What I Read in May 2023

May was a brilliant month for reading. I made use of all of my commuting time (and delayed train services) and prioritised using any downtime to read as well. A big part of feeling good in myself is reducing screen time, which is ironic given I’m here writing online as we speak. I focused more on some Ursula Le Guin and, like I mentioned on my bookstagram, I think I’m going to work on a relaxed author study of her work throughout the remainder of 2023. I’ve gleaned so much from her work so far and it’s really catalysed something in my adult reading journey. I also added in some more non-fiction, in keeping with this year’s reading resolutions, in the shape of Fibershed, which I think is an important read for anybody working in fashion or that is interested in how to change their clothing habits for the environment.

Komi Can’t Communicate: Volume 4 by Tomohito Oda

Rating: ★★★★/5

Started my month with a nice easy little manga volume. I’ve been collecting and reading the Komi Can’t Communicate series ever since falling in love with the anime back in 2021. I really enjoyed this one, focusing on Komi’s summer break and how she’ll navigate summer activities with her newfound friends. It was a laugh-out-loud funny few chapters, and I can’t wait to pick up the next! I also realised just how much I like to break up my usual reading with a manga here and there.

The Word For World Is Forest by Ursula Le Guin

Rating: ★★★★/5

“Wrongs could not be righted, but at least they were not still being done.”

Ahhh I absolutely LOVED this novella from my beloved Ursula Le Guin. It’s a teeny little book that I devoured in two days and is a wonderful exploration into future Earth, humanity and colonisation. I’m discovering that lots of Le Guin’s work focuses on these themes and would love to revisit The Word For World Is Forest after I’ve made my way through her other books.

The Word For World Is Forest is set in a distant future. Humans colonise the planet of Athshe, enslaving its native population and treating the Athsheans as lesser-than. The reason for colonising this planet? The humans have already destroyed future Earth and need more trees to cut down for logging. This forestry theme runs throughout – a beautiful depiction of the Athsheans’ ways of living and a love for their planet. I really liked the parallels here between environmental destruction and late-stage capitalism and imperialism.

While the forestry descriptions are gorgeous and Le Guin’s signature writing style lends a sense of whimsy to many parts, at heart, The Word For World Is Forest is a book rooted in war, upheaval and colonialism. There’s a strong military feel here, of course, and Le Guin examines the concept of murder and how it forever disrupts the Athshean way and sense of life.

I am as ever truly enamoured by Le Guin’s capabilities through her science fiction here. (And equally terrified that these were her thoughts in the 70s and here we are 50 years later, in a state of environmental destruction and late-stage capitalism…)

Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess with Courtney White

Rating: ★★★/5

Since I work in the luxury sustainable fashion industry, I picked this up in the hopes of understanding more about sustainable fabrics and really improving on how I and we talk about sustainability in fashion. I really enjoyed this and noted down SO many quotes, facts and figures. It has a huge focus on regenerative sourcing and agricultural methods, which is something we work on at work, so I really found this valuable. Many of us are – thankfully – now more aware of what goes on behind the scenes in fast fashion and many High Street brands, but Fibershed really delves into the systemic issues and, importantly, how we can all work together to drive change. It’s US-based and -focused, but sustainability and fashion is truly a global issue.

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee

Rating: ★★★/5

Back on the rereads here with a book that I first read over 10 years ago. I came across it when embarking on another big declutter of my shelves and wanted to revisit it, because I could barely remember the plot.

The Piano Teacher is set during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong during World War II, along two timelines: the 1940s and 1950s. As a fan of historical fiction, I can sort of remember why I must have picked this up in 2009. Today? I’m struggling. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this though.

Claire has newly arrived to Hong Kong with her husband, fresh from a quaint English village. She becomes a piano teacher to Locket Chen, daughter of the somewhat vapid and incredibly affluent Victor and Melody Chen. When she meets British expat, Will Truesdale, so begins the unravelling of his, and our, story. Claire and Will begin an affair, the catalysing start to the tale.

The beginning of this story unfolds incredibly slowly. Will is embroiled in a some sort of relationship with the beguiling Eurasian heiress, Trudy Liang. I must admit, lavish parties thrown by the wealthy British did little to reel me in to a story about the beloved Hong Kong that I know. But perhaps that’s selfish of me, to try and find parts of myself in everything that I read. Soon, the war hits and Hong Kong is invaded by the Japanese in ways more horrifying than imagined: taking over the homes of the locals, raping women, imprisoning civilians in internment camps. Will is taken to a camp, but Trudy denies her citizenship and remains free.

Midway through, the book picks up pace and, indeed, a sense of humanity amongst loss and the worst of a human experience. It lays bare what people are willing to do in the face of destruction and one’s character in crisis. Told through a dual timeline, which is admittedly tricky to keep up with at times, the true action happens in the 1940s through Will and Trudy’s story. There are plenty of twists and the wartime setting is indeed compelling and captivating but, oddly, something doesn’t quite click in this book. It loses pace and focus, and soon all you can focus on is the setting and history rather than the characters or plot – easy enough in historical fiction. Having said that, this is really an achievement for a debut WWII book that doesn’t focus on the Holocaust or Pearl Harbour.

Pod by Laline Paull

Rating: ★★.5/5

Finally picked up my proof of Pod mid-month after seeing plenty of people in the bookstagram reading it. This is a truly unique little novel, centred around a dolphin pod, the ocean and all of its creatures. ‘The ocean is changing beyond recognition, and every forced migration for survival spells new conflict.’

TW/CW: rape, animal cruelty.

First off, this is far from a cosy, wholesome story about Mother Ocean and its creatures. It is harrowing, distressing and channels the oceans’ cries for help. Pod tells the story of two estranged dolphin pods that live at opposite ends of a tropical archipelago. Ea is a spinner dolphin, our sensitive protagonist, who is about to make the ultimate sacrifice as she leaves the sanctuary of her family and takes on the vast unknown.

We encounter several other characters too: a megapod of bottlenose dolphins that live in an incredibly different way to that in which Ea was raised, a lone humpback whale, and other sea creatures. The multiple narrative format that Paull chooses for Pod doesn’t quite work for me: it feels fragmented and we sadly lose the harmonious voice of Ea early on. There is also a lot of undersea jargon here too, which lost me further as I dipped in and out to look up words and phrases.

Oddly, the book is packed with rape and distressing animal cruelty that, honestly, felt gratuitous in parts. As an animal lover, it was difficult to read despite knowing so much about the cruelty that animals face. I can see what Paull is trying to do here, using dolphins – a known ‘friendly’, compassionate and human-like mammal – as a metaphor for humans and our own issues. Somewhat clumsily, she explores themes of misogyny, power and authority, community and solitary living.

That being said, I did obviously persevere and finish the book. Ultimately, in Pod, Laline Paull explores what it means to belong, the unflinching courage and loyalty of animals, and the ignorance of the human race. I think a large part of this is, of course, speculative, but I enjoyed the themes explored and am curious to see where this genre as a whole goes next.

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

Rating: ★★★/5

I rounded off my month with a little Murakami novel: A Wild Sheep Chase. And, for me, you can never go wrong with some Murakami. In fact, I wrote a little about my plans to conduct an author study over on my bookstagram!

While certainly not my favourite Murakami novel, A Wild Sheep Chase was a lovely allegorical, fable-like story. Our protagonist lives a seemingly ordinary life, one that Murakami beautifully depicts in his signature simple, joy-in-the-mundane manner. He has a girlfriend with ‘extraordinary ears’, a curious ex-wife, a curious colleague… A Wild Sheep Chase mixes magical realism and fantasy with a detective story with varied effect: the first half almost lost me as it’s hard to follow. What is this so-called sheep chase? Is the protagonist searching for himself? An actual sheep? Something bigger and less tangible? Slowly, it felt evident to me that the chase was an unravelling of self and identity – something that is prominent in many Murakami novels. One that I shall likely revisit, because I still have questions.

June Hopefuls

Next month, I’m hoping to continue my Le Guin journey with a collection of her essays and writings on feminism and gender. Like I said, I’m embarking on a relaxed author study of her work and I’m really excited for this one! I’m also persevering with the huge Wild Swans that I began early this month. It’s around 900 pages, so I think I’m being fairly ambitious here but I thought I’d pop it on the list anyway. Then, back to some beloved Murakami!