meitachi | books read: 2025 october

Did October go by quickly or slowly? Hard to say, but I read some! Going back to my weekend of more reading + F1 + chores and social stuff, I guess.

Raised by Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn - Graphic novel based on the author's childhood and teenage years. Told through notes as passed by friends. A look at a very different type of childhood than mine, with absent parents and a lot more freedom. Really effective use of the graphic novel format, imo.

Unfair Love Affair by Jinja - m/m webtoon - MC is in love with his asshole best friend who abuses him, while his best friend's older brother is sweet on MC. Mid. I wish entertainment webtoons lived up to my expectations but they so rarely do. While there were moments that were cute and sweet (no crazy miscommunications), the romance makes no sense to me. I don't get why they like each other. There is no chemistry.

A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy - A sweet m/m YA romance about a teen aspiring to be a (gay) country music star and the gay country boy trying to stay closeted, with some generational country music drama. Overall charming and sweet, with teens feeling like teens but their romance still feeling compelling. Realistic struggles with self, the world, family, and so on.

Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick by Maya Dusenbery - Dense and sometimes a bit repetitive, but very well reported on a very important topic. Totally infuriating though to see how easily women have been scorned and dismissed across countries and through centuries.

Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann - (Sheep Detectives #2) The sequel to the first charming sheep detectives novel, except now they've taken a little jaunt over to France and are trying to unravel the mystery of a 'werewolf' causing murders. (Spoiler: it's not a werewolf.) A fun little story, the sheep are still great characters, especially as they try to make sense of mysterious human behavior.

Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie - Death in a little village full of suspects! A red herring culprit and a big reveal! I did figure it out; after all these years, am I finally picking up on the misdirection and the cues?

Frederica by Georgette Heyer - A reread of a favorite; I love the shenanigans, the dog, the kids (well, Felix and Jessamy). I love Frederica's pragmatism and, terrible as it is, Alverstoke's deliberate provocation of his sisters. Have a little spite, as a treat. But what I love most is how romantic it is when he finally falls in love; realizing simply that he hates to see her stressed and wanting to do what's in his power to lessen her burdens; finding that he simply cannot live without her, that's all. I love them.

Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami - Excellent series of essays that are part memoir, part reflection on U.S. policy toward immigrants. Particularly interesting to read something published in 2020 given the context of how the "debate" around citizenship, naturalization, and so on have evolved in recent years. Citizenship has always been conditional for some groups, not just immigrants.

Everyone Loves the Cannon Fodder Vol 1 by Zai Shan Yang Qie - I love this silly little "transmigrated into this BL novel I was reading as one of the side characters" story so much. I think this translation made some liberal choices, but I enjoyed them! I'd love to get a second and third volume eventually; the online fan translation really fell off for the last third. So unrealistic, so fun regardless, especially as Xie Sui falls early and hard for Song Yu, who is blissfully oblivious for a good half of this story.

Paddington Goes to Town by Michael Bond - I love Paddington adventures! Just silly and feel-good.

Dream Work by Mary Oliver - Beautiful collection of poems including faves, Wild Geese and The Journey.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad - Good essays for moral clarity, when you strip away the overwrought hemming and hawing around the heart of the issue. What Israel is doing to Gaza, and what the U.S. is doing (or failing to do) is genuinely so clearly reprehensible.

Hard Taming by ModeEnd - m/m knovel - Shades of Finder series dynamic with a hot older gangster taking a pretty young thing in hand. This was more of a hmmm Stockholm syndrome version, in some ways, but overall worked for me. Short overall story so the pacing of their antagonism transforming into sex and further into deeply obsessive codependency was rapid. Still enjoyable, if you like the dynamic and trope.

I'm Just a Little Guy: How to Escape the Horrors and Get Back to Dillydallying by Charlie James - A silly little illustrated book with some whimsical notes and real pieces of advice.

Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa - OK, finally realizing a few stories in that these are all connected? Amazing. Dark but not super gory; creepy and more psychological horror in some cases.

Payback by samk - m/m webtoon - PERFECT ENTERTAINMENT NOVEL AT LAST, NO NOTES. Okay, actually, it was less about the entertainment industry (merely a vehicle for the revenge plot) but delightful characters, pacing, dynamic. Slow build to the relationship, somewhat credulity-stretching mistaken identity hijinks, but some real thoughtful thoughts on life, regret, and revenge. I really love the growth and ending; very sweet/cute side stories to wrap up as well. Gorgeous art and well-used chibis (there are some stories where I think they are used inappropriately at times that don't fit the story tone/pace). Anyway, a delight, I will reread this in the future for sure.