Portlands first annual Queers and Quills.

Super excited to be behind the scenes and helping out!

Super proud of our organizers especially after the disaster we saw with the Million Lives event 😂.

We are sold out booked and busy with over 100 queer authors

https://www.queersandquills.com/

I was looking at this chart and I am mad that Gaiman is my second most read author. Well annoyed at myself I guess. I do not want a creep that high up!!

Problem is I like to be wide read and I love lit, those authors don't tend to write dozens of books.

I am going to push myself to read more diverse authors who have more than 12 books. For the rest of this year I am working on getting my Patricia Highsmith number up (currently at 3) 👇

#TLT @dabbe
21! So many I have never heard of!

3 favorites:
We (tagged)
The Forsyth Saga (book and show both sooo good)
Of Human Bandage

3 on TBR
Edith Wharton
Ford Maddox Ford
Chrome Yellow by Huxley (I had not heard of this!)

I picked this up from the library and it is due back this weekend so getting a jumpstart on #CampLitsy25 I think this is going to be an interesting discussion. Fans of Mona Awad are going to like this. I enjoyed it, especially the later half, but I really like fever dream type books, those books you have to just keep reading and have faith something will flush out, even if that something is great language, which this definitely has.

“Always to be seen, in those days it was almost an end in itself, because it was in being seen that I could say for certain that I existed, that my limbs were real as I touched them, that my being was intact as it peered out into the world. A stay against the turbulence within me—that was, perhaps, the purpose of all this.”

#CampLitsy25

“More and more often, I was surprised by the person in the mirror, it was not the lines at my mouth or the hollowness around my eyes, it was the lag in recognition that was the most troubling, the brief moment when I looked in the mirror and did not know who I was.”

I can tell this isn't going to be wildly popular, but I am loving her writing.

I am missing something here. Maybe it is my mood. Maybe this just isn't for me. It was my most anticipated book to read this year but it has taken me a month to get 100 pages in and for the last week I have not been able to force myself to pick it back up. There is a distance she is writing from that is making it hard for me to connect or care about this kid.
I do sort of want people to tell me why they find it devastating? Spoil below!

Anyone else believe that organizing books is a complete hobby in itself?

Putting together my summer reading.

Pictured my physical TBR corner.

Did y'all see this??

AI ruining everything. The Chicago Sun-Times released an article today featuring "new summer books" and almost all of them are fake. Only 5 of 15 are real!!

Article from 404 Media here:
https://www.404media.co/chicago-sun-times-prints-ai-generated-summer-reading-lis...

I think this is so important as we start talking more and more about how AI is not only failing the environment but all of us.

This is perfect for AAPI history month. If you are not familiar with the Hawaiian language I would recommend the audiobook. I am so alternated between audio and physical. It is the story of 3 generations I loved how Hakes explains the history and trauma of Hawai'i and weaves it with Hi'i story. An excellent book to really understand the islands from a native perspective.
4.25⭐

Low pick 3.5 ⭐

An adult comic. The book itself is gorgeous. I love the art and the gold sprayed edges. The book started strong but the language got a bit muddled. I liked the idea of the story but not so much the execution. Still it is very pretty.

This gorgeous comic is about a trans boy who has to escape a nunnery, and then becomes a thief.

I love the juxtaposition of the story set in what appears to be medieval times but the artists keeps sneaking in modern things like this page with the cell phone 🤣😍

I am really enjoyed the art in the comic, and also the humor - as they talk about all of the horrors we use to put people through when we didn't know how to "cure"

"I'm preparing the arsenic and rosewater enema as fast as I can!! Should I put lead in it?"
"Maybe we should add cocaine"
?

Low pick. This started out so strong before the half way point I had this as the best of Slocumb, but then it took a turn and became a bit too ridiculous. If you are super into Superheroes you might be lored in, but it felt like I was reading 2 separate books. And unfortunately I wanted to stay in the beginning half.
As always I love his focus on Black classic musicians and family. I just wish his editor had resigned in the 2nd half.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling set in modern day publishing land. This was fine. It is my second Guillory book and I think she is fine. The characters are likable, even the tortured artist actor who is the grumpy. It just felt very surface and a bit to formulaic. It kept my interest though so 3⭐

3.75⭐. I thought this was great but maybe 50-75 pages too long. I really enjoyed Tesh's writing. I found myself sinking into the story as soon as I picked it up and flying through the pages. The characters were not likable, but they each had believable growth through complex challenges. I have been really craving space reads and this scratched the itch perfectly.

There is a trend going around BookTok about what about a book will immediately cause you to not read a book (keeping in mind there is always exceptions like favorite authors)

It could be anything from page length, topics, style of writing, format.

What are your big turnoffs? Mine in the comments.

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

According to Storygraph I have read 115 book over 500pgs

Over 1000pgs
Jonathan Strange 1006
Gone With The Wind 1037
Don Quixote 1072
War and Peace 1156

I guess I don't really love a chunkster. I would rather read three 350-400pgs than 1 thousand pager. I looked through a GR list of books over 1k the only one that I am even remotely interested in is The Count of Monte Cristo.

The first 2 episodes are available on Apple TV!!

I am pleasantly surprised. I am enjoying it! It seems to be sticking pretty close to the book, and it is very funny (in a very dry/ perfect for me way).

I am actually really excited to continue watching! I had a lot of reservations going in, and new shows off beloved books can be really hard. But so far I am giving this a 1.5 👍

#TLT @Dabbe

I guess I need to read Zola if anyone has a suggestion where to start.

Favorites:
Anna Karenina
The Awakening
Dorian Gray

Books I plan to read this year:
Fathers and Sons
Middlemarch

This book should be read in a club chair while drinking a Manhattan.

This is my 3rd Highsmith. I can see why people do not like this as much as Ripley, it involves more than one toxic person and leaves you wondering who to root for. I think it is very well crafted, a train wreck that is hard to look away from. PH is one of the best at characters that are spiraling, and this is eerily plausible.
⭐3.75/5

I have been feeling the need for old book friends and some supernatural sexiness and thought I would reread Soulless my library had this short story, it is all about "That hedgehog incident". Very cute, and just enough to get me thinking yes I do want to reread this series. I do think Maccron felt a bit different here so I am interested to see if I am remembering him well. It has been about 6 years since I read the series

Happy pub day to this great book.

I have the arc and I am so close to finishing, it has been really captivating.

“Is that a threat?“
“Take it the way you like.“
“Are you going to put arsenic in my food?“
“I don't think arsenic could kill you.“
It was a charming evening.

Has anyone seen the 2022 adaptation of this book? I think with the right people it could be wonderful.

Utterly disheartening and bizarre election results rolling in from PH. I am so glad the tagged was on the NF Women's Prize list last year so I have understanding of this. Duterte was a cruel president, currently imprisoned in The Hague and his home town has elected him mayor (for a third term) with a 65% majority.
Not every country is following Canada and Australia's lead.

#WeeklyForecast
Must finish Some Desperate Glory, it is due back this weekend. I am enjoying Dark Maestro and it comes out tomorrow! (Not doing great with arcs). I want to read a bunch of Patricia Highsmith this year so hitting up Deep Waters, still chipping away at Beautyland. Audiobook is Hula (tagged) for AAPI month.

Pulling my #14books14weeks pile. Most of these are going to be from my not doing well #25in25 @Liz_M

4⭐ country: Jamaica
The authors note at the end is important. McCaulay was contacted by a NZ TV show about a genetic test/missing family and it inspired this book. The idea of Land is always interesting, but I really like how it is tackled here. Is land just land? Is it wealth? Is it home? I loved how Pauline was drawn (as someone with a feisty 94 yr old Grandma 99 year old Pauline reminds me of her) The time slides were done well.

I can understand why some people do not enjoy Sally Rooney. Her characters are unlikable and her writing style is a bit jagged. This is my third of hers and I always enjoy her complex relationships and how she happily leans into melodramatic characters. This one in particular I like how she takes on endometriosis (a side plot but well done) I was interested throughout even as I wanted to shake Francis, the early 20s are a hard age.

None of us are doing great on this first round! #TLT @dabbe

3 I loved
Austen (all)
Frankenstein
North and South 😍

3 I thought had the funnest titles
The Life & Opinions of Tome at Murr
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Life of a good-for-nothing

3 on my TBR
Dangerous Liaisons
House of Seven Gables
Fall of the House of Usher

Play along with this link:
https://www.listchallenges.com/1001-books-you-must-read-before-you-die-1700s

Today's reading spot.

Reading: Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb (Violin Conspiracy) out next week!

Listening: Indila 2014 album Mini World

I think a lot of people will be interested in how James was picked this year.
Clip from NY Times IG full context here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJWvbzqRQEn/?igsh=c2o2aGdhcGxveWFs

I bucket this into my favorite type of book "Women going a bit mad because of life" but Jane ..oh, Jane is really not doing anything to help herself here. I thought Senna did a great job of ramping up the uncomfortableness as we go along, the worse Jane did the more panicked I felt for her family. The writing is well done and tight I think it would be great for open minded bookclubs who can handle uncomfortable race conversations

I saw this after taking the book out of my purse I carried around all day without reading. ...

Anyone else excited for The Met Gala? I love this first Monday of May but this year's focus on Black Dandyism is especially historically interesting and important.
Monica Miller is the creative director of the Met's exhibit (the gala is the party for the fundraising and opening of the exhibit). Tagged is her book about the history of Black Dandyism which is a fantastic resource.

I am super excited to see Colman Domingo and Rhianna 😍

I read Kwans Lies and Weddings last year and really enjoyed it, but this older one if his just didn't hit the same. I really dislike Nick, IDK if he is just a jerk or if he is completely stupid but I would not have lasted a quarter of the time Rachel did with him during this trip. And man everyone she meets is just the worst. Overall it is insanely tone deaf about money and colonization while lacking all the charm of other wealthy romances

"The McGirt decision resulted in the largest restoration of tribal land in US history."

Nagle does an amazing job telling you many different stories of Native people, while also explaining how the US government committed genocide on them, mixing history and current court cases to paint a detailed and complex picture of the Muscogee land. The writing is exceptional, very easy to read and understand.
"As long as the grass grows or the water runs"

"Chief Justice Roberts repeated the lies told about the Five Tribes to justify allotment."

As someone who followed not only this case closely but also follows the SCOTUS closely each year I hope that people get that CJ Roberts is an asshole out of this book (while also understanding that Gorsuch was right here but always wrong everywhere else - also a jackass but does good in this area)

"Oil and gas producers don't fight regulation as it comes up; the industry lays the groundwork to ensure future regulation is not possible."

"(Oil &gas industry) Organized (..) laws preempting bans on plastic bags- a petroleum product. As of 2020, fifteen states have banned the banning of plastic bags, while only eight limit their use. "

Asif I needed another reason to always use my tote bags.

Scott Braden worked in the public defender's office at the same time as Lisa and is a citizen of Osage Nation. Seeing how capital punishment worked from the inside solidified his opposition of it. "It really is a crusade on the part of prosecutors and staff to build political careers on the backs of the poor," he told me. "The poor are the ones that get executed. The rich don't get executed."

1 of my top reasons for being anti- execution.

It's AAPI month
I have gone through my TBR bookcase and picked out 4 books I want to read this month to celebrate, I don't think Prescribe Cats is technically part of this month since it is a Japanese not Japanese American but I am adding it anyways and will hopefully pick up a couple of others including my Aardvark book box with Ling Ling Huang.

@thearomaofbooks #bookspinbingo

#BookSpin = Ann of Green Gables
#DoubleSpin = Some Desperate Glory

My Aardvark box picks!

I am trying to curb my book buying I read Jane O. last month and absolutely loved it, so want to hold onto a copy. I really enjoyed Natural Beauty so hoping the tagged has the same vibe and great writing.

I put 3 others on hold at the library -
When the Tides Held the Moon
Julie Chan Is Dead
The Pretender

#ReadingRoundup for April -
15 Books read
6 countries
4 Nonfiction
3 chunksters (over 500pgs)

⭐
4.5
Disappoint Me
The Strange Case of Jane O.
Swans of Harlem

4
Challenger
The Faggots and Their Friends
The Most
Agent Zo
Reservoir Bitches
Stag Dance
Kingmaker

3.5
In Every Mirror She's Black

3
Beautiful Things
His Grace, The Duke
I Capture The Castle

2.5
Apartment Women

@dabbe #TLT #ThreeListThursday

I have read 59!

Many on my TBR three I would like to get to this year-
Middlemarch
The Secret Garden
Anne of Green Gables

3 I LOVED-
Bridget Jones
Perfume
Persuasion

Chipping away at this one while I enjoy a giant pistachio croissant and honey oat milk latte

Happy Thursday!

@thearomaofbooks

#bookspin = Agent Zo ✅
#doublespin = Disappoint Me ✅ 💓

#BookspinBingo = 4

Probably if you are an American of a certain age you will have a Vivid memory of the day the Challenger exploded killing all 7 aboard. This book takes you through a history at NASA from the first Apollo to that awful day. He walks you through the science and the politics, the human error and hubris that lead to the explosion and what could have been done differently. Incredibly well researched and with easy to follow language and narrative.

Lunch break

I needed another book for a free space on my #bookspinBingo board and I have been needing romance books (I have actually listened to a bunch but they're not great & I don't count for my reading goals) this is a series of connected stand alone books that all revolve around weddings. If you like fake dating, childhood crushes, and don't mind a bit of miscommunication this was pretty good. I liked that no other ladies were trashed.