Book Reviews! 

Just finished After Cooling by Eric Dean Wilson: gorgeous and terrifying. One of the better books I have read on global warming, this book traces the history of mechanical cooling and how Freon (now banned but still illegally manufactured & sold) is still affecting the ozone layer. It's hard to have a coherent narrative about something as big and all-encompassing as climate change, but by focusing in on one specific chemical and how it is affecting our atmosphere right now today, it shows patterns of institutional denial and neglect that could, say, be applied to ocean acidification. 

Highlights: Analysis of a piece by Philip Glass & Angels in America through a climate lense, history of air conditioning was fascinating (capital is kept cool above all else!) the author did acknowledge the role eugenics played and still plays in who can control their climate 

Tougher spots:I am not a science bitch and all of the various molecules did confuse me at times. Fuck DuPont though.


A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez

This shit RULED. Amazing short story collection, gorgeous, moody, genuinely spooky without sounding like r/nosleep. I am genuinely disturbed and also perhaps slightly in love with the author? Highly highly recommend. 

Highlights: all of Metamorphosis. If your body made it, you should get to keep it! 

Lowlight: Even though the translator was profusely thanked in the author's note there were a few weird words/sentences that rang out kind of wrong- it's possible it was the author but felt more like a translation issue instead. 


Speaking of translated works I also recently read Carnality by Lina Wolff. These two worked really well together- the book focuses on a Swedish author coming to Spain and the weird shit she gets into. (Enriquez had a few short stories about Argentines moving to the states and back again) Dreamy and surreal and lightly disturbing without feeling overdone. 

Highlights: Sister Lucia. For various personal reasons I am always pro weird old nun. 

Lowlights: The situation on the island made sense for plot reasons but did feel jarring compared to the pacing and tone of the rest of the book. I am willing to be convinced otherwise if you read it and liked it though.