The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise
It takes a lot to take tragedy and not only write about it but also to transcend it and attack life with gusto and literature with joie de vivre.
Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky is a little monster of a calico tabby. A very active cat, she is Hargrave’s little snicker-snack. She’s the third youngest kitten and has a very silky coat.
Hargrave adopted Jabberwocky from a shelter as a kitten. She was playful, adorable, and had big green eyes. She also didn’t sleep. After several 4AM wake-ups, Jabbers had to be trained to go to bed at a certain time. Even as an adult, she still goes to bed every night.
A valued member of the thieves guild, Jabberwocky will steal anything not nailed down. Her sister’s kibbles? Stolen. Pen on the table? Knocked off. Chair you wanted to sit in? Taken.
Despite being very hyper and never sleeping, Jabbers is also rather lazy. She loves to run after a toy as much as she loves to stuff herself and fall asleep on someone’s lap. It’s a contradiction she’ll never resolve.
Paris Vagabond
Clébert doesn’t shy away from any part of his experiences, no matter how ugly, but he also paints a portrait of community and belonging among those that traditionally do not belong.
The Restraint of Beasts
Comedic novels aren’t exactly plentiful in my stacks, but I do turn to them, especially in bleak times and on bleak days. A gloomy January thaw is the perfect time to enjoy one and so I dug one out of my read stacks that I have been meaning to review for a while.
Sylvia
Lenoard Michaels’ novel/memoir Sylvia is basically a book about a terrible relationship. Michaels meets and then rapidly marries Sylvia in front of the backdrop of 1960s Manhattan.
Secrets in the Snow
I’m emphasizing the ghost stories, because even the crime stories in this collection mostly have a ghostly bent. I happen to prefer this, especially in a holiday collection.
Two by Harper Lee
On the blog this month I’m going to feature new re-issues of classic literature and books that could make good gifts for avid readers.
Kaputt
Malaparte uses his position to detail the extravagances and depravity of the Nazi party and the Axis powers and generally to paint a portrait of Europe on the brink of destruction.
Thus Were Their Faces
This book is a selection of work spanning multiple decades, and particularly has a focus on showcasing Ocampo’s tendency to be both insightful and at the same time grotesque, haunting, and fantastic.
The Adversary, The Class Trip, and The Mustache
I still do not find myself drawn to Carrère’s memoir or autobiographical work. But I am glad that I gave his fiction and true crime a chance.
Gary Indiana
This collection of essays is written with the air of Indiana looking back at his life and taking an inventory of sorts as he acknowledges that he is living in a time that is closer to the end than to the beginning.