October '23: Netflix or reading?

Hello Book Buddies,

I’m currently going through a bit of an identity crisis where I’d rather watch tv all evening than read. For so long I’ve found my identity and passion in reading that I now feel slightly uneasy as I simply don’t want to do it all that much these days. Instead, I’d rather continue watching For All Mankind (the space show Christopher and I are ripping through). I’m unsure if I should embrace this desire to be absorbed in tv or resist it with all my heart. Any advice and help is appreciated!

Here’s some of what I read in October.

A novel for those who desire a pretty much perfect romcom:
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
- After brain surgery, Sadie experiences several weeks of faceblindness, meaning she doesn’t necessarily recognize one face from another. With a gorgeous new vet and a jerk of a new neighbour in Sadie’s life, her faceblindness starts to cause some problems in her romantic life. This book is clever, funny, and warm, everything I want in a romcom. Plus it doesn’t heavily rely on any major tropes so it feels very original.

A novel for those who love memoirs but want to read more fiction:
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
- Written as a letter to his mother who cannot read, the speaker walks through his life as a Vietnamese-American. Vuong’s writing is poetic and elegant. I’m not obsessed with this book, something has fallen short for me but I can’t put my tongue on it. Although I’d still recommend this book to experience the distinct writing.

A novel for those who love 1984:
The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz, Translated from Arabic to English by Elisabeth Jaquette
- We’re in a different version of Egypt where the civilians need to get approval from the Gate for virtually every need they might have. But the Gate is failing to open and the queue gets longer and longer as the weeks pass on. The story of people coping with the Gate’s closure and government denial is told from multiple perspectives throughout the novel. Although parts felt slow, the whole totalitarian storyline was incredibly compelling. 1984 was my favourite book in high school so this one gives me some odd nostalgic feelings which I’m totally fine with.

A novella for those who adore a space travel story:
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
- Set in the next century, three astronauts are sent to explore several planets that could sustain human existence. Chambers prompts the reader to question the purpose of space travel and whether any corner of space can be ethically colonized. Every part of the book captures my heart: the narrator, the suspense, and the themes. It reminded me of Interstellar in all the best ways.

A novel for those who want to think critically but still smile while reading:
Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
- The future of a nail salon run by a Vietnamese-Canadian family does not look bright when a trendy nail salon opens up across the street from them. Through the eyes of the owners, Phil and Debby, their daughter who moved back from LA, their son who works for a tech company, and their niece who just moved from Vietnam, Nguyen exposes themes of gentrification, hustle culture, and the American dream to the reader. This tender story’s audio version is narrated by a full cast, so make sure to check it out!

A novel for those who want to stay in the Halloween spirit:
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
- This is a horror/satire story following a gay conversion camp in Montanna that boasts a “100% success rate.” Tingle absolutely nailed it with this book, critiquing the contemporary evangelical church and giving me the creeps so much that I might not pick up a horror novel for a little while.

Two sequels for those who prefer a series:
Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
- This sequel is set in a northern Indigenous reserve ten years after being hit by the complete blackout which we read about in the first installment of the series. Instead of reviewing the second book here, look at my recommendation for the first in the series, Moon of the Crusted Snow, here, they’re both winners.
Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
- This is the story of Spiegelman’s father as he survives the Holocaust, in graphic novel form. I’m not quite sure what else to say about this book. It can feel wretched to read at times, but is a mighty piece of literature.

Thank you for following along on another installment of Carissa’s Book Blurbs! As always, I welcome reading suggestions and love to hear what you’re reading too. Just hit reply to this email.

Carissa