I had something I was going to write about here, but I don't remember what it was, and I read too many books in September, so this is already too long. I did complete Seattle's Book Bingo and didn't win anything, which is fine because I was in it for the love of the game, baby!
Let's get into it.
[what I read]
- An Abolitionist's Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World by Patrisse Cullors (2021) | Quick summary: A framework for fighting for an abolitionist future.
Less of a book-book than a work/handbook, which I took to mean I can use my highlighter on it. I never do that, but I really should more often because these books, books like An Abolitionist's Handbook, are my guidebooks for my present and my future.
[nonfiction, race and abolition, resource read, written by a Black queer american progressive activist, artist, and writer, medium-length read]
- Hazards of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates (2018) | Quick summary: A teenager living in 2039 is sent back to 1959.
I know Joyce Carol Oates from twitter, which is maybe a bad look for me, and maybe a bad look for her. Regardless, I kind of assumed Oates was A Good And Established Writer, and maybe she is, but this was so poorly written. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't find it interesting, or unique, or well-written. Regardless, it got me my full blackout bingo!
[fiction, literary and science, written by a white american writer, medium-length read] - The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca (2023) | Quick summary: A collection of dark literary fiction stories.
There was some fucked up stuff in these short stories, which makes sense, as I read this for the "horror" category in book bingo! I wasn't horrified, per se, but I was disturbed, and for me, that's good enough.
[fiction, horror, written by a white american writer, shorter read] - The Moomins and the Great Flood by Tove Jansson (1945) | Quick summary: Moominmamma and Moomintroll search for their missing Moominpappa.
Working in a kids' shop for the past few years, I've been introduced to children's literature in a way I hadn't expected as an adult. Moomin, or the Moomins, are one of the cultural milestones I missed as a child, but in the past few years, I've been slowly introduced, and after a friend and I toured the Tove Jansson exhibit at the local nordic museum, I wanted to read it! The Great Flood was the first book to feature "the Moomins," but it is usually considered a prelude to the main series, and I'm eager to read more. This was weird, and fun, and cute, and I think Jansson's life sounds as ideal as I can imagine.
[fiction, fantasy, children's literature, written by a queer white finnish writer, shorter read]
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982) | Quick summary: The lives of two sisters are revealed in a series of letters exchanged over the decades.
I've read The Color Purple more times than I can remember, which probably means four or five times? I was inspired to read it for one of the random book challenges I'm always indulging in. I haven't read The Color Purple in a number of years, but even if I read it once a month, there is always something new. A fantastic novel, through and through.
[classic, literary fiction, written by a queer Black american writer, medium-length read]
[what I heard]
- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty (2014) | Quick summary: Partially memoir, partially research, partially history, this book is all about the dead.
Y'all know I'm interested in death and grief, and life and all the things in between. I also find it important to understand the logistics of death, and that's what you get when you read (or listen) to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. This book reminded me of the Mary Roach approach to nonfiction (compliment). I really value people who work in death spaces, particularly when they share their experiences. This was great.
[fiction, short stories, horror, written by a white american mortician, author, blogger, youtuber, and advocate, longer listen, read by the author]
- John Candy: A Life in Comedy by Paul Myers (2025) | Quick summary: A biography of actor and comedian John Candy's life.
I sobbed when I heard John Candy died. I was not quite seven years old. Looking back, that was one of the earliest data points proving my extreme empathy, because why was I crying at seven about an actor's death? But anyway, I loved John Candy, particularly in Camp Candy. If I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure I cried because I assumed I wouldn't get any more Camp Candy, but to be fair, I never did. That show faded into obscurity, and even in these wild days of access to old media, I've never come across it again. Candy was a good man, a funny and sensitive one, and I miss him, and I am sad he died. This biography was good, but much too short, as was Candy's life.
[nonfiction, biography, written by a white canadian author, journalist, musician, and songwriter, medium-length listen, read by the author] - Clam Down: A Metamorphosis by Anelise Chen (2025) | Quick summary: A memoir about divorce, and then some.
I enjoyed listening to this memoir but also think I'd benefit from reading it because it's a mindfuck of a memoir. I love how Chen wove her personal story, her familial story, and society's story in a way that flowed so well. The clam of it all worked for me, but I do wish I'd read this one, rather than listened, though Chen reads it herself (which is my preference)!
[nonfiction, memoir, written by a taiwanese author, medium-length listen, read by the author] - Vagabond by Tim Curry (2025) | Quick summary: The memoir of actor Tim Curry.
This had been on my radar since before Curry's recent death, but I'm sort of happy I listened to it after his death. Curry was such a fantastic, versatile actor, in a way I think we sometimes say but don't mean. I'm not in any way Curry's biggest fan. I only know his most famous roles, but regardless, as a memoir person, I think this was an excellent one. I learned a lot about Curry; he spoke in his voice, slowly and surely, and spilled just the right amount of tea. Rest in peace to a funny, talented, class act.
[nonfiction, memoir, written by a white english actor, medium-length listen, read by the author]
- The World's Worst Assistant by Sona Movsesian (2022) | Quick summary: The memoir of Conan O'Brien's assistant and co-host, Sona Movsesian.
I am a big Conan O'Brien person, and as a big Conan O'Brien person, I know Sona Movsesian from his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. I have huge beef with celebrity podcasts, but Conan's began in 2018, before celebrities took over the medium, and he's really good at talking to people. But give me the biggest, most famous person you can think of, and I'll still prefer Conan shooting the shit with Movsesian. Movsesian has a new book out, The World's Worst Mom, that she plugged on a recent episode of the podcast, which introduced me to the fact that she's already published a book! This one isn't great, but it's funny and casual enough that it was delightful to listen to. I treated it less like a memoir and more like a podcast, which means I may have missed some stuff, but probably not? I hope her next memoir is better, but regardless, I'm a fan.
[nonfiction, memoir, written by a white armenian american podcast host, author, and comedian, shorter listen, read by the author]
- London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe (2026) | Quick summary: After the death of their nineteen-year-old son, a family discovers he had been living a secret life.
Patrick Radden Keefe has written a number of fantastic books, and it's not his fault, but I'm forever chasing the high of Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. This was nowhere near as personally compelling for me as Say Nothing is, but regardless, and because it is not fair to compare, I gotta say I think London Falling was fantastic. What a deeply concerning and volatile story that Keefe researched so thoroughly. To be fair, I have only read Keefe before, and this is my first listen, but I can't imagine really enjoying a deep nonfiction dive as much as I enjoyed Say Nothing.
[nonfiction, true crime, written by a white american writer and investigative journalist, longer listen, read by the author] - The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper (2020) | Quick summary: An emergency room doctor's memoir about her life of service.
Since I love ER so much, I guess Michele Harper's memoir about working as an ER doctor appealed to me. I regret listening to this and wish I'd read it instead. It wasn't read by the author, but by an audiobook narrator who was clearly performing, which is all well and good, but I didn't enjoy the theatrics of the narrator's take, even though I enjoy the theatrics of a show like ER. Michele Harper's stories and writing are fantastic; I wouldn't suggest the audiobook.
[nonfiction, medicine, written by a Black american award-winning physician, bestselling author, and nationally recognized speaker, medium-length listen, read by nicole lewis]
[what i recommend]
- If you actually want to see and make change: An Abolitionist's Handbook
- If you enjoy children’s literature: The Moomins and the Great Flood
- If you need some classic lit: The Color Purple
“We don’t have to see each other to be near each other.” Hazards of Time Travel
“It’s not long before I notice the unpleasant thoughts have subsided in my mind, flowering roots plucked from their beds of soil and dragged screaming.” The Trees Grew Because I Bled There Quotes
“Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.” The Color Purple
“Accepting death doesn't mean you won't be devastated when someone you love dies. It means you will be able to focus on your grief, unburdened by bigger existential questions like, "Why do people die?" and "Why is this happening to me?" Death isn't happening to you. Death is happening to us all.” Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
“Everyone, everywhere, was undergoing something or other.” Clam Down
“Like everyone, I am in this world for only a brief time.” The Beauty in Breaking
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