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Or, The Hills are Alive
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My birthday wishlist, now an annual tradition, is out! You can find it here and any and all gifts will be appreciated 🙂
(I’m also open to surprises; as long as it’s not a surprise party.)
Reader,
I went to China Square last week and I am now in a position to share something: I only enjoy shopping when it’s books and stationery haha. I walked about as I waited for a friend— they were running late so I was by myself — and going down each aisle was stultifying. I know even the people at the back are screaming “We knew this!” but I’m new to this knowledge; please be gentle.
For the Jamhuri Day break, I took a trip out of town and carried my bookish accessories (Kindle, tab, headphones for audiobooks) for my time away from home. Syncing and charging my devices is now a standard part of my travel prep and, even then, I still ended up charging my tab and Kindle while I was away because I was reading so much so this will be a book-filled entry.
Because I stayed at a place with limited internet, I kept turning to books. I was also there to preach the gospel of books bring some books for the kids in the neighbourhood; including a “magic painting book”. Now, if you remember these books, please write back! I asked Mama Mike and she didn’t remember them from my childhood. If you’re wondering what they are, they’re books where every image is grey and painting over them with a wet brush brings out the colours of the images on the pages. Probably not doing them justice here but, judging by how much fun those kids had, it might be the best 50 KES (0.39 USD) I have spent this year. My only regret? I didn’t buy a stack of them because now *I* want to paint a page a day.
I can hear the gallery: So what did you read?!!
~Key~
📘: Non-fiction
📗: Fiction
📗/📘 (🎧) : Audiobook
📗/📘 + 🎧: Read & listened simultaneously wholly or in parts
🎨: Includes art
🏳️: Nationality of author(s)
📘🇺🇸 That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones: I had mixed feelings (at best!) about this book. She seems very intent on redeeming the bigoted people in her life (she voted for Trump in 2016! That’s the wildest self-report she could have inserted in her book!) and this part of Olurinatti’s latest video really captures the spirit of my vexation with this tendency — why are you so keen on framing hate as a “culture war”? Give someone else this platform, argh. Keep your eyes out for my longer review on my channel because I found some reviews on Goodreads that made me feel less…*waves hands around*
📘🎨🇬🇧 The Autism Friendly Guide to Periods by Robyn Steward: As a person who finds tips for neuro-divergent people useful, and who is always keen on acquiring information that would help a child navigate life; this was a great read. Really quick and with visual information as well as gender-neutral language that is wonderfully inclusive.
📗🎨🇺🇸 Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky: Described as “a witty, tender romp through the cosmic horror of being alive”, this exploration of one trans woman’s experience around her pre-transition friends put me in my feels. How do we stay in community with people who do not see us; who are are married to old versions of ourselves? Always great questions in literature.
📗🎨🇵🇸 My Olive Tree by Hazar Elbayya: I love a book aimed at children and I stand with Palestine. This would be a great opening into a conversation about what the occupation by Israel means and how Palestinians stay strong.
📗🇸🇩 On a day when I went for a walk without my reading devices, I continued reading The Book of Khartoum: A City in Short Fiction, which was recommended to me by the inimitable MJ, on my phone (the one device I try avoid reading on haha) and the short story I read was a delight. I was recently at Goethe Institut attending an exhibition of art by Sudanese artists and I feel drawn back into the world they have created by reading these short stories.
📘🇰🇷 Uncomfortably Happily by Yeong-sik Hong (translated by Hellen Jo): I really did not like the MMC (Male Main Character) - the way he tried to dim his wife’s light really irritated me. And yet the drawings and food kept me going. You can read an excerpt here.
📘🇬🇧 Homebody by Theo Parish: More writing by trans-masculine folks, please!!! Their writing about getting to feel at home in their body, their name and so on really tugged at my heartstrings. This was a delight.
📗🎨🇰🇷 I started reading The Naked Tree by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (translated by Janet Hong); a graphic take on a novel by Park Wan-suh. It “paints a stark portrait of a single nation’s fabric slowly torn to shreds by political upheaval and armed conflict” and that’s my jam. Can’t wait to read more of it.
📘+🎧🇺🇸 Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink by Véronique Hyland (hybrid read; audiobook narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya): In this title, Hyland “argues that fashion is a key that unlocks questions of power, sexuality, and class, taps into history, and sends signals to the world around us.” I read it while I was away and on my trip back and I highlighted so much I intend to go back to it and its bibliography in the future. I love writing about things that we’re trained to perceive as frivolous and situates them in global trends.
Seven books finished over 5 days. Not too shabby! The two books in translation are via the Digital Library of Korean Literature, which is free to join here.
Quick news/ things that may be of interest:
Subscribe to my WhatsApp channel for texts I find while I spend time online
If you’re in the Global North and would be open to engaging in the North-South solidarity that is sharing a library card, please email or message me so we can figure things out. Thank you!
On Thursday, Readings & Open Mic hosted by The LAM Sisterhood. Free tickets here.
Links to Reading Lists, Free Books, Book Recs, Book-related Items in this document
Since Elon seems to want (some of) us gone, I’m trying to post more often on Bluesky. Follow me there if you’re on it!
The Queer Liberation Library 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Sign the Refusing Complicity in Israel's Literary Institutions letter
Write for Jalada!
My friend Agnes Waruguru’s show What the water left behind continues at Circle Art Gallery. Please see it if you can!
You can send me books, postcards, letters, and assorted items via PO Box 102439, Jamia Posta 00101, Nairobi, Kenya
Other than the books above, I've finished one other book since I last wrote to you— the audiobook version of The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind by Melissa S. Kearney (narrated by Cait Raymond). I hope to get back to making videos soon so I can share my thoughts on recent titles. Before then, please go ahead and subscribe to the channel.
As ever, please write back to me and tell me what books you’re reading or looking forward to reading — it’s always a great time talking about books.
Thank you for reading 🙂
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Enjoy the week ahead and have a lovely time reading. Talk to you soon!