We are a few weeks late but here is how July went for us! How was your month? How is August treating you? Tell us in the comments.
Kriti’s July Book Selection
The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro by Viola Ardone, Clarissa Botsford (Translator) | Goodreads | Historical Fiction | Review
The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro is a captivating coming-of-age novel set in 1960s Sicily, inspired by a true story. Fifteen-year-old Oliva Denaro defies societal norms, embracing her carefree spirit and resisting the pressures of becoming a woman. As she navigates a changing world, she faces an unwanted courtship that prompts her to fight for her right to choose her own path in a society still bound by rigid traditions. This lyrical tale beautifully captures the essence of a time and place, highlighting Oliva’s intense journey towards independence and self-discovery against a backdrop of social change and transformation.
The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro is a beautiful book. It made me think about the freedom I enjoy in today’s society. The word I would use in Hindi in regards to the rules and restrictions imposed on women in the 1960s society of Italy is बंदिश. ‘bindings’ is a close enough translation, lacking the gravity I feel the original expresses in my mother tongue. While both the synopsis and my review talk a lot about the plot, the character and world development is well done in the book. If this is a time period or topic of interest to you, definitely pick up this book.
Dream, Norma Jeane by Dakota Phillips | Goodreads | Poetry | Review
Eight Strings by Margaret DeRosia | Goodreads | Historical Fiction
Eight Strings is a captivating historical coming-of-age novel set in late 19th-century Venice. The story follows Francesca, a young woman who disguises herself as a man named Franco to pursue her dream of becoming a puppeteer at the male-exclusive Minerva Theater. As Franco, she navigates the intricacies of the theater world and finds her true self while facing challenges and romance. The novel delves into themes of gender identity, societal constraints, and the power of art, all set against the vibrant backdrop of Venice’s theatrical scene.
As a debut novel, this was very well done! One of the things I am really enjoying in this book is the characters’ love for their crafts. Radillo and Carmine are good teachers and want to see Franco succeed and realize his potential. Annella’s expertise in sewing and Franco’s skill in mending the puppets is not going unnoticed. I like the atmosphere and camaraderie of the theatre. Seeing people around Franco growing to love and accept him was one of my favorite parts of this book. Lots to tell you about in this one. 🙂
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin | Goodreads | Non-Fiction | Read twice!
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin is a profound exploration of creativity and the artistic process. Drawing on his extensive experience as a music producer, Rubin offers insights into the essence of true creativity, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and the artist’s connection to the world. The book delves into the transformative power of creativity, encouraging readers to tap into their inner wellsprings of innovation and expressiveness. With wisdom drawn from a lifetime of work with artists, Rubin’s book serves as a guide to help individuals unlock their creative potential and experience moments of transcendence and exhilaration.
I had to read this one twice because once was not enough to appreciate the beauty of Rick’s writing and thoughts. So much resonated with me! It is fascinating that I still haven’t written my full review, even though I have a journal full of notes and comments. 🙂 I am going to be highlighting this one many times on the blog so don’t be surprised!
A History of Burning by Janika Oza | Goodreads | Historical Fiction
A History of Burning by Janika Oza is a poignant and sweeping debut novel that spans multiple generations and continents. The story follows the journey of a family from India to Uganda, England, and Canada, exploring their struggles and choices in the face of colonialism, exile, and changing political landscapes. The narrative centers around Pirbhai, who makes a life-altering decision while working on the East African Railway, setting off a chain of events that shape the lives of his descendants. As the family navigates the challenges of British colonial rule, independence movements, and personal ambitions, the novel delves into themes of survival, identity, and the power of shared and unspoken stories.
A must read to understand the immigrant experience!! I highly encourage you to pick this up, especially if you are of Indian or African origin, or if you enjoy multi-generational stories. I will be coming back to A History of Burning again. Through the family of characters, this book shows how love and culture transcend time and continents. It’s a story about my people, inspired by history that I was not aware of. I take strength from this book and am proud of my Indian culture and people. It does a fabulous job of celebrating it while bringing awareness to dark parts of history that often get ignored in the wake of well-known events.
Falling back in love with being human by Kai Cheng Thom | Goodreads | Literary Fiction | Review
Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom is an evocative collection of letters. It is lyrical, poetic and hard to put down. I read it on a weekend. I loved the idea of finding love through despair by writing to the parts of us that hurt. To see what is hurting and accept those parts of ourselves and others is a way of healing ourselves too.
Throughout the book, Kai is working through grief. Sometimes it is more defined like the pain of losing her sister. Other times, it is broader, looking into disillusionment from religions and communities that said they offered unconditional acceptance. Kai’s desire to talk to those who are gone and share all that has learned about living is one I share too.
The letters are short and concise. They offer opportunities for reflection and are followed by a suggestion to take action.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin | Goodreads | Literary Fiction
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is an exhilarating novel that follows the journey of two friends, Sam Masur and Sadie Green, as they become creative partners in the world of video game design. Despite their close bond, their relationship never transforms into romance. Instead, their collaboration results in fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and a unique form of immortality. The story spans three decades, taking readers from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, exploring themes of identity, disability, ambition, and the complexities of love. Zevin’s novel offers a fresh perspective on connection, creativity, and the unpredictable twists of life.
Winner of Best Fiction in the 2022 Goodreads Awards, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin deserves the fame. Stay tuned for the book discussion with Erynn next month!
The African Samurai by Craig Shreve | Goodreads | Historical Fiction | Review
The African Samurai by Craig Shreve is a powerful historical novel set in the late 16th century across Africa, India, Portugal, and Japan. Based on the true story of Yasuke, Japan’s first foreign-born samurai of African descent, the novel follows his journey from being a young soldier haunted by his past to becoming a trusted samurai in the service of Oda Nobunaga, a powerful Japanese warlord. As Yasuke navigates the tensions between East and West, he develops trust and respect for Nobunaga, earning the title of samurai and a new name.
I quite enjoyed this one! This book is also special because I got to work with my favorite publisher, S&S, and the author! Read interview here.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte | Goodreads | HIstorical Fiction
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a classic novel set in a hauntingly atmospheric house called Wuthering Heights. The story follows a man who seeks shelter in the house during a snowstorm and becomes captivated by the enigmatic past of the place. He learns about the tragic tale of Cathy, a woman torn between her husband and her intense love for another man, and how her choices led to betrayal and vengeful consequences that continue to affect those in the present. The novel explores themes of love, passion, revenge, and the enduring impact of past actions on the lives of its characters.
Coming back to this classic after over a decade was a neat experience! I could not remember why I loved this book and I was worried if I would again. But, I was hooked and erudite. I am hoping to reflect soon on what brings people back to it.
I also read two children’s books: Grandpa & Lewy: A story of hope and empowerment for children touched by Lewy Body Dementia and The Sparkly Bun.
Total TBR: 350 (Jul 1) -> 370 (Aug 1)
I gathered a lot of books in July! Check out my growing physical library below:
Here are some new additions for review copies:
Writing
Updates on TBP (to be posted – reviews that I have written but not yet published to the blog) and TBW (to be written – books I have read but not yet noted down my thoughts about).
TBP: 23 (Jul) -> 20 (Aug)
TBW: 20 (Jul) -> 4 (Aug)
A History of Burning, Eight Strings, Falling Back in Love with Being Human, The Last Gifts of the Universe and Valley of the Birdtail were thought-provoking reads that I enjoyed writing about! Both A History of Burning and Valley of the Birdtail offered a lot to me to reflect upon about my culture and countries that I call home.
Blogging
In case you missed it, the non-fiction feature of July was The Lost Art of Good Conversation
Lots of reviews were posted on the blog! From Fantasy Second Star to the Left, Legends & Lattes and Unpainted. In the SciFi realm, Ariel shared about The Deep Sky and I shared my much-awaited review of Do You Dream of Terra-Two?. In literary and historical fiction, I wrote about The Cloisters and The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro respectively.
Many thanks to Dan Fitzgerald for taking the time to chat with me about Unpainted. They called me a scholar which I associate as. 🙂
In collaboration with Lindsey Bakken, I shared about Barbie in Book Characters. This was a fun post and we did a reel about it too on Instagram.
Staging
I started the month with some poetry! I adored this photo too much to keep it to myself.
My journals consistently last three months and I did a quarterly review for April-June and shared some insights with my followers. It was amazing to find fellow journal lovers in Nancy (@labookgirl95). She shares non-fiction books so please do check out her work. 🙂
Libby app tips: Did you know you can export your notes and highlights from Libby? Even after returning the book? This works really well with ebooks. The audiobooks notes export will give you percentages where you bookmarked or wrote notes. Check out the reel for a tutorial.
I posted reviews of The Book of Boundaries, Dream, Norma Jeane, The Light Pirate, and Maggie’s List.
I wrote my first couple thoughts after finishing The Creative Act and Wuthering Heights (embed).
Continuing with reflections around Babel, I enjoyed discussion translation with Kirsten (@my_forest_library).
Co-hosting with Erika from The Enchanted Shelf, in our second Bookish Q&A, we asked readers the genres they tend to not pick up.
Two more updates below:
The Noteworthy: A random collection of findings
- I got a tattoo in July!
- I visited Alhambra Books and expanded my home library further.
- It celebrated Amma’s birthday by making a Pinterest board with the help of my family.
- With Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, I was learning about video games. Clinton told me about Runescape, the game that inspired Warcraft and is still a very popular game! I could not play those graphics, I am pampered but I love that so many people still gravitate to it.
Ariel’s July
In July, I was so busy, but I always tried to make time to read a little bit each day. I’m hoping August will be slower-paced. I made a great library run and plan to do so again in August and continue getting more books. Plus, Kriti and I did a book exchange and I’m excited to dig into Crow Winter by Karen McBride!
Book Total: 8
Ebooks: 1
Physical Books: 3
Audiobooks: 4
Library Books: 7
Netgalley Arcs: 0
Physical Arcs: 1
Notable Favorites:
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States by Kyle T. Mays
Not books:
Favorite TV Show this month: What We Do In The Shadows
Favorite Video Game this month: Sticky Business
Thanks for being a reader of Armed with A Book. What’s been a favorite book for you so far this year?
Lofi Girl art downloaded from UDH Wallpaper
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