LRRC Week 19

I haven't really been counting days/weeks, but gosh, about two months in lockdown at this point, huh? Welp. One of the books I read was a really fun diversion from what was happening in the world. The other not so much, but still had pretty good thoughts!

#37: I HOPE WE CHOOSE LOVE by Kai Cheng Thom

I think this is the second non-fiction book, and the first poetry book, that I've reviewed for this challenge. This struck me as a much more raw book, in some respects, than Hood Feminism, which I read.....some indeterminate amount of time ago. March, maybe? Do months have meaning anymore?

Anyway, this book was for me a really good exercise in pushing through something that made me uncomfortable at times, which I do less now that I'm reading for pleasure. Honestly, it felt like readings I used to do when I was in my undergrad women's studies classes, where they were almost always interesting if frequently not easy to stomach.

Some of it, too, was the worry that things would take a turn for the iffy, particularly in chapters that began with sweeping statements about whether we're validating "too much." Ultimately, I think that the author handled all these topics in thoughtful and nuanced ways, which did eventually relax me a bit more, but it made for a bit of a whirlwind reading experience.

I ended up really appreciating her point of view and her very valid critiques of the ways in which queer communities can have their own issues that should be addressed with kindness and thoughtfulness. I also appreciated that she's a former psychotherapist, which was an interesting added layer.

I did end up thinking that a few statements were a bit on the sweeping, generalizing side, and that, of all things, there could have been more nuance and detail added to her discussion of the "cancelling" of certain internet celebrities, but I also appreciate that this was probably not what she wanted the focus of the book to be, which is very fair.

#38: INTO THE DROWNING DEEP by Mira Grant

Scary mermaids!!! Heck yeah!!!

So I like mildly-silly, mildly-scary monster movies, and this is basically that in book form, so suffice to say, I was into it. It reminded me of watching Jurassic Park, or Anaconda, or Deep Blue Sea (though the monsters in this story are perhaps more intelligent).

It probably technically falls under the "science fiction" tag, because there are a lot of science-ish aspects to the story. I genuinely don't know if any of them hold up as real science (for example, they're able to communicate with dolphins and get their "consent" for aid in the mission), but honestly, I don't really care? I had a good time, so I don't care if the science is good. Sorry?

I liked the characters, I thought the tension built really well, and I appreciated that the book doesn't screw around with its readers. We're not going to spend time being jerked around thinking that something else might be going on, we learn pretty upfront that no, mermaids are real, and mermaids are eating people.

Though the book doesn't play all its cards at once; the reveals that do come later are well-constructed, in my opinion, and satisfying.

The one thing I didn't love was the unanswered questions, though that may be more a feature than a bug. In particular, there's one part that doesn't make complete sense to me, and I wish it had been expanded on a little bit more. But, then again, maybe the author is working on a sequel, I don't know! I will just keep my fingers crossed.

NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA
#39: The Mermaid, the Witch, & the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
#40: Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone