#finger bone

[smokefalls]

Humans are strange creatures: they seem to regain their senses momentarily before death takes them.

Hiroki Takahashi, Finger Bone (translated by Takami Nieda)

[ijustkindalikebooks]

Anyone else a Yoongi bias? August has been a long month for the Suga biases in my life, but life indeed does goes on, and the reading is an excellent distraction from the media frenzy about falling off a scooter (cos you know there aren't more important things to discuss right now smh).

I had a goal this year to read 365 books and I suspect I will complete it around the beginning of October going by current reading speeds, of course this depends on some people's view of what reading is, but this month I read novels, novellas, manga and poetry that accumulate to over 30 books and I will be sharing those I loved the most over the last thirty days or so.

The Bloodaxe Book Of Contemporary Poets edited by Jeni Couzyn - A collection of eleven poet, this book covers a good range and though I think it lacks diversity (I mean no Jackie Kay? No Claudia Rankine?) I think this is mainly due to when it's published than anything else. A fantastic array of styles and poetry, I really appreciated reading this while working on the counter in the shop I volunteer in and definitely a collection I need to back and tab as I loved so many entries in this book.

Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato - As this series nears its end (and I feel like it's in the right space to do so at this point) it has really got to a point in the plot that keeps you reading it, I won't deny that. Though I feel the story sometimes well, dawdles I do appreciate the real moments of emotion that appear in this series and the development of Shiemi's story arc within this series. There are things that I find frustrating, but volumes 27/28 were in particular, very very good.

Bloom Into You by Nio Nakatani - I really appreciate the representation in this book from Maki as an aro/ace person as an ace person and of course LGBT stories that do not end in someone dying, that's always great - keep that happening. I do feel there are elements of what the hellery in this book, and I would check on triggers for this as in reflection there seems to be some issues around consent but as the series goes on I feel alot of this is unpacked in the story and makes for a wonderful ending.

The Girl From The Other Side Vol. 6 by Nagabe - I am not going to talk much again about this as we're now at the mid point of the series and if you've not read it then it will be spoilers for you, but this series tells a story I can never ever predict where it's going ever and an art style that is reminiscent of Grimm's Fairy Tales in the best way possible - it's a dark fairy tale told at it's very finest and if you enjoy manga I do highly recommend picking this one up, I trust Seven Seas so much with the series it picks up and decides to share.

Finger Bone by Hiroki Takahashi - A novella about Japanese soldiers fighting in Papa New Guinea, Finger Bone isn't a book you love, it's a book that lays around in your brain and makes you think about it for days. The story of a Japanese soldier relaying the experience of a warzone that for them is sinking into despair, hunger and misery, the ending of this book left me feeling so many things. Named after the bone that doctors remove when a soldier passes away, this was 97 pages of a creeping sense of dread that reminded me of 'All Quiet On The Western Front'.

What have you been reading this month? Do you have any recommendations for me? I always love to hear feedback from you!

Thanks again for reading,

Vee xo.

[badlibbing]

I had a finger injury today.

It hurt like hell, and naturally I was concerned about a fracture, so I went and got x-rays.

Hey, nothing's broken! Good news!

But wait, there's more!

They also wanted a side-view scan, so they deadass had me flip the bird so they could see that one finger clearly.

I now have an image of my skeleton giving the finger. Fantastic.

[a-labyrinth-of-stories]

Finger Bone, Hiroki Takahashi (tr. Takami Nieda)

[a-labyrinth-of-stories]

Finger Bone, Hiroki Takahashi (tr. Takami Nieda)

[a-labyrinth-of-stories]

Finger Bone, Hiroki Takahashi (tr. Takami Nieda)

[a-labyrinth-of-stories]

Finger Bone, Hiroki Takahashi (tr. Takami Nieda)

[a-labyrinth-of-stories]

Finger Bone, Hiroki Takahashi (tr. Takami Nieda)