I finished Songs for the End of the World, by Saleema Nawaz. This book came out in 2020, but it was written between 2013 and 2019. I mention this becaI finished Songs for the End of the World, by Saleema Nawaz. This book came out in 2020, but it was written between 2013 and 2019. I mention this because it's is about a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus. It is unbelievable how much of our covid-19 pandemic was predicted by Nawaz through her pandemic research. The descriptions of quarantine, mask wearing, of intimacy and loneliness, working from home, family dynamics, being pregnant/parenting during the pandemic, how the pandemic affected people's outlook on their lives and changed their relationships and behavior, how it exacerbated hardship for people and how much wealth and privilege protected other people... she even describes the anti-Asian racism that accompanied our covid-19 pandemic. She does this with literary fiction and linked stories and makes it seem easy. I admired how Nawaz was able to explore through fiction the impacts of a coronavirus pandemic in a way that was so authentic, although I also felt disappointed that we are so freaking predictable. It is a book that is hopeful, and optimistic, despite everything I am describing here. It is not a bleak or depressing book.
NOTE: this is the only novel I have encountered that had multiple families who were impacted by conception using donor gametes, for anyone with a special interest in that topic....more
You know the magic of right book/right reader/right moment? THIS IS IT for me right now. This is probably the best book I have read/will read in 2020.You know the magic of right book/right reader/right moment? THIS IS IT for me right now. This is probably the best book I have read/will read in 2020. It is such a special book and really taps into the anxieties, hopes, dreams, fears, potentials of the moment I am living in. The indigenous perspective on the "end of the world" is important. The "parenting through the end of the world" aspect of it is so timely. This was just the perfect book for me right now. And at the end of the book when the author thanks "everyone who told me stories," I got a tear in my eye. What a tremendous gift this book is, and how grateful I am to receive it.
Note: This book was recommended to me by the TBR Tailored Book Recommendations from Book Riot, which I've never done before. This is what they wrote to me about it. "I realize your question about how to live in the midst of a pandemic/rampant with injustice was probably rhetorical, but I honesty think this book attempts to answer it, in its own way. It’s unlike any other post-apocalyptic book I’ve ever read, and it’s an example of how vital Indigenous stories are in speculative fiction. Set in a small, remote Anishinaabe community in Northern Canada, this book takes a look at what happens to a place–and its people–when it becomes cut off from the rest of the world. One day, the community loses all contact with the outside world–phone, power, internet all go dead. The novel follows a small group of characters as they slowly adjust to life post-disaster. It’s about the disruptions the community faces, both from within and without, and about how they go on living through it all."...more
What could I even say about this travelogue by Gloria Steinem? I feel like she is a much better writer than I ever give her credit for in my memory, sWhat could I even say about this travelogue by Gloria Steinem? I feel like she is a much better writer than I ever give her credit for in my memory, so that was a nice surprise. She has certainly lived an interesting life and it is clear that a lot of her inspiration comes from people she has met along the way. I did not know that much about her childhood and her relationship with her dad, so that was new to me. She talks about wishing she could thank her dad for the gifts he gave her and share her own wisdom with him in a way that made me really feel my feelings. She has a lot of cool friends and has traveled with some of them extensively, and getting to see the insides of some of the organizing she has done on the road was also interesting. At the end, when she says if she has one more start-up in her, it will be a school for organizers also stayed with me. Progressives really struggle to "pass the torch" and here we are.
Anyway. This is an entertaining, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, touching story about traveling and meeting people out there over the span of GS's lifetime, and how the world has changed for women in those decades.
Oh - one thing I hope I remember is how she talks about herself as a fundraiser and the role of fundraising in movements. I think this is part of her legacy and - well, anyway, I have a lot of thoughts on it, but wanted to remind my future self about this bit. ...more
It took me like, my whole lockdown to date to finish this audio book but it was wonderful. I read it in tandem with Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow and IIt took me like, my whole lockdown to date to finish this audio book but it was wonderful. I read it in tandem with Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow and I recommend the pairing....more
I was charmed by this book about Iceland’s most unusual museums. Across the volcanic rocky nation, A. Kendra Green takes us to the phallological museuI was charmed by this book about Iceland’s most unusual museums. Across the volcanic rocky nation, A. Kendra Green takes us to the phallological museum, through collections of stories of mythical creatures and natural wonders and the mysteries of the human heart. I love people that make collections. in this collection of essays/travelogue, there is plenty for me to love. This extraordinary book becomes a museum itself at some point, curating the experiences and motives and stories of Icelandic curators themselves. I could listen to it four times in a row and find delight in it every time....more
This is a great book to read during a global pandemic. Be gay, do crimes, make sure people have access to books. ✔✔✔
I did struggle with some cognitiveThis is a great book to read during a global pandemic. Be gay, do crimes, make sure people have access to books. ✔✔✔
I did struggle with some cognitive dissonance around the topic of Esther's crush. Did she really watch her beloved be hung by the neck in front of her BY HER FATHER and then like, soon after, start being heart-eye-emoji at a handsome stranger with strong hands? Okay.......more