Happy midweek everyone! Technically it is no longer Wednesday. I apologize for this late update. I was in transit from Nagoya to Tokyo last Wednesday. I was supposed to do the update yesterday but I ended the day with a fever. Thankfully, I am feeling better now, hence, this late update. With the year dwindling down, I hope that the remaining days of the year will be filled with blessings and good news. More importantly, I hope everyone is happy and healthy, in body, mind, and spirit.

With the midweek comes a fresh WWW Wednesday update, my first this year. WWW Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted originally by SAM@TAKING ON A WORLD OF WORDS. The mechanics for WWW Wednesday are quite simple, you just have to answer three questions:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What have you finished reading?
  3. What will you read next?
www-wednesdays
What are you currently reading?

This month’s reading theme is supposed to be North American literature. However, since I am traveling to Japan, I decided to insert works of Japanese writers. I decided to read the more recent releases, including Michiko Aoyama’s What You are Looking For is in the Library. The book has been making the rounds in social media, prompting me to try and find out what the hype is about. The story, it seems, revolves around a couple of individuals. The first one was Tomoka, a womenswear sales assistant. The second one was Ryo who worked for the accounts department of a furniture manufacturer. The third one, and the part where I am in, is about Natsumi, a former magazine editor. They share the same backstories. They are frustrated with the current status of their lives. They wanted to change or pursue what they were passionate about, like in the case of Ryo who wanted to open his own antique shop. These slices of life reflect our daily struggles. What I like about it, and Japanese literature in general, is how it captures heartwarming moments and how it also integrates books and reading. I will share more of my impressions in this week’s First Impression Friday update.

What have you finished reading?

As I mentioned above, the last month of the year was dedicated to reading works of North American literature. This is by design because most of the unread books in my 2023 reading challenges belong to this familiar part of the literary world. I completed my 2023 Top 23 Reading List by reading Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride and, with Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, I have also completed my 2023 Beat the Backlist Challenge. These are the two reading challenges I am most keen on finishing. Song of Solomon is my third novel by the Nobel Laureate in Literature.

Initially published in 1977, Song of Solomon is Morrison’s third novel. Interestingly, the novel was cited by the Swedish Academy in awarding Morrison the 1993 Nobel Prize in literature. At the novel’s heart was Macon “Milkman” Dead III, an African-American man living in Michigan. We read about the unusual circumstances surrounding his birth until he grows up. He was the son of Ruth Foster Dead, the daughter of the first Black doctor in (unnamed) town. At a young age, he lost interest in everything around him. Despite this, he grew up in a household that doted on him. His aunt Pilate loved him and was well taken care of by his sisters First Corinthians and Magdalene (called Lena). Yes, one of the first things I noted about the book was the characters’ eccentric albeit interesting names. Unfortunately, because of his disinterest, Milkman is unable to reciprocate the love he receives. It seems that he has a burden to bear. Which he does, because of the legacy of his birth. In true Morrison fashion, the impact of racism was at the forefront of the novel. Abandoned women were also prevalent in the novel. Without a doubt, Song of Solomon is a triumph of literature, deserving of all the accolades it received.

From a literary classic to a more recent book release. Until 2023, I have not heard of Elizabeth Acevedo. It was not until I researched for book releases to look forward to in 2023 that I heard of her. Her 2023 novel, Family Lore, was a recurring presence in such lists. It was then a no-brainer for me to include the Dominican American’s first adult novel; I originally thought that Acevedo was a Filipina writer. Acevedo has established a reputation for being a poet, and it does translate well in Family Lore.

Acevedo’s novel charted the story of the Marte family, a family of Dominican immigrants. The patriarch and matriarchs have already passed away while their five children are already adults. The crux of the story was when Flor Marte, the second oldest daughter, already a septuagenarian, decided to host her own wake even though she was still alive. You see, Flor has always had the uncanny ability to predict a person’s death, right up to the exact minute. Her other sisters also have different abilities. The story covered the three days leading to her wake and was narrated by Ona, her daughter. Flor’s decision to hold her wake has become a catalyst that allowed the other Marte women to reflect on their own lives. The six women, Flor’s three other sisters, her daughter, and her niece Yadi, were prompted to confront several questions about feminity, indiscretions, infertility, and the complicity of first- and second-generation immigrants. Family Lore had an interesting and compelling premise. The structure, however, can be alienating as the story jumps across different periods without any preamble

My three-book romp in the past week concluded with Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions For You. I first encountered Makkai about three or four years ago when her novel, The Great Believers, was making the rounds. The book was ubiquitous. It has certainly piqued my interest. While researching for books to include in my 2023 Top 10 Boosk I Look Forward To, I learned about her latest release, I Have Some Questions For You. The book was a familiar presence in several most anticipated 2023 releases. Without ado, I included the book in my own list. It did take some time but I was finally able to read the book.

The novel’s primary character and narrator was Bodie Kane, a film professor and podcaster. When we first met her, she was on her way to Granby, New Hampshire. She was to teach a two-week course on podcasting at her old boarding school. The return to her old school was a trip down memory lane but it took an unusual turn when a true-crime was suggested by one of her students for a podcast. The subject was close to Bodie’s heart because it involved her roommate, Thalia Keith. Keith was a popular beauty and was found lifeless in the school swimming pool. The school’s Black athletic trainer, Omar Evans, was convicted of the crime. He confessed but later recanted but still, he was convicted because all pieces of evidence gathered by the authorities led back to him. Bodie and a couple of others, however, were not convinced. What ensued was a search for truth and answers. It was a compelling read brimming with unlikeable characters. The book was another conviction of our growing fascination with true crimes. The book also reminded me how podcasts and social media in general have started playing a critical role in the pursuit of justice for cold cases and wrongful convictions. The book, however, dragged.

What will you read next?