Session without a baby was busy and stressful. Session with a baby is a whole next level. We’re a little less than halfway done, though, and there’s no way out but through. I fully expect to be a shadow of a person by June.
In Books…
- Death in the Air: This nonfiction book recounts two historical events…the Great London Smog of 1952, and the story of serial killer John Reginald Christie. The structure, with its intertwining stories, feels very much derivative of The Devil in the White City (which of course has been enormously popular although I didn’t personally love it the way a lot of other people seemed to). This isn’t executed as well, though. The two stories have little to do with each other besides a brief overlap in time, and while they’re both interesting enough, they don’t create a cohesive whole. It’s not bad, just not especially good.
- Kick the Latch: This was a book-club pick but I wasn’t able to attend the meeting where we discussed it because of work, which was a real bummer because I had questions. It’s quite short, a single-sitting read if you’re inclined, and told as a series of vignettes from the perspective of a woman who works in the horse-racing industry. It’s interesting (and kind of horrifying) to take a look into this odd world, full of violence and machismo but also moments of surprising tenderness, but given that the text is based off of conversations the author had with a real-life inspiration I found myself wondering why it wasn’t just a work of non-fiction. Strange read.
- The Magicians: I liked this first in a trilogy, but I definitely have notes. It’s very determined to prove that THIS magical boarding school book isn’t Harry Potter, thank you very much, and foregrounds the substance use and sex in a way that feels a little too on-the-nose. It also has very strange pacing, dragging in some places while racing through others. But I did enjoy it all the same. Grossman’s characters aren’t always particularly likeable (especially his lead, Quentin, whose clinical depression is obvious to anyone who has lived with the disorder), but they’re interesting, and the world(s) he builds are engaging. I’m planning to continue on with the series to see where this story goes.
- Kim: Colonialism! It’s a shame about it, because there was a lot more to like in this book than I’d necessarily expected. Kim himself is a winning character, smart and savvy and loyal and very easy to get and stay engaged with. The depiction of his travels through the subcontinent is vibrant and detailed, making Kipling’s affection for India clear. It was the first time I’d learned about the time period the book is set in, against the backdrop of “The Great Game” between Britain and Russia for control of India and central Asia, and it definitely spurred some interesting Wikipedia deep dives. And while I wouldn’t say Kipling’s portrayals of Indian characters are hugely problematic, the casual racism and imperialism and colonialism is pervasive throughout and it kept me from regarding this more highly.
- Homegoing: I am generally wary of novels that go for the “interconnected vignettes” style of story, but this book is an example of how good it can be when done right. Told with a stunning assurance for a debut, Gyasi spins the stories of a woman, Maame, and her two daughters, half sisters unknown to each other, and the way the lives of their descendants play out. Effia is married to a British man and stays in Ghana, but Esi is captured and sold into American chattel slavery. Each generation essentially has a short story of its own, and it’s incredibly well-executed. Gyasi’s characters are vivid and compelling and major historical events in both Ghana and America are captured in a way that feels mostly organic. There is just a ceiling for me with this kind of story structure so while I found it very, very good I never really got swept away in it the way I do with the things that I love the best, but I very much recommend it.
- Surviving Autocracy: The Man Without A Face is a book I recommend over and over again. I love Masha Gessen’s prose and perspective, so their take on the Trump era was always something I was going to read. I just don’t know that I was really ready to relive that time (and particularly, the early days of the pandemic) quite yet. Their writing continues to be clear, elegant, and precise, a real pleasure to read, so that made the sometimes-yuck trip down memory lane bearable.
In Life…
- Session continues (as does the wet weather): I mentioned last month that I got a new car to deal with all of the snow we’d been having. In the 30-ish days I’ve had it, I’ve been grateful for the all-wheel drive on multiple occasions. Fingers crossed that the snowpack helps mitigate fire season, if I have another summer where it is either too hot to take C outside or too smoky I am going to explode with rage. I’m certainly going to be near exploding level by the time we get to the end of session, this one has been so much and we’re not not quite halfway through yet.
