August and September 2021 Reads
Published:
I didn’t do this last month, so am combining August and September of 2021. I read seven books, only two of which were nonfiction.
The Death of Vivek Oji, by Awkwaeke Emezi:
Nicole loved this book, but it didn’t translate for me. I thought it was good, but it seemed predictable the whole way through. Don’t know why it didn’t land as much. 65/100
The Woman in the Purple Skirt, by Natsuko Imamura:
I loved this! I don’t know why but I thoroughly enjoyed the unreliable narrator. It was a quick, simple read, but it was well done. 75/100
Home to Harlem, by Claude McKay:
Someone suggested this for our book club, and it was not chosen, but it piqued my interest. Reading it, this book felt to me like the Black answer to the beat generation, or at least what I have read of them. It is an energetic book. 70/100
The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid:
I loved Exit West when I read it, so was excited to read this. It did not disappoint. Hamid’s books feel innovative (a trend that continued with How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, later in the month), and captivating. I read all of them as quickly as possible, once I picked them up, and that is a testament to them. Just a really clever writer. 90/100
Winning the Green New Deal, edited by Varshini Prakash and Guido Girgenti:
This book makes the Sunrise Movement’s argument for the Green New Deal. It is a collection of essays by various figures in the movement. It was not very compelling, and I am fully on board for the movement; I imagine it would be even less so if I wasn’t. 45/100
Somebody’s Daughter, by Ashley Ford:
This book started slow for me, but I really liked the second half. She never resolves the attendant messiness of life, but that is part of the point, I think. 68/100
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, by Mohsin Hamid:
Like I said above, Hamid is clever and captivating. His writing moves right along, and carries you with it. I wasn’t as invested in the characters in this book as in his other two I have read, but I still enjoyed it fine. 70/100