recap: june
Rating: 4.90 stars
June in one line: a month of plot twists disguised as ordinary days
Word of the month: aplomb (noun- complete and confident composure)
Featured:
Books read:
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde- Wilde somehow manages to be profound, scandalous, philosophical and hilarious all at once. half the book is Lord Henry saying the most outrageous things imaginable, and the other half is the consequences of listening to him— making it progressively dark. read it for the story, stay for the quotable one-liners.
Only Dull People Are Brilliant at Breakfast by Oscar Wilde- a collection of Wilde’s witty one liners, half of which were context-deprived quotes from The Picture of Dorian Gray (ps: i am convinced Wilde and I would’ve been besties had we been born in the same timeline)
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke- (non fiction) an exchange of letters between an amateur poet and Rilke. thoughtful, comforting and occasionally the literary equivalent of being told to get your life together.
Outline by Rachel Cusk- a novel where the protagonist mostly listens while other people talk about their lives, relationships, ambitions and disappointments. less plot-driven and more like eavesdropping on a series of fascinating conversations. (turns out it’s part of a trilogy— the other two books have duly been added to the tbr)
Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)- (novella) a charming book written from the perspective of a fourth grader. pure dose of nostalgia and wholesomeness.
A Shining by Jon Fosse (translated from Norwegian by Damion Searls)- (novella) a very long monologue by an anxious protagonist, who drives into the woods aimlessly and gets lost. vivid descriptions that might linger; though you're not missing out on much if you skip it.
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin- one of the queer novels i picked for pride month. as i made my way through the first few chapters, it became clear that the story was headed toward tragedy. much like the protagonist, i found myself delaying the impending doom. yet, also like him, i couldn’t resist the novel’s gripping, gut-wrenching pull.
the protagonist is caught between following his heart and conforming to conservative ideas of morality. i expected to sympathize with him, but his string of poor decisions has currently made him a strong contender for the most unlikeable protagonist title. Baldwin’s writing, however, is so compelling that even my frustration with him only made me want to keep reading.
(p.s. i had actually shortlisted three books for pride month, but thanks to a paucity of time, i only got to this one. let’s pretend the other two never existed :3 i’ll probably still read them over the next few months since they’re already on my tbr) (p.p.s. duolingo’s lessons finally paid off—being able to understand the conversational french sprinkled throughout the book was a pleasant surprise)
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh- its about a woman in her 20s living with her alcoholic father while working at a boys’ correctional facility, narrated retrospectively by her sixty-something self. at the heart of the story is her desperate desire to escape the town she lives in. which she indeed does, but the circumstances leading up to that day are where the mystery lies.
for most of the novel, the pacing is measured and the atmosphere remains bleak—cold and eerie. the plot seems to simmer rather than boil, until the climax abruptly changes the rhythm of the story and leaves you staring at the page in disbelief. it reminded me of the song ‘pyaar humein kis mod pe le aaya’- in terms of the sudden vibe and pace shift. if you’re fond of weird-girl literature, morally questionable protagonists and stories that make you feel vaguely unsettled for no discernible reason, this one might be for you :3
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts)- part of the healing-fiction genre. five stories of people across different stages of life, all connected by a community library and its enigmatic librarian. wholesome. cute. cozy. dare i say, this is the ideal bedtime read- the stories are just the right length to complete one each night before sleep washes over you. it’s a 5 star-er for me! (ps: thanks Apoorva for recommending me this <3)
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee (translated by Anton Hur)- (non-fiction) i didn’t think i’d ever read this book despite it’s pretty cover. yet yesterday, i felt spiritually summoned by the title, so i finally gave it a go. it was far more intense and disconcerting than i had anticipated, triggering flashbacks to my own tryst with a therapist a few years ago. reading it in one sitting certainly didn't help.
i don’t actually know how i feel about this book yet. it has left me numb— as though someone applied anesthesia to a recurring wound. (ps: i don’t see myself reading the sequel anytime soon, or ever)Hooked by Asako Yuzuki- one third pages in. taking my time to savour it :)
Media consumed: Maa Behn (movie), Do Deewane Sheher Mein (movie), My Royal Nemesis (kdrama), The Wonderfools (kthriller), Voicemails for Isabelle (movie), Teach you a lesson (k-action)
Songs on loop: The Fratellis, Acrtic Monkey, Taylor Swift
Hobbies unlocked: Oil pastel drawings, crocheting <3
From my camera roll:
B’day dump:
Behn itni kam novel padhi? 6-7 aur padh leti itne me kya hota hai 😂😂
Such a wholesome recap ✨