PSA: 'Dear Committee Members', by Julie Schumacher, is a perfect book. If you are an academic of any sort, you must read it. If you are a non-academic, it may not charm you in the same way, but since it is a perfect book you must read it anyway.
Please observe the obscene number of hashtags I have put below, in the attempt taht as many people as possible see this message.
Need something to watch? Have I got a list for you. The #JaneAusten and #Bronte list of streaming movies and mini-series is updated! Links across all major platforms! Enjoy!
The fourth and last book of my September TBR was Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.
Being more of a Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror reader, reading historical fiction focusing on a single family is really outside my comfort zone. Yes, I read plenty books during my literary studies, but in my free time, I rarely touch other genres. This book teaches me that it's well worth having a look at new things. It was a deep and emotional experience, simply the best book I read this year so far. Full five stars.
The second book on my September TBR was Stephen King's Pet Sematary.
I plan on reading all of Stephen King's books at some point, but Pet Sematary was very high on my To-Do-List, as its reputation was really good. Let's say I was not disappointed: The pacing was great, the writing style grabbed me even though it was quite dense for my taste. Never lost the plot or sight of the characters, which is always a huge danger with me. I even enjoyed the ending, which is not a given with King. A four star book for me, happy to have read this!
The third book on my September TBR was Mickey7 by Ashton Edward.
This is a bit of an odd one. While I enjoyed the world-building in this, I had troubles really identifying with Mickey7. It doesn't help that the moment to moment plot isn't all that complex or interesting to begin with. The writing style is fine and easy enough to read but I'm missing really fun moments in here. Everything about this book feels 'good enough'. Had I read it in a different month, I guess I would have liked it more. Three stars only.
September is over and I managed to read all the books on my TBR! Time to take a look back.
The first book was Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Even if my trackrecord with her is a bit mixed, I really loved this book since I could easily identify with the main character. The Noir-plot, setting and mood perfectly hit the spot for me. It was a quick read for me and the first 5-star book of the month and year!
I only discovered who Steven Bartlett was when I saw him interviewed on Sunday Brunch, but I found him really interesting & thought-provoking. This book is too (and his podcasts, although I've only listened to a few so far...). Perhaps it isn't quite as revolutionary as I thought it might be, but lots of useful advice & ideas I can use in the classroom/staffroom and a better male role model to use than so many the students see at the moment? @edutooters@bookstodon#Books#AmReading#bookstodon
The #JaneAusten Literacy Foundation now has a monthly book club! For $10/mo, you get loads of benefits such as: acess to exclusive Facebook community, access to all Literacy Foundation virtual events, curated monthly play list, monthly read-along livestreams, and a ton more!
Just started Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin. Apparently the later books of the #Earthsea cycle are disliked by fans. I am bewildered by that assessment. I can already tell this is an all-time favorite.
Everything from the prose to the characters feels more mature and meditative. Gender is also examined in a much more holistic and painful way. Several passages have already spoken to my soul in such a deep way that I know will remain with me for a long time
@hawksquill@bookstodon I liked the earliers well enough, but like others here, the series really came alive to me with Tehanu. And at least one of the pieces to come. You have more to look forward to! The whole is more elevated for these later parts. #AmReading
One of my favorite new (to me) writers, Olivia Laing, on one of my favorite books of this century, Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts. From Laing’s brilliant Funny Weather. #AmReading
I think somebody may have quoted Laing on @bookstodon a month or three back; I’m now a bit obsessed.
Currently doing a Sylvia Plath deep dive. I've finished the excellent Red Comet. Now onto her journals, letters, The Bell Jar, and then reading Colossus and Ariel for the first time.
I've been on a nonfiction kick lately and had a craving to read deeply in a particular area rather than jumping round. Also, I am not usually a great lover of poetry and wonder if reading Plath's poems immersed in context might be a more interesting and enjoyable experience.
Reading Marsh as a teen, NZ's low profile in her novels irked me, as it left me feeling she was not fond of her birthplace. Reading her shorts atm, NZ is EVERYWHERE, even reminding me of details I'd forgotten - such as calling Palmerston "Palmerston South". This one was named after a bird I tooted about last week. The lady w/ the mispronounced Māori name includes ITS Māori name. Tino pai! #AmReading@bookstodon#books#ebooks#GoldenAgeMysteries#Aotearoa
The Promise , winner of the 2021 Booker Prize, charts the crash and burn of a white South African family, living on a farm outside Pretoria. The Swarts are gathering for Ma's funeral. The younger generation, Anton and Amor, detest everything the family stand for ...