Posts in "Books"

πŸ“šπŸ’¬ “Oh, this clown will never run out of bits, because every gag is taken from the endless wellspring of her own self-loathing!” Kristen Arnett, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One

πŸ“šπŸ’¬ “How can I turn this into a bit, I wonder. That’s how my brain always chooses to process trauma or grief or anxiety.” Kristen Arnett, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One

Finished reading: With Teeth by Kristen Arnett πŸ“š

Kristen Arnett’s books are sad, funny, and ultimately hopeful. I don’t often miss the Florida of my early childhood, but when I read her work, I do. I tore through this one in one day.

Finished reading: The Border of Paradise by EsmΓ© Weijun Wang πŸ“šπŸŽ§

EsmΓ© Weijun Wang writes beautiful prose. This book is intense and upsetting; over and over again I found myself sympathizing with a character only to be appalled by then when perspective shifted away from them and to someone else. Read the NPR review before picking this one up.

πŸ“š I kind of want to have this quote from Anne Trubek as a poster, cross-stitch, or tattoo:

conceive of reading as pure, unadulterated pleasure. A hobby, a way to shift gears, a way to get away from the damned phone, a thing you can do in bed, an outlet for curiosity. A way to counter loneliness, a way to soothe, free therapy. Conceive of it in any way you can that strips it of whatever pressures, should’s, competitions you may have placed on it.