April Reading Wrap Up | 2021

[@cajsita]

ok now i get why CJ called you Big Brain Energy!! i'll be coming back 4 more 4 sure

[@whatpageareyouon]

haha thank you! : )

[@somebenfen]

Yes to everything you say about Detransition Baby! Any attempt I make to try and articulate my feelings of this book just end up so muddy, as it is such a complex book!

[@readbykate]

omg yesss

[@whatpageareyouon]

haha at first when reading the book I was a bit fatigued by how much I had to pause to really think and consider how the characters (especially Reese) would confidently define their relationship with how they are perceived and then I thought OH WAIT that's probably how I'm supposed to feel (I hope haha) and that's when it occurred to me I hadn't read a book in so long trying to recognize me so much as a reader in joining the conversations of a book WHICH I LOVED. Shoutout to Peters being so good with dialog, I want this book to be a miniseries so bad !

[@literaryiggy]

I always look forward to your wrap ups Alex

[@whatpageareyouon]

🥺 IGGY 🥺 thank you! 😊✨

[@BookishTexan]

Reading _Detransition Baby_ in June. Have _Parakeet_ on my someday TBR.

[@thebibookboy794]

Detransition Baby sounds incredible! Your reviews are always so refreshing and well thought out !

[@BobTheBookerer]

I *loved* Detransition, Baby, and your description of it is way better than anything I could put into words!

[@howtoreadatparties]

Hi Alex!! Such a good wrap up video. If I'm honest I have heard other people describe the plot of Detransition, Baby and I have been....lost lol. Your summary is so succinct! I'm so glad to hear that this book about this complex relationship is so good as I'm so eager to read it. Also...You've convinced me! I'm going to dive into Cusk ASAP.

[@whatpageareyouon]

Would love to hear your thoughts on Detransition Baby Dominic! I know it's not the same, but Peters' articulation of the trans experience did make me incidentally think of mental gymnastics of trans positioning within queer spaces overall, making me think about what it means to be a gay man too. So curious how it'll make you maybe think of that as well!

[@HardcoverHearts]

Oh I love those magical moments when books seem to be in conversation or nodding to each other. You’ve made me more excited by Second Place now. Yes to all your thoughts on Detransition, Baby! I thought it was remarkable. I still think about those characters and specific scenes. It was very disappointing that it didn’t make the cut for The Women’s Prize short list.

[@whatpageareyouon]

I was crossing fingers for it to make the shortlist too! Maybe next time for her next novel ; )

[@moonyreadsbystarlight]

I've read and really enjoyed Detransition Baby as well!

[@user-iu4ws6vh5s]

Cusk fan here. Looking forward to Second Place. I love your nuanced review of Parakeet. Even though it resonated with me far more than you, I understand and respect your take. I saw a real growth in Bertino from her debut collection, Safe As Houses, to Parakeet. I viewed the fleeting emotional beats in the latter as creating a sub textual portrait of a woman uncomfortable sitting with her own thoughts; her transient grief over “losing her brother” and her delayed emotional maturity. I also wondered how much Bertino was playing into the scheme of the Internet in general; how the things we feel there we don’t feel for very long. To capture the experience of the Internet as a through line toward an emotional journey could only lead to transience.

[@whatpageareyouon]

Yes! I found the narrator's journey through her idea of "losing her brother" a delightful nuanced surprise, and I like your articulation of the Internet's relationship with her own understanding. Parakeet is one of those books I'd love to see portrayed through a miniseries or something, it made me think of things a la Fleabag in terms of possible structure. I'd love to read Bertino's next novel, whatever it is!

[@apocalypsereading7117]

i had similar feelings towards Tokyo Ueno Station, though i think i liked the prose more - maybe particularly tasty appetisers for me, which made the lack of meal all the more disappointing? 🍽 once you open the food analogy box there's no closing it

[@whatpageareyouon]

haha more food analogies to come! And I actually looked up more thoughts on Ueno Station after having filmed this vid and found your video on it! Really interesting translation details I hadn't known before and help me gather my thoughts better too : )

[@apocalypsereading7117]

@@whatpageareyouon yay, thanks =D ✨

[@Chrisralonso]

Detransition, Baby is high on my list. I bought it recently and am excited to get to it!

[@whatpageareyouon]

📚 Required reading!! 📚

[@babyxface94]

I just finished Tokyo ueno station, and I still don’t know what I feel about it lol

[@MarcNash]

Yeah I found Parakeet underwhelming. I hadn't thought about the problem being generational, bu now that you mention it, yes absolutely

[@AJ_Dunn]

I like your stripey shirt!