I didn’t do anything for the entirety of May, so I had to push this back for a month…. Anyways!! I read a lot of bad books, but I did find some of my all-time favourites in the meantime. On the other hand, the films, music, and art that I consume tend to be quite good, so maybe that’s a sign that I need to stop reading corny romance books… but I won’t.
literature:
simple passion by annie ernaux
I often forget that I can literally speak French so I really don’t know why I never read French novels in their original language, but I loved this. My review said “i love when a book is short and ridiculously well written” and that is still how I feel about it. I know some people don’t like this book because of how short it is but, I will always love a book about an obsessive (or perhaps passionate) woman.
água viva by clarice lispector
Another case of me reading books in English when I can read them in their original language. I think this was my first time reading a novel by a Brazilian female writer and it was love at first sight. Again, a relatively short book but so transformative and powerful in its writing. It sort of felt like a big rant, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.
‘part of your world’ series by abby jimenez
One of the very few romance books/series that I will ever recommend. I think I read all three books in two and a half days and it just made me so happy. I only read romance when I need to get out of a reading slump, and I was honestly expecting this to be another casualty in my romance pile but I had so much fun. It’s the perfect silly summer romance series.
jazz by toni morrison
I have grown to love Toni Morrison, and she’s one of few authors that I actually take my time in dissecting each word I read. The second novel in the Beloved trilogy, I went into this novel knowing that it was about a middle age- man who shot his teenage lover to death, and his wife attacked her corpse at the funeral. And I think everyone should read this with as little information know as possible.
the enchanted april by elizabeth von arnim
This book is the embodiment of spring. It was just such a lovely book, a breath of fresh air almost. It just feels like the perfect way to escape from your bedroom and find yourself in Italy during the summer. I don’t have anything else to say about this book other than it made me feel happy and at peace.
film:
kill bill series (dir. quentin tarantino)
Love the movies, hate the director. I rewatched both of them in a single sitting, and the amount of anger I felt after was ridiculous. It wasn’t directed at anyone, but more to myself because I want to be just like The Bride (she’s an icon in my mind).
supacell (dir. rapman)
I have quite literally just finished this show so I could be extremely biased, and might change my opinion in a few weeks, but nevertheless, I fell in love. Nothing could make me happier than seeing Black superheroes. I will admit that I was quite turned off by the amount of violence (an insane statement to say after expressing my love for Kill Bill of all movies), but I ended up appreciating the realness it added to the show. The sort of They Cloned Tyrone-ness of it sold it for me (don’t trust old white men!)
love island usa (season 6)
Now this is really embarrassing to have to say… but this season actually has me completely hooked. I usually watch these shows to later critique them, but this time around I feel like I barely have any critiques. There’s a slow burner romance, a gaslighter crybaby man, a toxic woman who has somehow rallied an army of 15-year-old fans online, a borderline homoerotic bromance, and my favourite — black romance! It’s a guilty pleasure, but it’s just entertaining me to another level lately.
music:
cleo sol (as a whole person)
I absolutely adore this woman; not a singular skip in her discography. She literally speaks to your soul.
favourite tracks: only love can wait, golden child (jealous), know that you are loved, why don’t you.
submarine by the marias
favourite tracks: hamptons, lejos de ti, ay no puedo, blur, no one noticed.
it ain’t love by rahsaan patterson
A very underrated artist, but this is one of my favourite songs of all time now.
mr. wrong by sade
We all know how I feel about Sade… but this song (and the album itself) is magnificent.
el mal querer by rosalia
favourite tracks: que no salga la luna, a ningún hombre, bagdad, nana.
art:
irving penn’s flower photography
Something I’ve been falling in love with recently is flower photography, and botany as a whole. Penn’s photography is so beautiful, especially those of decaying flowers and plants, they all sort of speak on the cycle of life.
the american slave [a daughter of eve] by john bell (1853)
This sculpture of an enslaved African woman depicts the pain of captivity through the shackles weighing the figures down. Bell created it as a form to protest slave ownership in North America. I found it interesting because you could easily compare it to the ancient Greek and Roman sculptures that are common in museums and galleries, often seen as the epitomes of beauty.
As always, I hope you found something new to explore!