guys I read a lot of fucking books this month we don't have time to dilly dally
what have I been reading?
The Queer Art of Failure (Jack Halberstam, published as Judith Halberstam, 2021) - my foray back into philosophy(TM) after a while away, and this was a fun way to stretch those muscles back out even though some parts required a bit of a brisk skim.
Chainsaw Man Vol. 6 (Tatsuki Fujimoto, 2021; trans. Amanda Haley, 2021) - what the fuck is going on. I'm scared.
Gods of Want (K-Ming Chang, 2022) - this is my first time reading Chang's work, and I'm excited for more. she has a way with words that can be so genuinely disgusting, lingering over gory details in ways that really squirm under my skin.
That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America (Amanda Jones, 2024) - Amanda Jones seems like a very kind and passionate lady who does supremely important work, and also she is not an amazing writer. both things can be true!
Sins of the Black Flamingo (Andrew Wheeler, Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain, and Aditya Bidikar, 2022) - five incredible issues! it's cunty, it's fun, and it's all gorgeously illustrated by Travis Moore, who apparently took this on as his first ever indie project because he was just that excited about drawing gay sex (happy pride, Travis!). the story ends with a promise that the Black Flamingo will return, so I'd like to know where the fuck he is.
Getting It: A Guide to Hot, Healthy Hookups and Shame-Free Sex (Allison Moon, 2020) - EXCELLENT. loved this whole deal, really great resource. even though there are a few minor points that I'd quibble with Moon about (for instance, I think lying to someone about moving away soon to hook up with them is a dick move, but not assault!), by and large this is sex witch APPROVED. somewhere around page 150, when the book was STILL focusing on the internal work you need to do on yourself to be a communicative and responsible sexual partner rather than offering up "sex tips," I knew it was exactly my kind of shit.
Pink Slime (Fernanda TrĂas, 2020; trans. Heather Cleary, 2023) - an eerie and claustrophobic work of climate fiction, and about the equally horrifying question of what you'd do if your mom was being just, like, so unreasonable during the collapse of society as we know it?
Fruiting Bodies (Kathryn Harlan, 2022) - this came highly recommended by a friend who loves a good short story collection, and boooooy were they right. this is one of those collections that makes me say "now THAT is how you do a damn short story!!!" over and over and over. "Hunting the Viper-King," in particular, is going to be living in my brain for a long time.
Our Sister Killjoy (Ama Ata Aidoo, 1977) - a tiny and sharp as hell novel written halfway in prose, following the travels of a young woman called Sissie from Ghana to Germany to England and observing at every step of the way how she's treated by white Europeans. I think this is fundamental in anti-racist and anti-colonialist feminist syllabus, and I'm especially glad to have read it RIGHT BEFORE Sara Ahmed's Feminist Killjoy Handbook, which is in hefty conversation with Sissie as the proto killjoy.
The Dreamer and the Deep Space Warrior (T.K. Tucker) - I can acknowledge when I go into a book with a little bias, and I'll admit that I was a little skeptical about a book described as "Bridgerton meets Predator" that can only be purchased via the author's Etsy. but honestly? more well-written than I expected, and clearly coming from a place of great love and familiarity with historical romance. there is one HUGE and UNFORGIVABLE flaw, but you only get to know that one if you subscribe to my patreon.
Dick Fight Island Vol. 1 and 2 (Reibun Ike, 2019 and 2021; trans. Adrienne Beck, 2021) - what is there to say? it's Dick Fight Island, the world's best sports manga. rereading Volume 1 was a delight, and Volume 2 added a shocking amount of to the characterization and world building. huge gratitude to Chicago's Unabridged Books for the amazing find!
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants (Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2013; audiobook read by author, 2016) - genuinely some of the most beautiful and impactful nonfiction I've read in a long time! this book gave me so much to think about in terms of how I think of environmentalism and how I engage with the world. it's still been just a few days since I finished up listening to the book, but I imagine the impact is going to be really long-reaching. I'm also so glad I decided to listen to the book and hear it directly from Wall Kimmerer herself, both because I think it added a lot to hear her own voice and it felt very line with a long oral tradition of passing on knowledge through storytelling. it's cool! it's cool and I feel like I Learned!
