while I can't tell if the other version has it or not. I'd put the French? spider from James and the Giant Peach.

el soldado - Both versions put a green army man from Toy Story, and rightfully so.

la estrella - Mine omitted this one, while the other version rightfully used the Evangeline star that becomes the Blue Fairy (The Princess and the Frog, Pinocchio). I'm even angrier about this one than the omission of el tambor.

el cazo -  Mine also omitted this one. Just use literally any pot/caldron cooking soup or whatever. There must be so many. Try Ratatouille, as the other version did (it looks photoshopped though).

el mundo - the world. Omitted from mine, can't tell with the other. Just use any globe from any study. I'm pretty sure Merlin has one in The Sword in the Stone, Theo from Atlantis, etc. There's one in the camp the animals destroy in Tarzan.

el nopal - Omitted from my version, can't tell with the other. There must be a depiction of a nopal cactus in Coco or in The Three Caballeros or Saludos Amigos or somewhere. If not, change this one to el cactus and show one of the saguaro cacti from the Mexico part of T3C.

el alacrán - I cannot recall any Disney movie having a scorpion, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Mine of course doesn't have this one, while the other just photoshopped one in front of a scared bb Simba in The Lion King.

la rosa - both versions used the enchanted rose from Beauty and the Beast, and rightfully so. There's simply nothing better.

la calavera - skull. My version used Hector from Coco, while the other used the skull and crossbones from the Pirates of the Caribbean. If we're sticking to animation, the skull and crossbones from Hook's Jolly Roger flag (Peter Pan) should be used.

la campana - My version used one of the huge church bells from Hunchback of Notre Dame, while the other just... straight up photoshopped a bell into Quasimodo's hand. I mean. The screenshots are right there.

el cantarito - a (small) pitcher or jug. Mine of course omitted this, while the other one used a pic of Mowgli carrying a water jug on his head at the end of The Jungle Book. This works, but I'd personally use the pitcher the birds pour water on Cinderella with.

el venado - Both versions rightfully used Bambi the deer.

el sol - Mine ignored this one, while the other version... photoshopped the sun behind the skinny kid from Onward. Not sure why, when the sun from Tangled is RIGHT THERE.

la corona - My version used a picture of Sleeping Beauty getting crowned with her tiara, while the other version used Prince John and his oversized crown (Robin Hood). I'd definitely choose the latter, as it's actually part of the movie. Another option is Rapunzel's tiara since it's so important to her movie.

la chalupa - a chalupa is a small boat, like a canoe or rowboat. My version used the boat that Rapunzel and Eugene row on the lake? in, while the other used Moana's first smaller boat. I think this is wrong because that boat clearly has a mast and sail, while chalupas do not. The first boat is a vastly better option. I think the best option would be to use the rowboat that Ariel and Prince Eric almost kiss in during "Kiss the Girl" (The Little Mermaid). 

el pino - My version uses the pine trees behind Olaf in Frozen, while the other version uses Mickey and Minnie Mouse's Christmas tree. Both are fine. 

el pescado - Both versions used Martin and Dory from Finding Nemo. Another option is to use the goldfish from Pinocchio.

la palma - Both versions used nearly the exact same picture of Lilo and Stitch sitting in a hammock strung between two palm trees.

la maceta - the flowerpot. Mine omitted this, per usual. The other used baby Groot in his flowerpot. There are literally so many flowerpots in Disney films and shorts. I mean come on.

el harpa - Both versions used Duchess playing the harp in The AristoCats, which I approve of.

la rana - Both versions used the prince-frog from The Princess and the Frog, which, duh.

I'm irritated the seller left so many cards out. I paid almost $9 for an incomplete PDF, for pete's sake. It was difficult to see whether the other Disney loteria version had all the cards or not because their listing shows only like 3 playing cards and a handful of individual cards. The text is rather hard to read, as well. I may try to make my own versions of the missing cards, using the format of the set I bought. We'll see if my nonexistent photoshopping skills can do it.

Books read in 2020

• Total books read during this year: 22
• Total books that I started to read but didn't finish: 2
  
• physical books read: 22
• ebooks read: 0
• physical books started but unfinished: 2
• ebooks started but unfinished: 0
• Library books read: 1
• Library books started but unread: 0
• Books I liked: 13
• Books I loved: 4
• Books I hated: 0
  
• Books I disliked or found meh: 2
• Books I felt strongly about but can't classify as love or hate: 3
  
• Books given away: I put at least 1 book in a Free Little Library but I can't remember how many
  
• #1 most loved book this year: Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Lavery
  
• #1 most hated book this year: tie between The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald and Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper. They just made me so angry!
  

I keep reading fewer and fewer books each year, but at least for this one I had a pandemic I could pin the blame on. I no longer had four-hour blocks where I sat at a desk in the library and waited for people to come to me, so I read less. When you're doing virtual reference on a computer, you might as well just be on social media as well. Plus there was that whole people dying needlessly at the hands of a hateful and incompetent political regime thing, which was a tad stressful. A lot of people on the internet were reading a lot less as well, while some were reading more, so ymmv. I've completely moved away from ebooks in the last couple of years, and tried to read mostly from my TBR books or new purchases. Fewer library books because I was mostly at home and not trawling the stacks at work. I visited hardly any thrift stores, but I did buy a bunch of books from Barnes & Noble (I know, I know, but they were 50% off or more) and independent bookstores. I also asked for books for my birthday and Christmas, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  oh well! I will probably always have more 'in' books than 'out' books.

Once again, an enormous shoutout to Book Riot and their reading spreadsheet. It has truly changed the game for me. Here's their 2021 reading log spreadsheet. 

Here are some of my pie charts of my reading stats.

Love seeing the variety of genres I've read.

 

"Other" refers to group authors or no author given.

Gains in the queer authors/protagonists sector, I think (I don't believe that info was collected in the 2019 spreadsheet), while I clearly still need to do better with reading authors and characters of color.

November and December books

 Yikes, I am so behind on my book blogging. 

A Tale of Two Castles is a book I had on my to read list for a while. I no longer remember where I bought it; I'm guessing I probably got it from Savers or another thrift store; Dollar Tree is another possibility. The book is by Gail Carson Levine, who was one of my favorite authors when I was younger, so I knew it would be good. Despite the title, the book is not a retelling of A Tale of Two Cities, but rather of Puss in Boots. It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure that out; probably halfway through the book at the earliest. The reason for that is because, instead of being told from the perspective of any of the characters in Puss in Boots, it's told from the perspective of an original character. Amazon summary:

Newly arrived in the town of Two Castles, Elodie unexpectedly becomes the assistant to a brilliant dragon named Meenore--and together, they begin to solve mysteries. 

Their most important case concerns the town’s shape-shifting ogre, Count Jonty Um, who believes someone is plotting against him. Elodie must disguise herself to discover the source of the threat amid a cast of characters that includes a greedy king, a giddy princess, and a handsome cat trainer.

Overall, I thought this book was very good and I enjoyed reading it. This book felt more grounded in its  medieval world than Levine's other fantasies have been, probably because she clearly researched life in the middle ages and peppered her book with factoids. For example, Elodie recounted having to bathe last all the time; her father would go first, then her mother, then their adult permanent guest, then Elodie because she's a child. The bath water, by the time she got to it, would be gray. As someone who is interested in medieval Europe, I very much enjoyed this book and most of its characters (Elodie was constantly talking back and interrupting her elders to the point of being annoying, and the only ahistorical thing is that none of them smacked her for it). I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a fairytale retelling, particularly one of a fairytale that has not already been retold to death. Fans of Karen Cushman's medieval girl books will love this one as well. Amazon just told me that there is a sequel, and I absolutely am going to check it out. 4/5 stars, probably giving away. Trigger warnings for this book: attempted murder, poisonings, animal cruelty & possibly murder, imprisonment, descriptions of medieval European hygiene (humans having fleas etc.), speciesism and prejudice against fantastical creature/person, theft, can't think of any others.  Cover notes: I like everything on this cover except for the portrayal of Elodie. Elodie is a peasant who wore plain peasant garb; she would absolutely not be wearing such a fine dress. I don't like the pinched-looking face they gave her.

 

I reread Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery, as is my custom each holiday season. 

 

I also read (or reread) a book called Politically Correct Holiday Stories by James Finn Garner. He's also written a couple of Politically Correct fairytale retellings. Basically he puts these famous stories through a politically correct lens, which changes them completely. It's difficult to say whether Garner is poking fun at the patriarchal, Christian-centric, sexist stories or at PC culture; it seems to be both. To give you an example, his Frosty the Snowpersun has the titular character start up a protest movement for snowpurson rights, and they eventually melt under the lights of the television studio where they are being interviewed. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (can't remember his politically correct moniker) formed a union with the reindeer so that Santa Claus would give them what they were due. Stuff like that. Relatively amusing, but I won't be keeping this one. 3/5 stars.  Cover notes: Santa & Mrs. Claus are looking out their window at a crowd of elf protesters holding picket signs that are decidedly pro-union and anti-Claus. Kind of funny but they deserve it. Trigger warnings for this book: inclusivity and political correctness mocked; depictions of misogyny, capitalism, sexism and speciesism; character death/melting. Can't think of any others.