Happy International Workers Day! April was super cold and then gorgeously warm and dry, so it feels appropriate that May has begun with grey drizzle.

Last month I finished four books but it felt like I read non-stop. I am more than halfway through three books at the moment, so I guess that’s related. And all our weekends have been busy, so I’ve had very few long stretches of reading time.

Anyway, the four books I read were all great but I especially loved The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe and co-authors. I love everything Monáe does, including the album Dirty Computer and its accompanying “emotion picture”, which is the origin of this book, so I am unsurprised but also relieved to have loved the book as well. I had pre-ordered a copy of this book for a friend’s birthday and was delighted to have two copies show up in the post because Tim had pre-ordered one for me as a surprise. What an excellent partner.

Last month we had friends and family come to visit; we went to the beach; and I went on a day trip to the Cotswolds for a friend’s birthday. This coming month we have our first holiday of the year, which we have barely started to plan, so let’s hope that comes together!

My top films watched last month would be Spider-Man: No Way Home, Wadja, Hello My Name is Doris and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. My top TV is a very close tie between season two of Russian Doll and season one of Heartstopper. The latter is based on the web comic by Alice Oseman, which I’ve discussed here before, adapted for TV by Oseman herself. It is a perfect adaptation – a mostly gentle and sweet (but sometimes dealing with serious issues) school drama about two boys falling in love (and their diverse group of friends). I know the web comic gets a little more serious over time, so I expect season two will be less light and fluffy. Assuming it’s renewed, but the ecstatic reception of season one hopefully means it will be.

I should probably take advantage of this rainy day by writing an actual book review! Happy May.

Books read

Trouble is My Business by Raymond Chandler
A collection of four short stories about Philip Marlowe, Tim bought me this book at The Last Bookstore in LA and it is an appropriately LA-set classic. In Chandler’s introduction he mentions that his short stories are even pulpier than his novels because he had to answer to magazine editors and space constraints. Which reins in some of his more flowery language but also limits the room for character development. It’s overall a highly enjoyable book, with satisfying mysteries and far less misogyny or racism than I expected (though there is still some of both).

Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Janssen
I am so impressed that this is a book for children, though I suppose they would, for the most part, read it rather differently. To me, this is a melancholic book, at times overwhelmingly so. Moominpappa is depressed. He feels like no-one really needs him in their comfortable, well-oiled lives and if his purpose is to look after his family then he is without purpose (which is an interesting comment on the social values and expectations of men). So his solution is to uproot his family and take them on a potentially dangerous, isolating adventure. The family gamely follow him to a remote island, working together to forge a new life while letting Moominpappa feel that he is solving the biggest problems. Moomintroll has his own journey of learning to understand the Groke. It’s so sweet and lovely.

Honour by Elif Shafak
Jumping backwards and forwards in time, a Turkish family in London gradually reveal the story of the honour killing that changed all their lives. But in the end that’s just one part of their rich, complex story. I really felt absorbed into their lives and personalities. And it’s an appropriate time to rediscover Shafak as she was just announced as a shortlister for the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe
A series of sci-fi short stories set in the world of Dirty Computer – a future where memories can be monitored; where anyone who defies the strict rules (for example by being gay or trans) is labelled a “dirty computer” and has their memories erased. Every story was co-written by a Black woman or non-binary person and they all have lead characters who are Black, queer or non-binary. It’s a dystopia and the book starts with perhaps the darkest vision of this world, but it manages to end on a note of hope. I truly loved this.