My August in reading

Only three books this month—but that’s because I’ve been working my way through a very long one. More to come on that!

What Makes You Think You’re Awake? by Maegan Poland

I may be biased, because Maegan is a friend from grad school. But if you won’t take my word for it, take Carmen Maria Machado’s: "What Makes You Think You're Awake? is a wonderful debut; a collection of frank, funny, and heartbreaking stories that delve into the mire of human loneliness." I think mire is the word I’d highlight from that blurb. Maegan’s stories are like quicksand—they appear normal on the surface, but they’re sticky and weird underneath, sucking you into a world of anxiety and uncertainty. Plus, she wrote a thriller about poop. Poop! It’s magnificent. I can wholeheartedly recommend this collection. It’s not horror, exactly, but it would make for good spooky season reading!

Something New by P.G. Wodehouse

Listened to this funny little book on the Phoebe Reads a Mystery podcast. No Jeeves and Wooster here; instead, Something New tells the story of Ache Marson, an unhappy young writer of mysteries, and Joan Valentine, an unhappy young writer of historic romances, who both end up undercover at Blandings Castle, attempting to recover a valuable Egyptian scarab in the hopes of winning a hefty cash prize. It’s more of a comedy of errors than a mystery, but it’s rather delightful nonetheless—typical racist colonialist bullshit of the era aside. If you want something short and cozy and entertaining, this might just be the book for you.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

I loved the first book in this duology, Six of Crows, and the sequel did not disappoint. Where Six of Crows was a tightly-plotted heist novel, Crooked Kingdom was a tightly-plotted SYMPHONY. I genuinely could not believe how many different narrative threads Bardugo managed to weave—and to tie off in a satisfying way! It was a masterpiece. I felt like I ought to applaud after reaching the end. Anyway, if angry young brawlers with lots of sexual tension in a fantasy version of Amsterdam sounds appealing to you, you should absolutely check it out.