Enjoyed your reflections on I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME. I appreciated it but didn't enjoy reading it as much I thought I would. I think I would have liked it better as an audiobook or documentary. I love it when people love the same books I love, but I also love it when people have different opinions of books (in this case loving a book I just thought was okay). The parts you liked about the book I also liked. I also liked her reflections on gender vs. anatomy which Sante and I both agree have little to do with each other and are mostly or entirely unimportant. My absolute favorite line in the book was this: "I was excited about writing, about all the possibilities offered by prose and genre to someone formed by poetry, who would be getting things wrong in interesting ways."
Oooh, I love that quote. I listened to the audiobook (which I'm sure added to my enjoyment) so I didn't write down any. I can definitely see why you wouldn't love this. I have been feeling very, very tender toward memoirs by queer and trans elders recently, and find myself thinking about them so much, even if they don't blow me away. I loved how to me it didn't feel like she was trying to explain herself or be "good".
Re: TATY: "This is an epic poem disguised as a book-length essay." - YES! My exact thoughts about this book (which is amongst the many brilliant books I DNFed due to personal issues but cannot wait to get back to when I don't psych myself out)
Enjoyed your reflections on I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME. I appreciated it but didn't enjoy reading it as much I thought I would. I think I would have liked it better as an audiobook or documentary. I love it when people love the same books I love, but I also love it when people have different opinions of books (in this case loving a book I just thought was okay). The parts you liked about the book I also liked. I also liked her reflections on gender vs. anatomy which Sante and I both agree have little to do with each other and are mostly or entirely unimportant. My absolute favorite line in the book was this: "I was excited about writing, about all the possibilities offered by prose and genre to someone formed by poetry, who would be getting things wrong in interesting ways."
Oooh, I love that quote. I listened to the audiobook (which I'm sure added to my enjoyment) so I didn't write down any. I can definitely see why you wouldn't love this. I have been feeling very, very tender toward memoirs by queer and trans elders recently, and find myself thinking about them so much, even if they don't blow me away. I loved how to me it didn't feel like she was trying to explain herself or be "good".
Re: TATY: "This is an epic poem disguised as a book-length essay." - YES! My exact thoughts about this book (which is amongst the many brilliant books I DNFed due to personal issues but cannot wait to get back to when I don't psych myself out)
DNFing because you're not in the right space is such a good practice. The books will be here for you when you are ready!
I love the way you write these favourite lists so much - I am enjoying them SO much. I cannot wait for the Fiction one! X
I'm so glad you're enjoying these lists, Martha! I'm looking forward to whatever year-end lists you decide to do (if any)!