books read: 2024 september

[meitachi]

A very busy September at work, plus traveling and a major festival, meant I didn't read that much. Did a couple in that last weekend when I was sick though! (Still fully recovering my energy reserves.)

1. Loot by Tania James - Historical fiction set in British-occupied India. Somehow I had gotten a sense of magical realism/fantasy, but there is actually no magic present besides the whimsy of a clever clockwork automaton. A journey, a romance, with surprisingly engaging characters. I'm not sure how I would describe it beyond literary fiction, but by a diaspora author through a historical lens.



2. Rental Person who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto - A memoir of an everyday Japanese man who began "renting" himself out as an extra body on Twitter, thinking he would be filling in spots in the crowd but being surprised to find people mostly wanted one-on-one company to do mundane things or to share secrets they couldn't with anyone else. Not particularly revelatory but still interesting as a glimpse of human nature and what kind of connection people crave that is missing in their lives.



3. The Coin by Yasmin Zaher - The story follows a compelling if note particularly likeable character who is an immigrant teacher in New York City and does care about her students but not so much the job, or her current life. She clearly wants so much more but doesn't seem to know what in particular that is, as she slowly loses her grip. I don't know! I've been reading literary fiction by AAPI authors and surprisingly enjoying them but not sure exactly what I'm getting out of it. Just practicing different perspectives and empathy? Enjoying a nice turn of phrase?



4. But I Don't Feel Empowered by Suri Chan - Collection of poetry and illustrations by an AAPI author picked up at Yu & Me Bookstore in NYC. Very pretty. Some poems resonated, some felt...like they were stretching for a feeling, or relatability.



5. Bite by Cleo Cheng - Described as micro fiction, a series of short essays/vignettes that almost read like poetry. A story of romance, the agony and the joy of it, the physical and emotional separation, the wrestling with self. To be honest, surprised me that it I liked it and it didn't feel pretentious. (Though I am sucker for a good romance, I am also incredibly cynical about the portrayals of it.)



6. The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes - Billed as a fun fantasy world heist, it is exactly that. The ebook had weird formatting errors and typos, but still a fun romp. The setup, the recruitment of the crew, the entry into the target, the double blinds and betrayals. Of course in reality so many more things would or could go wrong, but a fun heist makes you believe every perfect coincidence would naturally result in ultimate success. Fun cast of characters, particularly the extremely horny unicorn.



7. Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Garber - I don't even remember how I stumbled upon this book. It's mostly about the U.S.(rather than the world) but it's fascinating! Explains how the demand for free parking and mandatory parking requirements for building development in the U.S. have led to abandoned downtowns, lack of affordable housing, and more. (Plus some fun psychology about why we are all obsessed with free parking, stories about how the mafia ran parking garages, and examples of cops who abuse parking privileges.) In my opinion, it made a compelling argument for charging for parking, abolishing parking minimums, and reinvesting that money in local communities and amenities in order to pursue fewer cars/emissions and traffic accidents, more walkable cities, and more affordable housing.



8. No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood - This book is Extremely Online and not for everyone, with an ironic self-awareness that blends with earnest tenderness and the unexpectedness of "real life" versus being online (or in the Portal). The prose can be jarring to adjust to but it carries the momentum forward so effortlessly -- not invisible but never a distraction (imo) from the story itself. The narrator voice id distinct and unexpectedly sympathetic, given that you are kind of set up to dislike or judge her at first. The book is surprisingly poignant. I haven't felt smacked in the head by book like this in a while.

Life updates? Made Thanksgiving plans, adjusting to work and Rochester, hating F1...yeah, let's not get into that. Sports were a mistake (she says with a Buffalo Bills game on the background). Cool days are coming with fall, so going to try to enjoy the leaves, the cider, the cozy mornings where it's hard to get out of bed...