Title: The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh
Genre: men’s fiction
Key Descriptors: art, ultra-violence, murder
Why I’m Reading It: I’m continuing to read one book per month that I own written by a male author — I want to whittle this pile down! Also, because this is the 4th book in the Mark Renton series, sometimes called the Trainspotting series, that I started this year.
Title: Storm Breaking by Mercedes Lackey
Genre: fantasy
Key Descriptors: ancient mage weapons, allies, magic storms
Why I’m Reading It: #ReadingValdemar continues, and this is our #13 book in the series. It’s also the last novel in THE MAGE STORMS trilogy.
Title: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Genre: immigration fiction
Key Descriptors: culture, assimilation, generational differences
Why I’m Reading It: this is the oldest book on my TBR pile of books by women that I own. I procured Lahiri’s novel in March of 2014. Not TOO long ago, right?
Title: My Ever Dear Charlie: Letters Home from the Dakota Territory by the Draper Family Trust
Genre: epistolary nonfiction
Key Descriptors: prairie winter, late 1800s, single woman
Why I’m Reading It: this is the newest book on the TBR pile of books I own written by women. I bought this novel in July of 2019.
Title: The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Genre: women’s fiction
Key Descriptors: Latina women, women in late twenties, adult friendship
Why I’m reading It: this book is on my list of potentially positive fat fiction featuring female protagonists who don’t diet or date their way to happiness.
Title: What We talk about When We Talk About Books by Leah Price
Genre: nonfiction with research
Key Descriptors: digital age, impatience, bibliophiles
Why I’m Reading It: this is library pick — I’m trying to read one book per month that I added to my TBR that is available at the library so I’m not creating a meaningless list. I wanted to get to it right away before the information is several years old and irrelevant.
Title: Ghosts of You by Cathy Ulrich
Genre: flash fiction
Key Descriptors: murder, crime, subverted tropes
Why I’m Reading It: Lori over @ The Next Best Book Club Blog approached me about taking part in her marketing campaign for Ulrich’s new novel. Since I love flash fiction when it’s well done, I agreed to review this collection as part of a book blog tour.
Title: They Don’t Make Plus-Size Space Suits by Ali Thompson
Genre: science fiction short story collection
Key Descriptors: fat-centered narrative, fatphobic technology, diet industry
Why I’m Reading It: a super short collection (38 pages), I should get through this book quickly. It’s written by the person known as Ok2BeFat on social media, so I’m excited that her perspective might be wonderfully portrayed through fiction.
Grab the Lapels 
Between that cover and the descriptors ‘murder, crime, and subverted tropes’, Ghosts of You sounds very intriguing!
LikeLike
It’s from a small press, so I’m sure they would appreciate any support they can get.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Namesake is on my list. I thought I had it on my shelf somewhere but maybe it’s a library list I have going. Your library pick about books sounds interesting
LikeLike
What We Talk About When We Talk About Books just came out, so I’m hoping I will enjoy it and get other readers interested. I’m especially curious about the way social media has changed the way we read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had no idea there were so many books that followed Trainspotting. (I only know it from the movie.) It’s been a while since I read The Namesake but I remember liking it so I hope you do too!
LikeLike
You should definitely watch T2, which is the second Trainspotting movie! It’s really good; I loved it. It doesn’t follow the book, which is called Porno, but you get all the same vibes from the characters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I forgot they did a sequel movie to Trainspotting. It’s been years since I watched it but it solidified in my mind that I don’t ever want to do drugs!
LikeLike
In the books, the author almost suggests there is little to no reason to get off drugs. That’s what that play on the phrase “Choose Life” is about at the beginning of the Trainspotting movie. You can choose life, but what about life is so great that you would choose it over heroin?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think my reaction was more to how horrifying the things the characters did/saw when they were high. I seem to recall a very scary baby…
LikeLike
Yes, baby Dawn, who, the film implies, dies because she was neglected while everyone was high. In the book, everyone INSISTS that it was crib death. However, the novel is written in such a way that it jumps around a lot, so we don’t really get to know the main cast of characters like we do in the film. I think director Danny Boyle and the script writer took Welsh’s book and really made it into a cohesive, coherent story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I’ve read The Dirty Girls’ Social Club (but I don’t remember whether or not it was fat-positive; I’m pretty sure I don’t still have a copy. I know I read and loved The Namesake. Happy reading!
LikeLike
The Dirty Girls Social Club came to my attention on Goodreads, I think, and I’m hoping it rocks because if it’s both fat-positive and features four Latina women, that’s a win-win in my book. So far, I’m getting lots of positive feedback about The Namesake, so I’m hope it works for me. I enjoy Lahiri’s short stories and used to teach the one about the couple that would share secrets in the dark.
LikeLike
Do you know what’s weird? When I see this post just in WordPress Reader, the lady eating popcorn shows up (which also makes me really want popcorn!) But when I click through to your actually blog post, the popcorn lady is nowhere in sight. Strange! Oh, and I really liked The Namesake, for what it’s worth. It made made me cry.
LikeLike
Ah! That’s my featured image, which is different from my post images. You can do that depending on your WordPress skin. I love that she’s cramming that popcorn in! 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What We Talk About When We Talk About Books looks great! In fact, it looks like you have a lot of great books coming up this month.
LikeLike
Thanks, Lou! I’m especially interested in What We Talk About because it’s current (was just published) and is supposed to have information about reading in the age of Twitter, etc. It sounds like the book doesn’t slam social media or the internet, though.
LikeLike
What We talk about When We Talk About Books sounds absolutely fascinating! I’ve been on a bit nonfiction kick, especially nonfiction that centers around literacy. I am very interested in seeing your thoughts after you finish.
I am currently reading The Smartest Kids in the World And How They Got That Way. It is all about the different approaches to education from various countries around the world.
LikeLike
Another book you may be interested in is about the kids who participate in the National Spelling Bee. Many of them have parents who are not from the U.S., and that can make a difference in a child’s drive to compete in an education competition. Here’s the info:
Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z’s New Path to Success by Shalini Shankar
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooooo that sounds fascinating!!! Thank you so much for the rec. I’ll request it from my library.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome 🙂
LikeLike
The “what we talk about when we talk about books’ book looks very interesting to me. And how fitting that you are getting it from the library! haha
LikeLike
I just got an email saying it’s ready to pick up, so I’ll get my hands on it today. I’m exciting that the book makes some surprising arguments (based on what I’ve read about the book) and how we’ve always complained about readers. Check out this quote:
“Examining the wear and tear on the books that they contain, English professor Leah Price finds scant evidence that a golden age of reading ever existed. From the dawn of mass literacy to the invention of the paperback, most readers already skimmed and multitasked.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
OHHHHH fascinating!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a great list! Thank you for sharing (I am so happy I found your blog!). I have a recommendation for your ever-growing TBR pile! It’s called “Two Skies Before Night” by Robert Gryn. As a long time fan of science fiction and alternate universe narratives I was really excited about the prospect of this book because it promised a brave step into the murder mystery/noir thriller realm, and it totally delivered. It honors what I love about science fiction but adds in a very real-life crime element that keeps the storyline running like a freight train. I hope he has more planned and encourage SF fans to check it out. Here is his website – http://www.robertgrynbooks.com/
If you do end up checking it out I would love to know what you think
LikeLike
Hi, Sara, and welcome! Thanks for your recommendation. I have not read any Gryn books, but I’m so glad you’ve found this mishmash of genres that really speaks to you. I love when authors mix their flavors and make a new goulash!
LikeLike