November started out far too warm (when looked at from a climate crisis perspective rather than personal comfort) and ended super cold. In two weeks we flipped from no central heating and light sweaters, to all-day central heating, thick jumpers and blankets everywhere we sit.

Reading-wise it was an excellent month. Every book was great, with my favourite probably being How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee (though it was tough to choose a favourite). I did a book swap with a friend so I’m now alternating borrowed books with TBR titles. It was meant to stop me from buying new books for a while but I slipped up and bought two of the little Faber Stories series in the Barbican gift shop.

Speaking of which: I went to London! For the first time since very early 2020. And it felt like I’d never been away. Not that nothing had changed, but I expect London to be in constant flux. I even went on the shiny new Elizabeth Line on the Tube, which is indeed very shiny still. The main highlight was seeing my friend H for lots of chitchat, hugs, food and boozing. But we also squeezed in trips to the Vagina Museum and the Barbican Arts Centre, because we are very cultural. I highly recommend both. They’re opposite ends of the spectrum, inasmuch as the Vagina Museum is pretty small and I suspect most visitors spend less than an hour there. While the Barbican is enormous and could occupy you and your whole extended family for days.

Top films this month were probably See How They Run (period comedy mystery about a murder in the theatre staging Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap) and Thor: Love and Thunder. We’re also very much enjoying the TV show The Peripheral, which is based on a William Gibson book that Tim and I went to a launch event for but neither of us has yet read. That pesky TBR just keeps on growing.

And now it’s December, which means Christmas season. Tim and I have bought something jointly for each other – and that is the only present I have ticked off my list so far. It’s gonna be a busy few weeks. Happy December folks!

Books read

Kong’s Garden by Hwang Jungeun translated by Jeon Seung-hee
This chapbook is part of the Strangers Press project Yoeyu. This one is a short story where the narrator recalls the time they spent working at a bookstore, and a strange incident that occurred. It’s a slightly spooky tale and I was unsure where it was going.

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
In this astonishing novel the narrator makes a deal with her cousin as a child that they will survive, whatever it takes. In her case, what it takes is detaching so far from society that she questions whether she is an Earthling or an alien. This gives a surreal and often funny quality to a tale of abuse, coercion and other awful things. It’s a strange mix but it worked perfectly for me.

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee
This novel is set in Singapore, where two people in the year 2000 are trying to uncover secrets from the Japanese occupation during the Second World War. One is an old woman who has her own terrible memories of that time. The other is a 12-year-old boy desperate to help his father by following up on his grandmother’s deathbed confession. It’s sad, amazing, harrowing and wonderful.

Milena, Milena, Ecstatic by Bae Suah translated by Deborah Smith
Another chapbook in the Yeoyu series, this story follows a film director over the course of a day and night as he plans his next film project and reads Kafka’s Letters to Milena. This is a slightly strange, surreal story. The director lives disconnected from the world, following rigid habits and routine. Yet his art is very human, connecting people, places and emotions.

Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul by Taran N Khan
This is non-fiction about the time the author spent in Kabul on several long trips between 2006 and 2014. Khan is an Indian journalist with family history in Afghanistan so she has rather a different perspective from others I’ve read. Each chapter looks at Kabul through a different lens, such as: poetry and historical epics; graves and memorials; romance and weddings. This isn’t a quick read but it’s worth taking time over.

Palestine +100: Stories From a Century After the Nakba edited by Basma Ghalayini
This is a collection of 12 stories by Palestinian authors who were posed the question: what will their country look like in 2048? From virtual reality to cryptocurrency to hyperloops and parallel universes, science-fiction concepts are used to great effect to explore ideas around surveillance, freedom, diplomacy and war. Comma Press has several of these “+100” short story collections, as well as its excellent series of fiction from specific cities around the world. The next one coming soon is The Book of Bristol, which is obviously going on my wishlist.

Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Outlawed by Saladin Ahmed, Minkyu Jung and Joey Vazquez
This series continues to be excellent. I slightly preferred the art by Adrian Aphona, as the current artists depict most characters super skinny. But otherwise I can’t fault this take on the teen superhero. This volume crosses over with Marvel’s “Outlawed” event, which heavily involves Ms Marvel.