Ottessa Moshfegh is a challenging and satisfying author. I definitely get that this novel is not for everyone. If you have personal feelings about addiction and eating disorders, it’s a tough one. But what a completely unique slice of pre-9/11 deceitful luster and foreboding dread. My stomach flipped through it but I didn’t even mind.

But more like 2.5 stars, 2 stars just felt mean. First of all, I’m a massive Twin Peaks fan. I tried reading this book when it first came out, and now that I’ve embarked on a rewatch, I told myself I’d read it all. I stopped the first time because my eyes glazed at the Roswell lore. I had totally botched expectations— didn’t realize this was much more about the landscape of conspiracy theories than it was specifically about my favorite Twin Peaks characters. It SOUNDS like something I’d think was pretty cool, but I guess I just do not care about… what would you call it? Alternate-universe history? If I want to know more about Alister Crowley and Nixon’s corruption, I’d read about that at a different time. I wanted to dig very specifically into the Lynch universe. Well, at least finishing this book is finally off my mind.

Have a friend who found out I’d never read Salem’s Lot and she could not handle it, donated a copy to me. So I gave it a go. Bruh, there is nothing on this earth that could make vampire stories scary to me. We live in at a time in history where The Vampire is not serious. I have much respect for this book as an artifact and I’m sure it slapped in 1975. I love Stephen King writing about literally anything else but vampires.

Solid, practical text, good for supplementation. The Hochman method came about some 25 years ago. A bit hyperbolic to call it a Revolution, yes?

“Slow down, I must savor it” I said over and over. What a densely creative piece, one that asks the readers to work a little bit to get the most out of things. Part true history and part fantasy, this book gives the queer audience a weird sense of comfort but also heartbreak. It’s hard to describe but you might google to understand Justin Torres’s process. Don’t miss this one.

Really a 3.5 but rounded up. Depending on the chapter, this is such a satisfying memoir. Banks leave no stone unturned, whereas in many memoirs I find myself going “but what about that period or that time.” In other words, balanced. He’s a relatable flawed human, and it’s fun to hear about Pulp’s antics. Some boring bits inevitably for non-musicians. Also? I’m a little confused. This was published in 2023. The summer of 2023, I got the joy of flying to England and seeing their gargantuan hometown show in Sheffield. The books ends with a meek sputter and emphasizes that Pulp played their songs for the last time. Did Banks actually know they were reuniting before this book went into editing? Or did he get convinced after the fact?

Even with only two novels going, Nathan Hill is in my top 3 writers of current time. The rich world he paints around his characters is to be admired. I wasn’t completely sold on the premise, thinking I wouldn’t be able to relate to a book about parenthood and a dissolving marriage. I was so, so wrong. Wellness at times hurt to read off the page, how much I empathized with generational trauma and the way we fight so hard growing up to be so different from our parents. The series of events being the catalyst for the two characters to reevaluate their marriage was a little… a little too Hollywood comedy for me, but it doesn’t take away from the novel’s brilliance. Take your time through this, soak it in. Best book I’ve read in 2024 so far.

Although this is a collection of personal essays through the lens of fairy tales, it really creates the same feeling as reading poetry. Every line is a surprise with so much to chew on. Really recommended for a good whimsical summer read and it’s a short one.

This is a staggering text. First published in 1983, it is horribly upsetting to read the statistics and continue to mutter “it’s worse now… it’s worse now…” Rightfully so, Professor Marable conveyed a sense of foreboding for future decades as he sees Reaganomics cresting. But it’s not just a shock read. Marable wrote an updated introduction reflecting and even criticizing some of his writing style in ‘83 (mad respect for an academic to be candid about shortcomings). He also continually reminds readers that total and complete break from white supremacist structures is the only way to go into the future. I felt furious reading this but weirdly, not hopeless. Socialism, baby!