Most of my books are checked out of the Boston Public Library. I’m there at least once a week. I could go on a never ending diatribe about how amazing our library system is. Library books may not photograph as well as the volumes I use in my reviews, but they’re equally important. I thought I would do a roundup of all the books I’ve read from the library in September. If you like it, maybe it will become a regular feature.
The Book of Unknown Americans
Cristina Henriquez
A heart-wrenching, beautifully written window into the experiences of new immigrants to the United States. A mother and father immigrate from Mexico to get a better education for their neurodivergent daughter, only to find the American dream isn’t quite what they expected. Like all the Latina literature I’ve read this year, it’s an emotional doozy, but worth it.
Men Explain Things to Me
Rebecca Solnit
The first essay in this short serious is a hilarious, all-too-relatable story of a female intellectual being constantly belittled by her colleagues. Sometimes to their amusing embarrassment. After that it digresses into an overview of the issues women face today. Although it’s important to always have those in mind, by the end I felt a bit tired after relieving all the injustices of my female life. Might be more helpful for men to read.
The Power
Naomi Alderman
In this quick read sci-fi novel, women are suddenly imbued with incredible, electrical physical powers. As a result the power dynamic between men and women flips and women take over. It’s a fascinating and well composed look at the theoretically greener grass and the problems therein. The moral of the book is that no one gender can flourish with such a large power imbalance. But it still made me a little sad to read about all these women overtaking their abusers and knowing that’s not the world we live in.
So You Want to Talk About Race
Ijeoma Oluo
I can’t recommend this book enough to other white/half white/white presenting people. This is a great book that breaks down the inequalities between white Americans and black Americans. It also provides tips on how to approach these issues, including your own privilege, in a conversation about race. This is the kind of guide we (really, white people) need to have productive, non-defensive conversations about racial inequities and how to eliminate them.
Things We Lost in the Fire
Mariana Enriquez
Remember what I said about Latina writers making the waterworks flow? Argentine writers like Enriquez are ESPECIALLY dark. A dark cloud truly still hovers over the country in the wake of the dirty war, and you can see it in their literature. This compilation of short stories combines the dark mysticism of Latinx lit with political critique. Spectacularly written and nice, digestable short pieces which gives you time to think about each one.
My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vaccuum Cleaner
Meir Shalev
I was attracted to this book, of course, because of the Russian tie-in. But this is actually an Israeli book by an Israeli author, new territory for me. It’s a wonderfully crafted memoir centered on the family legends about Shalev’s cleaning obsessed grandmother. It’s at once a peak into Israeli Jewish culture and a universal story of family relations. I also found it interesting in terms of ways to write about your own family, it’s a good resource for personal writers.
The Argentine Reader
various contributors
Full disclosure, I only read excerpts from this, not the full 500 page textbook. Sure, I’ve read my fair share of textbooks for fun, but this season I don’t have the time. I realized after reading Things We Lost in the Fire that I didn’t know much about my mom’s homeland, Argentina. This is a great resource because it’s a collection of primary documents that illustrate history from the colonial era through the 2000s. Using primary sources almost exclusively cuts down on the bias of hindsight so you can learn about what people were actually thinking and feeling in that moment. It’s also a nice mix of historical and cultural documents.
The Lesser Tragedy of Death
Cristina Garcia
I’ve read novels by Cristina Garcia before but never her poems. Lord have mercy. The word beautiful doesn’t feel big enough. This set of poems tells the story of Garcia’s brother as he drops away from the family due to drug use and alternative lifestyle choices. In these poems she speaks both to him and herself trying to reconcile their relationship. Again, prepare your tissues. I know, I know, I’m doing it to myself. But it’s WORTH IT.