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Currently Reading:

Read (this year):

The Piano Man's Daughter
Timothy Findley

I listened to an abridged audiobook version of this book so I'm not 100% sure if it counts lol. This book, just like every other Findley book, was beautfully written but it was also kind of dry? It's not like the plot or characters were boring or anything but I didn't find this to be as interesting as I thought it might be (especially compared to The Wars or Stones). I think the fact that this was an abridged version might have something to do with that, but I don't know for sure. I really enjoyed listening to Colm Feore's sultry voice though lol, he truly is a gift.

Martyr!
Kaveh Akbar

I originally picked up this book after seeing the lovely review Tehuan wrote on their site (peer pressure is real!!) and man oh man is this a great book. It was so unique and beautuflly written, and also so incredibly philisophical and funny despite the heaviness of the subject matter. I honestly believe that in 50 years or so, this book is gonna be considered a classic because omg it is so good.

The Man Who Fell to Earth
Walter Tevis

This book (as you might've been able to see from how long it stayed on my 'currentlt reading' list) took me a very long time to read despite it being so short. It kinda gets dry during the (for lack of a better word) capitalist arc halfway through the book, but I'm glad I pushed through the boring parts becasue it gets more interesting near the end. It wasn't my favourite book, but I did end up enjoying it.

Dead Poets Society
N.H. Kleinbaum

I first started reading this book expecting it to have a happy 80s movie ending, I was NOT expecting it to be that sad, omg.

Lullabies for Little Criminals
Heather O'Neill

I listened to this as an Audiobook on my Cd Walkman. Man, was this a depressing read (listen?). It had so many beautiful metaphors but that doesn't pull from the fact that the subject matter was so sad. My soft spot is people falling through the cracks of society, and the fact that the main character going through absolutely devastating things is only 12/13? The repeating theme of yearning to be loved the way that only little kids are also really got me in the feels. Society is so cruel to teenage girls :-(

The Italian Party
Christina Lynch

Every so often (at least twice a year?) I get this uncontrollable yearning to be in the mediterranean, which manifests itself in me reading books that revolve around that. That's the reason I picked up Spies in the Balkans, which sucked a lot, so I was kinda expected this book to be bad as well. I was plesantly surpried that this was such an entertaining read, I loved all of the characters and the way they interacted with one another, and I loved all of the little historical tangets the author went on. She writes on all of the cool things I like (womanhood in the 50s, socialism, all of the messed up ways the CIA has involved themselves in other govenrments, the concept of desire in the 20th century, among many other things), and you can tell she really knows her stuff, which makes it even more engaging. My only gripe was that Ugo Rosini wasn't in the book more. He was only there to be a total freak and I love him for that. If I wrote this book? it would only be him, he was such a babygirl idc

Indian Horse
Richard Wagamese

I first read this book in highschool and I'm reading this again for a Uni english class. I can't complain about re-reading this though because Indian Horse is such an exceptional piece of writing. Wagamese does such a great job at creating a character you feel so much for. The writing style and the descriptions he uses as well (especially to describe nature scenes) are also next level, omg.

Ghostworld
Daniel Clowes

I watched the 2001 film before I read the comic and was pleasantly surprised how much the plot differs from one another. Having 2 outcast, 'weird' girls who have just gotten out of highschool struggle with their identities and what they want to do with their life really struck a chord with me too. There was one thing that (I think?) Enid said that really stuck with me, but I can't remember it clearly. When I find it though, I'll add it here because I really liked the open-ended and kind of melancholic the nature of Ghost World, it's relatablility (?) is kinda comforting.

Do Androids Dream of Elecric Sheep?
Philip K. Dick

This is such an exceptional piece of writing. The fact that Philip was able to achieve so much world building, philisophical debate and create such interesting and thought provoking characters in such a short piece of writing... genius. I REALLY liked how surreal this book is.

Maus
Art Spiegelman

A very intersting profile on Art's dad's experience of the Holocaust. I like that there is a big focus on the personal relationships of the people involved outside of the war (like Art and his dad in the present day for example), rather than JUST focusing on the events of WWII and the Holocaust (like the way it was done with Night). The artstyle was also really cool, and I think I'm going to look more into Art Spiegelman's work because I really liked it, especially the comic he made talking about the death of his mother (Prisoner on the Hell Planet),, it looks like it was made through a woodcut, very beautiful.

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D Salinger

No joke, I read this book in 3 days. I am normally a very slow reader but this book is very engrossing. Apparently, some people don'reallly like this book because there isn't really a plot and Holden doesn't really change as a person, but I kinda liked that about the story, it's realistic. How many people have actually came to any sort of major internal changes as a teenager? This book isn't something I'd die defending or anything, but it was a very interesting read that I liked a lot. (I have also suddenly have the urge to shoot John Lennon right now)

The Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka

A beautifully written book I really enjoyed that was also a real downer. One of the reasons I picked this book up from the library was becasue I kept hearing about 'Kafkesque' horror and I really wanted to find out what that was. I still don't think I understand it too much though because what was so scary? I'm still gonna give myself a bit of time to digest it, but it felt more sad and nihilistic ('you are a burden to your family and they will be so much happier without you in their lives') than anything. Waking up as a bug IS a really creepy thing though, so I'll give Mr. Kafka credit for that.

Men in Love
Nancy Friday

Technically speaking, I didn't finish this book but that's not something I'm too concerned about because that isn't necessary for this kind of book. This is such a interesting book that I honestly would love to write about more. I love the idea of compiling letters, 20th century sexuality and freudian analysis, so this was perfect for me lol. I did feel very strange (and sometimes uncomfortable) reading what was in this though, which is why I wasn't all that motivated to completely finish it.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
Kate Beaton

I really appreciated this book. I liked how there was a multifaceted look at a way of life I'm all too familiar with living in Alberta (derogatory) and having a dad who works as a labourer. Beaton focusing on the need for money to survive despite the unhappiness of the career is something I also appreciate. The artwork is also quite beautiful.

Spies of the Balkans
Alan Furst

Reading this book was like reading one of those forgetable action movies you see on a random tv channel. It wasn't boring or anything, but I didn't like how this book had nothing to say about anything. The main character is a good guy who doesn't change AT ALL, and even though this takes place duing WWII and deals with a literal conflict and the MC helping Jewish people flee from Germany, it feels so empty and unsubstantial. I prefered spending a bunch of time reading a mediocre book insteading of watching stupid youtube videos so I guess it was good for something?

Paradais
Fernanda Melchor

a quick read that took me a little too long to finish. The writing style (very long sentences with very little paragraph breaks and no quotation marks) was very unique and intersting to read.

Night Fever
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

Much like any other Brubaker/Phillips combo, this book was crazy beautiful and incredibly intriguing.

Night
Elie wiesel

a very quick and very sad read. It's very sharp, specific and percise in its accounts of the brutality the author faced.

Famous Last Words
Timothy Findley
Did not finish I really loved reading some of his other works (see: The Wars, Stones) and out of a large collection of his other work available at the library, my friend decided I should read this one. The concept of the book and its beginning was so interesting and I really wanted to know more about the two main characters and their relaitonship, but so much extra stuff I don't care about happened and I lost motivation to finish it.
Stones
Timothy Findley

A compilation of short stories, all being very interesting. My favorite has to be "Dreams" but all of them are very good.
Also, the Mel Odom cover makes me love it even more.

The Wars
Timothy Findley

I honestly might put this one in my "all-time faves" list. The writing is so poetic and beautiful, despite the fact that war is being described. The use of first, second and third person was really cool too, especially its use in creating the image of who Robert Ross was- without actually hearing it through his direct perspective!!!

A Clockwork Orange
Anthony Burgess

omg I liked this book a lot. Thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and the nadsat speak (though it was crazy hard to understand at the beginning), and there was just enough details given about the society to make think more about it.

✦ Planning to read: ✦

  • The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart
  • Querelle of Brest by Jean Genet
  • Fan-tan by Marlon Brando(re-read)
  • The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (re-read)
  • Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald