What a Coincidence

Currently reading:

Beloved by Toni Morrison
Another Country by James Baldwin
Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver [ongoing]
Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962–1972 by Alejandra Pizarnik [ongoing]

Books finished this week: 1

(low-key hate looking at this cover lol)

★★★★☆

Where this book came from: ordered from Kew & Willow last summer
Why this book: I went to Sicily with the author (lol). Also, horror!
Thoughts: I love horror movies and I like a good spooky story, but I have to admit that extreme horror . . . probably isn’t for me. But that isn’t why I docked a star. I knocked one off because the story took a while to ramp up (and maybe also a little bit because sometimes it was gross lol). I also recommend going into this knowing that this is satire. It took me a little while to recognize that and the book is incredibly frustrating without that mindset. But there’s some great writing here and it is, overall, a fun ride.

Library updates:

I have stacks of books literally everywhere in my apartment. I think the only place I don’t have any books is actually in the bathroom. When I was getting near the end of Maeve Fly and not totally feeling like continuing to read any of the other books waiting for me on my nightstand or desk, I walked past a short stack on top of a bookshelf in my living room. I’ve dropped a few books there from assorted bookstore trips and online orders over the last two years or so, and whenever I’m looking for something new, it’s usually one of my first stops.

I walked past that stack a few days ago and, as I have many, many other times, I noticed Toni Morrison’s Beloved. It’s a classic. It’s important. I know I should read it. I filed it away.

Later that day, I was having a touch of an existential crisis and decided to take a break and journal. I’ve written before about how I also sometimes consult two decks of cards—archangel oracle cards and the Literary Witches deck—when I feel like I need guidance or a new perspective. I pulled a card from each, and who popped up from the Literary Witches but Toni Morrison herself. Her card represents power, which is exactly what I need right now. Plus, her write-up in the guidebook specifically mentioned Beloved, so I took it as a sign that I should read it, at last.

I probably read the summary of Beloved years ago, but I didn’t remember that it’s a ghost story. It’s such a strong piece of writing, so far, and I’m glad to be finally experiencing Morrison’s work. More of a review to come once I’ve actually finished reading!

Anyhow, to close out, enjoy some pretty flowers from the New York Botanical Garden, because taking a long walk there yesterday and seeing these in person did my heart good: