January books and comics
I'm behind in writing things up and posting here, but here's what I've written up for January so far:
1/(Inwa) Nu Nu Yi: Smile As They Bow (trans. Alfred Birnbaum & Thi Thi Aye)
Burmese novel.
Beautifully written but ultimately shallow short novel about the love affairs of U Ba Si aka Daisy Bond, a gay transgender spirit medium in Burma. Longer review.
2/Jones, Edward P.: All Aunt Hagar's Children
African-American short stories.
Edward P. Jones first reached popular notice with his novel The Known World, but I love his short fiction best. Like his first collection, Lost in the City, All Aunt Hagar's Children largely takes place in and around Washington, D.C., although the newer collection focuses more on African American migration northward and covers a great historical timespan. Longer review.
3/Ghata, Yasmine: The Calligrapher's Night
French-Lebanese novel, magic realism. The ghost of Rikkat Kunt relates her life and her vocation as a calligrapher in Turkey during a period in which Arabic script and Islam fell under government-sanctioned disrepute; she gathers information while acting as a servant in the half-abandoned academy of half-dead calligraphers and is tutored by the ghosts of great calligraphers past. Longer review.
[I don't count manga towards my 50books_poc total. Personal decision, not community rules. Also, unless otherwise noted, these will have SPOILERS for the current and previous volumes and will be briefer and more focused on emotional reactions than plot description than my book posts.]
Takeuchi, Mick: Her Majesty's Dog 11
The conclusion of Her Majesty's Dog mostly delivered what I expected, in good ways and bad ways. There were a few plot twists which surprised me, but I am not invested in this series for its plot twists; I'm invested in it for the relationship between Hyoue and Amane and for Amane's character arc, both of which received loving attention.
Minekura, Kazuya: Saiyuki Reload 9
There is a page in here that just plain took my breath away, I mean literally, looking at it was like being struck and there I was, breathless; a man and a boy and black trees full of birds under a grey moon beneath a white sky left me breathless; and there is another page that made me grin so wide my face hurt, grin because oh, you, you, YOU.
Mizushiro, Setona: After School Nightmare 10
Reaction post, discussion in comments.
Conami, Shoko: Shinobi Life 1
Beni is a poor little rich girl about to commit suicide to gain revenge on her indifferent father. Kagetora is a time-displaced ninja who thinks she's the princess he's sworn to protect. Together, they fight crime misunderstand each other adorably.
1/(Inwa) Nu Nu Yi: Smile As They Bow (trans. Alfred Birnbaum & Thi Thi Aye)
Burmese novel.
Beautifully written but ultimately shallow short novel about the love affairs of U Ba Si aka Daisy Bond, a gay transgender spirit medium in Burma. Longer review.
2/Jones, Edward P.: All Aunt Hagar's Children
African-American short stories.
Edward P. Jones first reached popular notice with his novel The Known World, but I love his short fiction best. Like his first collection, Lost in the City, All Aunt Hagar's Children largely takes place in and around Washington, D.C., although the newer collection focuses more on African American migration northward and covers a great historical timespan. Longer review.
3/Ghata, Yasmine: The Calligrapher's Night
French-Lebanese novel, magic realism. The ghost of Rikkat Kunt relates her life and her vocation as a calligrapher in Turkey during a period in which Arabic script and Islam fell under government-sanctioned disrepute; she gathers information while acting as a servant in the half-abandoned academy of half-dead calligraphers and is tutored by the ghosts of great calligraphers past. Longer review.
[I don't count manga towards my 50books_poc total. Personal decision, not community rules. Also, unless otherwise noted, these will have SPOILERS for the current and previous volumes and will be briefer and more focused on emotional reactions than plot description than my book posts.]
Takeuchi, Mick: Her Majesty's Dog 11
The conclusion of Her Majesty's Dog mostly delivered what I expected, in good ways and bad ways. There were a few plot twists which surprised me, but I am not invested in this series for its plot twists; I'm invested in it for the relationship between Hyoue and Amane and for Amane's character arc, both of which received loving attention.
Minekura, Kazuya: Saiyuki Reload 9
There is a page in here that just plain took my breath away, I mean literally, looking at it was like being struck and there I was, breathless; a man and a boy and black trees full of birds under a grey moon beneath a white sky left me breathless; and there is another page that made me grin so wide my face hurt, grin because oh, you, you, YOU.
Mizushiro, Setona: After School Nightmare 10
Reaction post, discussion in comments.
Conami, Shoko: Shinobi Life 1
Beni is a poor little rich girl about to commit suicide to gain revenge on her indifferent father. Kagetora is a time-displaced ninja who thinks she's the princess he's sworn to protect. Together, they fight crime misunderstand each other adorably.