Books and things

We're still here, having ridiculous arguments about how he'd rather me chop up peppers and make burritos than stuff peppers because he'd rather have me do the work of cutting peppers for him but he draws the line at me pre-chewing his food because he's not a Ferengi. Also whether fruit, yogurt, and granola should be consumed for lunch or dinner. And that store-bought tortillas shouldn't be stacked because that causes them to stick together. As if they aren't already stacked in the stores. Oh, apparently I should chop vegetables so he can use them to make lunch because he's incapable of using a knife or something. Except he doesn't trust me when I have a knife in my hand because I am clumsy and might stab him. Whatever.

Anyway, apparently the way to encourage me to read is to give me a new stack of library books. Back in March, I checked out all of the books being held for me right before everything shut down. And then my reading rate decreased. When the library opened for returns/drive-thru pickup at the beginning of June, I only had 18 books to return and should have had at least 25. (Tangent: I caused traffic jams at two different library branches while returning and picking up books.)

Since then, I've been voraciously reading, partly as an attempt to stay below my allowed limit of checkouts. It hasn't really been working, but most of the library employees have been kind enough to give me however many books are on the shelf waiting for me. 

And since returns are being quarantined for at least three days, I have been obsessively refreshing my library account on the day books are due to be scanned back in, because apparently it's reassuring to watch the number of my checkouts decrease. I should do that now, brb. Nope, they're not scanned in yet.

Anyway, I should have been posting some flash book reviews but haven't. Y'all should read these books:

 

Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid

Docile, K.M. Szpara

Everywhere You Don't Belong, Gabriel Bump

Three Women, Lisa Taddeo

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau, Michael Zapata

The Deep, Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes

Friday Black, Nana Kwame Adjeh-Brenyah

Saving Ruby King, Catherine Adel West

Real Life, Brandon Taylor

In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado

I do not suggest reading Station Eleven right before the world descends into a global pandemic. It's an excellent book, but reading about a deadly global flu was not reassuring during the early days of COVID-19. 

...And suddenly it's midafternoon, which means I should start on dinner. Later!