A Look At June’s Reads
In the month of June I read 14 books, and for a full list of all my books read this year so far please visit my Goodreads profile.
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June was full of pleasant surprises for me. I started off with the gorgeous novella The Empress of Salt and Stars by Nghi Vo (you can see my full review here) and ended with Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, which was one of books I had been recommended and meaning to read for years.
Picking a favorite out of this batch is an exercise in futility. I loved the intimate peak of correspondence that Helen Hanff gives readers in 84, Charing Cross Road, but Laurie Halse Anderson’s Shout displays another kind of intimacy entirely as she peels back layers of her younger life with the same precision a skilled chef uses when peeling the layers of an onion. Persepolis granted another in-depth look at an author’s earlier life, this time accompanied by comic strip illustrations instead of poetry. As memoirs, both Persepolis and Shout are powerful works of literature. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay was more essay than memoir, but as her non-fiction work always does, it felt like holding a conversation. If speaking with Gay is actually like reading her books I can only dream of doing so. She brings important topics to the table in a casual voice that invites conversation.
The two Star Wars books I read could not have been more different. Claudia Gray’s Master & Apprentice felt a bit like meeting old friends again as I dove into parts of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s partnership prior to the prequel movies. However, Ken Liu’s The Legends of Luke Skywalker challenged the traditional Star Wars novel formula and was told as a collection of stories about Luke Skywalker that wove their way throughout the galaxy. The unconventional format and perspectives in the book had me grinning at times (talk about tall tales). The creativity with which that book was written is not often found in media tie-ins, and I greatly appreciated it.
I started A Brief History of 7 Killings back in January but only just finished it. This was a difficult book for me although it is skillfully written. The constantly changing perspectives present the challenge of looking at events from what felt like every angle imaginable. The context of the Cold War politics and Bob Marley’s impact on Jamaica were integral to understanding the story setting and required some research on my part. I am glad to have read it, but it was a read I had to work through.
I had to work through A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland as well, but it was a pleasant type of work. Every time I finished I section of the book I had to set it down and think. I still cannot quite put into words why I took this read so slow, but I enjoyed every single ponderous minute. The narrator is an elderly storyteller of questionable morals that really just wants to get released from prison, but he manages to disintegrate the entire governmental structure of the country he is arrested in along the way (through stories). It is a unique frolic through a fantastical world.
The Sleeper and the Spindle is a classic Gaiman fairy-tale with a twist and Riddell’s illustrations only improved the experience. The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky is a picture book meant for children, but I adored the poems. After all, who doesn’t love this:
If you don’t believe in dragons,
It is curiously true
That the dragons you disparage
Choose not to believe in you.
-pg. 10 of The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
I think that is just grand.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson felt like reading a cult classic, and the feeling of someone you can’t see standing right behind you perfectly describes the tone of this book. Slightly less creepy was the conclusion to the middle-grade series about the Guardians of Childhood, Jack Frost: The End Becomes the Beginning. I originally picked up this series due to \the movie The Rise of the Guardians, and the conclusion to the book series brought back some childhood nostalgia for tales of adventure and magic.
Last, but certainly not least, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah tied together Russian fairy-tales, complicated family relationships, apples, and the dark events of World War II Russia. While the novel was full of cliche, the fairy-tale narrative frame and powerful characters made this a glorious read. The two primary narratives managed to keep pace with each other without one overpowering the other, despite the mother’s story invoking much stronger feelings. It takes talent to match two times together so well.
In summary, June’s books were all memorable for one reason or another, and I am happy to be able to have read all of them. I can only hope July’s books are just as good!
