With all the sedition happening in the United States, we all really needed some escapism this month. Our favorite form of escapism, as evidenced by the fact that we have a book blog, is reading. So we read… and read… and read some more. Here are the books that marked the spot for us in January. The Amazon and Bookshop links will take you to our affiliates pages. Additionally, our Bookshop page for this list can be found here.
Manga & Graphic Novels
Ping Pong Omnibus Vol. 1 & 2 by Taiyo Matsumoto
Helen: This classic manga is finally available in two bound versions that encapsulate the entirety of this strange tale. The art of Matsumoto is strange compared to other manga with it’s harsh lines and unusual depiction of characters. Smile, an accomplished ping pong player, has his talent nourished by his coach despite always denying his true nature because we wanted his friend Peco to shine. The story is extremely fun to read as the illustrations depict the movement of characters and their emotions. It is a truly unique sports manga that is worth a read for all manga lovers.
Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey and Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozu Ukazu
Lamia: It’s no secret that I am a big hockey fan, and I spent most of my college years aiding and abetting the school’s hockey team. So after reading Ngozi Ukazu’s foreword where she explains that Check, Please is an ode to college hockey, I was already teary-eyed. The rest of the graphic novel is beautiful, and the queer romance story is so, so cute. I devoured this novel, and then I made my hockey player husband also devour it. And then I devoured the second one as soon as I picked it up from my library’s curbside pick-up.
Novellas & Short Stories
The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories by Danielle Evans
Helen: Sometimes short story collections have a mix of stories, some that you love and others that miss the mark. In the case of The Office of Historical Corrections, each story is incredible and filled with interesting characters and scenarios that make the reader want to continue to read. The titular story does shine above the rest with its unique look into a post-modern society that has an organization to correct historical inaccuracies. Our main character is pulled into a century long mystery that defines the history of a small town and a story that needs to be corrected.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Helen: A quick but worthwhile read, this science fiction novella begins The Murderbot Diaries. The lovable main character in this book goes by the name Murderbot due to their place as a Security Unit for a team of scientists conducting tests. Another group of scientists are on the same planet and their communications lines suddenly are not answering. With great humor and mystery, this situation unfolds and makes you wonder why you never thought a murderbot would just want to watch TV dramas before.
Lamia: I very quickly read this book during a power outage after a very windy storm downed lines around my city and the neighboring city. It took me under two hours to feel like a Murderbot was #relatable, and I am not a big sci-fi reader at all. Martha Wells has written an incredibly accessible to non-sci-fi fans novella here, and I’ve already got the second in the series checked out.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo
Lamia: This novella was originally published in Korean and translated to English last year. The book is extremely popular in South Korea and is considered a feminist work. Kim Jiyoung is a stay-at-home mother who suddenly starts “becoming” other women in her life. The novella delves into the everyday sexism that Kim Jiyoung has faced in the last few years. Kim Jiyoung certainly strikes a chord, so much so that several male fans berated a K-pop star for admitting she read it.
Young Adult Fiction
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
Lamia: I love a good young adult romance, and A Very Large Expanse of Sea hit the spot for me this month. Shirin attends a new high school just after 9/11 and experiences constant torment and bullying from her fellow classmates. She has developed a hardened shell, as she’s no stranger to moving from school to school, meeting new sets of awful classmates every time. A popular classmate named Ocean shakes her normal yearly routine up by being friendly and then forming a crush on her. Shirin must choose whether she will allow a pierce in her armor or reject the possibility of love out of fear of finally feeling the hurt she has ignored all these years. Oh, and did I mention that there’s a B-plot where Shirin and her older brother form a breakdancing crew? Mafi has written something really wonderful – I only wish this book had existed when I was in high school.
Adult Fiction
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Lamia: Stuart’s Shuggie Bain takes place in Scotland and centers around Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, a young boy who spends his childhood in rundown homes with his mother who has alcohol use disorder. As his father and siblings all eventually leave him, she is all that he has left. Shuggie contends with his mother’s addiction, his own sexuality and the shambles that are left of his family. I loved this novel because I had not yet read a book that told a story like this until Shuggie Bain – a boy growing up in a poor household, wanting desperately to be “normal” but not finding a way to do so.
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Lamia: We mentioned this as a book we were looking forward to, and I luckily got my hands on an advanced reader copy (thanks to NetGalley, Torrey Peters and Random House Publishing Group!). Detransition, Baby follows Reese, a trans woman, and her ex, Ames, who detransitioned at the end of their relationship. Ames impregnates his boss, Katrina, a half-Asian half-white woman. Ames offers for Reese to co-parent the child, as she has always wanted to be a mother. The book follows the trio’s journeys in navigating their identities and lives. Peters does a great job of writing flawed, multifaceted characters that you can’t help but to like.
I started the audio book of Shuggie Bain in December but the reader’s Irish accent is so thick, it’s hard to understand! Will get a print copy. I’ve heard so many good things.