April 2022 Reads
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It's good to be back! I've been chugging along. trying to get my memoir (from last February) published. It's roughly finished, but I've been emailing my family a lot to fact-check for me. I hired an editor (Kathryn Lemieux) to work on the first eight chapters, but I'll have to wait a couple more paydays before I can re-hire her for the next few. Sigh. Money!
Guess who got another infection??? This time, it was the middle finger of my right hand. (Nooo! That's my favorite finger to wave in a friendly fashion at other drivers!) It was from an ingrown nail, which quickly spread to the rest of my hand until the whole thing was swollen and hot and shiny and very painful. Treatment involved lidocaine injections and some very gross things with a scalpel. And ten days of antibiotics. And an especially horrific moment where my finger split open, leaking blood and pus, while I was cleaning my kitchen. Why, body? Why???
I had to cut back on audiobooks this month, since Dad and I are going to a Welcome to Night Vale liveshow next month, and I wanted to listen to the last dozen or so episodes so I felt caught up.
Without further ado...
Books read in April 2022:
The Maid by Nita Prose. I mostly agree with criticisms that if you want to write an Autistic character, you should SAY they're Autistic. (Obviously there are exceptions if they can't be diagnosed, like if they're in a historical setting.) Just saying they're "quirky" or "different!" does the Autism community a disservice. Say it with your chest, and hire a dang sensitivity reader! ... That said, I mostly enjoyed The Maid, about an Autistic hotel maid experiencing loss and financial hardship thrown into a heap of trouble after she finds out shady things are going on in her hotel, and a man ends up dead. I found it charming, but I get why some people found Molly's portrayal offensive. Take my opinion with a grain of salt; though I am neurodivergent (I have ADHD), I'm not Autistic. I liked how the very real facts that both Autistic people and people of color are misunderstood and demonized by law enforcement, treated as automatically suspicious, is commented on clearly and directly. It wasn't dwelled on as much as I would have liked, but then, this was a light read. I usually prefer heavier fare, but I found this warm and touching.
Prosper's Demon by K.J. Parker was a very short read, at only 105 pages. I've made it clear before that I don't much care for short stories, and this is no exception. An interesting premise, an interesting voice. Even the story was interesting... But I hated the way it was written! The writing, the prose, was confusing and all over the place; it was hard to figure out what was going on. I think I would've enjoyed this more if it was clear and straightforward. However, it did end with a punch, which (IMHO) all short stories should. (Plot? A guy who hunts demons might actually be worse than his prey.) 
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Oh wow, this was dark and grim, but I adored the protagonist! I love ruthless, anti-hero protagonists in general, especially female ones, but Rin was especially great. The fantasy war in this book is clearly based on the real Second-Sino Japanese War, despite being set in China. It reminded me significantly of "The Song of the Lioness" and "The Traitor Baru Cormorant," but I loved this in a way I never loved those. The tactics, machinations, betrayals, scheming! The lying and double-crossing! Absolutely delicious. And I'm always a fangirl for the "obsessed character pushes themself beyond reasonable limits, to the point of self-harm, because they're just that ambitious and driven" trope, coupled with the "underdog will stop at nothing to claw themself to the top" trope. What stopped this from being a five-star read was simply that it was far too long and dense; an editor REALLY needed to step in and say "Ms. Kuang, PLEASE break this into a series; this is insane." It could've filled five books (or at least three). Massive trigger warnings for war crimes (graphic genocide, mutilation, torture, murder, animal cruelty, rape, child soldiers, child marriage/sex slavery, etc) and intravenous drug use. If you're at all familiar with the real-world Nanjing massacre, or the heinous experimentation of Unit 731, this will ring especially harsh.
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. I read my first Moshfegh earlier this year and had mixed feelings about it, but I thought I'd give her another try, and several people I follow said this one was her best. If that's the case, I don't think I'm gonna read any more Moshfeghs in the future, because I kind of hated it? The protagonist was miserable and obnoxious, and being inside her head sucked. The writing was fine, I guess, and it's admirable how the author can write these unpleasant characters so believably, but that doesn't make it fun. It's like hanging out with one of my awful uncles. Two stars, because while I hated it, it didn't suck on a technical level.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James. I've said before that I didn't care for the Sun Down Motel, but I loved St. James's "The Broken Girls" so much that it went on my 'best of 2021' list. I suspect people might soon complain that this author has a very specific formula for her work, but I don't mind (yet). There are chapters set in the past, there are chapters set in modern-day, there are murders, there are feminist themes, there are ghosts. This book is no exception; this time it alternates between Beth, accused of murder in the 70s, and Shea, true crime-obsessed kidnapping survivor. And yes, there are murders and ghosts and feminist themes. Thankfully, I'm into all that shit, and I enjoyed this book. 
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. This was more fun than I expected! Very fast-paced, but still pretty. I guess it's an Asian retelling of a German fairy tale, but it's not a tale I've ever heard before. A princess and her six brothers are cursed by a demon. The brothers are transformed into cranes; the sister is rendered mute, because for every word she speaks, another one of her brothers drops down dead. They must find their way back home and free their father from the demon, and themselves from the curse. I really enjoyed this! I liked the fantasy elements, and I liked how resourceful and determined our heroine is, and how her relationship with her brothers is at the forefront; how they bond and learn to trust and rely on each other. It lost a star due to some imbalance; some vagueness, especially near the end. The demon and enchantress aspect was left unexplained, leaving me asking "wait, what?" several times during the climax. Still, I'm excited for the sequel this August. 
The Flames of Hope by Tui T. Sutherland. The fifteenth WOF book is great, and well worth the wait! All about the Pantala dragons banding together with the Pyrrrhia dragons to stop a great evil, and FINALLY connect with the humans living underground in their lands. As always, Tui impresses with her inclusivity (characters who use they/them pronouns! Frank discussion of mental illness/mood disorders!) And we got a surprisingly bittersweet ending, too... I'm not sure if she'll be commissioned to continue the series or not, but it wouldn't surprise me, seeing how popular it is. She was clever to leave a few untied threads! Crossed fingers this series will continue. 
Darkstalker by Tui T. Sutherland. In trying to read all the WOF books, of course I also have to read the spinoffs. And you know what? I loved this even more than I love the main series. Things got dark and surprisingly mature here! We got to see Darkstalker's inevitable fall from grace and imprisonment; how and why he disemboweled his own father; why his girlfriend and best friend teamed up to plot against him, how the road to hell is always paved in good intentions... Seriously excellent. I wish the rest of this series was as good! The reveal about his secret spells was particularly gut wrenching (pun not intended).
Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford. I'll confess to reading this one specifically because one of the Kindle challenges for Spring 2022 was to read a book off the 2021 bestsellers list, and this was the only eBook already on my TBR that was immediately available on Overdrive. Thankfully, it was only 200 pages long, and pretty good! Depressing as hell, though (trigger warnings for child abuse, animal cruelty, and COCSA (child-on-child sexual assault)). This is Ashley's memoir where she describes growing up fatherless, as her Dad is incarcerated after raping two women. I found the description misleading; rather than being ABOUT her relationship with her father, this book is about Ashley's tumultuous relationship with her mother, especially after surviving rape at a young age herself. Her father merely bookends the story. It was very well written, but it wasn't necessarily the story I wanted to read. Still, reading it earned me a shiny new badge on my Kindle.
Zombie Bake-Off by Stephen Graham Jones. Since we're not getting a Graham-Jones release this year after all (sad face), ZBO is a weird little tale of a zombie outbreak occurring in a convention center full of both pro wrestlers awaiting a rumble, and soccer moms having a bake-off. It's plenty gruesome and gory, and of course it's darkly funny, creative, and well-written (it's Graham-Jones, after all), but I didn't love it like I love most of his stuff. Maybe the characters were a little too flat and stereotypical? If I have to read about zombies in a convention center, I much prefer Mira Grant's more serious "San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats."
The Tiger Came to the Mountains by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. My complaints about short stories do not apply here; this was only 30 pages long and it was fantastic. I read it because April 23rd is national readers' day and one of the Kindle challenges was to read a book on that day. I wasn't close to finishing any of my other books, so I read the shortest one I had available. Got that badge! But I'm genuinely glad I read this story about Pancho Villa's soldiers attacking Mexicans in the late 1800s; my great-grandma was also attacked by his soldiers, which is why the family fled Mexico and moved to Arizona. But even if I didn't have that personal connection, this tale of kids hiding from soldiers in caves just to be attacked by a tiger from an escaped circus was beautifully written and absolutely sucked me in. 10/10; do recommend. 
The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Now that I've finished Wings of Fire for my nieces, I wanted to read something with my middle nephew, and he said this is one of his faves. I... Didn't really care for it. The writing was of poor quality (and don't give me that "but it's a KID'S BOOK!" nonsense; some of the most beautiful works I've ever read were intended for children). Words were repeated ad nauseum; I counted one page where the word 'thornbush' was repeated five times in prose. Was the editor asleep??? The character of Conner was especially grating. He's supposed to be twelve, but he's written like a smug thirty-year-old man. The plot was super basic and predictable, hitting every beat of a subpar fantasy. (Sigh) I don't want to be mean, I just really didn't care for this and I'm not looking forward to reading the rest of the series, but I'll do it for Nephew. Giving this three stars, though it deserves two, because anything that can make that kid want to read must have some merit.
Books I recommended my library purchase in April of 2022:
1. The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas (expected release: May 2, 2022). I'm loving how much I'm seeing Hispanic authors and lit promoted on GR lately! My Grandpa was Mexican, so I know there's tons of history and stories to be told there! This is described as "Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca," so I'm all in. Intrigue and antigovernmental rebellion, too!
2. Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao (expected release: May 9, 2022). Xiran, my beloved!! Not that I'm not glad to get this (ancient Chinese underworld/death stuff? FASCINATING!) but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bummed this isn't Iron Widow 2. Hopefully soon...? I do like middle-grade lit, though. Maybe I can share this with my niblings!
3. Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel (expected release: May 9, 2022). Oof, look how creepy this cover is! Me likey. Cults, too! Love cults. I'm hoping the "Rosemary's Baby" comparisons hold true, since RB is one of my faves; if you scroll back far enough, it appeared on one of my best-of lists. Crossed fingers I love this, though I've never read this author before! 
4. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi (expected release: May 23, 2022). Well, this seems way out of left field for Emezi. If I'm understanding the blurb, it's about a girl hooking up with her boyfriend's father? I don't care for romance, but I DO live for that taboo drama, so I hope I'm not disappointed. Pretty cover, too.
5. Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong (expected release: September 26, 2022). Gong's "These Violent Delights" was way, way better than it had any right to be. A YA retelling of Romeo and Juliet sounds ripe for shallow schmaltz and sentimentality, but it was a surprisingly gruesome and good flapper-era period piece, chock full of violence and monsters and gang wars between fantasy Russian and Chinese gangs. Not to mention the queer characters... I must say, I'm excited to see what she does with this one.
I leave you with this incredible clip of Daniel Radcliffe that I've watched close to a thousand times now. You're welcome.
~ Goodnight, Goodreads. Goodnight! ~
