“Medusa”, a poem by Raquelle Koontz Bostow

“An Ox Looks At Man” by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

I recently watched and then read “Reading Lolita in Tehran”. It recounts Azar Nafisi’s life and subversive book club in the Islamic Republic of Iran. While the movie is very good, I’m not sure it does the scope of book justice. Regardless, both highly recommended.

I finished “Iron Curtain: the Crushing of Eastern Europe” by Anne Applebaum this week. It describes how the Soviet Union exploited the chaos and desperation after WWII to systematically/cruelly takeover Eastern Europe. Highly recommended. And sadly a stark warning for today’s world.

I just finished listening to “Defying China” by Tsultrim Dolma and Rebecca Wei Hsieh. This YA book recounts Tsultrim Dolma’s protest of China’s occupation of Tibet and the Chinese persecution she suffered as a result. Highly recommended.

“Wild Grapes” by Robert Frost

I just finished “The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest” by Aubrey Hartman and loved it! A compelling middle school novel about dealing with loss and trauma…Plus, who doesn’t love an undead fox in a monocle? C’mon.

If you’re looking for an uplifting read, I’d recommend “Castle Island” by Lauren Wolk. Lucretia moves to a remote island after the loss of her father. Tensions between the locals and the island’s summer guests disrupt their quiet life and threatens to expose the secret they moved to keep safe.

Just a relaxing, rainy day, listening to Oracle Sisters while researching books to order for the library.

I also LOVED “Dragonborn”, the first volume in a new series. Think Harry Potter but instead of wizards, everyone is a dragon. Luckily volume 2 comes out in October. Can’t wait!

“The Lion’s Run” by Sara Pennypacker, one of my favorite middle school novels of the year. A young boy finds his inner hero in Nazi-occupied France as he and his friends struggle to live and keep their hopes alive.

“After the Winds”, a poem by Robert Hass

“The World as Will and Representation”, a poem by Robert Hass

“Sad Steps”, a poem by Philip Larkin

“An Arundel Tomb”, a poem by Philip Larkin

“Ignorance”, a poem by Philip Larkin

“Ambulances”, a poem by Philip Larkin

I’ve noticed an odd uptick in the time-loop YA novel.

“Nothing To Be Said”, a poem by Philip Larkin

“Here”, a poem by Philip Larkin

“Myxomatosis”, a poem by Philip Larkin

“Wires”, a poem by Philip Larkin

“Coming”, a poem by Philip Larkin

As a RPCV, I have to say Peace Corps’ recent announcement of the creation of a Tech Corp to “recruit, train and deploy skilled Americans to support the adoption of artificial intelligence in Peace Corps host countries participating in the American AI Exports Program” is rather alarming.

“The Hospital Is Far Away” and “We will meet, don’t be in such a rush”, poems by Hala al-Shrouf

If you’re looking for a more uplifting read, I’d recommend “Raising Hare” by Chloe Dalton.

If you haven’t yet, I recommend watching “A Nice Indian Boy”. 9/10

“The Wedding Banquet” Can’t recommend this movie enough. 10/10

If you like dark academia, check out “Lovely Dark and Deep” by Elisa A. Bonnin. Haunted by and blamed for the loss of the friend she tried to help, Faith’s back at her secret school of magic and on probation as she and her friends try to stop the dark magic threatening students.

If you have a reluctant teen reader, I’d recommend Neal Shusterman’s new short story collection, “Mindworks”. Carnivorous and sentient plants, lost boys transforming into hurricanes, cetacean politicians—this book has it all!

While a difficult read at times, “First They Killed My Father” by Luong Ung, about surviving the Khmer Rouge’s genocide in Cambodia, is a powerful account of survival in the face of horrific adversity.

“To a Tyrant”, a poem by Joseph Brodsky

“Falling”, a poem by James Dickey

Not the most uplifting read but “One Long Night: a Global History of Concentration Camps” seems a relevant one in light of state of the world today.

“The Broken Home”, a poem by James Merrill

“Customs”, a poem by Sara Shea

“Angels In the Desert”, a poem by Kwame Dawes

“my big ol’ day of self-pity”, a poem by Ewen Glass

“I gave my iPhone Pepto-Bismol”, a poem by Ewen Glass

“The Cult-Classic Flick Based on the Best-Selling Unauthorized Biography of You—“, a poem by Matt Zambito

"They had visions but didn’t see the data centers and the ICE raids coming The voices they heard in the air were not in the language they had learned They felt like they were being followed" —Kirk Wilson, "The Middle Ages"

“Prelude”, a poem by Conrad Aiken

“Multitudes Turn in Darkness”, a poem by Conrad Aiken

TBR: “Limelight” by Andrew Keenan-Bolger Danny tries to find himself and his people while attending a performing arts high school in NYC. (But also secretly gasped when I noticed they considered 1996 as historical fiction.)

A lazy (and cold) Saturday night.

If you love D&D, dark fantasy, and/or looking for your next read, check out “Tower Dungeon” by Tsutomu Nihei. A dungeon crawl to save a dragon-morphing princess from a shape-shifting necromancer. Think David Lynch’s “Dune” meets “Lord of the Rings”.

TBR: “Beyond Seven Forests” by Amanda McCrina WWI, 1916, Poland. Renata has lost everything and finds herself trapped in her home with Polish deserters from the Russian Army. Struggling to survive, she grapples with how to deal with wartime trauma and a life with those she considered her enemy.