I've been reading more and more lately, due to a great bookshop opening near my house and the dude there being just really into books - contagious.
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, by Mariana Enriquez
A collection of horror short stories. As with all collections, there are weak ones and strong ones. The weak ones aren't bad and the strong ones are excellent. There are some genuine scares here, and I would say not for the faint of heart. Part of my effort to read more female authors, and a strong entry at that. I'll be honest, I bought this because the cover was cool - but it was a wise choice.
Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto.
My first Banana. It was fine. There's a theme in Japanese literature where not a whole lot of
stuff happens but it is still written beautifully and you can't put it down, this is a good example. Ultimately for me it was an alright romantic novel, nothing wrong with it - I just don't know that I would read it again. However, there is (refreshingly for a book from the 80s) a strong trans character that isn't just played for laughs or treated cruelly.
One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez
Which I kept seeing mentioned on reddit as being one of the best books ever. I was worried because reddit is full of really stupid people and weird fandom types, but it turned out to be a very good book. I found it a bit of a slog in the middle stretches, but perseverance was well worth it. A great book about solitude, ambition, time, repetition and a bunch of other stuff.
Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson
My first Jackson, and it's about time. I was actually recommended "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" but it wasn't in the shop so I ordered it on Aliexpress.
This tool helped to get it at a good price. I'm only a couple chapters in, so watch this space. I'm already seeing a lot of the tension I'm told Jackson is known for, and I'm also seeing some stuff that I think have become tropes in horror lit and movies. So far I haven't been able to put it down!