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furyofvissarionLow Midnight - Carrie Vaughn. The Cormac novel! I wasn't sure I'd really enjoy a whole book from Cormac's point of view, because I love Kitty Norville so much, & also I wasn't sure that Vaughn could pull it off. This was super, though, & a fair continuation of the series. I mean, I'd still prefer that one of the few remaining books was, as were the others, books starring Kitty & from her viewpoint. But I was glad to get to know Cormac more -- there's a lot of pain in this book, naturally, because Cormac isn't an easy character, doesn't have an easy life, & hasn't told Kitty a lot of the things in his head. Anyway: good stuff.
Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris. Still dodgy in terms of race & in terms of gender & consent. & yet there is still something there that grabs me -- sometimes Sookie can be such a great character, so steadfast & realistic (especially about the constraints that class puts on people). & sometimes there are a few lines that are so on point, that really kind of make your head reel back b/c someone (usually Sookie) has just said something that clicks so well w/your own particular kinda angst. Anyway, that said: fun, not particularly memorable (a few months later & I couldn't tell you the plot of this book!), I'll read the few remaining books in this series if I happen across them, but if not, that's probably fine.
Go vegan!: Warum wir ohne tierische Produkte glücklicher und besser leben - edited by Marlene Halser. I read this (for some values of "read") mostly as a way to improve my German. I certainly didn't understand every word in the book, but I was really happy to see how much more I understood in every essay by the time I finished the book, as compared to when I started. I got enough to understand that there are a lot of the same annoying trends in German veganism as in US/UK veganism: health vegans espousing fatphobia & bad science, classism, cultural appropriation, etc. Attila Hildmann, who I fucking despise, is in this book. Most of the essays were less enraging than his, & on a v. positive note I liked the words of the two women who run the vegan feminist sex shop in Berlin that I've enjoyed on multiple visits. Anyway: mostly I'm just proud I got through a book in German: that's the main thing I take away from this one!
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This is 99% a really moving, adorable, heartfelt book about growing up Mexican-American in the '80s. There was so much genuine poignancy (despite some big plot cliches, ha, somehow they worked). But there's a very significant revelation of trans panic near the end of the book & it makes me so fucking angry.
Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris. Still dodgy in terms of race & in terms of gender & consent. & yet there is still something there that grabs me -- sometimes Sookie can be such a great character, so steadfast & realistic (especially about the constraints that class puts on people). & sometimes there are a few lines that are so on point, that really kind of make your head reel back b/c someone (usually Sookie) has just said something that clicks so well w/your own particular kinda angst. Anyway, that said: fun, not particularly memorable (a few months later & I couldn't tell you the plot of this book!), I'll read the few remaining books in this series if I happen across them, but if not, that's probably fine.
Go vegan!: Warum wir ohne tierische Produkte glücklicher und besser leben - edited by Marlene Halser. I read this (for some values of "read") mostly as a way to improve my German. I certainly didn't understand every word in the book, but I was really happy to see how much more I understood in every essay by the time I finished the book, as compared to when I started. I got enough to understand that there are a lot of the same annoying trends in German veganism as in US/UK veganism: health vegans espousing fatphobia & bad science, classism, cultural appropriation, etc. Attila Hildmann, who I fucking despise, is in this book. Most of the essays were less enraging than his, & on a v. positive note I liked the words of the two women who run the vegan feminist sex shop in Berlin that I've enjoyed on multiple visits. Anyway: mostly I'm just proud I got through a book in German: that's the main thing I take away from this one!
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This is 99% a really moving, adorable, heartfelt book about growing up Mexican-American in the '80s. There was so much genuine poignancy (despite some big plot cliches, ha, somehow they worked). But there's a very significant revelation of trans panic near the end of the book & it makes me so fucking angry.