{Blog #10} Thoughts that have been keeping me from writing reviews...

Don't worry (let's be honest, nobody worried), the ideal month project is still going strong and I'll catch up with that before the year ends. Today I want to briefly discuss why I haven't been using this platform. 

{Wrap-up #8} Ideal Month: June

I can't believe I've kept up with this project for six months already.

Not gonna lie folks... I'm kinda proud.

{Blog #9} The Russian Literature Madness Continues... so here's my TBR

This is probably the most un-curated list you'll find on the whole of the internet, but hey! It has links.

{Review #12} Two (excellent) memoirs that also hit insanely close to home

I am not an avid reader of graphic novels, but when I pick one up, I tend to gravitate towards graphic nonfiction and in particular, memoirs.

Almost four years ago I checked out a contemporary classic of the genre, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, which would go on to become an award winning musical (and if that isn't wonderfully campy, I don't know what is).

This month, not only did I revisit this gem, but I followed it up with its fascinating sequel Are You My Mother?, and it absolutely gutted me.

Allow me to share that wonderful experience with you. 

{Blog #8} I'm obsessed with Anna Karenina and here's why...

Did the urge came out of nowhere? I'm trying to remember what could have caused this sudden burst of interest. Was it the book that mentioned how Tolstoy liked Tchaikovsky's music but refused to listen to it too often lest it should move him too deeply? Was it the actual listening to Tchaikovsky I've been doing recently? Was it this unstable winter we're entering here in Santiago?

When I included it in my June TBR, I wasn't too sure about it. After all, the impulse had been there once before and the novel had failed to retain my attention (to be fair, I was in the middle of a very demanding semester at the time). So I didn't think much of my picking it up this second time around; I would probably get twenty pages in and then soft DNF it. 

Oh, how wrong I was.

{Wrap-up #7} Ideal Month

Five months in, my surprise of having done so well consistently month after month made me realize I did not have enough faith in this project. But hey, better to be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed, right?

{Review #10} Why you should or shouldn't pick up María Gainza's Optic Nerve

I mean, I loved it.

{Blog #7} Week 4 (alas, the end of our journey)

The beginning
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

{Review #9} Best American Science & Nature Writing 2019: My Top Picks!

To commemorate the ending of the first ever #Springathon, an event I so thoroughly enjoyed, I want to make a list of my favorite articles from the book I read for the main challenge.

In case you aren't aware of the Best American Series, it's basically an annual anthology of short-form writing, both fiction and non-fiction, published in the previous year. I personally follow the essay, science writing, and science and nature writing ones (yes, the latter two are separate volumes), but I have purchased volumes of food and of travel writing to try someday. The way it works is there is a series editor, who offers a selection of pieces (I believe 150, but don't quote me on that), and the year's guest editor chooses from those.

Since all the pieces have been previously published elsewhere, this list might be particularly helpful as you can probably track them down and read them even if you don't get the whole book (though you should, it's really good).

Enjoy!

{Blog #6} Week 3

{Editorial #1} In Praise & Defense of Assigned Reading

I have heard it many a-times before (we all have): “I like reading but I hated assigned reading in school.” 

If you have ever said that in your life, I’ll give it to you: You have a point. 

But I’m here to tell everyone why assigned reading should not only be maintained but be expanded to all art.

{Blog #5} Week 2

{Review #8} Lincoln in the Bardo is as good as everyone says, it turns out

Breaking news. Three (3) years after this book was released and awarded the Man Booker, I thought I'd bring it back ('cause I just read it last month, finally).