Blackouts by Justin Torres

Nene - as he is called - and Juan Gay are spending together Gay´s last days in a place called The Palace, a place hard to define both as a place and localization. An intergenerational dialogue between two queer men Blackouts by Justin Torres is exceptional for more than one reason. 

Their topics of conversation are delineated or referred to a forgotten research inspired by Jan Gay, a lesbian activist, but also dancer, translator and ethnographer, who in the 1930s conducted hundreds of interviews with queers, mostly women. The study further inspired the 1941-published work Sex Variants: A Study of Sexual Variants by the Committee for the Study of Sex largely diagnosing homosexuality as a pathological condition. The historical references, including fragments from the study who are introduced in the story with censorship-marked ´blackouts´. 

With the words left non-marked are created new texts, with new meanings. However, ´Nene´ has his own blackouts: ten years back he met Juan in a mental institution but he does not have memories of the encounter. His dialogue is also aimed at recovering those ´blackouts´.  Erasures however are part of the queer history - be in purely historical, literary or of any other kind. 

The historical and pathological information are completed by details from the author´s own biography: Gay and Nene, both do have a Puerto Rican heritage, as the author himself - on the father´s side. The fragments about ´Puerto Rican Syndrome´ do open another line of thought about medical ethnicization. 

The predominant part of the literary puzzle is however played by fiction, that integrates smoothly all the other pieces. The book is largely a work of complex intertextuality, for the ways in which is connects historical elements, images, poetry and science history in a purely fictional dialogue. 

The relationship between the two, with Juan the older, wiser partner, is a formative encounter for Nene who is not only trying to fill his memory ´blackouts´ but also gathers life wisdom and knowledge to fill the existential ´blackout´. It is a friendship that consolidates between the two, as well as a queer transmission of knowledge.

However, it leaves open to the reader the question about ´truth´ and ´false´. It is an extra effort the reader is expected to do for sorting out the data presented. The authorship is confusing and challenging: where is the author´s/Torres contribution and where the voices of the characters are heard?

In the end, it´s up to the reader to pick up its own interpretation(s) and lecture(s) of the book. Personally, I´ve felt the need to read more about the historical sources, but also gave me a lot of ideas about ideologization of science, while appreciating the precision of the prose. 

Blackouts, Torres´ second book was ten years in the making.

Rating: 5 stars

Cursed Daughers by Oyinkan Braithwaite

How does may feel in our modern fast times to be told that you are inheriting a curse brought to you by your women ancestors? It may feel like carrying a genetical disease, but of a spiritual nature. And according to modern genetics, there is possible to challenge your inherited health condition through a different lifestyle, diet, personal choices. So could it happen with the curse, it seems.

Eniiyi, one of the many women characters of Oyinkan Braithwaite first novel Cursed Daughters - author, among others, of the stunning multi-awarded novella My Sister, the Serial Killer - is looking for a job in genetics, as an epigenetic counsellor. Back home to Lagos, after spending many years far away from her women-family, she is carrying not only a curse, but also a stunning resemblance with her aunt, Monife, who committed suicide the day she was born. 

For generations, the women lived together in their family house, haunted by the curse of being alone, abandoned by men. They accepted their condition surviving love stories inspired by popular Mills&Boons novels. Although Eniiyi will have her share of drama romance, she is dramatically changing the course of her life and implicitly the curse.

Curses are an interesting topics that may be perceived from different cultural angles. For the characters of the book, they are as much of actuality as the news: they do belong to life, may be belived in because there is no reason to escape them. From a very deterministic perspective that defides the laws of modern logic, they speak the language of the future, they shape decisions and personal destinies. There is a curse of the curse that one cannot escape, unless you are about to take a step out of the matrix of the social habits and behavior expectations.

The family dynamics, mostly women-related is effusive, over-protective, but can also easily turn into a toxic attitude that does not see beyond the assigned lifelines. Juju may help in the most ridiculous, money-consuming ways, as the only modality that can overcome the destiny´s determinism. Family operates as a cruel reminder of the conservative social and personal order. The self-fulfilling profecy is facilitated by this straight social and family network. 

I, personally, was enchanted by this story, melting elements of magic - and some juju - with erotic intermezzo and modern-day relationships, family obligation and tribal divides, and some fine everyday humour built on the interactions between characters - like the grandma East and West, based on their location within the big family house.

As in her other writings, the women characters are realistically developed and the plot is carefully built allowing some interesting twists encouraging me to stay tunned to the book. I was so absorbed into the story that felt that it ended too abruptly, but at the right time though. 

Cursed Daughters is a book written with literary maturity by a writer I want to read more from.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Random Things Tours: Eye Spy by C.M.Ewan

A childish game - ´I spy...with my little eye´ - turns into a survival claustrophic unpredictable race where saving one own´s family is at risk due to former well hidden secrets of both parents.

Eye Spy by C.M.Ewan - whose previous book I´ve reviewed few years back - it´s an undownputable thriller that not only I couldn´t abandon until the very end, but which also keeps staying with me long before I finished. 

Although the action takes place within a relatively short amount of time, it spares no detail of the ambiance, allowing us to settle into the story, little by little, while terrific details happening on the spot are revealed. 

Mark is playing I Spy with his little 4 yo daughter Molly, but the apparition of a man, who is getting closer to him, terrifying his daugher, is taking a dangerous turn for their trip. The urgency of saving his family from an looming danger activates though secrets well hidden both by him and his wife, Claire, who for obviously fake reasons couldn´t joined them for this trip.

My perfect setting for reading this book would have been on a train trip, however, I tried to imagine with my mind´s eyes the real encounters shared in the book. The cinematic storytelling and the many unexpected twists are definitely keeping the reader in a permanent state of tension. Which is clearly the highest expectation one may have when picking up a thriller read. 

The cover is definitely deserving a mention, for the simple, yet urgent design.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Ti odio, ma ti amo di più by Anna Premoli, illustrated by Michele Brutomesso

I am following very seriously my Italian lessons plan - and Spanish too - and this month, more than ever, I´ve spent a lot of time in the company of this language. As my desire to learn is unstoppable, so it is my lack of criteria in my choice of books. I am not very much familiar right now with what it´s hot off the press in the Italian publishing realm and I still need to research what are the noteworthy authors to explore right now. As I am sure this time will come soon, I just enjoy my full immersion into the language.

My latest literary choices was a book by a very popular author, Anna Premoli -  Ti odio, ma ti amo di più (in my own translation I hate you, but I love you even more) I love chicklit and not ashame to recognize it, therefore reading with pleasure may open up my interest towards the language as well.

The characters of this book, Ian and Jenny are about to celebrate ten years of marriage and he - belonging to the English nobility - is surprising her - a down to earth, feminist and anti-priviledge kind of woman - with a trip to an undisclosed destination. Ten years and two children after, their relationship keeps a special dynamic built on love, respect and very different lifestyles.

The two main protagonists do share alternatively their stories, but most of the novel is focused on their interactions, thoughts about each other given their very different background. The dynamic is interesting but unfortunately the plot is simplistic and largely underdeveloped. 

From the point of view of the language learning, I´ve learned many new everyday words and expressions so I am relatively happy with my choice.

My favorite part so far were the illustrations by Michele Brutomesso, colours and black-and-white, which suited the ambiance of the book. 

Rating: 2.5 stars

Orenda Books Cover Reveal: Stop Dead by Katrín Júlíusdóttir translated by Larissa Kyzer

After the bestselling debut Dead Sweet, entrepreneur, former politician and crime author Katrín Júlíusdóttir is back with a new book, ready for print on the 21st of May, to be published by Orenda Books, translated from Icelandic by Larissa Kyzer. 

I am personally very much interested in reading again about the eventful secrets of Iceland´s police and media world. Sigurdis, a detective in training, has to abandon her academic training in criminal psychology in the US for further investigating the murder of her father. However, as a controversial media personality is murdered as well, during a marathon, inconvenient truths are revealed as the crime web goes deep into the darkest layers of the Icelandic society.

With such dark intro, one may expect a very gloomy cover, but instead, the choice is rather suggesting the diversity and multiplicity of city life, with the lettering adding the information missing from the picture. The letters - author´s name, title - do create the tension that the image is at the first sight not communicating directly.

Here is the information about purchasing the book: https://geni.us/vJ4x

I cannot wait to have the book and hopefully to share my thoughts in a different more elaborated post.

Fakers: An Insider´s Guide to Cons, Hoaxes and Scams by H.P.Wood illustrated by David Clark

 

I am often reading and writing about scams - particularly dating ones, especially set in our times - but there is nothing new under the sun. As the book Fakers: An Insider´s Guide to Cons, Hoaxes and Scams by H.P.Wood illustrated by David Clark shows, the temptation to manipulate others (mostly) for financial purposes existed since time immemorial. 

Midfair tricks, Ponzi schemes, palm and psychic reading, medical hoaxes, just to name few of the most frequent occurences, people were always robbed in heinous ways. The victims were definitely not guilty and the argument of limited intelligence didn´t stand. We may just admit that some people are able to use their charm and intelligence for evil purposes. 

The author organised her material with humour - the illustrations definitely helped - gathering examples from various historical periods. However, I may not include military deception among the topics covered by the book as they rather belong to a completely different area. 

If things were never different, just tools and medium changed, how one can be covered against being a scam victim, for instance? I dare to answer referring to the closing remarks of the book: by using the weapon of skepticism and common sense. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review 

Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan´s First Female Pilot by Niloofar Rahmani with Adam Sikes

Born in Kabul in 1991, Niloofar Rahmani had a dream: to be Afghanistan´s first woman pilot. The circumstances looked encouraging: 2010 was the first time since the Soviets when women were allowed to enter military forces. She took a chance, breaking through social and traditional barriers, but it come with a price: ´As an Afghan woman I dared to dream and there were some who believed I should be punished for it, perhaps even killed´.

Currently based in the USA after requesting political asylum at 28, Rahmani wrote a memoir together with Adam Sikes where she is telling her story in simple words that resonate with the fate of many women from Afghanistan. As her achievements started to accumulate - the first solo flight in her class, Afghanistan´s first female fixed-wing air pilot and captain- , so were the pressure on her family, who since 2015 is on hiding. The reason? She dared to dream for more.

Open Skies is a hearbreaking account of a life put on hold due to the religiously extremist government in Kabul perpetuating traditional mindsets. In the Kabul that once was the ´Paris of Central Europe´ women are prevented from attending school and stepping down the traditional roles they were assigned may be punishable by death.

Rahmani is explaining her story through social, cultural and political details that not only put things into context, but also help understanding the terrible fate of women and girls in Afghanistan right now. Sometimes it feels shameful to realize how often we take for granted rights and achievements without realizing the tremedous professional and personal struggle women in other parts of the worlds are going through. 

I´ve found the book humbling and inspiring and I consider it a recommended read to anyone interested to have a realistic account on the story of women in Afghanistan, including and particularly decision makers and academics.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review