february: 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12

lots of reading this month, too!

there there, by tommy orange (this got a lot of press - including being on obama's reading list for last year - and i had tickets to see orange and valeria luiselli - see below - speak in houston and i was eager to finish a book from each of them before going.  long story short: it POURED the night they were speaking and the streets were starting to flood and i stayed home.  sadness.  but!  there there is absolutely worth a read.  it's described as an "urban indian" story, in contrast to most indian stories we see in literature.  a lot of characters - write them down so you don't get confused! - who all come together at a pow wow near the end of the book.  it's also clear as the book goes on that something big is going to happen at the pow wow, so there's this thick creative tension as you read, which i loved.  highly recommend!)

the mars room, by rachel kushner (this is the story of a woman going to prison for killing a man.  "the mars room" is the name of the strip club where the woman works; the man is a customer.  this is not, as you might have gathered, a super uplifting book, but a really interesting story that goes back and forth before and after the murder.  this won't be my favorite book of the year, but i liked it just fine.)

the heart’s invisible furies, by john boyne (this will probably be my favorite book of the year.  oh, how i loved this book.  i won't say much so i don't spoil anything in case you read it, but it's the story of the life of a man born in ireland in 1945, told in 75-ish page chapters that are each 7 years apart.  so the first one is his birth, then you flash to when he's 7, then 14, etc.  i am a book of the month club members, and this was voted by readers as the best book they offered in 2017, which is why i picked it up.  so worth it!)

the story of my teeth, by valeria luiselli (this book was...weird.  latin american lit is not my favorite genre so perhaps i should have seen this coming, but this book is bizarre.  i think perhaps this woman is brilliant and was doing something with literature that an english major would get a ton out of, but i had a hard time connecting with the characters and making it through some weird lists and more tedious parts.  her newest book is getting a ton of great press, though, so try her writing if you're interested!)

different seasons, by stephen king (this is four novellas put together in one book - it includes the story that the shawshank redemption is based on.  i tend to like the less scary stories by king, and this fits the bill.  worth a read if this is your genre!)