All the books I read in January and what I thought of them

I was at home on break for a majority of this month so I started this very unsustainable streak wherein I finished a book every day. Then I went back to school and this was no longer possible. All I wanted to do over break was sleep and read. I think this was the life I was meant to be living. I hate society. Instead of getting a college degree and a real job, I think I should become a professional book blogger and only do things I completely enjoy. Or I could become a heiress. If anyone wants to leave me a large sum of money in their will, please let me know. 

✨✨✨

Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was expecting this book to be more exciting, but it turned out to mostly be about this guy vibing as he successively gets reincarnated as different animals. Actually, I think he is too angsty to be described as "vibing." But it was a fun book.

🐂🐖🐕

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am not really an Aunt Josephine fan. If someone forced me to eat exclusively cold food in gloomy weather because they were scared of kitchen appliances, I would simply run away.

🪟🪟🪟

The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad

rating: ⭐⭐⭐

My friend Frank recommended this book to me. I would have liked it more if I didn't think the author had an agenda, but I do think the author had an agenda, and I don't trust her.

📚📚📚

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

I have never (hardly ever) read a slower burn romance than the one in this book. I liked the main couple. Upon reflection, this book didn't stick with me as much as I thought it would, and I can't really see myself rereading it. But the main couple was good together, and that's what I remember the most. If you like radioactivity, have I got the book for you.

☢️☢️☢️

The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Personally, I prefer Charles's character in the TV show to his character in the books. In the books, he just seems sort of useless. Nevertheless, the Baudelaires continue slaying no matter what obstacles haters throw in their way!!

🪵🪵🪵

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

My friend Frank also recommended this book to me. It was really good. I was expecting it to be more about friendship and less about guilt and redemption, so I would say I was disappointed more by my expectations than the book. It was still very nice, and probably the best version of the book that it is.

🪁🪁🪁

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Quagmires slayed. I'm not sure why they never invited the Baudelaires to their dormitory to plot. Why would you let your friends scheme in an orphans shack when you have your own perfectly nice accomodations?

🏫🏫🏫

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The setting in this one is fantastic.

🛗🛗🛗

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

It is so crazy how all Elenas are amazing writers. This book was not as "generous-hearted" as I hoped it would be, but Lila and Lenù are so fun to read about. I am watching the TV adaptation of this series, and I am discovering that miniseries with hour long episodes have some of the same problems for me as movies. Like the series is very artsy and cinematic, but it's also kind of boring. My problem with movies (and this TV show, evidently) is that they force me to experience the piece of media how they see it, and it's always either emotionally manipulative or boring. Anyway, I love Elena Ferrante.

👞👞👞

The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I liked the crow fountain. Actually, I like all fountains. The strong point of my book blog is really the insightful literary criticism and analysis.

🐤🐤🐤

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein

rating: ⭐⭐

I read this book because my friend Maya likes the Lord of the Rings books. I am so sure the rest of the books will be better. I already am enjoying The Fellowship of the Ring. So much better. 

💍💍💍

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I have been having a serious crisis about this, but I've concluded that it makes sense that Jon Ronson is a Jon and not a John. I just don't think a John Ronson would get up to these shenanigans. I have this bad habit of accidentally reading "nonfiction" that I actually do not believe for a minute is scientific, objective, or unsketchy (coughcoughmalcolmgladwellcough). This is an example of that. Jon Ronson is a great narrator, though. This book was so exciting.

I relate to Jon Ronson because he had help from Scientologists in researching psychiatry, and I had help from Christian Scientists in researching the Mary Baker Eddy for a school project. Similar!

🧠🧠🧠

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have read this book at least four times now and it slays consistently. I am living for books about angsty teenagers, especially if they are wholesome. This book is fairly wholesome.

👟👟👟

The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't really wear high heels, but if I did, I would want the heels to be knives like Esme's. 

🩺🩺🩺

A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't remember whether Celina specifically told me to read this book, or whether she merely influenced me. In any case, I am giving credit mostly to Celina but also her professor (who assigned her class the book) for influencing me to read this book. It's fantastic. I was so invested. I relate strongly to W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods because they dumped toxic chemicals in the Aberjona River, and I threw a teabag in the Boston Harbor once. My other takeaway from this book is that it's a good thing that Gleevec exists and no longer do so many people have to die from chronic myelogenous leukemia. If this book had taken place 30 years later? Completely different plot. I did a project on chronic myelogenous leukemia (with Helen!!) in my 9th grade bio class so now I have this background knowledge about a cancer drug.

If I had a nickel for every time this month I read a book where children get leukemia because of their polluted environments, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. 

🧪🧪🧪

The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket (reread)

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was not anticipating the series getting this good before the tenth or eleventh book, but apparently my old five-star goodreads rating was correct! I feel like this is the first book in the series that grapples with serious moral and philosophical questions. There's a cohesive theme throughout about how people will find any excuse to hurt each other, especially by looking for ways to think of others as subhuman. The world is a messy and complicated place, and the Baudelaires have to grapple for the first time with their complicity and moral responsibilities. It can be hard to do the right thing!! It sets the stage really well for future books where the Baudelaires have to consider whether they are wicked, noble, or innocent enough. This book really hits different from the rest of the series so far. 

🦁🦁🦁

The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

For the most part, this was great, but I don't understand why they had to spend 130 pages at the beach. It felt excessive. I am very excited to learn how Lila and Lenù's friendship develops as they get older!! Also, Lila and Enzo's friendship. I love Lila and Lenù, and I also became a big Enzo fan toward the end.

🏖️🏖️🏖️ 

Ports of Call by Amin Maalouf

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The love interest this book is named Clara and my name is Clara. She is Jewish and I am also Jewish. Some of this book takes place in Lyons, France, and I was reading it in Lyons the building. We are the same person confirmed.

📸📸📸

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante 

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I now understand what the last two books have been getting at. I am fully bought into the story and the ideas. Lenù... makes some choices. I borrowed this book from the West End branch of the Boston Public Library, a library that inexplicably puts seating areas in the middle of the stacks in such an awkward way that if you wanted to borrow a book by an author whose name started with Hi—, you would have to get in someone's way. Fortunately, Ferrante starts with F.

🌭🌭🌭