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Books and Update
So Japan is probably going to get released from lockdown this week, for the most part. Tokyo still isn't doing so great, but since most of the prefectures don't have the same kinds of numbers at all, hopefully we can ease back to our regular lives. Everybody is still conscientiously washing hands and wearing masks, and most shops/doctors keep doors and windows open and have plastic barriers up for their cashiers. So I feel like people here are doing their part for public health a lot more readily than in Western countries? Going on FB just makes me despair, honestly. My mom spent Mother's Day doing frontline swabbing at a COVID-19 test clinic. I mean, she can't do her regular job now (occupational therapy home visits for seniors), but it makes me damn nervous that they assigned the immunocompromised diabetic that job, NGL. And yet people keep proclaiming how pointless masks are and that they shouldn't even bother, how DARE Costco make some freedom oppressing rule and ugh. :/
Anyway, I'm looking forward to having my kids back in school, hopefully in June. The homework responsibilities on the parents have only expanded with each new package, and in the latest one, we are expected to teach all subjects to our wee darlings, including music and calligraphy and PE. Luckily I remember how to play the recorder, but like, seriously WTF. Teaching 5th grade math, social studies and science IN JAPANESE is not something I have been trained for. SIGH. Luckily (sort of) my husband (who is a pilot) has zero flights for all of May (although he still has his job for now) so he has been helping with the daily homework a lot, but you can tell he is annoyed that I can't do more, and dude. I am a teacher, but THIS IS NEITHER MY NATIVE LANGUAGE NOR MY SUBJECT OF EXPERTISE.
Haven't been reading as much because I've been writing and that is always more time consuming for me, but I've finished 5 books since my last update. Almost halfway to my reading goal for the year (100 books) and so far, I've really been enjoying purposely choosing books written by women! Like just when I start to think it might be okay to read books written by men again, I get reminded of the status quo for female characters in media made by men and I'm like, yeah, no, let's keep going with this.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston- I LOVED THIS. I had no idea there were epistolary elements in this when I put it on hold and I ADORE epistolary anything (hilarious texts and some of the love letters are totally swoon worthy!) But the nicest thing about this was probably the canon AU setting of US politics. It was just such a relief?
Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews- One of my favorite Kate Daniels books, hands down. They are back to fun snarky banter! Kate having to be at the beck and call of The Pack is no more, so watch her make dubious decisions like go charging at a Giant by herself! The super high stakes made me cry in the middle. Angst and action and the threads pulling tighter on all the Roland stuff? SIGN ME UP. I might buy this one later, once it's easier to get English books shipped again.
In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce- Maybe I just find the protagonist too boring to want to suspend my disbelief. And since this series increasingly asks the reader to do that more and more, I won't be reading more. It's very predictable and not very compelling.
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren Also a bland couple of protagonists and a few staggering time jumps without even a line break. To be fair, I don't like stories where the hero purposely hurts the heroine and then gets her in the end anyway. The title should have been a clue, and I didn't pick up on it. It wasn't just the plot though- the guy was so boring that I couldn't really ship it, nonetheless really picture him as a living, breathing character? Ditto the heroine- plenty of insecurities, not a lot of DRIVE to make you want her to succeed.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison- Didn't like the structure of this, in that it's about 2/3rds meandering introduction. The characters are realistically flawed and gross and hard to like. I didn't think this lived up to the hype, and TBH I'm rather disappointed.
Next up Magic Binds, Educated, The Heiress Effect, Girls of Storm and Shadow.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to having my kids back in school, hopefully in June. The homework responsibilities on the parents have only expanded with each new package, and in the latest one, we are expected to teach all subjects to our wee darlings, including music and calligraphy and PE. Luckily I remember how to play the recorder, but like, seriously WTF. Teaching 5th grade math, social studies and science IN JAPANESE is not something I have been trained for. SIGH. Luckily (sort of) my husband (who is a pilot) has zero flights for all of May (although he still has his job for now) so he has been helping with the daily homework a lot, but you can tell he is annoyed that I can't do more, and dude. I am a teacher, but THIS IS NEITHER MY NATIVE LANGUAGE NOR MY SUBJECT OF EXPERTISE.
Haven't been reading as much because I've been writing and that is always more time consuming for me, but I've finished 5 books since my last update. Almost halfway to my reading goal for the year (100 books) and so far, I've really been enjoying purposely choosing books written by women! Like just when I start to think it might be okay to read books written by men again, I get reminded of the status quo for female characters in media made by men and I'm like, yeah, no, let's keep going with this.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston- I LOVED THIS. I had no idea there were epistolary elements in this when I put it on hold and I ADORE epistolary anything (hilarious texts and some of the love letters are totally swoon worthy!) But the nicest thing about this was probably the canon AU setting of US politics. It was just such a relief?Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews- One of my favorite Kate Daniels books, hands down. They are back to fun snarky banter! Kate having to be at the beck and call of The Pack is no more, so watch her make dubious decisions like go charging at a Giant by herself! The super high stakes made me cry in the middle. Angst and action and the threads pulling tighter on all the Roland stuff? SIGN ME UP. I might buy this one later, once it's easier to get English books shipped again.In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce- Maybe I just find the protagonist too boring to want to suspend my disbelief. And since this series increasingly asks the reader to do that more and more, I won't be reading more. It's very predictable and not very compelling.Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren Also a bland couple of protagonists and a few staggering time jumps without even a line break. To be fair, I don't like stories where the hero purposely hurts the heroine and then gets her in the end anyway. The title should have been a clue, and I didn't pick up on it. It wasn't just the plot though- the guy was so boring that I couldn't really ship it, nonetheless really picture him as a living, breathing character? Ditto the heroine- plenty of insecurities, not a lot of DRIVE to make you want her to succeed. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison- Didn't like the structure of this, in that it's about 2/3rds meandering introduction. The characters are realistically flawed and gross and hard to like. I didn't think this lived up to the hype, and TBH I'm rather disappointed.Next up Magic Binds, Educated, The Heiress Effect, Girls of Storm and Shadow.