April 2022 Wrap-Up

I'm looking forward to getting out of here--my husband and I are taking a little anniversary trip this week. The school year will wrap up next week, and then I'll be getting ready to teach summer classes. Hopefully, I can enjoy myself more this summer, which often means more reading!

Books I Read This Month

The Kings of Nowhere by C.G. Drews --So glad to have the opportunity to get to read this on Patreon, and looking forward to buying the published book whenever that's possible. Drews has such a witty, whimsical way with words and her characters curl up in your heart and stay there.
The German House by Annette Hess (Book club)-Set during the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials in 1963, which I hadn't heard of before. The protagonist, Eva, is a translator in the court where SS officers are on trial. The book was translated from the German. Not a book I would have chosen, but an interesting perspective.
The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks--This pretty cover (and Spinning Silver comps) caught my eye, and my husband bought me this book for Valentine's Day. I finally finished reading--the writing is as beautiful, lush, and enchanting as the cover art. The feisty protagonist Raina and Slavic-influenced fantasy world draw you in immediately, and the story reminded me strongly of Shadow & Bone as well as Spinning Silver and Uprooted, but with much more focus on feminist empowerment and female characters (in addition to the protagonist!) than any of those. Also, I don't love these romances between ancient men and young women (Raina is at least 24 and not a teenager but still), but the romance is also a strong focus and it's nice to get swept away in these steamy scenes, and ignore the conflict in the book and the world for a while.
Devotions by Mary Oliver--I've been reading this poetry collection for over a year; originally a few poems a night, then a handful every week or so, but how appropriate to finish during National Poetry Month. Mary Oliver always makes me want to sit down and write a poem, and also head off at dawn and spend all day counting dandelions in a secluded field. The ultimate Mary Oliver reader--highly recommend.
You've Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman (book club)--Quick, fun read, this is the book for May in the same club where we read The German House for April, so it was the perfect counterpoint. The breezy, irreverent tone of the viewpoint "class mom" makes for a hilarious read, but she does come off as unnecessarily harsh and mean, and I would not want to meet or interact with her irl.

Books with Single-Word Titles

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl! Books with Single-Word Titles These are all my favorite books that I could think of with one-word titles. A lot of fantasy, a few nonfiction (minus subtitles) and Kindred , whether you consider it scifi or historical fiction. Also two portmanteaus using the word "bitter." I suppose it's a word that lends itself to amelioration. 1. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler 2. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore 3. Fire by Kristin Cashore 4. Heartless by Marissa Meyer 5. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini 6. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 7. Stoned by Aja Raden (has a subtitle) 8. Educated by Tara Westover 9. Fledgling by Octavia Butler 10. Kindred by Octavia Butler

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Speaking of cultures and society, I leave for Spain on January 9. Instead of continuing as a book blog with a specific goal for number of books to read in a year, Space Station Mir will become a chronicle for my adventures in Spain. Expect a post for each new place that I visit, with pictures! I also plan to continue reviewing books, however I will not make a set goal for number of books to read this year. I do pledge myself to read at least one book in Spanish that was not assigned for a class. In terms of my goals for 2009, I was not diligent enough in keeping track of them. Looking back, I've fulfilled some of them and not others. The greatest trend in my reading this year, which marks a huge deviation for me, is that I've read more non-fiction than I think I've read any other year in my life. I've finally developed the ability to sustain interest in non-fiction other than biographies. For a while, biographies were the only non-fiction I ever read, with the exception

Most Recent Books I Did Not Finish

I feel like I've been DNFing a fair amount lately, mostly with review books. I feel obligated to read review books longer than I would if they were books I just picked up on my own. That said, I have a caveat in my Book Review Policy that if I feel I am not the right audience for the book, I won't post a review. I try to avoid that by only picking books I genuinely think I will enjoy, but of course I can't always predict that before I read. Also, while book clubs have been a great way to get exposed to books I wouldn't normally read, tastes will differ and every once in a while, I find a book I'm just not willing to finish. I also want to say no shade to the authors or anyone who enjoyed these books--they just weren't for me. Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Most Recent Books I Did Not Finish 1. Caribbean Competitors by Poppy Minnix--LibraryThing review--This one sounded great and has a beautiful cover, but while the island setting was compelling, I just couldn't ge

Space Station Mir

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