Where I have been or Where I am at

If you look at my posting history and time stamps, it has been a moment. I had grand plans of posting weekly on my blog, writing my own stories, posting daily on my social media. 

My plans are made to be ignored for another show, another page, another moment with the family. 

It has become harder for me to write with the consistency I once had. In part because I have more obligations. I think it is the sign of my life progressing (a nice way to say that I am not handling aging well). Everything (the words of my peers or those who have come before me) would indicate this is normal, but my love for words and reading has never been what I would describe as normal. I want to be extraordinary at something and I thought this was it.

Before this blog I attempted to get published. 

I hold onto that year in which I was paid a dollar for a short story, and was paid nothing for the handful of others, because they were things that I wrote and that were read and that were seen outside of my imagination. I became scared it was too easy and that I was unable to see my own mediocrity or my thirst. 

Then I became pregnant and that was a joy. 

But before that my dad died, a cousin, a distant aunt and then my stepdad. My family had major medical scares across different generations. 

And the election happened. And I feel stuck watching each swirling massive turd that has been in this endless flush. This is the biggest shit my generation has ever taken. And I cannot believe it.

What can I say, other than I am proud of those who are fighting against ICE, the current government, the dismantling of social services, the eroding of the rights that were barely given before being snatched away, and who had something to say about the current wars and genocides we are contributing to. Not that they need my approval, because I am also ashamed I haven’t been a better person in general, but worse is the feeling that I didn’t do enough. It is hard to get over my offensives, but I am finding that the regret of inaction has overtaken me. 

I guess this post is my shitty version of a land acknowledgment: since I do not name names (or list examples of times I need to ask forgiveness on). I co-opt an important act for an oppressed group, while neglecting to give you a solid history or reference in which you can better understand what came before me and my intentions.

I want to do better, but for myself and because I need it and I am delusional to think the world needs it and I can be a voice of a generation (or at least no more harmful or pretentious than Lena Dunham). 

No, I never finished Girls.

They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom

One of the memoirs that I wanted to read after the October 7th events that kicked off the latest round of horror in occupied territory, is called They Called Me a Lioness. I picked it up as an audiobook, as it rose to relevancy for being pertinent to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This is a history of the region and grassroots activism, but also a story of childhood interrupted by Zionist policies and judicial system.

Yes, you should read it.

An American journalist, Dena Takruri, focuses on the lioness Ahed Tamimi, but does not tell her story in a vacuum. It acknowledges her privilege in becoming a young counter culture figure due to her youth and proximity to certain beauty standards, speaks of the foundational support her family and community has built in their fight for their lands and culture, and gives faces and names to the tragedies that make up the one-sided fight between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Not to make my blog about me, but this is a whole “how is my complacency and bystander behavior contributing to the Islamophobia and Middle Eastern biases so prevalent in the United States” journey that I am trying to take means that I was receptive to her story. While other reads or listens are at times recounting anecdotal examples, I find that the ones from Palestinians who use their family as examples of the injustice in this conflict makes it easier for me to conceptualize how fucked up it all is. 

Since the subject is so young, there is a different tone (one of hope, unaware of what the future would hold for them since this was written before October 7th 2023, and one of patience as they are not yet bogged down with the feeling of futility) in the retelling of the events that proceed Ahed Tamimi's life. 

In her early twenties, she has seen her family locked up and killed by the Israeli government, in addition to spending time as a political prisoner. More know for the images of resistance of her that went viral, and for the videos in which she acted in emotional self-defense as a child, she has been seen as a threat and has to deal with the consequences of being a lioness. The government has tried to tame and imprison her, but have yet to break her spirit.

At the time of the attacks, she was being held and was one of the people in captivity. In November of 2023, Hamas and Israel were able to negotiate a hostage swap that included Ahed Tamimi. Like many others, she has be removed/fled/displaced from her home on the West Bank. And after listening to her story I know that this is a crime decried by many Indigenous populations throughout our modern history. 

Why do we keep making the same mistakes, why do we keep creating new wounds within our species, and why do we vilify one group (Hamas) when other has a higher body count? This book does not answer that, and the many that I have read do not give me a satisfactory reason. Here I am reading and recommending with the hope that knowing about a horror might do something to negate another in the future. 

Where do your hopes lay?

Vampires of el Norte by Isabel Cañas

Vampires of el Norte is a historical novel that makes use of vampires to tell a part of Mexico’s history with the founding of Texas. If you take the different elements that Isabel Cañas used to build this original story, you would miss the genius of the complex compound that is the end result. 

At times a story of love between different classes, a condemnation of the underhanded tactics that Texas used to carve out their dominion over contested lands, and an ode to the native creatures and the beauty of the land that preceded the gringos, the Mexicans, the Spaniards (and were known maybe only to the indigenous population). Also it has vampires!

The sexual tension is not actually with the vampires for once. Although this is still a story of missed connections, misunderstandings, longing, and sacrifice: it focuses on Nena the daughter of a ranchero and Néstor the son of a vaquero during the time of the Mexican American war. It makes use of Mexican folklore and superstitions, legends still around today as they terrify and tantalize the people who spread around the tales. It also uses the words of Mexicans who were assessing the American intrusion for what it was at times. 

The vampires, when they show up, add to the mood and atmosphere, while also tying in the messages in this novel about monsters and the unknown. They are very much not sexy and even in their death remind me of the old school baddies in Buffy. In fact I could see this as some prototype slayer tale, even if the ending deviates from this initial impression. 

This is short review, as I think everyone should discover this for itself. Highly recommend, go read it now!

Two YA fantasy trilogies to read

While these two authors are newish to me, they are not to most readers and have an established fan base and catalog. They are modern masters of young adult fantasy, providing complex female and diverse characters in the lands that they create. While the two trilogies I am about to talk about are different, the similarities in story and impact from these authors made it seem reasonable to want to compare The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco and the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.

I of course learned about the Shadow and Bone books from the Netflix series. I watched it first and feel in love with the concept, actors, the world and magic, and the six of crows. Enough that I had to read the books, even while burning through the two seasons that are available. 

This part of the Grishaverse that the author has created focuses on the point of view of an orphan name Alina, in a land that is reminiscent of Russia, China, and Mongolia. She is part of the army in her fictional country, a cartographer, about to make her first journey through the Fold. A swath of cursed darkness that splits the land, filled with creatures that even the Grisha (magical humans) have difficulty fending off.

Between the three books, we find that she is not normal, she is like mega special. She becomes intwined in politics, the lore of how the Fold came to be, and a “love triangle” between the Darkling and her fellow orphan bestie, Mal, drives the plot. When this falls through, the love triangle will be replaced by other supporting characters because this is about young love and misreading the obvious! 

I enjoy this series, I do believe for the genres it counts towards, it is well written so much so that I understand my hate for Alina and Mal is because I tend to dislike these type of characters and tropes. The world she has crafted makes up for my disappointment in the fictional characters motivation and reactions to events, the side characters are compelling, and you can tell she tried to think of the different people and prejudices you might see in this steampunky world.

After watching the show and finishing the books, I understand the changes that were made given the amount of episodes they had and the format it was been translated into, however I do believe that it would need three seasons to cover the three books. I thought the actors that were cast did an excellent job bringing their characters to life, even if I still was annoyed by everything that happened.

I want to keep reading the other books in the series, because I am sure I will enjoy the Six of Crows duology more or the other stories I see that are a part of it. A cool world and easy to fall into, I put up with a lot for interesting fantasy stories.

The Bone Witch trilogy used similar terminology but had a foundation in “Filipino witch doctors” and “Middle Eastern folklore.” (Thanks Wikipedia!) I found that the similarities - dark and heavy subject matter when it comes to the magic, the amount of deaths, and the hard decisions that are required of the female main characters - were more prominent in this series. And I didn’t always hate what the characters were doing, so more appealing to me overall.

This story follows a young girl, Tea, whose power is frowned upon and yet sought after. We find that she can raise the dead (cause she is a bone witch) after she resurrects her brother. This makes her important to her kingdom, at time the story will focus more on the political factions and parties in this more “cooperative” world of magic with groups like the dark asha holding court with rulers.

The second book, The Heart Forger, did get me a bit annoyed with the ending. It had me wondering why they just didn’t think to ask certain questions, or realize what was going on until that moment, but with the twists of book three it was forgiven.

The series includes hordes of the undead, necromancy, dragons, sacrifices, and has a more satisfactory ending (if more bittersweet) than Ruin and Rising (the third book in Shadow and Bone). I guess I really a bitch eating cracker level petty about Alina.

Recent true crime reads

The range of true crimes books, and ick that I felt while reading them, was something. I really think that I could do better in any situation, even though I have no expertise otherwise. Yet here I am about to say some shit.

Death in the Air is pretty inoffensive. The writer Kate Winkler Dawson approaches a serial killer acting during the Great London Smog as a journalist, interweaving the environmental, political, and societal factors at play. The bits that were most terrifying wasn’t so much the killer, I have read enough true crime to not be surprised that men are monsters who tend to get away with it numerous times before getting caught, but about the air quality conditions and how it killed thousands of people. Now I have to be worried about that too?

Yes. We all should be. But still. 

This is a quick read and great for historical context, but also clear that the writer had to fill out the book with other anecdotes and references, otherwise this would have been summed up succinctly in an in depth article or expose. 

On the other hand The Bling Ring takes an already questionable in depth article or expose and pads it out with the shit opinions of its journalist writer, Nancy Jo Sales. In my high school to college years, I wanted to be cultured so I go into Vanity Fair. Meaning I have read this, and many other articles by Sales, but always with a guffaw and hint of side eye. Of course hindsight and time shows that maybe she was too critical and cruel for the reads, but at the time she helped to push the narrative that rich druggies teens were stealing from rich druggie reality stars.

As a look at a crime that I followed on the blogs, in the magazine, and in the news it is nostalgia hardcore. I was part of the problem, and while I was not stealing money from the rich, I was rebelling and making bad decisions in my own way. 

Documentaries and years later, it is weird how two peripheral characters were made into mini supernovas, how one guy got to control the narrative of the story, and I can’t help but feel how the minor “gang affiliation” really screwed over the couple of the hispanic people involved. 

From the infamous thieves of LA to the infamous celebrities accused of murder we have If I Did It by O.J. Simpson. Yes I was crass enough to listen to this because: it was free on Audible, I believe he did it and knew that the proceeds of the book does not go to his estate, and because he passed away from cancer recently. My opinion did not change after listening to his so called confession, it doesn’t make sense to me why he would: try to pay his bills mocking the death of his ex wife, give details that makes sense of the crime scene, and give a clear motivation as to why he did it. 

What a cruel world we live in, and though I try to enjoy and move through life as a spectator I do wish everyone involved in all three stories (from writers to victims to the perpetrators involved) find some peace and compassion. But also I am aware these are empty words for catastrophic and devastating acts.

Five recent celebrity memoirs ranked by (self) importance

There seems to be a rule with being rich and/or famous, once you have a certain momentum it is hard to not gather more riches or more fame. Opportunities come with a lot less effort, the hard work of putting yourself out there is already done. How much of their force that a celebrity then puts into that momentum depends on their character, some slap their name on a thing and some try to have a (however small it may be) touch in creation.  

I love reading celebrity memoirs, most of the time they are obvious cash grabs in which we pay more than normal to read their PR about themselves. Some people may be honest and admit they have a ghostwriter, so may be trying to fool us (but surely not themselves), and then there seems to be others (in my experience it seems the comedians dominate this category) who want to prove that they can write a compelling story about their progression in life - all on their own.

Anyway I got five memoirs to rehash, starting with the most offensive and ending with the best, these celebs really had me thinking:

5. Bob Hope is racist, sexist, and xenophobic. I Owe Russia 1200 may be the most offensive book I have read in a long, long, long time. This is the primer for heartless conservative boomers, a way for them to learn how they can insult everyone around them. He admits multiple times to doing yellow face (Mickey Rooney must have asked him for advice), harassed Jayne Mansfield and her husband in the majority of the book, and then tries to do this self deprecating thing that hinges on his weird “I am the lowest of the white males and common man who should be taking instead of joking about taking with these people” outlook. Nothing redeemable in this memoir or celebrity, although it was sad to read that John F Kennedy was still alive at the time he wrote it.

4. Diane Keaton is an intelligent privilege woman, who had the type of upbringing that allowed her to have a mediocre but successful career in Hollywood. I am not a fan, of the movies that she was in that I liked - I attribute it more to the writers and other creatives involved. More so and especially now that I read her memoir Brother & Sister. This comes off as callous and self centered, even though it is suppose to be about why her brother did not have the same success in life as she did. Spoiler: he had mental health issues. Due to the time period and family atmosphere, this went unchecked to the point that he had to self medicate. Aside from her inability to recount anything from his perspective and account for years of his life, she then uses her star power to get him a new organ without considering his diagnosis and his feelings in it all. She is kinder to Woody Allen then she is to her own family. 

3. Lily Allen in My Thoughts Exactly at least tries a little bit more than Diane Keaton. While she does gloss over and try to excuse the claims lobbied at her about how she has appropriated and used the black community, she at least does a better job of addressing it than Paris Hilton or other offenders. 

She is a woman coming from a privileged background, definition of nepo baby, but has the honesty to admit that when her father bought her first recording opportunity it tanked because he did not know what he is doing. She does base her success instead on MySpace and the magic of a certain time period, so some lack of self awareness is involved. But overall as she describes how she was raised, how long it took her to discover her sexuality and self, she let us in on her baby loss, how and why she decided to focus on her children, and the power dynamics in the music industry that leads to sexual abuse and assault, her stalker, and her “breakdown”. She shares a lot, is funny at times, while showing a fallible side to celebrity that is refreshing even if she still has work to do.

2. Alan Cumming has been flexing his writing skills with one man shows and a memoir about his father, a book that I so desperately want to read. While I have not got that memoir just yet, I had the chance to listen to his Audible original (or exclusive?) Legal Immigrant. This format differs from the rest, in that it includes show tunes and songs that fit the little bits centered around his American citizenship process. While this is meant to be humorous, he doesn’t mock the process so much as points out the ease and resources he had as being a successful entertainer looking to emigrate to America. The end includes interviews he did with others whose experiences were different: to show the care and awareness he has about why others choose to leave their country and the difficulties they face. Entertaining, even if it isn’t the most fun topic to discuss. 

1. Quinta Brunson, She Memes Well: Essays, is the more traditional memoir read as of late. As a fan of Abbott Elementary and A Black Lady Sketch Show, I wanted to learn more about a young funny writer who is knocking it out of the park with her success. Though she seems so young and just starting off, to see her movement from a youth working at Apple to a rising star at Buzzfeed, made me realize how much work and subtle influence she had even before I made the effort to recognize her goddessness. Not everyone can be a Quinta, but she makes you feel that you could be a badass version of you. I think this is because her essays have that personal touch: it’s like she was writing just for me and not the hordes of adoring fans she already has.

For the most part upbeat, she keeps it honest even when telling a more surface level anecdote or when she dives in deeper to upsetting and changing life events. I loved learning about her up to that point, and have high hopes that she will continue to woo us with her writing and her ability to make us laugh without resorting to jokes at the expense of others. Bob Hope could never and maybe should pick this up to learn a thing or two about comedy, except I am just realizing he has passed so that would be in the afterlife I guess.

A short story and a short novel about mad women

I don’t know if I am a (good) feminist, since I have a nagging thought that how I see things is more in line with being a sexist, I am of the opinion that women rock and being or choosing to be a male is strange cause they suck. If there is any consistent effort on my part when it comes to reading, it is to give myself more time to read women and non-binary authors. Since I do little research into who or what I am reading, I am sure that I misgender or misrepresent people all the time (I apologize for my assumptions and ignorance).

My two recent feminist and lady reads were stellar examples of why these type of stories are important.

I have been giving more time to short stories, I am trying to be wordly, and one of the classics I read was “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Thanks to a Tiktok recommendation, that was how clueless I was to this treasure being out there!

There wasn’t a piece of this piece that I didn’t love. It is gothic in tone (cause it was written in the late 1800s), portrays a women’s descent into postpartum madness at the poor medical advice of her husband the doctor, and still seems relevant to what women face today. A haunting classic, everyone should be forced to read along with Edgar Allen Poe, we need to diversify the forced reading options in school!

A more modern conversation on women’s mental health, My Sister, the Serial Killer is killer. As a dark comedy it does everything it should, flip expectations while playing into the stereotype of what we think when it comes to psychopaths and attractive women. It is a quick read, and wraps up the story by the end of the book, but is so well written that I wish there was more.

This Nigerian author (Oyinkan Braithwaite) sets her novel in Lagos and unfolds a story told from the perspective of the sturdy, dependable, plain sister Korede, a nurse who from the very start is there to clean up her sister’s messes (bodies). If this was any other novel or true crime story in which a man was the killer, I would be side eyeing Korede’s enabling role with Ayoola, but as an older sister who loves being the martyr I can see how we get to where we are.

What this says about society, crime, how women are seen, beauty, sibling dynamics, what we discuss and look for with serial killers, the men and women who become enamored and then victims, nature and nurture… I mean I can could go on and on. This is a story that has layers and would have Shrek shrieking about the complexity of it while comparing it to an onion, did I use that reference right?

Women are complex, and are not naturally hysterical because of their sexual organs or hormones (men will absolutely flip out for no reason and I would say that is due to their sexual organs or hormones…see sexist). When they do go mad or lose their shit, what better group to give us some nuance then the ladies who probably has been or seen a crazy gal in their life?

The first 4 Novellas in the Murderbot Diaries

In a group book chat, that never went anywhere and had me slipping out of when I realized that book clubs may just be a front for other interests (we weren’t reading books fast enough and it was turning political real quick), I learned about the Murderbot Diaries. I cannot claim credit for finding the author out on my own, and although I am not sure who said they liked it, it is (another) thing that we can both agree on.

The first four novellas are the perfect type of futuristic space style science fiction. Like the Alien franchise, it seems modern to imagine a future in which corporations instead of countries subjugate people via underhanded colonist tactics. There are robots and AI tech, used to maintain control and used as weapons by the corporations. If there is a bad guy in this story, it is the business organizations that control people and manipulate scientists and resources, it is a believable progression and downside to advancements in technology, this is the future of colonialism.

The stories are told from the perspective and internal dialogue of self proclaimed Murderbot, a security cyborg robot who hacked their own governor module after a job in which they inexplicably took out a mass amount of people. A logical response to a nonsensical event, that allowed them to develop an anxious personality and a taste for serial soap operas. 

The length of each story is so quick, and yet easy for most people to understand the future and characters that the author has imagined. Of the first four stories in the series the only real dud is the third one, but I could see it as somewhat needed to drive the action and drama of the series.

With the start of the story All Systems Red, we get a feel for the personality and humanity of the main character. Set up as a space thriller, there are mysterious events and a lot of action. Up to this contract that they took, no one was aware that Murderbot was doing their own thing (mostly watching the tv via feeds). 

This first novella in the series also introduces the interactions that Murderbot has with their clients, of the humans that we get to know this group plays a role later on in the story so there is flavor and dynamic to their interactions that makes you want to see Dr. Mensah creep up again.

But so far, it is their interactions with other bots and the characters introduced that are not human that I have grown attached to, and is probably the real reason why I keep on with the series. In the second novella, Artificial Condition, Murderbot has separated from Dr Mensah, as they are still unsure of the doctors intentions and if humans can be trusted. In their escape they come across ART,  in the research transport ship they have stowed away on, and this tech is giving me series side kick sass that makes me want to demand a full series on ART cause they have main character energy! ART is here with the quips and the first hand observational knowledge to call out that Murderbot is not fooling anyone. I may have been remiss to see this part of their journey end, and maybe that is why I was not so into the next batch of humans and tech that is Rogue Protocol.

Rogue Protocol is not badly written and it is needed to get us to the events that is in book three/was mentioned in the first book, it just did not have the character interactions I have come to expect with the other novels. This is a new group of humans, a different AI personality and maybe like Murderbot I didn’t get the whole “Miki is happy being pet style slave bot” story that was going on. While this may have been better wrapped into the other books that I loved, I did finish it and kept up with the series. My last read being novella four.

Exit Strategy brings the story back to Dr. Mensah and the question of whether they can be trusted, and I was pleased. Murderbot is a relatable character in their anxiety, response to human interactions, and self doubt, but as an intelligent and logical character: even when they make the wrong assumption or misread the interactions their internal dialogue make sense of their missteps in a way that I wish I had in my life. 

From this point in the story, the novellas become full fledge novels, but I am invested and have high hopes for the rest of the series. I do wonder how it will end, since I feel that with this type of character and universe, it could be ongoing. Something that I would not be averse to, give us more ART!

Environmental fiction: Noor and the Man with the Compound Eyes

What do we have when it comes to stories about how fucked our earth is? There is a lot of great novels out there, but it may be hard to read or write fiction that reflects the reality we live in. 

Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian America author who has captured the appeal and beauty of Africanfuturisim in her science fiction. 

Noor is a novella that include elements of what it means to be human but from the Nigerian perspective. The future she envisioned for her characters is surreal, but also asks what happens if the African people were recognized for their scientific achievements and had bargaining power allowing them to retain the power and resources corporations would (usually) just take for themselves. While it may change things for the time being, I found the ending to fit within my viewpoints - in that the change is only slight, but would still be the same corporate and colonist structure (no matter the skin tone of those in charge). 

The story focuses on two people within Nigerian society with the main point of view following a young woman by the name Anwuli Okwudili (or AO). She is shunned and treated differently since she made a choice to live on in spite of her disabilities and has to incorporate technology into her body functions in order to live. After defending herself and gong viral for it, she flees setting the plot into action.

The other perspective, that of a young herdsman by the name of DNA, whose tribe is being accused of environmental terrorism, collides with her story. Soon they are on the run together, as their country watches on wondering what these two minorities will do and what they will find.

Her writing is effective, entertaining, and is meant to stay with you. I am still thinking about the advances in technology and society, but also how things do not really change. When it comes to the science and backstory, you may be surprised to know that in just a few pages you will fully learn about the world this story is built on. The transfer of energy matches the unbelievable magic that people must have experienced when Einstein shared his theories or when Hedy Lamarr patented the technology later used in wi-fi. I think it is intentional, just like the names AO and DNA, or the symbolism of the Red Eye.

Another recent read that is more on the magical realist side of environmental fiction, The Man with the Compound eyes tells a similar subject but from a Taiwanese perspective. It incorporates indigenous islanders as one of the many perspectives to tell its cautionary tale and the science elements used within the plot could be pulled from recent headlines.

This novel still tells a story of society but with more emphasis on the interlocking elements (so more people), and how they are impacted by the aftereffects of colonialism, globalization, and the environmental damage of developed nations as a small island. It focuses more on two villages and the main characters, Alice Shih is a professor from Taiwan who is ready to commit suicide after the lost of her Danish husband and young son some time before. You learn more about this, see her taking the steps to give up, and find that when she is ready to take action that her small town is overtaken by a tsunami of trash.

The other main story line is of Atile’i, a young man from a fictional island of people who have yet avoided “outside world” contact. As you learn about their customs and philosophy, Atile’i leaves home and is adrift the trash vortex, bringing him into contact with Alice. 

Some of the anecdotes used to give meaning, or offer an example of the changing world, are real. The trash vortex, increase of earthquakes and tsunami events, how animals are hunted and the different movements around it, and other similar scenes will be recognized and appreciated by science minded individuals for what it is trying to say.

I loved both stories, and have high expectations for their other works, but I have to admit that the level of anxiousness and gloom after reading both was kind of high. I believe that is the reason why others stay away from this type of novel, and is always my chief warning with these type of recommendations, the climate conversation is not a fun or optimistic topic. Still worth the time and read of course!

My reasoning when it comes to reading Young Adult as an adult

Young Adult to Adult fiction is a fine line that some people are comfortable declaring a stand for. Which is their right, but why limit yourself to picking a side and denying the appeal of fiction reflective of different points in life? 

I think that we are lucky to be in this time when it comes to publishing and genres, things are adapting quickly in this consumption and technological evolution of our literary world, we are in the mix of growth! Can things be better? Hell yes! We should be pushing for great writing and diverse voices in all aspects of the industry, using the successful results that we see to demand more of it.

I was always the fan of teen novels and reads, but in my youth it was very white and mediocre. There were those that stood out as trying to do something with the genre, Judy Blume discusses female sexuality and reality in a way that scandalized, enthralled, and helped millions of people put things together. But this seemed rare when compared to the thousands of books written by men (or women) that was pure trash in plot, message, and substance. Not that I don’t like that kind of writing, but when vapidity is being pushed as the only option, then eventually we come to present the shallowness within ourselves.  

To see black and non-binary authors shine when given the opportunity to share their stories like Judy Blume, is something that we should all celebrate so we can get more variety to the stories we can learn and identify from. 

I have been seeing the name Tiffany D. Jackson in the last few years, because of her (deserved) success in including the black lives matter movement in her stories and from the readers brave enough to confront reality and sing her praise. With her prestige she tackled a retelling of Carrie, but incorporated the themes seen in other classic black literature like Passing. The Weight of Blood spins the story and focuses on a mixed race girl with an abusive white father, as they live in a sundown town in the South - one that still holds segregated proms. When her classmates realize that she is white presenting/passing, they tease her with micro-aggressions and outright racial attacks, setting her up to destroying their ignorant asses with her telekinetic powers.

I listened to this as an audiobook and found this novel to be well written and published by a team who understands how reading and storytelling is evolving. She incorporates multiple POVs and includes bits from a fictional podcast about the event, this translates well in the audiobook and captures all that she was trying to convey when it comes to her retelling. 

As a Stephen King fan, I agree that his female and minority characters are flat (even though it is clear he means well). I have not read Carrie yet, but I imagine that he would not be offended by how she elevated his story. Her writing style, how she matches her points from current events, does make this feel very topical. Yet like Carrie, I think that it will age well and be a non-cringey read even if it depicts a certain moment in time. 

Sarah Gailey is another young adult (but also adult) author I have seen around the last few years. As a non-binary author, their stories reflects a queer community that allows exploration of gender and sexual identities, something that even my straight ass was missing as a teen. Although I had a family who did not hinder my reads, and offered a range of suggestions, I was also in living in a small town with a large military base during Bush’s reign in Texas…I would have enjoyed the type of historical and science fiction that Gailey seems comfortable with and may have been a better ally sooner. No, I still would have made the same offensives: it is how I learn - from mistakes and shame.

When We Were Magic is about a group of female friends who have the ability to wield magic in the same manner as the group in the Craft. Their power is mighty, tied to teen emotions and psychology, and starts the entire events by causing one of the girls to kill her prom date by blowing up his junk. 

I enjoy the sensational start. Since it is clear that the plot is driven by the main character not wanting to recognize that she is not attracted to men, and was forcing herself to have a hetero experience, you may want to protest that this is somewhat predictable. But that would expose you as a hater. This story is needed and if you could do a better job write your own queer friendly novel and publish it (your perspective could be needed as well and there should be room for all of them).

Okay, this may be a little more on the nose when it comes to what time period it has to portray, but nostalgia is cyclical and there will be a generation ready to read this later and laugh at their parents for being so 2020. 

If you aren’t into ya then how can you ever know if you are the cool parent or not? So there you have it, I read YA books so I can feel young again. In addition to all the sad books about aging and not being young, I can’t stand the idea of not being in the know.