Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Other Lessons From The Crematorium by Caitlin Doughty - I was expecting this (probably just because of the title) to be more anecdotes about working in a crematorium but, as well as a memoir of her start in the funerary business, it was more about her general view on how we have an awful relationship with death in the west. Maybe if you haven't read anything on the topic before there'd be enough of the mortician work anecdotes for you (because there definitely are some), maybe it's just because I'd read other books about it so what she did share were things I already knew (except the bit about getting the babies in the cremation machine, that must take some getting used to), or maybe it was purely because I'd wrongly judged what the book was going to be like and held it to a standard that wasn't fair because I'd made it up. It might not have been entirely what I was expecting but it was still a real good book. I'm so interested in this topic, the death one. It's so fascinating and she's so right, we are dumb about it. It happens to everyone, we should talk about it much more.
Clothes Music Boys by Viv Albertine - This book is amazing, it's such a good look into the London punk scene in the seventies and it's an amazingly honest, raw story right up through her adult life so far. She tells some pretty amazing stories and how they're written just works so perfectly. The first half got me feeling all riled up and ready to make stuff and just get on with it (whatever 'it' may be lol) and the second half was so amazing because you rarely hear such an honest account of a middle aged woman's life. I don't really know what to say about it without just telling all the stories but I definitely recommend it. I read a couple of excerpts in my July wrap up video.
The Story of Pain From Prayer to Painkillers by Joanna Bourke - This is the first book I've ever read that uses she not he when it's not about a particular person so I was sold from the start to be honest. It was a slightly heavier read in that it was more academic, although not as academic as some books can be. It was really interesting and she touched on so many subjects that often get ignored in favour of the white middle class story such as chronic illness, race, class and gender issues within the subject of pain and how people have been treated over the centuries (and still now) depending on these factors.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 1 by Naoko Takeuchi - All the little drawings in the speech bubbles and how it changes from pointiest of chins style manga to chibi heart eyes is just amazing. (I draft these posts as I read the books and then come back to try and flesh them out but I'ma leave that review as is) I'll just add, Sailor Moon is one of those things that I know I like but have never had the chance to experience yet but I'm finally getting to read/watch it bit by bit and I was totally right. It's awesome, I love it.
Please tell me what you are reading or what I should read and add me on goodreads if you use that because I love it for finding new books to add to my ever growing list ^_^
Also, go visit your library if you don't already (and if you do then go an extra time, treat yourself), it's where I got all these books from. Libraries are magical, amazing and important and need your support. If you can't get to your local library look them up online, I know mine also do ebooks and stuff so maybe they can still help you out.
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