Five Books for the Height of Summer

As you may have noticed, I’ve become terrible at blogging in a timely manner. But I’m still pretty good at reading in a timely manner! I’ve devoured five books since I last wrote.

Eight books because HOLY COW I’m behind…

I knew I was behind on my book reviews, but until I counted today, I didn’t realize I was eight books behind! It all started when three of my library holds came in at the same time, and the rest is history. For that reason, I will be limiting my reviews to no more than five or six sentences—which is a shame, since a lot of these books deserve far better treatment.

Four Books because I’m busy

Lately I’ve been overwhelmingly busy for several reasons—some good (vacations in Mexico!) and some bad (family medical emergencies!). This means I’ve had little time to read, and even less time to blog. But I have been making my way through some books, slowly, in between everything else. Here are some very short reviews.

Two YA Novels & One Poetry Collection

I think this will be my last entry for 2018? I’m starting one more novel today, but it’s a bit larger than some of the others I’ve been reading lately, so I don’t know that I’ll finish by NYE. But even if I don’t, I still read 41 books this year! That’s pretty good. Someday I’ll hit that 52 books in 52 weeks goal…

Anyway, here’s how I finished my 2018. 

The Poet X

Fun fact: I put a library hold on Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X the day before it was longlisted for the National Book Award, and I finished it the night before it won the National Book Award! Excellent timing on my part.

Carry On

I am so incredibly behind in my book reviews—but all the books I’ve been reading are so different that I don’t want to smash them all into one post!  Let’s start with a fun one, shall we? Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On.

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

My friend Catalina selected this collection of essays for our on-again off-again book club—although lately it’s been on-again—and I’m so grateful she did. Samantha Irby’s We Are Never Meeting in Real Life is hilarious. Also heartbreaking, and also comforting. But mostly hilarious.

War of the Foxes

Thought I’d kick off National Poetry Month with some poetry. Although I think I technically started reading Richard Siken’s collection War of the Foxes in March? I had friends in town last weekend, so I didn’t get much reading done.

Technically-technically I started reading War of the Foxes when Siken came to speak at my MFA program several years ago. But I only read a few poems here and there, not the entire collection in order. Probably should have read it sooner. It’s quite good. 

Two Florida Books

As usual, haven’t been blogging, but I have been reading. Lately I’ve read two very different books that take place in Florida, which I also visited earlier this month for the annual AWP Conference. I have strong familial ties to the Sunshine State, so I always enjoy reading stories in the (bizarre, swampy, blazing) setting where I had to spend so many of my childhood Christmases.

The Argonauts

Sometimes I think this blog should be called “Becky Reads the Year’s Hot Bestseller Several Years Later.” It seems to happen a lot. For example, I finally read Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts last week, and I’m happy to report that it’s just as good as everyone says it is. Or rather, it’s just as good as everyone said it was several years ago.