In addition to writing, I read a lot too, but I seldom manage to finish what I'm reading.
So, here's a list of books I've started, and books I've actually finished. Not all these books feature weird girls as characters (though that helps), but most are definitely written for them.
Life's too short to read books you don't enjoy!
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Read to page 135
Found this one on the banned books list so I was instantly intrigued. Unfortunately, that intrigue couldn't sustain through the excessively descriptive language. Although I quite liked Clyde and his awkward ambition to escape the shabby monotony of his missionary life, I felt the book grow longer with each passing page. I may try the 1931 film instead to find out the ending.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Hartman
Completed in a week or so
OMG. I don't think I've ever identified with a book more. The unexplained details of this tragic tale of forty women locked inside a bunker and their fate do not incense the reader, instead the mystery the characters dwell in allows for a richer examination into the constructs of human nature once all explanations and expectations are removed.
The Joyful Song of the Partridge by Paulina Chiziane
Read to page 12
Poetic and rich with mystical imagery this funky little book was exactly what I wasn't in the mood for. I may revisit it later down the road, but I typically like my mythological tales with a more personal rather than a prognosticating touch.
I fully related to the protagonist's experience as she's raised devoid of agency, affection, and at the mercy of the guards. As someone who grew up in isolation and with constant abuse I felt a kinship with this nameless girl who's intelligence and resourcefulness allows her to live in a world she can barely understand, with others she can not relate, and yet never lose her spirit or her hope. As others around her allow their hopelessness to overtake them, her fiery rebelliousness and will to survive lead her on a lifelong journey that she must take alone.
It's a lonely read for sure, but comforting for those of us who have resided in a world of loneliness, confusion, and questions with no answers. The main character may or may not be an alien on another planet, but she claims the planet and all it can provide for her without reservation regardless.
Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro
Read to page 5
My banker was reading this 1st book of the "Talents" trilogy so I picked it up. A few minutes later I put it back down. Sorry, but child rape, pregnancy, and abuse is just not a fun opener for me. I'm gonna pass on this one.
There's no happy ending to be found here, yet the main character manages to find security in herself, a place to call home, and a desire to tell her story, even if the pages turn to dust as she eventually will. The power of this book lies in its ability to provide an example of identity devoid of any adherence to any internalized parameters. If we are all the sole inhibitors of our individual worlds then our story, the way we choose to live, is the only thing that matters, and in the end, the only thing that will remain.
In His Own Write by John Lennon
Skipped around
A quirky little bit of farcical poetry and stream of consciousness was a welcome relief from the heaviness of the book I actually finished the day before.
Reading this book is almost like taking a ride in a yellow submarine back in time to when these jokes were actually funny. I guess you had to be there...
What We Owe by Golnaz Hashemnadeh Bonds
Completed in a few days
Oof! This book hit hard and fast. I completed it days before the bombings in Iran that have the potential to undo to Islamic Revolution that this book's protagonist narrowly escaped. This emotional little novel explores the price she pays on her relationship with her homeland, her family, and with herself for her freedom from an autocratic regime in her new home in Sweden. It's a raw glimpse on how trauma can follow you wherever you go.
Daredevils by Shawn Vestal
Read to page 53
This novel held a lot of promise. In the midsts of 1970's rebelliousness, Evel Knieval's stunts set the stage for a child bride's escape from a fringe fundamentalist polygamous Mormon cult.
Unfortunately, after fifty-ish pages I realized that these Mormons, even those who may eventually escape, are still duller than the Midwestern dirt that surrounds them.
Fishbowl by Bradley Somer
Completed in 1 1/2 weeks
This novel reads more like a collection of short stories taking place in the apartments within a city high-rise. Although many of the character's were cliche's, like the dippy young pregnant girlfriend, the sexually frustrated shut-in, and the professor with an over inflated ego, it moved quickly, and kept me interested enough to get to the end. A fun break from the heavy stuff for sure, plus the fish POV and flip-book was great!
All Fours by Miranda July
Read to page 20
This book was recommended on a FB page that usually is pretty on point. I'm all for a mid-life existential crises with full on sexual reawakening. However, I couldn't stick around for this lady's. She was giving me serious theatre-kid energy with a neurotic self-absorption that I really didn't want to hang out with for more than a few pages, coupled with a mystery that didn't grab me enough to care.
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
Completed in a weekend
I only dabble in horror, but this was a very fun read. Although the story was a predictable revenge gore-fest, the writing was witty and smart. I appreciated routing for a main character who was truly an unapologetic psycho, and refreshing to join her in her horrific escapades without care for repercussions. It's like letting your intrusive thoughts have a little vacation, but with corsets and British accents.