Yes, I know that today is the eighth of August, and that July ended over a week ago. And yes, I know that there are only three book reviews included in this post, when my June Wrap Up had six!
But what YOU should know is that I'm currently on vacation, sharing an incredibly noisy cabin with multiple family members that have coerced me into doing things like wake up at 6:30am to go on morning walks and engage in a variety of social environments, and generally keep me so busy that it's not like I've been able to read anything else anyways (not to mention they've consumed nearly half of the candy I bought for myself). All told, it really doesn't matter that I'm late, just that I'm finally full enough of an adequate amount of caffeine to finally upload this post!
No, I haven't read anything in August yet, either.
I think that this Summer Slump has really taken me out at the ankles, and I'm still trying to toddle around while regrowing my new feet, as uncertain and ungainly as a baby deer. It's hard to actually sit down and invest time in reading when you're currently being overwhelmed by celebrations for multiple family weddings and engagements, being dragged along on camping trips hobbled by vicious bug bites and a statewide burn ban, and are so, so busy planning on what you're going to do with the money you win when the Mega Millions drawing happens tonight (I'll give you a hint: never go camping again).
Hopefully, August shapes up to be a little more effective at growing my Summer Book Bingo footprint than July was. Or at the very least, I hope that the noise level of this cabin goes down enough in the next few days so that I can actually manage to read anything at all.
Bingo Square: "Joyful"
Half a Soul, Olivia Atwater
After a confrontation with a member of the fae as a child leaves her missing part of her soul, Dora has found it difficult to interact with others the way her domineering aunt would like her to. However, now that her cousin has decided a trip to London for the marriage season would be in both of their best interests, she finds herself having to navigate an entirely different world of social expectations - including interactions with a certain handsome, badly-behaved wizard - while also doing her part not to hinder her cousin's prospects.
As soon as I read a selection from this novel on a whim, I knew that I could easily finish in less than twenty-four hours. The following afternoon, I proved it, by wrapping up in around 3 hours, and that's WITH a snack break in the middle.It's a fluffy meringue of a book, that's for sure. It is light and fun and keeps you entertained, but doesn't have a ton of substance behind it, for all it tries very hard to encourage its reader to be more compassionate... as well as remedy some of the pains that Historical Regency Romances inherently carry, by virtue of their existence during a particular time period in a particular country.
I think its popularity comes from a combination of factors, like Jane Austen's social comedy, Bridgerton's aesthetic appeal, and Faerie Romances, all popular in their own right. However, for me, it missed a certain something that made each of those concepts so special in the exchange: it lacks the history and authority of Jane Austen, the sex appeal of Bridgerton, and the faerie-ness of a magical environment. One of the reasons I was originally sold on picking up this romance, was its comparison to Howl's Moving Castle by a reviewer... which only really came up in the way that the male main character is a high-strung blonde and a powerful wizard, who has a tendency to reject authority and be strangely-behaved in public.
I feel that there were enough things slightly off-kilter as to get my attention. For instance, there seemed to be a lot of unevenness when it came to Dora's understandings of social impropriety... which varied from being unable to parse out people's meanings or intentions in conversation, to literally stripping down and washing her punch-soaked gown in an outdoor fountain in the middle of an evening ball, but still managing to catch Elias' verbal missteps in social settings, or subtlety divine the affections of her friends.
I didn't love that last arc of the action, especially because it felt so disconnected from the remainder of the relevant plotting, and kind of like the author forgot to resolve several loose ends before the finale, and didn't want to make it too depressing.
Additionally, it felt like there was a concerted intention to include some autism representation in the main character... after all, when you have a character that has a demonstratable difficulty in understanding social situations, get frustrated with being unable to express her "larger" emotions, and is reprimanded for her flat demeanor in interactions with others, it is no surprise when people divine such conclusions. But to have these characteristics be the result of her having HALF A SOUL, I am not so sure how positive this kind of rep can be.
Three stars.
Bingo Square: "Read with a Friend"
The Tempest, William Shakespeare
Shakespeare's final solo-written play, The Tempest follows the wizard Prospero, as he embarks on a plot of revenge against the nobles who wronged him over a decade prior. When a mysterious storm leaves them stranded on an island in the Mediterranean, we are introduced to a cast of classic characters, including his daughter, Miranda, the handsome prince, Ferdinand, the air spirit, Ariel, and Prospero's hunched and abused servant, Caliban. Carrying themes of colonialism and a heavy focus on music, this is - in my opinion - one of Shakespeare's most notable works.
I think that by the end of this summer, when I look back at things I've achieved in this time period, I am going to say that choosing to buddy read The Tempest with my younger brother was one of the absolute highlights. Our weekly meetings throughout July might have been a little time consuming - as we usually spent three to four hours or so on each call - but they were absolutely worth it. The project both gave me a chance to reread a favorite at an in-depth level like I've been missing since my collegiate days as an English Major, and gave my brother an outlet for his compulsive need to do homework during a Summer quarter where he's not taking any classes.It was all of the fun of regulated coursework and hanging out with your sibling that you could ask for.
The Tempest is my favorite Shakespearean work for so many reasons:
- It is unique within his canon for its status as a completely "original" story, not inspired by any previously existing mythology or folklore, and not drawn from history
- It's something like a Fantasy novel, complete with a magical island, a wizard, strange creatures, and revenge
- Spoiler alert: nobody dies!
- Choosing to alter elements of staging - like various casting, costuming, or set piece choices - can completely alter your perspective of elements of the narrative
- It is clearly reflective of Shakespeare's life as an actor and playwright, with direct references to the Globe theater, his previous work, and the act of creation
Five stars.
Bingo Square: "Worker's Rights"
There's No Such Thing As An Easy Job, Kikuko Tsumura
After suffering from extreme burnout after dedicating herself to her previous job for over a decade, the time has come for a young woman to find something a little less... difficult. With her only request to her employment agency to find something "easy," she embarks on a series of jobs which subsequently prove that for her, nothing will ever be as uncomplicated as she'd hoped.
Talk about a book just really finding you when you need it to. I honestly half wish I had read this book years ago, but I'm also incredibly happy I've read it now. Like with How Far the Light Reaches, I knew fairly quickly into this particular journey that it was going to be one of my favorite reads of the year.Our heroine takes five jobs, each seemingly less effort than the last.
She monitors security cameras, writes bus advertisements and trivia for rice cracker wrappers, hangs up public posters, and mans an outpost station in a public park... and yet despite the fact that each of these temp jobs is ostensibly pedestrian, it ends up leading her on another adventure. Surreally spinning outwards, led by dreamlike qualities and unexpected twists, it becomes clear as she follows her heart - and demonstrates a remarkable mind, dedication, and care for the job - that there will never be an "easy job" that appeases her appetite for curiosity and sincere empathy. When the time comes for her previous career to be revealed, it makes sense to what we know of her strength of character, and furthermore, we know she is capable in succeeding in it, with the same confidence that she now carries.
I found this book incredibly funny, compelling, and emotional. Its dedication to representing Japanese culture and customs makes a lot more sense when you come to the translator's section on the "About the Author" page. It was definitely its own kind of moral tale, with something akin to a thesis statement presented in the form of a conversation that occurs in the final chapter.
I honestly think this should be required reading for Millennials, or at least anyone who feels like the need a bit of a break.
Five stars.
How has your summer been going so far? Where's your favorite book-reading destination you've traveled this year? Let me know, in the comments below?
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