![Vogue [ish]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Bhew!,w_80,h_80,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F014285f3-8d55-4fa9-bcd7-571636f7c511_1080x1080.png)
![Vogue [ish]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Bhew!,w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F014285f3-8d55-4fa9-bcd7-571636f7c511_1080x1080.png)
I’ve been experimenting with different formats on how/what I write about the books I read. This month I’m giving a brief summary of the plot and then a quick hot take (basically what I thought about it).
Also, I’d like to formally redact my stance on disliking thrillers. (I’m trying to be an equal opportunity book love.) Do I think thrillers are like Doritos? Loads of flavor, addicting, but not really contributing to your personal health goals? Yes. Are they fun, easy to read, and leave you wanting more? Most definitely. Do they fill the purpose of a quick escape? Yes. They have their place- just like Doritos.
Moving on!
Listed in the order I read them and linked here.
All Fours by Miranda July. Woman hits mid-life crisis (aka peri-menopause) and goes on a sexual exploration. HT = It was fine…….? It has a lot of hype right now. The only details I knew going in were: she’s having a mid life crisis and goes to a hotel to have an affair. It felt a little unhinged. Do normal people do this stuff?? Feel this way?? WTF is going on. It’s resonating with a lot of women, so maybe. It’s…. a lot. (Mom, you will not like this).
Dust (Silo #3) by Hugh Howey. The end of the world finds people living in underground silos and this final book carries the story of the eventual escape from the silos. HT = the 2nd book is my favorite of this entire series. This ending pissed me off. All I ever want people in books (and TV) to do is freaking communicate!!!!! SO many things could be avoided if people just sat down and hashed things out.
Aftermarket Afterlife (InCryptid #13) by Seanan McGuire. Continuing to follow the Price family, this book follows resident babysitter ghost Mary as she helps the family survive an attack from the human group bent on destroying the cryptids and those who keep them safe. HT= truly, one of my favorite series. These are like little sci-fi/ fantasy snacks that are super wholesome, very fun adventures and who doesn’t like the idea of babysitter ghosts who can jump dimensions?
The Cobra Event by Richard Preston. A fictional story around what happened if someone decided to attack humans with bio warfare. HT = scary with a capital S! Reads like a real life account. Preston says he got a call from the President (at the time) who read the book and was willing to rethink biowarfare safety measures after seeing how easily it could happen.
Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science by Richard Preston. A collection of short real life stories featuring, none other than, killer viruses and other strange life oddities (like: brothers who built a super computer in their apartment and are computing pi to its infinitesimal degree). HT = Interesting! I’m into books that can tell real life stories like fiction and Preston delivers. The cannibal one is WILD. Imagine if you had a child born with this disease and they started eating their own lips off? *shudder*
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. This is a story about relationships - all of the different types relationships that can exist and the ties between them. The chapters by Marcellus the Octopus were my favorite. HT = this took me about 60 pages to get into, sort out all the characters and then it turned into a total page turner. I was up, I was down, I was cheering for the characters, I was screaming NO DON’T DO THAT. I cried at the end.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Girl dies, ends up in library where she can choose to live any version of her life as indicated by the multiverse, but it’s not always a grass is greener in the other lives situation. HT = I thought this was a really nice, wholesome, charming book. Charming is the word I use when I describe books that are just really fun, simple, cute, family-friendly (the opposite of All Fours).
Book I Loved the Most:
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. This had been on my TBR list for a while. I believe it came out in 2022 and there was an 80+ person waitlist for the ebook at my local library.
Book I Would Add to My Collection:
Aftermarket Afterlife (InCryptid #13) by Seanan McGuire. I fully intend to buy this series and read it aloud to my baby if/when I become pregnant. The cover art is so campy it’s perfection.
Honorable Mention:
All Fours by Miranda July. I gotta give it to July. She might have managed to write the most talked about book in 2024.
What to see what else I’ve read so far in 2024? Check out:
THOUGHTS FOR YOU:
What have you not been able to put down?
News + updaters:
Introducing: my anonymous Ask Me Anything portal! I called this “Persephone is out of Bounds” which, fun fact, was going to be the name of this newsletter until people told me it was too confusing. 🤣 Anyway, if you want to ask me a question, I’ll do a future AMA post with some answers! Think: fertility, fashion, chickens, my favorite sauce recipe. Submit a question here.
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I also saw a link somewhere in the Substack June books entry that talked about a class for $88($14 x 4) that looked fun and informative but now I can't find it. It took me to chic stripes page and talked bout you starting in 2009, having a MSW but now I can't find it Help!
In books you would add, The Aftermarket was mentioned. At the end, pregnant was misspelled-missing a N. Im amazed at how much you read though; thats great! I came to one of your classes -possibly back in 2009 at The Graduate. I'm really happy you're still coaching and as a fellow social worker, I would love to pick your brain.