What even was July? It was my last month in Chicago, I moved to Texas (am still moving in Texas, no, I won’t be getting into more specific details). Reading was a bit fraught. I had lofty goals, like reading everything I borrowed from the library (didn’t happen). But I did enjoy a bunch of what I read, which is always a blessing.
I had two authors interviews on my blog for their debut works. First, horror YA writer Ryan Douglass talked about his debut, The Taking of Jake Livingston, and short story writer Charles Payseur told us a bit about his process of putting a short story collection, The Burning Day and Other Strange Stories.
ARCs
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (2021, adult, science fiction, queer)
- A kind novel in the truest sense
- Very specific in its perspective on life and purpose
- Cozy and re-affirming
- The Burning Day and Other Strange Stories by Charles Payseur (2021, adult, science fiction, short stories, queer)
- A short story collection that covers a wide breadth of science fiction
- I had so many personal favorites
- I really enjoyed how blue collar many of the tales were
- She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (2021, adult, fantasy, queer)
- This book has everything I like: murder queers, role-as-identity, subversions of destiny
- Epic in every sense of the word
Audiobooks
- Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe (2021, adult, historical non-fiction)
- Succession but it’s about opioids rather than a media conglomerate
- Sad and infuriating, but awfully compelling
- Erebus: One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time by Michael Palin (2018, adult, historical non-fiction)
- It’s clear how much fun Michael Palin had retracing the steps of this unique ship
- From Antarctica all the way to the Arctic Circle
- Fun in its production quality
- Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee (2021, young adult, historical fiction)
- Exploration of Chinese passengers of the fated ship
- Big sibling feelings with haunting outcomes
- Thoughtfully woven and immersive
Physical Copies
- Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh (2013, adult, graphic novel memoir)
- Funny in a way reminiscent of the mid-naughts internet
- Heartfelt but also too real
- Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (2020, adult, graphic novel memoir)
- Big upsets between big laughs
- Very much about mortality especially when compared to the first book
- The difference in art quality is staggering
- True North: Peary, Cook, and the Race to the Pole by Bruce Henderson (2005, adult, historical non-fiction)
- What should have been a naval partnership turns into a bitter rivalry
- Leaves it up to the reader who the “hero” is
- Immersive and engaging
Manga
- Azumanga Daioh Vol. 4 by Kiyohiko Azuma (2004, shoujo slice-of-life)
- No brain cells, but absolutely charming
- Still feeling pretty bittersweet at the end when the characters go their separate ways
- Dai Dark Vol. 1-2 by Q Hayashida (2021, seinen, science fiction horror comedy)
- Good chaulk for the gap between The Locked Tomb entries
- Space horror with comedy and very good character designs
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood by Hirohiko Araki (2004, shonen, historical fantasy)
- Really lives up to the “bizarre” bit
- Vampires, magic, and the most incredible poses I’ve ever seen
- A classic for a reason
Until next month,
Jo
Jo Writes Fantasy 