June Reading Wrapup

There are times when the books I read fall into themes, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not.  From December 21-March 20, I undertook my self-imposed "Winter of Women" project.  Other times, I base my reading on monthly observances, like Black History Month in February or Poetry Month in April.  Other times, themes emerge much more organically and spontaneously.

Such was the case in June.  Maybe I'm dealing with feelings about the state of my country & the world right now.  Maybe it's a desire to keep myself informed.  Maybe I need, on some level, to know that I'm not the only one who is shocked, angry, and grieving.  Maybe just enough time passed that I now have the headspace to begin delving into these topics in earnest.  Whatever the reasons, you can see from the books I've read that this could be called "Social Justice June".  All of the books deal with pertinent issues: Racism, sexism, treatment of immigrants, war crimes, US/Mexico relations, environment, corruption, protest, feminism, and civil rights.  Even Samantha Irby's essay collection, which is heavily steeped in hilarity, dealt with serious topics.  It was a heavy but helpful month -

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera (fiction)

The Transmigration of Bodies by Yuri Herrera (fiction)

Cold Pastoral by Rebecca Dunham (poetry)

A Fugitive in Walden Woods by Norman Lock (fiction)

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby (essays)

My Antonia by Willa Cather (fiction)

Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times edited by Carolina De Robertis (essays)

What We Do Now: Standing Up for Your Values in Trump's America edited by Dennis Johnson and Valerie Merians (essays)

The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit

The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo [non-fiction (audiobook)]

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis (fiction.....or is it?!)

Resistance, Rebellion, Life: 50 Poems Now edited by Amit Majmudar (poetry)

Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi (non-fiction)

Kingdom Cons by Yuri Herrera (fiction)

No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need by Naomi Klein (non-fiction)

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lord [non-fiction (audiobook)]







It'll be interesting to see what forms, if any, my July reading takes.  Will there be a dominant theme?  I guess we'll have to find out by the end of next month.  What books did you read in June, and were there any interesting patterns or themes?




Librorum annis,