I've done really well so far this year focusing on my own damn books, and I've been very slow to acquire anything except comics which pleases me to no end. However, that said, there are some books that are SERIOUSLY calling my name. Here are a few already released titles and some yet to be published, but they are all hollering to me in a big way.
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes fits with the current goings-on in my life, for sure. While I have no interest in this book because of the TV shows Rhimes has been involved in, I love the premise of saying yes to the things that intimidate us, especially as an introvert who has trouble with that at times.
13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad is supposedly a humorous, biting look at a woman's struggle with weight, and it's described as a book that "skewers the body image-obsessed culture that tells women they have no value outside their physical appearance, and delivers a tender and moving depiction of a lovably difficult young woman whose life is hijacked by her struggle to conform." Really curious about it.
Three Moments of an Explosion by China Mieville is a collection of 28 stories. I haven't read any of Mieville's work so far, and this book definitely appeals to me the most of all his work so far. It's repeatedly described as weird, weird, and more weird. I'm here for that.
The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales because assassin women.
What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi is a must-try. I've struggled with her novels, and my hope is that I'll enjoy her style more in shorter form.
Everything is Teeth by Evie Wyld and Joe Sumner looks really odd but intriguing. Apparently it's an illustrated memoir about sharks, family, love, and memory. I'm in.
Which books are tempting you here lately?
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Oooh - how do you resist?! I've got my eye on Regional Office as well and I need to try Oyeyemi!
ReplyDeleteI buckled with Regional office and got it from Edelweiss! It just sounds SO GOOD.
DeleteI was just thinking about this on Friday as I was shelving some new releases at work. There are so many new books that have caught my eye, but I'm trying so hard to stick to my guns and read from my existing stacks. I'll take a picture tomorrow and share my list of temptations. Keep us posted on The Year of Yes. I've been eyeing that one myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm still having a hard time going back and pulling some of the much older titles from my shelves. I'm beginning to wonder if my tastes have changed to the point that I'll get rid of a lot of my TBR and start over? Or just change the way I approach reading? We'll see.
DeleteI got rid of a bunch of older books last summer. I had just read Marie Kondo's book about decluttering and I took every single book off the shelves (not all at once, but one bookcase at a time) and picked up each book and read the back cover blurb. I was able to eliminate quite a few that no longer appealed to me. I did some taste-testing of some and put them on a shelf to try in the near future. So far, it's worked out quite well. Good luck!
DeleteYear of Yes is calling my name as well.
ReplyDeleteI need her inspiration!
DeleteI picked up one of Oyeyemi's novels while I was in NYC last month! I think that my two Strand purchases have been my only ones so far this year, but oh, how I've been tempted by more.
ReplyDeleteOh, and this totally doesn't count my Audible purchases. :O
Now I need to know which Oyeyemi book you grabbed! You are rocking the purchasing embargo!
DeleteIt's time to treat yourself, girl! ;)
ReplyDeleteI think you might be right. lol
DeleteThe Shonda Rhimes is REALLY calling to me, too, but I think I've found the solution: I heard the audio is fantastic, so I'll get the audio from Audible or the library, thus not breaking any of my #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks rules!
ReplyDeleteOohh, good idea! Maybe I'll scam my husband into getting that one on audio and I'll listen to it. Ha!
DeleteSince China Mieville's novels are weird, it stands to reason his shorter stuff would be, too! I am sure I will check that out at some point. I also am thinking the same about trying Helen Oyeyemi in shorter form because while I love her writing, I just don't end up loving her entire books.... she might work better in short form!
ReplyDeleteI've never read any of his stuff, but this feels like a good place to start with Mieville. And I'm in the same boat re: Oyeyemi. Fingers crossed!
DeleteDefinitely the Oyeyemi - I love the concept of the stories. I'm planning to borrow this one from my library, if possible. If I absolutely love it, I can always buy it later. <--- Reason and logic around book reading and buying brought to me by #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope my library will get it. Fingers crossed!
DeleteI am with you on the new Oyeyemi! I promised the boy we would go to the bookstore today, so we will have to see if I have any will power...
ReplyDeleteI started 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, but I ended up putting it aside. I think it has to do with thinking of my daughter whenever I read about girls, even though the main character is 14 years older than she is. This protagonist's world seemed to revolve around just sex and body image, so it was tough for me to read. I will be interested in your thoughts if you pick it up.
LOL, how did it turn out???
DeleteI can imagine that'd be tough re: 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. I've sort of become obsessed with finding ANY books that have plus size characters who are liberated or not generally tortured by their plus sizedness. Does that make sense?
Think of it as stocking your shelves for being able to continue to #ReadYourOwnDamnBooks
ReplyDeleteLOL, I think I'm just about ready to throw out my TBR and start over.
DeleteI'm trying hard to read my own books as well. Listing the tempting books is the next best thing to actually buying them! I'm curious about Year of Yes...
ReplyDeleteLOL, I'm hoping it'll actually help me to acknowledge them and move on. I still have a gazillion to read.
DeleteI wish I was reading my own books, but I'm in this awkward position right now where I'm having to re-buy books I once owned but then got rid of and now need to the Masters courses. Sad.
ReplyDeleteOh nooooo! I can see this happening to me! lol
DeleteI'd go for Everything Is Teeth - it's sure to be good!
ReplyDeleteIt looks amaaaazing!
DeleteI've been doing really good with reading my own books even though I'm not doing the challenge. I try to avoid bookstores and even posts like this because then I'm tempted. Kindle Daily Deals always get me though. At least they're cheap.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome, Jenny! I haven't been to the bookstore lately, and acknowledging these books, in a weird way, helps the "craving" go away. And I'm the same way re: Kindle Daily Deals.
DeleteI feel like I'm out of the loop so I can't think of anything that's tempting me too much.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I do go through non-temptation times, but this isn't one of them. lol
DeleteThe Regional Office is Under Attack is on my list too! I haven't been doing great at not buying any books, so maybe I will end up caving and getting it if the library doesn't get a copy when it comes out.
ReplyDeleteAlso, bravo to you for your big leap this week. I'm excited for you and excited to see what comes next.
I buckled and got Regional Office from Edelweiss. At least it's free! lol
DeleteThank you re: the big leap! I've only had a few "OMGWhatDidIDo" moments since then!
NO- stay strong! Maybe a nice spring-y body lotion instead? Or nail polish? ;)
ReplyDeleteStrong so far!
DeleteI have "Year of Yes" on my Kindle wishlist--I'm just waiting for a flash sale. I'm intrigued by 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl..I may have to add that one as well!
ReplyDeleteYou let me know if Year of Yes goes on sale! I would snap it up under those circumstances.
DeleteYear of Yes is so good. I'm sure it's a fabulous audiobook as well.
ReplyDeleteI rarely, if ever, buy books. But I have already pre-ordered the last book in a trilogy. That's huge for me, haha.
I neeeed it!!!
DeleteOnly the really privileged books get pre-ordered. Go you!
I just bought three books recently. It's so hard to resist sometimes, but you are doing great!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jillian!
DeleteAlways tempted by Evie Wylde, she is wonderful
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read her work! Gah!
DeleteGood luck reading your own books! I'm doing something similar this month, and so far, so good but wow, it's difficult. Maybe because I'm an impulsive, instant-gratification type of reader. I can't get that feeling much in my daily life (except food, where I shouldn't) so it's hard to deprive myself of that "bookish high". I'm interested also in The Year of Yes and the Fat Girl title.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a good post and enjoy your week.
It is hard isn't it? Good luck to you!
DeleteI am FAILING miserably at #readmyowndamnbooks....trying not to beat myself up over it! Haha.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, I still find myself pulling newer titles from my shelves rather than the ones that have been there for a longggg tiiiiime. Boo on me.
DeleteI have such an addiction to books. I feel like there could be much worse addictions through right? I've been asked nicely by my husband to maybe not go to the bookstore this month until we've paid all the bills. #sorrynotsorry
ReplyDeleteTrue! My husband is a total book enabler, which is fun, but SO MANY BOOKS. lol
DeleteIf you hold off on The Regional Office, I'd be happy to send along my ARC once I get through it - probably close to the publication date :) Be strong!
ReplyDeleteI managed to swing a copy through Edelweiss, thank you though! You rock!
DeleteThe new Oyeyemi is definitely tempting!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it? And so PRETTY!
DeleteHow have I missed the Regional Office? If you want to wait a while on the Oyeyemi I will pass along my ARC. I have some upcoming fantasy books that I am pretty sure I'm going to need on my bookshelf soon.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm assassin women for me too. I've got a bunch of these on my list for 2016, but so far I have resisted purchasing any. LIBRARY ALL THE WAY (per usual).
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ReplyDeleteThis collection of Mieville short stories really wasn't great. Some were really good, but there were so many that were meh that it evened out to "ok". Please start with one of his novels instead!!
ReplyDeleteI read 13 Ways of Looking At A Fat Girl and I gotta say, I didn't get biting humor from it. I found it, frankly, depressing. As someone who's had a self-image for more than forty years, what I got from Awad was that there's no one you'll ever find happiness once you have a weight issue even if you finally work your darnedest to lose the weight.
ReplyDeleteLoved 13 Ways of Looking At A Fat Girl, which could read 13 Ways of Looking at a Girl period. Yes, weight is involved, but there is so much more: self image, relationships, self acceptance. I found it an extremely powerful novel which I think women should read. Ultimately, we have to find confidence from within.
ReplyDelete