recap: july
Rating: 3.49 stars
July in one line: each week was a different lifestyle, all equally questionable
Word of the month: megalomaniac (adj- someone who has an unnaturally strong wish for power and control)
Featured:
Books read:
Hooked by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton)- a novel about female friendship, obsession and the lengths a woman would go to secure for herself a best friend. it delves into the deepest and ugliest corners of a woman’s psyche. got a bit repetitive towards the middle, but the climax delivers an emotional payoff.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans- already reviewed it here
Hello, Limerence by Momo Yamaguchi- a brilliant debut novel. very fleabag coded, just a bit more hornier, and simmering with feminine rage :’) (ps: if you've ever been personally victimised by a situationship, consider this required reading. you’ll laugh off the trauma, hopefully)
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami (translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd)- as i’m on a personal quest to read every book miss kawakami has written, it was about time i picked this one up. i especially enjoy how she captures the subtle distinction between solitude and loneliness. however, in this novel, that line gets blurred as the protagonist develops an infatuation with some unc (actually a grandpa), which was... a little weird. anyway, i suppose going through a phase like that is a rite of passage. at least the ending was satisfying. still not as charmed by this one as i was by Breasts and Eggs.
My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood-(novella) a cute little story about a girl convinced her mother is a witch... until she becomes a mother herself
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa- this was a really special book. a heart-warming story about the unusual bond between a maths professor, his housekeeper and her son. the premise itself was enough to tell me i'd adore it. while their dynamic is incredibly wholesome, the most fascinating part is how the book makes maths feel intuitive by connecting 'number theory' concepts to the real world. you don't just read this book— you spend time with them in that house, which might leave you feeling like this. (ps: if you’re a maths nerd, this should be at the top of your tbr)
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan-(novella) it’s a historical fiction set against the backdrop of an exploitative practice in Ireland that was only banned as recently as 1996. also, it quietly explores the protagonist's moral compass and the cost of doing the right thing. (ps: yes, the movie stars cillian murphy. no, that’s not the only reason i picked it up)
How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent- quite boring. (elaborated the same thing in more characters and greater feelings here) second official dnf of this year.
Almond by Sohn Won-pyung (translated by Sandy Joosun Lee)- a coming-of-age story about a boy with a medical condition that prevents him from "feeling" emotions. part comforting, part disturbing because of the series of events that unfold, but it keeps you on your toes throughout. i especially loved the author's note—it added another layer of compassion towards the characters and made the author's intent much clearer. i'm also very glad the ending was what it was, otherwise i'd have been staring at the wall for the foreseeable future :3
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman- currently, a few pages in.
Media consumed: Bloodhounds Season 1 (k-action), Dream to you (k-romcom), Yumi’s cells Season 3 (k-romance), The Apartment Job (k-comedy)
Songs on loop: Scatterbrain by Emei, Animal by KATSEYE
YT goldmines: (since yt is my primary app for all things entertainment, i often stumble upon videos that blow my mind. hence, this new segment)
the creators really pulled off some nat geo-level filmmaking with this one. every frame feels handcrafted. not only do you get to experience a culture first hand— one that could be threatened with extinction due to climate change— but you also learn about human adaptability (even jellyfish adaptation). plus, the overall vibes are immaculate <3
my life has not been the same since i discovered this channel. i might forget important dates in my life, but i would never forget the biographies of the literary figures explained by this guy. half part knowledge, half part hilarious editing— this guy has the most unhinged way of storytelling that leaves you with more than a few gasps of ‘did he really say that?’ XD
From my camera roll:
till the next installment of my monthly shenanigans, here's a message for you:
ahh yes, a month spent reading about obsession. limerence and a woman who kills men--the missing 0.01 must've been lost to that dreadful katy brent novel. but have to say completely on brand for you, your most questionable decision remained ordering both desserts. defo a 3.51 star recap
Yayy! The July Recap is here! ✨
Will checkout the YT channel on the biographies, sounds interesting!
Also such a relatable sentence ‘clicked more pictures with it than read the number of pages’ hahahah totallyyy happens all the time!!
Here to a good August! 🙌🏻✨