July Reading

This is a strange little book I picked at random. It's classed as horror but I wouldn't say horror. Gruesome thriller maybe? I don't know. Almost modern day folk tale? I really enjoyed it. It was fun and surprising in that it starts in one genre and moves to another. It's translated from Icelandic so I don't know if that's what gives it that different feel? It also had this brilliant line on internal criticism (I forget on looks or weight or work?)  'The patriarchy speaks with my mother's voice'. Doesn't take long, if you want something different, it's a fun book. I loved it. (I borrowed it from the library and listened to it on Libby)

I didn't love this book, I've read quite a bit about the Vietnam war, from all sides, and the French occupation. It had some interesting parts about the way women were treated on  their return to the states and the beginning of PTSD becoming a recognised disorder but I found some of the way the story was told treated the reader like an idiot, that they didn't know basic history or that they might have forgotten what happened earlier in the book (it is too long, I thought). That said, it seems pretty popular so most people are loving it.

I stumbled on this by accident, and as I hadn't read any Shirley Jackson, I figured I'd check it out (of the library, on Libby). In the opening paragraphs I realised the timing was perfect, given the mushroom case here. I really enjoyed working out what was going on...it was alluded to from the start but you need to put the pieces together. That's part of the fun of the book. I found this delightfully kooky and a really crazy gem for the reader. 

As you may remember, I've discovered Ryu Murakami and been reading his books all year. This one is quite different to the other two, semi autobiographical, very funny and much more palatable than the other two (In the Miso Soup and Piercing). I found it quite charming (though the main character is not exactly what you would call charming in the traditional sense). It's written from the view point of a teen boy at a time of war and protest, the year 1969 - but on the sidelines, in Japan. I really enjoyed it.

This is a cute idea, rejigging fairy tales but it's aimed at younger readers. I'd say 7-12 or for those with an interest in fairy tales. This collection had Ninja-rella, Zombie Hansel & Gretel, and superhero Billy Goats Gruff and Red Riding Hood. 

(I borrowed it from the library and read it on Hoopla, it only takes an hour, if that)

Finally, Careless People, about working at Facebook and the tech industry in general. It's horrifying, from the gross arrogance of the people there to the disregard of damage while chasing profit and the incredibly obnoxious attitude to other countries (and the ignorance of basic laws and customs in other countries. It's one unbelievable saga after another. Not a must read but definitely fascinating.

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