Reading, Writing, and Me

ARCs I Don't Have But Desperately Need/Books I'm Looking Forward To I Want You to Be Happy by Jem Calder - I've seen this all over bookstagram, plus there's the Rooney blurb of it all. I mean, navigating modern love between a copywriter and a barista full of "anxiety, listlessness, and precarity"... sign me up.  Please, please, please, please Faber. This is me begging for you to send me an ARC of this novel.  Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash- This one is out already, so the only thing standing between me and this book is all the other books I'm supposed to be reading and am already behind on. But I have competing holds on Libby and Dublin Libraries to see if I'll get there.  Vigil by George Saunders - I've never read a Saunders besides the craft book he wrote (that I bought recently to read again). But I fear it is time. I Could Be Famous  by Sydney Rende -  This is out now, and I have it downloaded on my Kindle from Libby. It's just a question of ...

Palaver by Bryan Washington Washington has created a real niche for himself in his growing body of work. His novels typically center, at their core, gay, male protagonists who have some kind of connection to Houston. Lately, to Japan as well. With Palaver , there's a much more central focus on familial relationships and patterns than in previous novels. While there are plenty of subplots for both "the mother" and "the son," as they are exclusively referred to in the novel, the central concept of the book is their relationship. Interestingly, though, this unfolds mostly in subtext, in the ways they move around each other. When the mother comes to Tokyo to stay with the sun, the first time they've seen each other in years, it isn't a joyous reunion. It's awkward, and they're constantly stepping on each other's toes. While they have some direct conversations, they speak to one another sparingly. Instead, the son continues to live his life and th...