What I read in January & February 2021

February 27th, 2021Posted by Nancy

In the absence of anything exciting to write about (yes, I’m writing, no, it’s not going well), here are some of the things I read and enjoyed over the last two months.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth. A cursed book (maybe), a haunted school (maybe), three young women trying to get ahead, a movie that’s not quite what it seems, a past that isn’t quite past. This would make a great mini-series on Netflix.

Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiederman. Subtitled “The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork”. Confirmed all my dislike of tech bros and “disruption” for disruption’s sake.

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis. Source of the Netflix series and well worth reading. Though you don’t get the fabulous clothes.

Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder by Julia Zarankin. I think I’ll settle for mildly observing birds in my yard, but this is was fascinating book about finding your passion later in life and being willing to love things you’ll never excel at. This is a lesson I’m working on.

The Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries by Kerry Greenwood. I watched all the shows and have finally started on the books. Short, fun, and full of all the lovely clothes, cars, attractive young men, and adventures that make the show entertaining. There are some significant changes from the series but the spirit is the same.

The Leftovers by Tom Perrota. In this case, I’ve never seen the series, which I understand is quite different. There are a few elements that made me go “hmm, not sure I buy that” but I liked it nontheless.

Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson. A thoughtful memoir by the child star of MATILDA (and current voice of The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your House, for all you Nightvale fans). Very well done, and I was happy to discover that Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman are indeed very good people.

The End of The End of Everything by Dale Bailey. Dark Fantasy/horror short stories that go unexpected places. I didn’t remember why this was on my wishlist but it was a pleasant surprise.

Everything You Ever Wanted by Luiza Sauma. Science fiction-ish? Science Fiction Adjacent? If you could sign up to take a one-way trip to colonize another planet through a wormhole in the Pacific, would you go? If you’re a mid-20s digital content producer in London, you might. The book doesn’t focus on any of things usually front and centre in these types of stories, but concentrates on Iris’ motivation for going, her life in London, and how she copes with what she discovers on Nyx.

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