We've Made It To July! And Cleaning Out My Bookcases: A Tale of Powering Through an Overwhelming Task

June came and went like so quickly I'm still thinking it's just mid-June. I had to keep reminding myself today was July 1st. Wow. Pandemic has taken away my sense of time, seasons, and I usually can't remember what day it is on any given day. Every day feels like rinse and repeat. 

I spent a few days in June cleaning out my three bookcases and my stacks of books that took up space in my living room, my bedroom, my spare room, and my dining room. I just had to do it. Of course I made a bigger mess and at one point was tempted to just lock my door and drive away to escape, but I stuck it out and after a few days I had pulled through the project. I gave so many bags of books to family--I gave my whole collection of true ghost story books to my niece and my sister; a boxed set of Harry Potter books--the whole series in hardcover (still wrapped in shrink wrap!) to my niece (she is one of the biggest HP fans I know), and lots of books to other family members. Goodwill was sick of seeing me come with a trunk full of books to donate. I've still got a few bags of books to send out into the world, but when all was said and done, I feel good about it. 

I'll confess, I had a mini-meltdown as we pulled away from Goodwill. Luckily I wasn't driving, and I told my boyfriend I just needed a few minutes to grieve and then I'd be okay. And I was. 

The great thing about cleaning out my bookcases is that I discovered some books I really want to read! They were hidden, and now I see them--I guess they just had to be patient for me to find them again. Today I stopped at B&N and bought a book. It felt weird to only buy one book. I usually have 3-4 in my hands. But I wasn't tempted with more than the one I bought. So...as I read the books on my shelves, I will continue to weed my collection. Only books or series that I really cherish get to stay. 

Anyhow, I'm still working on a lot of the books I talked about in my summer reading video on my FB page @bookaliciousbabe. But I've also picked out a few more from the shelves that I am lining up for July:

I've had this on my bookshelves for a few years. A look at race and the history of cooking in the Old South. I've always been fascinated by culinary historians and expect this book to be one of my favorites this year. 

Another book I bought last year and lost it on my overstuffed bookcase. A woman struggles to come to terms with her mother's colorful past in a small town. Jojo Moyes' historical fiction is just as good as her contemporary novels. 

I'm reading this one now, and let me tell you--it.is.weird. So weird! Gothic with a capital G! 1950's Mexico, a rundown estate, and some really odd people. 

True story: my boyfriend, who does not read at all actually told me about this book. He heard the author talking on the radio yesterday and gave me enough information that I could find the book. And heck, the book was just released on Tuesday, and I ran to B&N after work today to purchase it. It's about an amusement park in New Jersey and, as the back cover says "In the 1980's, people didn't just visit Action park. They survived it." Written by the park owner's son, this wild tale of the amusement park with the nickname "Traction Park" is sure to be a wild and crazy ride. I can't wait to read it! 

I've got a few other books I'm working on from June. Trying to ride the wave of actually getting through my stacks and not giving in to my need to play solitaire on my phone for hours at a time (I may have done this last night). 

Happy July reading everyone! 

The Bookalicious Babe

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We've Made It To July! And Cleaning Out My Bookcases: A Tale of Powering Through an Overwhelming Task

Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand

Wow. This was one weird book. And weird not in a bad way, but weird in holy buckets! This was not at all what I expected. However, I am so very happy I read it. Definitely something out of my comfort zone. 

I was prepared for a fairly straightforward thriller/murder mystery. But it really is more than that. Curious Toys is set in Chicago in the summer of 1915. Most of the action takes place at the Riverview Amusement Park. Thousands of folks come to the park every day to drink beer, try their luck at rigged games, see the titillating shows, and ride the roller coaster. Pin, a young fourteen year old, spends each day running around the park, looking for loose change, running errands, and trying to stay out of trouble. Pin is actually a young girl, but her mother has insisted Pin cut her hair and dress as a boy as a form of protection against the men and boys who would harass her and, quite honestly, probably sexually abuse her, given the rough crowds at the park. Most importantly, Pin's mother wants to protect Pin after her younger daughter wandered off and disappeared two years before, never to be seen again. No one at the park knows Pin is actually a girl, and she likes it that way just fine. 

There's something dark underlying the basic crumminess of the park, and that is a serial killer, preying on young girls. One has been found inside the Hell Gate ride by none other than Pin herself--who began nosing around when she spotted a man entering the ride with a young girl, and later, stepping out of the boat at the end of the ride all by himself. Where did the girl go? To Pin's horror, the girl was murdered and left inside the dark ride, carelessly tossed aside by the killer. 

The reader also gets a glimpse inside the killer's mind, as we follow him on his quest to keep adding to his count. He's one twisted man; obsessed with dolls and girls and oh geez--what a muddle of weirdness. The question, of course, is who is the killer? And while I thought I had it figured out, I didn't. There are all sorts of unstable male characters in this tale, and each of them is, in one way or another, interested in young girls. The young film industry that is flourishing in Chicago adds fuel to the flames; grown women were picked for film roles based solely on their ability to look like little girls--young tweens. 

Anyway, I found this story to be both unsettling and oddly compelling at the same time. I couldn't stop reading; Pin is one tough young lady, and smart as a whip. The author's skillful writing had me smelling all the smells of a hot summer day at an amusement park, where air conditioning didn't exist, and folks weren't as shower fresh. The struggle for people like Pin's mother to escape poverty is very real, and painful to read; even a nickel became the difference between eating for a day or two or not eating at all. 

There's much more to this story--including the tale of Henry Darger, one odd duck who became famous for his works of art (which are actually in the American Folk Art Museum). He befriends Pin in the novel, and the two of them work to solve the mystery of the murders. 

I'd recommend this novel for anyone who wants to read a thriller/historical mystery, and a novel with a character who is struggling to understand their sexuality and their place in the world. It was a really good read, and I'm glad I picked it up. 

Rating: 4/6 for one compelling novel that combines great historic detail, mystery, thrills, and commentary on a society where the poor just didn't have a chance to ever get out of poverty. You'll definitely feel like you're in 1915 Chicago. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand