January 2025 Reading Rambles
I have decided that I may not write another book this year. At the tail-end of last year, in mid-December, I finished writing a 70,000 word ghost story that I first started writing four years ago. I am also still querying another novel — a 74,000 word young adult horror novel — and getting little traction there, but I have several pending submissions out in the world. Long ago, I learned that when I am wholly focused on my fiction writing endeavors, I ignore the rest of the world.
So, in 2025, I have decided that I will focus on three things: (1) socializing (2) trying to be really good at my job and (3) reading many many many books and realizing my book blogger dreams. I’ve dabbled in Booktok and Bookstagram, but it seems like a good idea to consolidate my ramblings to one central place (this Medium account).
I kicked off the year with some very interesting reads. I felt compelled to write a few poems on New Years Day, so then I felt like reading poetry collections. Most of the books I read in January were poetry collections, with a small handful of fiction and non-fiction.
Favorite read of the month: Crush by Richard Siken
I thought I owned Crush by Richard Siken, but I guess I didn’t, so I bought a new copy. The first time I read this collection, I borrowed my college roommate’s copy. I was 18 and a freshman in college, so it’s been almost eight years since I read this book. I really could have sworn I bought my own copy after I returned my roommate’s copy…
I read War of the Foxes too, but Crush is the clear stand-out. There is a direct line that goes from Richard Siken’s writing to my own writing. It has become clear to me that Siken is one of my greatest influences. I guess you can take the girl out of Tumblr, but you can’t take the Tumblr out of the girl.
Poetry collections I read: Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón, The Shining by Dorothea Lasky, The Twenty-Ninth Year by Hala Alyan, Survival Takes a Wild Imagination by Fariha Róisín, Crush by Richard Siken, War of the Foxes by Richard Siken, Inconsolable Objects by Nancy Miller Gomez, Currents by Pilar Christiana Graham, Soft Science by Franny Choi, and The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On by Franny Choi
Bright Dead Things was my first read of the year and it was so good. It was an impulse buy at Books Inc — the Pruneyard location in Campbell (I get road rage there so I almost never frequent this location). I really hope it sets the tone for the rest of my reading endeavors this year. I’ll definitely be checking out Limón’s other collections.
The Shining was interesting to me, but a bit too on the nose. She should have at least picked a different title…also, I am jealous that I didn’t also think to write an entire horror poetry collection based on The Shining, but also I think I may only have one Shining poem in me, and it’s already been published.
I’ve done readings with Nancy Miller Gomez and Pilar Christiana Graham, and I can’t recommend their collections enough.
The most disappointing of these were the Franny Choi collections. I’ve heard her read at the Bay Area Book Festival and I’ve read a few of her poems online, but the collections just didn’t work for me. Might be for you, just wasn’t for me!
Nonfiction I read: Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale and The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
Slenderman was a compulsively readable book that I consumed in one sitting, but it wasn’t exactly my preferred flavor of true crime. I felt like the tone was too sympathetic towards the perpetrators, and the victim wasn’t uplifted enough. However, I did find it to be a timely read for a middle school guidance counselor in today’s society. Middle schoolers are such interesting little people!
Not too much to say about The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, just that it should be required reading. It’s a bit dense, so it took me almost all month to get through it. If you’re interested in this book, it’s probably available on your local library’s Libby database. I found a copy through the San José Public Library.
Fiction I read: Black Hole by Charles Burns, Anyone’s Ghost by August Thompson, and a delightfully disturbing short story by my friend Claire (Clary) Ahn
I found Black Hole at the San José Public Library, which boasts a really great graphic novel collection. Before I read it, I read my bestie Elena’s review of it on Goodreads, written four years ago:
“impressive and haunting. i’m not sure exactly what to take from it, but the social darwinism and coming-of-age told this way is something i wish more authors would do. very creepy; essential 90s graphic novel with an iconic style.”
Despite the nice review, she gave it 3 stars. For me it was more of a 4.5 star read. I really enjoyed it, but it doesn’t quite have the je ne sais quoi that makes something a new favorite for me. The ending was very beautiful and I love the art style. Makes me want to read more Western horror graphic novels — the bulk of my horror graphic novel reading has been by Junji Ito.
Anyone’s Ghost is titled after the song of the same name by The National. At first I thought it might just be a coincidence, but in the Acknowledgements section, the author thanks The National. This is 100% the reason why I picked this book up, also from the San José Public Library.
It was alright. I think I’ve kind of outgrown understated, minimalist queer literature. If I had read Anyone’s Ghost in my early twenties, I have no doubt I would have enjoyed it more. At the same time, I can’t help but think of other understated queer literature that I enjoyed way more and that would probably hold up with my current tastes — Lie With Me, The Dove in the Belly, Cleanness, We Do What We Do in the Dark, the list goes on. Anyone’s Ghost doesn’t really do anything new in the genre and the delivery didn’t really work for me. The first half was entertaining, but after the time skip I just wanted it to end. The narrator was pretty annoying.
I also read my friend Clary’s new short story. It was deliciously dark. Nobody is ready for Clary’s horror era!
Total books read in January: 14
Goal for the year: 50
Books left to read: 36
If I keep reading at this rate, I’ll have read 168 books by the end of the year. It is almost certain that I will not keep reading at this rate.
This month, I have been practicing radical acceptance with more fervor than ever before. It is pertinent now more than ever to engage in acts of resistance, but more than anything, I’m just trying to survive. One of the ways I have survived in the past is by reading many, many, many books. I hope to keep documenting my moments of escapism on this blog.
And if you’re at the end of this now — thank you for reading 🩵
P.S. I’ll be reading at the Monterey Poetry Festival again this year in April with my friends and peers! I’m slated to read on Saturday April 12, probably around 6 p.m., at Old Capitol Books on Alvarado! Rumor has it I may be reading some new dramatic “if it wasn’t love, then what was it?” poems…we’ll see…
