Walk in the Park
Currently reading:
Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison
Dr. No by Percival Everett
War of the Foxes by Richard Siken
Books finished this week: 2
★★★☆☆
Where this book came from: Mysterious Galaxy, after searching so many stores on both coasts for this book.
Why this book: A recommendation from Britt (hi, Britt! And sorry in advance!!).
Thoughts: Y’all, this book was DUMB (in the right way). It was exactly what I expected, though, admittedly, not quite what I hoped. The dialogue was cheesy, the tropes were unending, characterization was uneven at best, and scenes just kind of...happened. The protagonist was very much a Strong Female Character™️ and her love interest was the stereotypical hot, possessive asshole. Their story was so very predictable. But was this what my brain needed right now? Absolutely yes. Strongly recommended for anyone looking to vanish for a few days into nonsense.
★★★☆☆
Where this book came from: The Unicorn Press booth at AWP.
Why this book: I just stopped to look at the books and chat with the proprietor, and this cover caught my eye.
Thoughts: First of all, HUGE trigger warning for child abuse. Nothing is explicitly explained in the poetry (and I won’t be talking about anything in my review), but the entire book centers on Milliken’s traumatic past, especially abuse suffered at the hands of her father. This feels like another instance where I just wasn’t smart enough (or maybe just not engaged enough?) to feel the full weight of this work. I didn’t feel that the motif of the cyclical cicadas worked with the events and emotions Milliken was examining, and I wasn’t drawn into the language in the way I expected to be.
Library updates:
At the top, happy birthday to my mom! Everyone say it, or else!
Next on the agenda: We’re officially celebrating three years of the Moratorium Library! What?! On May 1, 2025, we marked another year of the blog, and I’m so thankful to anyone who pops by to read now and then (or weekly——double thanks to you guys!). As in the lifespan of anything, there have been so many ups and so many downs. I changed jobs, then left my job. I started and (have just about) finished grad school. I’ve finished many, many drafts of a book. I’ve written more fiction the last few years than I have in so long, and this weekly(ish) blogging practice has helped me keep writing, even when I don’t want to. I’ve talked and thought about so many things here that I’ve either dug into in my personal journal, in therapy, or with people I love, and I’m thankful to have this space to start those conversations with myself and others.
Of course, there have been really fucking terrible times, too, like losing Penny this year. She was the blog’s unofficial mascot——at least to me——and I miss her deeply. But I’m glad to have her memorialized in so many photos and anecdotes here, and to feel her presence in so many of the words that life in these digital pages.
Anyhow, I’m glad to have gotten to share so many books——read, purchased, or otherwise——with you so far, and I hope and plan to share many, many more with you in the years to come!
And finally: It’s summer, I guess! It was just so hot this week and I kicked it off by trying to get out more, including a couple of walks and picnicking with Tori (hi, Tori!) in Central Park yesterday. I would have liked a little more spring, but I can’t argue with the sunshine.
Closing thoughts:
Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones, in whatever way you can. Remember people, places, and things that are important to you. Revel in those memories. Make new memories. Enjoy.
Also, buy books from small presses and indie bookstores. Okay, BYE.
Total books read from the Moratorium Library: 148
(Total books added to the Moratorium Library: 300)
A milestone! Hoo . . . ray?
Picked up from Kew & Willow this week. (And yes, there are other preorders to come . . . )
