July 2023 Wrap Up 2

Hoo boy. Buckle up, Buttercup. This is going to be a time. Between the Mid-Month Wrap Up and the end of July, I read 10 books. A lot of them were graphic novels, but still.

Cat Massage Therapy Vol. 1 by Haru Hisakawa - Apparently, it is customary for Japanese office workers to stop by a massage parlor after work. In this book, the massage parlor is run by cats. It is exactly as cute as you would expect.

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen - Witch Agnes has put a spell on some vegetables to help her raise more vegetables to sell at market. One day, they notice the castle on the far mountain has smoke coming from the chimney. The vampire is back! The vegetables vote for Garlic to be the one who goes to slay the vampire. Garlic girds their loins and heads for the castle. The vampire turns out to be very peace-loving and nice and even comes down to the garden to help the vegetables raise their crops.

Bunny Mellon: The Life of An American Style Legend by Meryl Gordon - It is a massive tribute to Meryl Gordon that I read this 800 page book even though I had no idea who she was. I mean, I knew she hung out with Truman Capote, but that's literally it. Turns out, she was pretty neat.

A Reader on Reading by Alberto Manguel - I loved this so much. Each chapter had a quote from Alice in Wonderland which I didn't really appreciate. That's not my favorite story. But the meat of the chapter frequently had little to do with Alice. This book was published in 2010, but some of the political stuff he talked about is still valid and relevant in ways he could never have foreseen. I put this on my wishlist and I have my eyes open for a copy to have on my shelves. There was a lot I would like to annotate.

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln - As mentioned before, I don't really like middle grade fiction, but this was amazing. Shenanigan Swift is always pulling pranks and creating general mayhem. She can't help it, it's her name. When someone tries to kill Arch Aunt Schadenfreude, it has to be one of the relatives at the family reunion. Shenanigan, her sister Phenomena, and cousin Erf set about to find out who it is. The family members are hilarious. The danger is real, but it doesn't feel ominous. It was just fabulous.

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach - Mary Roach is great. She can make the most boring sounding topic interesting. This is about the way humans miss the mark in dealing with animals in areas where people are crowding the fauna out of their homes. Apparently, bears are incredibly intelligent and can break into a house and go through the food while the owners are sleeping. Roach talks about elephants in Africa who don't mean to kill people, but they are big. The monkeys in India are out of control. Some of the ways people have dealt with them are actually non-sensical and hilarious.

Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee - This is cataloged as a children's book, but I think it is really for an older audience. It's about a girl whose friends are all maturing and leaving her behind. She meets a ghost in her house and they become best friends. Alexa is her best friend for years as Lora herself matures. It's about the importance of letting yourself grow up. It's kind of sad and feels much deeper than a children's book.

Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre by Alverne Ball and Stacey Robinson - This is a YA graphic novel about the race massacre. It's done really well. The art is great.

Solo Leveling Vol. 1 by Dubu - I heard about this manga series on BookTube and decided to check it out. It's pretty solidly aimed at video gamers. Upon reflection I realized that that particular person is also a gamer, which explains why she liked it. I didn't love it. It was fine.

The Mothers by Brit Bennett - I loved Bennett's other book and was hoping for more of her fabulous writing. I definitely got it. I didn't love the story. It was about a teenage girl who gets pregnant with the pastor's son and has an abortion. It follows both of them and a girl she makes friends with after the event. The situation is messed up and stays messed up, but the telling of it was fantastic.

And there you are. All the books I read in the second half of July. I was very busy. Did I read everything on my TBR? No. I started one of the Sequoyah books and got halfway through it when I decided I didn't care and put it down. The other Sequoyah book will go back on the TBR for another month.