what i read in may

Long Way Down - Excellent. Clever premise and treatment for a compelling and succinct story.

We Refuse - I can’t believe Robin D.G. Kelley gave this a blurb. There are some strong quotes and conclusions here and there but overall the content is nowhere near as compelling as the cover art. I won’t say it’s pseudointellectualism but many of her arguments lack depth and the conclusions she draws from personal anecdotes border on the ridiculous. She could have used a strong editor as well to address redundancy.

The Lumumba Plot - Still enjoying it. I love that the author treats Eisenhower’s racism (and general laziness) as simple facts, rather than pearl-clutching revelations.

The Vegetarian - I like dark but this was just dark for dark’s sake. It just wallows in dark; some scenes just drag on and on and on which is a feat for a book that’s less than 200 pages. And I think the title is a cheat but I guess “The Run-Of-The-Mill Schizophrenic” wouldn’t sell as well.