Outbox August 18, 2017

Inbox/Outbox August 18, 2017 August has been a strange month for my reading habits. I am currently living on a friends couch while searching for a new apartment, which means I am far from my own book collection (oh, how I pine for them). It also means Im hesitant to bring more books into my life until I have a new place to put them. But, lets be real, that doesnt mean I havent acquired any new books. INBOX (Books Acquired) SLAM!  by Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish Its a comic about roller derby! Thats all I know about it and its all I need to know to say, yes please I am in give it here. Plus I love the illustrator, Veronica Fish, who also illustrates the new Archie series and  The Wendy Project,  a gorgeous retelling of Peter Pan. I knew this was a thing since it came out in issues but Ive been saving myself for the trade and I cant wait to dig in. The Invention of Angela Carter  by Edmund Gordon Ive been wanting the Angela Carter bio since it came out, but it is so hardcover and heavy that I figured Id just wait until the paperback. And then a friend of mine (who now works at Oxford University Press) sent me a copy and I squeed because nothing is better than receiving a book you wanted but did not ask for. I love Carters gruesome fairy tales and I am slowly reading her collection of non-fiction, so this makes a welcome and wonderful addition to my library. OUTBOX (Books Read) Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (out October 3rd) I have not been this excited about a short story collection in years. It  is an intoxicating combination of folklore and pop culture, fabulism and realism. My favorite story, Inventory, takes place in a time when a mass infectious disease is spreading, but the story is told entirely through a recounting of the narrators sexual encounters. These stories will make your skin crawl; I recommend you read them slowly, and not before bed. We Are Never Meeting In Real Life  by Samantha Irby The audiobook is narrated by Irby herself and it had me cracking up regularly. In this essay collection, Irby tackles a wide range of subjects, from racism, sexuality, and adulting to The Bachelorette, suburbia, and cunnilingus. There is nothing in this world I dont want to hear Samantha Irbys take on. She is smart, irreverent, and completely engaging. Also, the essays where she narrates her cats bitchy remarks are my favorite. IN THE QUEUE Catapult  by Emily Fridlund (out October 10th) Ive heard such good things about Fridlunds novel  History of Wolves, but Im more of a short story person, so Im psyched Sarabande (an awesome indie publisher) is releasing this collection. I know nothing else about it, but a good publisher and good writer is all the recommendation I need. Oh, and look at that coverâ€"so good. Too Much and Not In the Mood  by Durga Chew-Bose I started this essay collection months ago, but got distracted. But Ive heard so many wonderful things, I am excited to begin it anew. The prose is gorgeous, winding, and fairly denseâ€"if the first essay is any indicationâ€"so I just need a good amount of space/time to really sink into it. What are you reading this week?