Reading — Prints 2.5
Recent nonfiction reads
- Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong. A variety of essays, with varying levels of interest. Overall, it was a quick read that I learned a lot from. The idea of disability being time travel (making your body act much older or much younger) resonated with me; I’ve certainly felt like my spondylolisthesis has aged me thirty years. While it’s invisible to anyone looking at me, it affects my life every day, all day long. (It’s very rare for an hour to go by without the pain drawing my attention.) Anyway, this was the first book I’ve read about disability since my injury, and some of the essays definitely felt like they were speaking to me.
Recent fiction reads
- The Sudden Appearance of Hope, by Claire North. I think this was maybe my second favorite of hers so far, after Harry August. An interesting science fiction idea (a girl who everyone forgets) with intriguing exploration of the potential ramifications, which is what I like out of science fiction. (Or at least one thing I like out of science fiction.)
- Devolution, by Max Brooks. Sasquatch horror. Quite violent in some respects, but overall a captivating story. I liked it more than World War Z, which felt more exhausting to me. Even so, I’m very, very glad this book was fictional.
- Upgrade, by Blake Crouch. Another interesting science fiction idea (which comes enough into the book that I won’t spoil it, even though it’s somewhat self-evident and probably all over the back cover copy). During the middle I wasn’t sure how I felt about the book, but the ending turned it around for me in a good way. Also one that I’m glad was fictional.
Books purchased since last post
- Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World — Adam Tooze
- Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story — Christina Thompson
- The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy — Paige Williams
- The Last Lie Told — Debra Webb
- Churchill & Son — Josh Ireland
- Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body — Neil Shubin
- Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory — Ben Macintyre
- The Law — Jim Butcher
- Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence — Joseph J. Ellis
- The Immortal King Rao — Vauhini Vara
- The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday — Saad Z. Hossain
- Knives at Dawn: America’s Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d’Or Competition — Andrew Friedman
- Stet: An Editor’s Life — Diana Athill
- The Story of Greece and Rome — Tony Spawforth
- Trust: America’s Best Chance — Pete Buttigieg
- Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer — Steven Johnson
- The Hand of the Sun King — J. T. Greathouse
- Upgrade — Blake Crouch
- Drunk on All Your Strange New Words — Eddie Robson
- Inda — Sherwood Smith
- The Immortal Game: A History of Chess — David Shenk
- Stray Souls — Kate Griffin
- The Glass God — Kate Griffin
- Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir — Marie Yovanovitch
- Rez Life: An Indian’s Journey Through Reservation Life — David Treuer
- Harbinger of the Storm — Aliette de Bodard
- Master of the House of Darts — Aliette de Bodard