My Reading Month: June

Another month down, and we are halfway through 2020. I don’t think it is a stretch to say we are having to reckon with a lot of our historic, structural issues this year in a big way. I keep seeing people talking about how they wish 2020 would take a break, and while I agree, I also recognize that most of these issues were just as present in 2019, 2018 and before and this is just the breaking point.

I am struggling to find a way to respond without feeling like I am “performing” activism, outrage or simply grief. This blog is all about stories, but I don’t have a ton of capacity to hear that many of those right now.

I heard a speaker the other day talk about how most of us are “homeless”. We are not connected to the place in which we live, and we have no knowledge or understanding of what that place was before we arrived.When we don’t feel connected to the people and places around us, of course we don’t feel obligated to protect and care for them.

The pandemic has eroded these local connections in many ways, even as it has strengthened those in others. I don’t really know where to go from here, but I do think there is something powerful in choosing to “come home” and deciding to protect both the people and places around you.

In terms of reading, I also return to my my previous post about amplifying voices, and I have added one that I think is equally important!

• If money is an issue, look at Better World Books instead of Amazon – they donate books for every book you buy!
• Be conscious about where your book dollars go in general – if money is limited, opt for books by authors of color, debut authors and books from independent publishers.
• Use your library to get books by white authors, especially ones published by the Big 5 publishing companies.
• Buy books by people of color (and people you know) from independent and BIPOC-owned booksellers (many of these stores can ship books, so living in a rural area is no excuse), where the authors get a larger cut of the money
• If you must buy books by problematic authors (like Sherman Alexie or J.K. Rowling), buy them used so the money goes to the bookstore and not to the author
• Take the time to find local authors and local histories of where you live. Know the history of whose lands you are living on, and honor that by connecting with and sharing (as permitted) the stories of the land and the communities who have called it home.

This month, I can definitely see the effects of a new and longer commute on my reading life. I read more audio-books, fewer pages, and fewer books overall. I read a LOT of cozy mysteries (which will have their own post soon), and a few books I had had on my TBR for a while that were underwhelming. I did finish the first of my reading challenges for the year (52 Books Around the Year) which was a fun achievement!

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I do have two books to share with you today, both of which were by debut authors, and were also excellent. The first is a wonderful collection of fable-like stories, and the second is a pretty buzzy coming of age novel that I think deserves all the praise it is getting and more.

Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanishk Tharoor

This book gets its title from the way that the last speaker of a dying language uses that language to refer to astronauts, and this is a quintessential example of the way that this book so beautifully looks at instances of cross-cultural understandings and misunderstandings. These stories are set across millennia, and include both realism and some more magical aspects as well, but what ties them together is a love for humanity and a curiosity about what happens when the lines blur between cultures, whether it is on a battlefield, through a camera lens or in a spaceship.

I hope you check this out, even if short stories are not usually your thing!

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

So I’m going to start this review with a negative, but don’t let that turn you off because this is actually a great book!

I think there was a fundamental issue of reader-fit here. I don’t usually LOVE the easy, feel good books, and I think this book got a lot of press because despite being diverse and dealing with some hard issues, it is still very much a feel good book. The real horror is masked a bit by the naivete of the narrator, and for me, that plot itself felt a little too good to be true. If you want a complex and nuanced book about coming of age in Nigeria, please read Under the Udala Trees, which is a true masterpiece that never got the press it deserved.

If you like the feel good books, or are feeling overwhelmed by the seriousness of our daily lives, this is a great way to diversify your reading without having to read a “heavier” book. At the end of the day, this is also a truly incredible book and a very moving story of resilience and grit in the face of horrifying circumstances. Also, the way that Daré uses language is something I have never seen before, and it makes the book great despite whatever other issues I may have with it.

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Thanks for reading this month – if anyone is feeling the need for some comfort reading, I will be back soon with a cozy mystery round up!

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