š JANUARY IN BOOKS:
Women Talking, Miriam Toews
I liked this way more than I thought! The prose was lovely, and I think using dialogue as a vehicle for discourse/argumentation was smart and elegantly done. Thereās been a bit of debate over the presence of the male narrator; in my opinion, I donāt think it takes away from the āfeministā narrative necessarily. The narratorās gender nonconformity is brought to our attention multiple times ā some of it is subtextual ā and he is an outcast in the village, so there are reasons why he would throw his lot in with the women. That said, I do think his involvement could have been troubled and interrogated a bit more by the story. I wasnāt particularly interested in his feelings for Ona, for example, and his interjections felt tedious / unnecessary at times. All in all an interesting read, though!
Mayflies, Andrew OāHagan
I was rooting for this book so much in like the first 20 pages, and then it ended up being so white, for lack of a better termā¦ Andrew OāHagan has a lovely, textured style and delights in wor(l)d-making - you can see that in every turn of phrase. Heās not afraid to be political, either, and to do it sincerely. Heās got storytelling chops! But the politics always felt tacked on to the story, which is mainly about a group of young men enjoying a weekend away at The Festival of the Tenth Summer. The two Black characters that appear in the story are a man who serves only to explain racism to the characters and reader and a woman who fits the Jezebel stereotype and barely has any lines (OāHaganās supposed political erudition is almost completely sidelined by the main plot by this point, the boysā shenanigans in Manchester - weāre made to understand the storyās priorities). I was hoping for more homoeroticism and less nostalgia.
Disorientation, Elaine Hsieh Chou
A really entertaining read that felt like you couldnāt look away from a trainwreck. I think the bookās strength/appeal lies in its facetiousness - it refuses to be uniformly serious about serious subject matter, about an institution known for its self-importance (academia). The approach is quite refreshing to me because itās risky. There were moments of political insight that kind of go under the readerās radar because the rest of the book is so tongue-in-cheek.
I also think making the heroine, Ingrid, a bit of a loser and therefore in defiance of the āmodel minorityā stereotype (which does not receive nearly as much criticism as it should) is a great narrative decision. Sheās deeply flawed and that is what makes her an interesting character (especially when so much of popular feminism and anti-racism is about claiming and projecting a kind of inalienable perfection). All the characters in general are vividly written and memorable.
As is the risk with satire, sometimes the line between the ironic and sincere is unconvincingly walked; the irreverent approach, too, sometimes hinders the storyās ability to be sincere and fleshed out where needed, like with Vivianās lesbianism and the characterisation of her girlfriend, Zoe. The preference of bathos over pathos is a choice that yields uneven results over the course of the novel, but it is a choice that is clear to me as a reader.
Sea Change, Gina Chung
Donāt really know how to feel about this one, to be honest. It read more like a memoir than fiction to me. I thought the marine element would be a central motif and play a bigger part in the action of the story, but itās more mundane than that. Not that thereās anything wrong with that. I just expected the protagonistās fatherās disappearance to comprise the central action and tension of the story, but their relationship is not really explored in depth (from what I can remember) nor sustained throughout the novel; in fact, there seemed to be greater investment in the protagonistās relationship to her mother than anything else, and a lot of psychological focus on the self without much character- or world-building beyond that. I guess the inertia of the story reflects the inertia of the protagonist.
Against the Loveless World, Susan Abulhawa
Some stories feel as if theyāre lit by a fire and this is one of them. Abulhawaās marriage of the literary and political reminds me of James Baldwinās novels. She mentions him in the book, too! To write with the consciousness of the oppressed is really something else; it propels your storytelling in a manner that is irrepressible, and it gives your morality both complexity and clarity. Iām reading more from Abulhawa for sure!
The Storm We Made, Vanessa Chan
This is another crazyy one. Was kind of cautious at first, but the story really ropes you in and doesnāt let go. We have another flawed female protagonist (housewife-turned-spy) whose flaws make her compelling because they give her conflicts, obstacles, and problems to work with that arenāt typical of a person/character like her. Vanessa Chan has a great eye for the unexpected and overlooked and manages tension very well, all of which make her an excellent storyteller. Sheās got a sense of the dramatic, too, and she wields it well, especially in the context of war and colonial violence.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty
I havenāt read fantasy in a minute and it was so exciting to enter Aminaās world of pirates and neāer-do-wells. I felt like a kid again. You had me at seafaring and Islamic cosmology. Would absolutely recommend this to people who want to get into āadultā fantasy after only reading YA.
š FEBRUARY IN BOOKS:
Dungeon Meshi, Ryoko Kui
Okay, I get it. I ate through five volumes in (less than?) two days. Pacing is excellent so far and I love the art style and characters. Ryoko Kui makes it look easy being original in the genre. Senshi has my whole heart (and stomach).
Excited to see where the story goes!
Hijab Butch Blues, Lamya H
This book is mild in comparison to what Iāve read this year, if you can believe. In a good way. Iām always on the lookout for interesting voices, and the title of this book itself drew me and promised something interesting. Itās a memoir / personal narrative framed by a queer reading of the Quran and as someone who loves the act of exegesis, this was a pleasurable read in many ways. I resonated a lot with Lamyaās childhood experiences and political awakening. This is a good book to start with if youāre interested in memoir writing!
š„ FILM & TELEVISION:
Cherry Magic, Japanese live action adaptation, dir. Hiroki Kazama
So I actually watched the first two episodes of the anime first, then switched to the 2020 live action series because it came before. Iām a fan of Kimi Ni Todoke, so of course I liked it. Salaryman yaoi for the win. Office romances that have no regard for how workplaces are the least romantic places one can think of in real life. Romantic comedies that understand the assignment. What is not to love? If itās not a bit cringe fail then whatās the point.
The only men that are attractive to me are those that play well-written love interests <3
Monster dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
The first half of this movie is a completely different experience from the second half. It begins as a story about a single mother grappling with institutional bureaucracy and her sonās adolescent melancholy, then becomes a story about a teacher who is personally victimised by classroom politics, and ends as a love story about the toxic homoerotic friendship you had with someone when you were 12. My favourite quote from the film is one spoken by the principal: āIf only some people can have it, thatās not happiness. Thatās just nonsense. Happiness is something anyone can have.ā (This was my undergraduate thesis btw.) Inconsolable!!
Anatomy of a Fall dir. Justine Triet
I love a good murder mysteryā¦ Most of all, I love good writing, and thatās what this film is, a study in dialogue, scene, and tension. My brain was fully engaged, especially during the courtroom scenes. Definitely worth a rewatch.
Perfect Blue dir. Satoshi Kon
Traumatising, to say the least. Itās the perfect psychological thriller. I could write a whole essay about it. Going into it with no warning was definitely not a good idea, but I experienced maximum anxiety/fear as a result. I know of one person who has a bleaker view of fandoms/fan culture than me and itās Satoshi Konā¦
Rye Lane dir. Raine Allen-Miller
For ālighthearted romcomā people with a little twist at the end that I thought was quite compelling. Would love to see more of that tone/mood from Raine Allen-Miller in the future!
Cherry Magic! The Movie dir. Hiroki Kazama
Iām biased so I gave this a high rating on letterboxd even though it might not objectively be that interesting. Itās by the same director as the drama series so there was a cohesiveness that really worked in the filmās favour. Japanese directors are somehow really good at pacing feature length films, especially films like this one where there arenāt really any emotional or narrative climaxes. There was a patience and slowness to the story that I really liked, perhaps because the series was rather fast-paced.
She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat, Season 1, dir. Yui Matsusaki & Hiroyuki Nakata
Iām so glad I didnāt get bored by this one!! It wouldnāt have attested to the quality of the show, but Iām not usually a fan of domestic dramas. Safe to say I was invested, though, from the beginning. You canāt go wrong with a culinary narrative, honestly. And the charactersā lives really resonated with me as someone who has lived independently / is without a lot of friends. Everybody wants connection and community and it often happens where and when you least expect it; plus, eating together and cooking for other people is one of lifeās most ancient and basic pleasures.
(Rewatch) Extraordinary Attorney Woo dir. Yoo In Shik
I already want to watch it again as I type this. Truly one of the most not-romcoms to ever romcom. It made me think a lot about disability / neurodivergence and the politics of desire. Episode 10 directly addresses this topic. And it has an answer, too: loving you is hard, but Iām going to do it anyway (; disabled and neurodivergent people might have to define love/loving in a way that is unique and true to them, which is not what an ableist society might deem legible or imaginable as a mode of love/loving). How do we decouple care from hierarchical dynamics of an abled person representing/standing in for the needs and desires of a disabled person, rather than respecting their agency (including the agency to be flawed) and allowing space for failure, clumsiness, imperfection? Love is inextricable from justice; it is not charity nor sympathy. Whew! Thatās how you tell a love story.
ooh excited to check these out!