Nuestra Parte de Noche / Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

I've read a few of her short story collections but this was the first novel of hers I read after hearing great things about it. this one took me a while as it was 672 pages and I read slower in Spanish. it also wasn't quite a page turner, and I probably would've liked it more if it was shorter. it tells the story of an occult sect in Argentina and a man involved in the sect trying to protect his son from it. was as dark and harrowing as her short stories, but didn't really hook me and I had to power through most of it

7/10

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

novel about a lonely girl living with her abusive father and how she desperately searches for connection and a change in her life. I really like Moshfegh's writing style and enjoyed this one a fair amount, tho less than My Year of Rest and Relaxation. still breezed through it in like two days tho. this was a slow build up and I expected a bit more out of the ending, but still a well crafted novel

8/10

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

quick read that maybe I should've taken more time with, as the structure and pacing of the novel was more complex than it seemed. follows a black family dealing with ugliness, self esteem issues, and a lack of belonging. definitely a lot of heartbreaking content. as always, Morrison's prose is on another level, but I wasn't surprised to see this was her first novel, as she does a better job of fleshing out similar themes in her later works imo

8/10

Finished Amiri Baraka's Blues People released under the name LeRoi Jones. some final thoughts he finishes his book with concern the fact that as time goes on and African Americans become increasingly more and more of a part of the larger American society, he wonders if America--as a state, symbol, etc.--can maintain this essential 'meaning' for black Americans so they would fight America's wars and support the American project decades into its existence. it is very eerie to read about him referring to the Korean War as one event that shaped his generation in that regard, when so much s*** happened after the release of his book in 1963 that people refer to it as the forgotten war now way there would be so many worse things to come afterwards

its safe to say that America utterly failed the vast majority of its population, and of course the poorest people got to bear all types of brunts for the empire, which among many things informed the culture of black community, that was then further exploited under the american entertainment machine and music label system, which subsequently got blamed by the american media for pretty much all types of ills of the american society. gun violence, worsening social and economical conditions, you get the idea

of course these worsening circumstances could only reach another morose milestone with things like drill music, and how a lot of modern musicians are inseparable from their environment which at the same time informs their artistic expression. and of course what would america do but blame these people once again for supposedly self-created circumstances that were multiple decades of neglect in the making. these are just some of my thoughts on whats otherwise a pretty essential read. I want to emphasize that I am indeed a foreigner and this commentary is focusing on the aforementioned aspects as they are relevant to the book in question. my intent is not to doompost

Small Mercies by Dennis LeHane

crime thriller set in Boston in the 1970s in the middle of school desegregation where a teenager goes missing and her mother desperately attempts to find her. with the backdrop of desegregation and organized crime, this was an entertaining read that came up a bit short. felt like other perspectives should've been explored, some storylines were pointless, it was at times unbelievable, and the writing wasn't that great. all that said, this was still a page turner and I'd recommend if you're looking for a decent crime thriller

7/10

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

been really enjoying McCarthy's work this year and this one was no exception. extremely bleak and dark, without any of the levity of poetic descriptions of nature you find in his other books. kind of monotonous too, but that felt like a deliberate choice that expressed how hopeless and repetitive surviving in the apocalypse is. still was able to create complex and empathetic characters while keeping it all very bare. impressive how he's able to switch styles or write in such a cold manner that still carries emotional weight. watched the movie last night and thought it was a rare, well done adaptation that captured the book's ambience quite well. gotta do the rankings when I finish all of his books but The Road was excellent

9/10

I'm A Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson

definitely needed something light after The Road and I had this non fiction book of short, humorous articles on my TBR list for a while. I was born and raised in the states but been living abroad the past ten years so thought I could relate to this from an immigrant's perspective and was curious to see him describe his repatriation. disappointedly, these were mostly (grand)dad humor musings on the quirkiness of American culture which I already know all about. kinda interesting because it was written in '98 so it's like a snapshot of that time period and I got a few chuckles but none of the takes were funny or thoughtful enough for me to really like this

6/10

an exhaustive look at the prison system (up to 2001, it's definitely way worse now), examining the structural issues, racial history, and abuse that is just rampant throughout every single prison in America. horrifying stuff.

Cesar Pavese's The Moon and the Bonfires - 4.5/5

Heartwrenching, one of those fantastic books that seems to put into words a feeling that can't be described, but is relatable to anyone. In this case the feeling is returning to your old home and finding it unrecognizable. An Italian man who spent WWII years in America returns to his tiny town in Italy and sees how poverty, wartime destruction, and the fracturing of community impacted the people he used to know (and used to be a part of). Italy has a fascinating post-WWII history wherein the fascist elements of their society were allowed to exist past the end of the war and neighbors who were previously ideological and martial enemies were now just neighbors again. Violence, distrust, and persecution persisted, and left lots of broken people in their wake. Is it noble to stay and try to help stop the slow death of your world? Is it wrong to escape and try to make a way in the new world?

"... Nuto would have never asked if that war had been good for anything. It had to be fought, was fated to be just what it was. Nuto says this often: something that has to happen involves everybody, the world is badly made and you have to remake it."

Jose Saramago's Cain - 5/5

A few months ago I read The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by Jose Saramago, which seems like a partner to this book. Both are irreverent looks at stories from the Bible, both make attempts at humanizing god, both seem to be Saramago grappling with the overarching human question: does god not exist, or just not care? Saramago clearly struggled with the idea of original sin, the overarching theme of this book being: how can god, with his 8-, 9-, 10-figure kill count, possibly judge Cain's single murder as a crime deserving a lifetime of penance? I think that's an interesting central question for the book, but where the book truly shines is the humanity of these characters who are so often invoked today as ideas or symbols instead of humans. Saramago is uniquely keyed in to the human condition, and thus is able to construct characters that feel true to the pre-historic setting of the book. It's tough to recommend both this book and Gospel According to Jesus Christ as they are largely too similar (though both amazing). This one is shorter though, so that's nice!

Jean-Patrick Manchette's Ivory Pearl - 5/5

Falls within Manchette's wheelhouse of slick, sexy, spy/paranoia thrillers with an existential streak, this book follows a young photographer who runs away from the fast, violent, drunk, dangerous life of a foreign reporter to live in the mountains of Cuba. There she gets embroiled in a horrible crime-gone-wrong cover up and finds that no matter where she runs, the decay of the 20th century is always coming slowly to catch up with her. Because that's what this book is really about: humanity jumped the gun, WWI and WWII and Korea and Vietnam and Algeria and Morocco and India and the USSR and Cambodia and Hungary, war is everywhere, democracy is failing. The old world is dying, and if people don't grow up fast they will die with it. The book walks an incredible tightrope by keeping the story focused on 5-6 truly lovable characters, while projecting their conflicts onto the world at large. Some of my favorite moments involved Manchette cutting away from our main character Ivory to a standoff at the Suez Canal as the British fight to retain control over foreign soil. It's like Disco Elysium's "Esprit de Corps" chiming in every so often. Of course the plot is tight and thrilling, the action reads like watching a John Wick movie. It's fast, it's technical, and it's both graphic and matter-of-fact. There's a fun level of idiosyncrasy to the characters that adds humanity, Manchette has long been one of my favorite writers of gay characters for example.

One other thing worth mentioning: Manchette died before finishing this manuscript, meaning (in the version I read) the last 12 or so pages are all brief descriptions of plot points he was planning to write into the novel.

"Sam,
I have to leave for some time. I love you but I must go back there. They are fighting tanks with Molotov cocktails but for the first time I think there is a real chance of success. Keep my records for when I come back."

Salem's Lot by Stephen King

8/10

this is my first King book and it took me some time to finish cuz life got in the way, but damn what a great slow burn. i really enjoyed the nosy-neighbor small town setting of this book, as i feel that it really contributes to some of the more subtler themes featured in the book. King's ability at worldbuilding and character development is at its' peak when he is able to tap into the deepest of recesses of their minds and reveal that man is more wicked and evil than any other supernatural phenomenon.

i have my gripes; characters not getting enough shine, some are meh, the lead up to the conclusion...but i think that more so has to do with how dated the book can feel at times + it had to wrap up at some point.

overall, if you're into vampires and want something that plays out like a good 70s horror flick, i'd recommend it

been knocking em down this month

La Invencion de Morel / Morel's Invention by Adolfo Bioy Casares

novella about a fugitive who escapes to a mysterious island and comes to realize he is not alone. written in 1940, Casares was ahead of his time on this one and combined adventure with science fiction for an unforgettable story. seems to be underrated nowadays, tho it was called perfect by Casares' friend Borges. honestly he might be right, as I couldn't put this down and the storytelling, creativity, and execution were all top notch. definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick sci fi read

9/10

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

story spanning several generations of an American family from the late 19th century to early 20th. I loved every chapter of this book and it had some of the most compelling character development I've ever read. I've enjoyed a few of Steinbeck's other novels but can understand why this is considered his magnum opus. perfectly captured the themes of sibling rivalry, free will, and good vs. evil. one of those long books that really captures you to the point where you don't want it to end. Steinbeck's prose is still fresh as ever, and this is in my top 5 novels of all time now

10/10

The Trees by Percival Everett

crime mystery novel about several gruesome murders of white men in Mississippi and how it might be related to a history of racism. despite the heavy subject matter there was a lot of comic relief in the book and it had some surprising turns. just not sure he stuck the landing and it was a lil dialogue heavy for me. first I've read from Everett and I wasn't a big fan of his writing but I will still check out some of his other novels as I've heard good things

7.5/10

need to read east of eden asap. i absolutely loved the humanity in grapes of wrath…it’s not saying much since i haven’t read too many novels in my adult life, but it is my favorite book so far

yea if you liked the humanity in Grapes of Wrath you'd love East of Eden. Steinbeck really is able to go into depth with the characters

I was moved after just like the first chapter, was incredible how he's able to get you to care about characters and pack an emotional punch without taking cheap shots

I finished the Drowning Empire trilogy by Andrea Stewart

I’d give the whole series 3.9/5 stars

I loved the first two A LOT but Stewart didn’t quite stick the landing with the final book

The magic system in this series is probably one of the most interesting magic systems I’ve read in fantasy as well

I just finished Homegoing, one of those books that just makes you feel like you need a breather before you can pick up another book. Incredible.

i was floored by the end of it

4/5

BEE will always have a soft spot for me, he was the first author I got into when I jumped into reading back around 2009. One thing about Ellis is his uncanny ability to put the reader back into the 80's. Tons of pop culture references, the fashion, d****, and hanging out with the privileged. This is BEE's second take on a meta semi biographical novel (the first being the underrated Lunar Park) blended with a high school slasher, 90210, and Brian DePalma. While my least fav of the other 3 Ellis books I've read and about 200 pages too long its really entertaining! Nothing more, nothing less.

Reading the series last year as a fan of the show first was a top 5 literary experience

The scope of his world is boundless and the political machinations and psychology of his characters are endlessly entertaining

Honestly, the scope and breadth is phenomenal. Excellent world builder and an incredible story teller.

GRRM’s prose/general writing is on the average side, but 1. I don’t read a lot of fantasy to know how he compares to his contemporaries and 2. It’s kind of a given when the point is the story and the world created. Concurrently, I wouldn’t really expect Dostoevsky to be able to conjure the lineage of the Targaryen’s and the history of the Nights Watch.

I’ve just finished books 2 and 3. A Storm of Swords is BY FAR the best novel so far.

But even as far back as book 3, you can see the problems start to build. I think it’s clear we’re never getting The Winds of Winter (or even book 7) — there are far too many woven plot lines that are all in such varying directions. I don’t think he knows how to get to the finish line, even with two books to spare.

I also think, the knowledge of how the series ends has dented things massively. The ending is not well liked at all. The show writers massively f***ed the execution, but that is still how the series will end. I think he’s scared of that fact.

East of Eden never really clicked with me like that. I think it’s easily Steinbeck’s best work but it was more like a 3.5/5 for me. Certainly warrants classic status, but I don’t know. American literature kind of grates me, so I am a little biased.

Honestly I think the execution and ending of most of the remainant characters will be way different considerin' there are so many plotlines that the show simply cut off
If you wanna delve more into it, Alt Shift X on youtube tried to predict what paths and endings some important figures will have.

I think your take re: grrm’s prose is spot on. Its mostly unobtrusive and allows for the characters and world to really shine.

I highly doubt we’ll get a resolution to the story but I think we’ll get one more ASoIaF release. Whether it can be picked up by anyone else, i’m not so sure. It doesn’t help that for every plot line grrm ties up he adds 5 more.

despite all the warranted and valid criticisms of this book, it's for those reasons that i love it and why i hold it as special to me...i think about certain scenes and quotes from time to time with this one.

i picked up less than zero, rules of attraction, and american psycho but i still haven't read them yet. which would you say is the best of those 3 if you've read any of them?

American Psycho is pop culture at this point and his best imo. It’s way funnier than the movie too. Less Than Zero is good and you’ll see the influences and angle BEE was going for especially after reading The Shards. But Lunar Park is really worth checking out and his most underrated imo, felt personal and has a real gut punch ending.

All those three were much better to me than The Shards which I stopped halfway through. American Psycho his magnum opus, but Rules of Attraction would’ve come close if it wasn’t for one of the three storylines. Less Than Zero is also great but just a lot shorter.

Need to get on Lunar Park soon

Just finished The Man Who Fell From Grace With the Sea and it was incredible. That opening chapter was so visceral, Noboru being a voyeur to his own mom is so f***ing captivating and so upsetting in the best way. A lot of the tender moments between Ryuji and the mom were also so heartwarming. The prose is just so raw and portrays such an elegant and straight up sexy kind of love that was so nice to read. The momentum kinda gets shaky in the third quarter but picks up again immediately in the climax. The whole last 20 pages I was trembling the same I do with good horror. The burning need to see the conclusion but knowing you’re going to hate the result. Beautiful last few pages

Who else would be a better teacher to teach you how to make movies other than the great Sidney Lumet? The man has made so many classics, with 12 Angry Men, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon (among countless others) under his belt. He goes through each step involved with filmmaking, starting from pre-production with scriptwriting and ending with the final prints being made and send out to screen in theaters. If you're afraid that you won't be able to understand what he's talking about, well don't! He writes in such a simple, but thoughtful way that allows you to fully understand what he is talking about. He will tell you a lot of interesting stories (without getting gossipy) of how things work behind the scenes, like how it can take a while for a scene to be shot due to the amount of time it takes for lighting to be setup or how color timing in post-production can play a vital role in establishing the motifs and themes of the film. The part that had an impact on me was the fact that you can tell how much he loves making films and the passion that he has for it, even when he has to deal with the unsavory steps, like creating the sound mix or having to deal with company executives during the test screening phase. The best part about this is that it can help you change the way you see films and allow you to a***yze them from a different perspective.