Saturday, February 11, 2017

Books Read — 2016

You'll notice a significant drop in the number of titles this year.
Reading is definitely something I need to make time for. It doesn't happen naturally at home — I'm often easily distracted by living partner, television, internet, foods... Typically, I do a lot of reading on my train or bus commutes, but I've been hating that and end up looking at my phone (Pokemon Go? Anyone?). Also I would normally enjoy reading while hiding out in local coffee shops, but this year I spent a lot of that time writing letters and journaling.The reading has suffered.

I can say that I enjoyed a great deal of what I've managed to get to this go around. 
Here is my list:

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
Meh. I'm sure I missed the point.

Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami
Yes, another Murakami book. You are going to see his stuff on my reading list every year. I'm pretty sure even if I ever catch up to him, I'll still reread my favorites.
A Christmas gift from my friend Mia. We met MariNaomi together at an event—I tend to run into her here and there, living in the same city and running around in overlapping Japanese American circles— but Mia went on to interview her for Los Angeles Magazine. This was a signed copy and very enjoyable comic. I like comics that are very personal.
Took awhile to get through, but very enjoyable read. Looking forward to more science reads. More deGrasse Tyson. Really enjoyed Sagan from a previous year. Maybe it's time to read up some Oliver Sacks.

My Dark Places by James Ellroy
Pretty rough reading. Probably not the best place to start with James Ellroy; I should have looked at his fiction first. This one is about his mother's murder when he was a child and all the weird issues he's developed along the way and trying to find answers as an adult. But why all the weird shifts in style throughout? Is this typical for him?
I can't even tell if it was intentional. Worth further exploration.
After reading, gave it to Mexican American friend of mine because so much of it takes place in the same places he grew up in, with a warning that there's a lot of racial things it it that might trigger.
About time! Found an old copy of this one at a comic book store in Monrovia. I like Clowes so this was a no-brainer.
I met Sandra Tsing Loh at her one-woman show in Pasadena and she signed my book afterward. She's just a really cool local lady. She wanted to write, "To Cari—The Madwoman in the [car I drive],but I told her that I not only don't have a car, but I don't drive and I don't know how AND I grew up in Southern California! So wrap your brain around that one, Loh! She was really interested in what my deal is because of that one. I wish I wasn't so drunk at the time, but I think she appreciated it. She ended up inscribing "...The Madwoman on the Metro" so I will treasure my copy forever. The downside: I got really freaked out about peri-menopause after reading this one.

The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood
A goddamned masterpiece. Read it. Shout it from the rooftops to any woman, "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!" I've even recommended it to my therapist.

Patience by Daniel Clowes
A new release. Bought it at Independent Bookstore Day. Clowes does time travel.

Left unfinished:
Just... too dated for me. Miller's thoughts on women, Asian women, people of color, I just couldn't get through it.

Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami
The other Murakami. Recommended to me years ago by a guy I met at the Lummis House. Not bad, but I got bored. I think it's just where I was in my life. I would go back to it, but I think I returned it to Mia.

Still not reading much so far this year as it's been really hectic and a lot of my stuff I threw into storage.
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