What I Read in April and May

Yes, I'm aware we're in July. I'm currently luxuriating in the wonders of summer, what with its bold tomato and peach output, the reasonably livable temperatures (we're getting a sensible 74 degrees and sunny, which is both my ideal living situation, as well as a complete anomaly amongst some of these egregiously hot days Washington has been experiencing so far this year), and, of course, the joys of Summer Book Bingo. 

In an attempt to bring you up to speed so we can start actually talking about the books I have most recently wanted to talk to you about, let's just get through some past reviews that might have fallen to the wayside a little bit... mainly because the breakneck pacing of this Spring left me somewhat less inspired to read, and more prompted to fall deep into an Instagram pit for hours at a time. 

april

Like I said, things were bleak. I only read two books, both of which were audiobooks that I could listen to while commuting to and from work. I ended up spending a grand total of $12.06 on Kindle ebooks, almost all of which were romance novels. I checked out more than eight books from the library - I didn't count all of the cookbooks - in an attempt to spur on some kind of personal reading project, but not a single one of them took hold. These are self-soothing techniques. It was not a very good month for bookish things. 

I even just went back and cracked open the month of April in my calendar, to see what could possibly have been taking up so much of my time and attention, and I hadn't even bothered to fill in the spread in my planner. The amount of back-to-back days of volunteering, family events, but mostly an absolutely rollicking work schedule for two weeks nearly straight - the only days off of which were for Easter, and a FUNERAL - took over the entire month. No wonder I've been pining for Summer reading since April! 

Be Ready When the Luck Happens, Ina Garten

four-and-a-half stars 

I've had the great fortune of being able to pick up some enjoyable memoirs so far this year, but I'm telling you now, this is going to end up being one of the favorites. 

It's a gentle, mainly surface level, definitely travel-and-food-focused, entry into the Food Memoirs collection. Ina Garten has been one of those much-beloved culinary figures for what feels like forever - whose Food Network series and easy-entry cookbooks have won readers over for the last two or three generations - and the writing in this memoir feels very in keeping with her cultural status so far: think understated and light-hearted humor, a detached and polite authorial voice, and an overall excitement towards welcoming in a new guest...an opportunity for introduction to a world she loves and has carefully curated for her enjoyment, and yours. 

Longtime fans will enjoy an insider perspective into her world, while absolute novices will find ready entertainment in her stories of difficult family dynamics, attempts at finding her footing in a world that doesn't feel right for her all the time, big swings that pay off, and how she had continued to pivot her success from place to place, all the way towards becoming the multihyphenate she is today. This is how we build one of the first contemporary influencers, from '90s TV to TikTok today. 

I wish she had gone into slightly more detail about certain aspects, but I enjoyed the snapshot look we got nonetheless. 

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

five stars (obviously)

I don't feel the need here to dive too deeply into my feelings for this classic, as its one I've read over a great many times, starting at the age of thirteen years old. I've seen multiple adaptations - so many that I've seen my favorites amongst THOSE regularly as well - and it's a perennial source of joy. 

I will say, it's funny how things change as you carry them along with you. The book I read at 13 is technically the same one I read at 31, but it's me that's different now. I swear, as I listened to it along my commute, I spent half of my time actually hearing it, and half of it turning various characters or phrases over and around in my head, like surveying a Rubik's cube, trying them at new perspectives. 

(For instance, on this read through, Lady Catherine's authoritarian voice made me curious as to what she must have been like in London society, Kitty's non-presence became a real question mark for me while Lydia spent so much time away from home in the second half, and Jane's relentless optimism and emotional generosity drove me absolutely nuts.) 

I appreciate the distance and the difference, but it's hard to avoid the sense of loss, sometimes, too. I'm so glad I read this when I was young, but I can't help but feel I wish I could read it for the first time again. 

may 

Again, only two books, but at least this time, one was a physical book, I could actually carry in my hands... notably around 200 pages in length, but still! Baby steps. Especially when my other steps are carrying me places like chairing a major nonprofit event, taking a weekend trip down to USC to see my sister graduate with her Master's, and having a sleepover with one of my best friends in order to do some of her wedding planning for this coming August. 

I was still in the thick of those self-soothing techniques I was just talking about: I had nine various cookbooks and gardening books checked out from the library, and then another five various reads picked up again at the end of the month as we started to head into Summer Book Bingo planning.

Not to mention that I got the chance to visit Powell's City of Books in Portland for the first time in a long time, and thanks to a very generous Mom willing to sit idly by and flip through magazines while I ran up and down that labyrinth of staircases - and asking what felt like every information desk for assistance - I ended up walking away with four books for myself, and a gift for my brother, for about $82.79. 

By the time I was even halfway through the month, I was virtually frothing at the mouth for the release of the Summer Book Bingoes from SPL and the Ripped Bodice. 

Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement, Ashley Shew

four stars

I've had a great track record for some incredible disability activism nonfiction in the last couple of years - thank you especially to Alice Wong, and Disability Visibility, during what I think was the 2023 Summer Book Bingo - so when I saw that this title was coming out, I immediately added it to my library holds list. 

It's definitely a lot shorter than I thought it was going to be - as I've got to figure that someone other than me would most likely notice that it was published under the Norton Shorts imprint - but it packs quite a wallop for that scant page length. The author herself is a cancer survivor, amputee, and and more, experiencing various forms of disability you might not think of all the time (tinnitus, Crohn's disease, etc.). Her book ventures out even further beyond that scope: there are chapters dedicated to neurodivergence and autism representation and accommodation, prosthetics and how they affect the body, and more than anything else, how disability-focused adaptive design and technological advancements are frequently not useful towards actually benefitting the unique needs of the individuals they are supposed to support, but instead, to the forced assimilation towards a "common" able-bodied model. 

I would not recommend reading it before you begin a lengthy, predominantly solo shift at work, as it will give you entirely too much to think about while you're trying to do things, like be a good and attentive employee. 

If you are a fan of fun facts that you can spout off inappropriately at parties, this is a great one. And - Future Savannah is writing this review, obviously - "Disability" is one of the squares available on the Seattle Public Library Book Bingo, so this would be a great addition to your Summer reading list before the time runs out!  

Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree 

three-and-a-half stars 

It's not a super unique circumstance for my brother to have read a book before me (in fact, its remarkably common, especially in the Fantasy category, and even more especially because I buy him new books on average two or three times a year, for events like his birthday, Christmas, and just whenever I generally feel motivated to do so, which he then occasionally passes along to me). This means I can usually count on him to be a sounding board when I work through something he's already read. It made the following conversation pretty funny:

"I just wish the Romance subplot wasn't there. It feels superfluous to everything else that's happening!" 

"Subplot? Savannah... I'm pretty sure that's the main plot?"

So apparently the Romance in this book simply could not compare, at least for me, to the fanciful daydreams of Establishing a Small Business, what with the acquisition of work staff and company assets, the frustrations of unruly neighbors, and, of course, the unique Fantasy social issues of navigating being an orc, a retired adventurer, and a small business owner, all at the same time. As it turns out, the ins and outs of owning and operating a completely normal coffeeshop in a fictional setting might not have been the main points of the book... they were just most of what I actually cared about reading. 

No wonder I thought the whole thing was a little tame. 

But honestly... I wish it were even MORE boring. Get rid of the romance, the shady mob characters, the whole evil ex-friend thing... when I want a "slice of life" / vibes-only kind of read, I want it to be as sedate and tranquil as a small pond on a cloudy day. 

To be honest, being constantly inundated with the stupid "Caw-fee? What is caw-fee?" -slash- shoehorning-a-real-life-product-into-a-fictional-reality trope gets a little boring, too - like struggling against the boundaries of expectation and canon to somehow justify the in-world likelihood of cramming a Starbucks inside of your Lord of the Rings fanfiction - but apparently all of the other Fantasy races are simply drinking tea or something. You don't have to keep drawing attention to the fact that it somehow doesn't make sense in the realities of the world or whatever, just tell me about the barista's struggles to write Legolas's name correctly on his cup, or getting Gollum to make up his mind about what he wants to order, and move on. 

Like I said, April and May were brief in their reading exploits, and mainly served as the portal between Winter and Summer for me. It's a miracle I got anything read at all, but that's what audiobooks and morning commutes are for! 

Have you read anything good lately? Let me know, in the comments below!

What I Read in March

Man, I need to get cracking on some of these monthly reading installments, so I can hurry up and tell you about how much fun I've been having with the REAL attention-getter: Summer Book Bingo! 

But we've still got two months to cover. I'll combine April and May into one post for concision - and frankly, because I didn't actually get a whole lot of reading done in those months -  but that's for next time I see you. For now, we've got March to take care of! 

It was a pretty busy month, with the Spring season and everything that entails well underway, and lots of family commitments to take care of - including a wedding! - which is why out of the three titles I tackled, two of them were both audiobooks. 

How to Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files #1), Kristen Perrin

three and a half stars

In a split timeline narrative between the '60s and today, Annie Adams and her great aunt, Frances, navigate love, murder, and intrigue, on an English country estate. With snapshots of the past foretelling betrayal and present action leading to her death, can Frances' own diaries hold the key to Annie solving her murder? And in a village where everyone has an angle on this reclusive eccentric, who can she trust, herself? 

I was stuck - several times, in the midst of really very lovely otherwise audiobook - that I would probably have enjoyed this more if I was reading a physical copy.

As someone who is still tiptoeing back into what was originally, for me, a tremendously loved genre, having the experience of listening to a somewhat strangely-paced, large-ensemble cast mystery, was incredibly frustrating. I didn't like that I couldn't flip back and forth between pages to reacquaint myself with clues, or remind myself of the relationships between characters. 

I was struck several times of other points of reference towards favorites from the genre at large: of course a notable ensemble cast gathered at a house for a murder reminded me of both Agatha Christie and Clue, both of which are name checked in the novel itself, but the mechanics of plot development really reminded me of one hallmark of the point-and-click Nancy Drew video games I used to love, and I could almost imagine how various character actions would play out on screen. I also think modern mysteries involving mystery-obsessed individuals also just kind of fall pretty naturally into Knives Out comparison these days, so it feels like that's a salient reference point, too. 

I was pretty frustrated with the main characters' fragile nature and unflappable self-involvement, but the other characters were similarly two-dimensional -- and yet, how could they not be? There's so many of them! There was also a LOT to say about what everyone was wearing, at all times, in both time settings, though, to be fair, it was eventually revealed to be a bit of a plot point, so maybe that was valid. 

Overall, a pleasant, relatively-low-stakes, cozy country mystery, and an easy read for fans of the genre. And, based on a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, it looks like the sequel in the series has made an appearance... maybe it will be worth picking up a (physical) copy from the library this Fall? 

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come, Jessica Pan

three stars 

A young woman navigates a lonely life in London by undertaking a series of personal challenges: over the course of the year, she's going to talk to strangers, perform standup, travel solo, and more... as long as she doesn't convince herself to just stay at home, instead. 

This read more like a person's blog than a memoir, even for all that it came equipped and edified with a frankly impressive number of links, statistics, and interviews with professionals in the field. It sported the information of a legitimate scientific experiment with the attitude of a MySpace profile, like wearing a blazer over your favorite crop top. 

Parts of it read as incredibly juvenile - but maybe that is simply the obvious outcome of someone earnestly expressing feelings of loneliness, fear, or inexperience. There was a significant current of insecurity underlying the whole thing that occasionally made the voice of the author feel overly self-effacing, judgmental of others, and even, at times, insincere, angry, or rude. 

I think it was a nice experiment, and it clearly worked for the author, but unfortunately, all it did was reinforce quite a few standard pieces of advice commonly given to introverts and lonely people already: "Be the first to smile," "take a class," "try a new hobby," "be authentic," "travel more," etc. I don't necessarily think that's a criticism, as hearing the wild effects of Pan's adventuring is the whole point of reading the memoir (she is very funny, and bold, for someone so concerned with being alone). It's just up there with "drink more water," "go to sleep earlier," and "eat vegetables" levels on grand revelations for self-improvement. 

It did kind of make me want to take an improv class, though. 

Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner 

four stars 

A music-loving young woman desperate to strike out on her own is called back home after her mother's surprising cancer diagnosis. In a memoir that will make you both teary and hungry, Zauner explores her complex relationship with her mixed race heritage, Korean food, breaking into the business, and her mom.

The entire time I was reading this memoir, my own Mom was in the back of my mind. This isn't too surprising, as the book itself is very much about a woman's relationship with her mother, but it's actually because she managed to read this one before me.

Several summers ago, while we were on vacation, Mom had needed a recommendation of a good read, as she hadn't brought any of her own. Being that I was planning on reading this one myself, I lent her the hardcover copy in the giant stack of books that I'd brought. Therefore, she had already formed her opinions on the book years ago, when she had originally read it, while I finally only caught up just this year... and unfortunately I wasn't able to solely evaluate based on my own thoughts and experiences, but with her judgments clouding ever-present on the horizon of my brain. 

(To be entirely fair, maybe battling against the constant mental presence of your mother is the appropriate frame of mind to be in while reading this book.)

She enjoyed it, and loved the descriptions of food and travel best. She had lost her own father while she herself was very, very young, and then my grandma in 2015, almost ten years ago, so maybe this was a slightly insane thing for me to recommend as a vacation read... but she felt it was very moving and emotional. She also, however, hated how the book ended: she couldn't understand why a book that was ostensibly about the authors' mother's death, kept going for so long after the event occurred. 

I significantly disagree, not just on her issue with its length, but actually, about its focus: the book is not about death. Grief outlasts death, and is carried far into the future; just like recipes are passed down by the generations, so are grief and hurt. It makes tremendous sense why the book carries on as Zauner continues to explore Korean cooking, her relationship with her other family members, and processing her pain into her music, because that is what you do in the wake of personal tragedy: her mother comes along for the journey, in memory, and in grief, as Michelle herself experiences personal success, the kind she wishes she could have shared with one of the most important people in her life. 

I will also say, about a month after finishing this one, Japanese Breakfast played Coachella. As I was showing YouTube videos of their performance to my mom, she was surprised to see that she really was a popular and respected indie pop musician, as - and I quote directly on this one - she thought "that was just something she exaggerated for the book."

As it turns out, like my own mom has said before me, Zauner is a very talented memoir writer, just like she is a very talented songwriter.  

Read anything good lately? Let me know, in the comments below!