Harare Review of Books, May 2023
Hi!
I’ve read 99 books so far in 2023: a mix of fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, graphic novels, and some poetry. Some of these books have been really good! I’ve shared many of those in the newsletters, but you’ll also find mini reviews on Bookstagram, and much more on the blog.
Thank you to NetGalley and Edelweiss, and the very long list of publishers who’ve provided me with ARCs. If you’re curious about what I’ve read, here is the post: on the blog | Tiktok | Bookstagram.
Recently, on the blog
Children’s books: What’s not to love?! We have: Colour! Simple themes! Quick reads! That are usually heartwarming, and often funny! Such a pleasant diversion, and I’m really into them now (again, lol). You should totes walk into the bookshop and buy them “for the kids” but in fact for yourself to brighten up your own day, thank you very much. [More]
This is a really beautiful book that I would put on the “Literature for Philosophy and English Majors” shelf, because even after reading it, I’m not sure I got all of the references. [More]
Sometimes you’re glad you read something because
A. It’s a re-interpretation of what’s considered a Western classic, or;
B. It’s from a culture or country you’re not familiar with. [More]
The Illustrator’s Guide is divided into sections: the first part talks layout, so you can make sense of all those UI things (with handy tips), while the second has projects for you to try. Everything is laid out in a clear way; if you’re intimidated by the app, this is definitely the book for you. [More]
This is a wonderful and tender tribute to one of my favourite artists, Yayoi Kusama. Her complex person and life are depicted beautifully in a graphic art style that pays homage to her inimitable one. [More]
This one was a complicated one for me. I loved parts of it, and found the story (or, more correctly, stories, as this is a linked collection) very engaging; but I got quite unsettled by aspects of it. [More]
I mostly paged through this for the gorgeous gorgeous pictures of large-scale public art, and it reminded me how much I want to go to Burning Man one day. [More]
Critics of literary fiction say they hate it because nothing happens. Lovers of literary fiction say they love it because nothing happens. I may be making that up, but the appeal of the genre for me has always been the character study at the centre, and this book is a good example. [More]
Patrick’s book is incredibly, powerfully affirming: someone else has been through and is going through it, and you’re not alone. [More]
Tobar reminds us what the ultimate point of reinforcing such ideas always is: it is in the service of capitalism, and the imperial agenda. He asks us to resist, and to dream in new ways of new utopias—unworlding, as N. K. Jemisin would put it, and also the example of the resistance movements of the 1960s and 1970s. [More]
Its very cool futuristic concepts are already shaping some of the ways I think—although, relating to bodies, perhaps not in ways the author intended. [More]
I loved this phenomenal collection of stories with a speculative twist from Zimbabwean-born writer, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu. Many of these stories have been published before in various places, but this is the first time they’ve been brought together in one volume. [More]
Happening in books
Rest in peace, Mama Ama Ata Aidoo 😓🙏🏾
The Orwell Foundation announced forty-five finalists across five categories for the 2023 Orwell Prizes.
Georgi Gospodinov and Angela Rodel have won the 2023 International Booker Prize for Time Shelter.
Here’s a tweet about experimental novels (check out the replies), while Twitter lasts.
This might be of interest to writers: Is My Writing a Hobby Or a Career?
Goodreads have a couple of cool lists out:
1. Books to Suit Your Summer Reading Mood - Goodreads News & Interviews
2. 88 Upcoming Books the Goodreads Editors Can't Wait to Read - Goodreads News & Interviews
Some excellent thoughts on who gets to write what from writer Kaitlyn Greenidge, published in the NYT in 2016.
This is an excellent article about book-banning in the US: Book banning isn’t a ‘culture war’
June releases I'm looking forward to
Currently reading the ARC of Magogodi oaMphela Makhene’s Innards 💫 (thank you, W. W. Norton & Company!)
That's it for now. You can always find me in all of the usual places, and a few new ones; all the links are on linktr.ee. Also, as usual, on the blog, or, by replying to this email.
Take care!
St 💫
"In supplicatory or in thanksgiving sacrifices, the drum always set the pace, gave the tone and established the atmosphere of the occasion. The drum spoke the language of the sons [and daughters] of the soil ... When a chief was enthroned, the drums thundered. When a chief died, the drums mourned. When an invasion was imminent, the drums warned and summoned all able-bodied men to defend their country. When the spirits were angry, the drum appeased [them]. When the young were merry and danced in the moonlight, the drum provided the rhythm and the grace." - Paul Chidyausiku, Roman Catholic priest and novelist, 1965
From When Three Sevens Clash, by Percy Zvomuya (ed.)