{"id":616,"date":"2025-12-31T13:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T19:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/?p=616"},"modified":"2026-01-27T15:06:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T21:06:20","slug":"unusual-eulogies-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2025\/12\/31\/unusual-eulogies-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Unusual Eulogies | 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Unusual Eulogies is a curated record of my reading life. These entries collect brief reflections on the books that have accompanied me at different moments \u2014 classics, contemporary fiction, unexpected finds, and the ones everyone was talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These entries capture a unique period of my reading life: a deep, structured dive into the mechanics of meaning. Alongside novels and memoirs, I spent a significant amount of time with academic texts \u2014 deconstructing narrative theory, hermeneutics, and the structure of stories. This shelf is a focused exploration of the craft and philosophy behind the stories we tell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I read with a dual heart: as a pure reader getting lost in a story, and as a writer marveling at voice, structure, and the lingering questions a great book leaves behind. Think of this not as a review site, but as a conversation about the stories that stick with us. It\u2019s a reference for anyone curious about what\u2019s on my shelf and, perhaps, a source for your next great read.<\/p>\n\n\n

4\u20136 minutes<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

The Happy Hotline<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Joseph “Joe” Kuttler<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

A raw, compelling, and messily human novel that leans unflinchingly into cringe and heavy themes. The second half builds with undeniable energy, pulling the reader into its chaotic, heartfelt conclusion. Its unvarnished voice and commitment to its own unique rhythm are definitely its greatest strengths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Mrs. Dalloway<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Virginia Woolf<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

A friend warned me this was long, descriptive, and plotless \u2014 and she wasn\u2019t wrong. Still, I trust Woolf completely, so I gave it a shot. It\u2019s a masterful, stream-of-consciousness immersion into a single day in London, exploring the vast interior worlds of its characters. Woolf\u2019s prose is breathtaking (per usual) in its precision and depth, capturing the weight of memory, regret, and quiet connection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Al final todo es amor<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Tere Salazar<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

My aunt (my mom\u2019s cousin, I think?) self-published this book, and I\u2019m so glad she did. This is a heartfelt, intimately crafted novel that weaves together three perspectives on love, loss, and connection. The structure is inventive, pulling the reader into separate lives that ultimately converge in a moving and satisfying resolution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

In the Dream House<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Carmen Maria Machado<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Holy shit. Machado\u2019s mind is a marvel. The structure of this memoir is unlike anything I\u2019ve ever read \u2014 it\u2019s raw, powerful, and so visceral you feel her thoughts bleeding through the pages. A breathtaking, genre-defying memoir that uses innovative structure to dissect memory, trauma, and a toxic relationship. An absolute landmark work of art and narrative form.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

The Stranger<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Albert Camus<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

The seminal, philosophically dense novel of existentialism and absurdism. Camus presents a detached, haunting portrait of a man confronting the meaninglessness of society and existence. Such a challenging text that continues to provoke and unsettle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

I’m Glad My Mom Died<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jennette McCurdy<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Wow. McCurdy\u2019s voice is raw, darkly funny, and profoundly impactful as she recounts her childhood stardom and complex trauma. I got completely lost in her story \u2014 no editing brain, just feeling. This is a stunning, brutally honest, and powerfully written memoir, and I haven\u2019t stopped recommending it to everyone I know. Will definitely be the first to read her future works!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Cien a\u00f1os de soledad<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

A beautifully written fever dream and foundational masterpiece of magical realism. M\u00e1rquez paints the epic, dreamlike rise and fall of the Buend\u00eda family with lush, hypnotic prose. It gets confusing at times \u2014 highly recommend keeping a family tree handy \u2014 but the ending is perfect. A friend told me to imagine all the characters as versions of the same person, and it helped!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

The Odyssey (Spanish Edition)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Homero<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

The<\/em> epic of Western literature, chronicling Odysseus’s long, mythic journey home. Its tales of monsters, gods, and endurance have shaped storytelling for millennia. A foundational text whose archetypal adventures continue to echo through modern narratives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

The Suppliants (Spanish Edition)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Aeschylus<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

A powerful, early Greek tragedy. It boldly explores themes of female agency, divine law, and political refuge, showcasing the foundational tensions of drama and moral conflict. For an in-depth analysis (in Spanish), read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

\u00d3ptica sangu\u00ednea<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Daniela Boj\u00f3rquez V\u00e9rtiz<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Absolutely blown away. It’s a world that feels both intimate and unsettling. Boj\u00f3rquez V\u00e9rtiz builds a world that is both intimately raw and expansively unsettling, with imagery that cuts to the bone. A book that genuinely rewires your sense of what language and story can achieve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

The Academic Shelf<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For fellow writers, literature students, or the incurably curious, these are the foundational pieces that lived on my reference shelf this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Filosof\u00eda y literatura<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Alessandro Baricco<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Clase 2: Teor\u00eda y teor\u00edas (p. 53-70)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Josefina Ludmer<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u00bfDe qu\u00e9 hablamos cuando hablamos de literatura? (p. 13-32)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Susana Reisz<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Principios del an\u00e1lisis del texto literario (p. 11-35)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cesare Segre<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Tema del autor y del h\u00e9roe<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jorge Luis Borges<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Historia y discurso (p. 15-44)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Seymour Chatman<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Lector in fabula (p. 73-95)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Umberto Eco<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Discurso del relato (p. 81-171)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

G\u00e9rard Genette<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Gram\u00e1tica para estudiantes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Xavier Fages Gironella<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Introducci\u00f3n al an\u00e1lisis estructural de los relatos<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Roland Barthes<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

La noche boca arriba<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Julio Cortazar<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Del texto al g\u00e9nero. Notas sobre la problem\u00e1tica gen\u00e9rica (p. 155-182)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jean-Marie Schaeffer<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

From Validity in Interpretation (p. 14-33)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

E.D. Hirsch<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Literary History as a Challenge to Literary Theory (p. 7-37)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Hans-Robert Jauss<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Hacia el an\u00e1lisis autom\u00e1tico del discurso (p. 44-54)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Michel P\u00eacheux<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Visi\u00f3n Panor\u00e1mica de los estudios sobre narraci\u00f3n (p. 95-119)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

C.R. Trigos<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Hermeneutics<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Will Mason & Tim May<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Understanding Hermeneutics (cap. 5 & 6)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Lawrence Kennedy Schmidt<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

El discurso como interacci\u00f3n social (p. 19-66)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Teun van Dijk<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

El problema del contenido, el material y la forma en la creaci\u00f3n literaria<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mijail Bajt\u00edn<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u00c9pica y novela (p. 13-76 & 449-487)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mijail Bajt\u00edn<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Las suplicantes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Esquilo<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

El problema de los g\u00e9neros discursivos (p. 248-293)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mijail Bajt\u00edn<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Las cronotop\u00edas literarias en la concepci\u00f3n bajtiniana (p. 119-141)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Olga Pampa Ar\u00e1n<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Cap\u00edtulo 4: Introducci\u00f3n a la pragm\u00e1tica<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Victoria Escandell<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Escribir la imagen (p. 17-38)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bego\u00f1a Alberdi Soto<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Teor\u00eda de la imagen: Ensayos sobre representaci\u00f3n verbal y visual (p. 9-39)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

W.J.T. Mitchen<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

\u00d3ptica sangu\u00ednea<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Daniela Boj\u00f3rquez V\u00e9rtiz<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u2018El giro afectivo\u2019. Emociones, subjetividad, pol\u00edtica (p. 245-254)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Leonor Arfuch<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

La pol\u00edtica cultural de las emociones (p. 19-46)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Ahmed<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These entries capture a unique period of my reading life: a deep, structured dive into\u00a0the mechanics of meaning. Alongside novels and memoirs, I spent a significant amount of time with academic texts \u2014 deconstructing narrative theory, hermeneutics, and the structure of stories. This shelf is a focused exploration of the craft and philosophy behind the stories we tell. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134972872,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[774386446],"tags":[7215,3328,7758714,178,1747,349],"class_list":["post-616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-unusual-eulogies","tag-book-review","tag-book-reviews","tag-bookish-thoughts","tag-books","tag-fiction","tag-writing"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfZGWd-9W","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":312,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2022\/12\/31\/unusual-eulogies-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":616,"position":0},"title":"Unusual Eulogies | 2022","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"December 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"2022 was a year of\u00a0literary deconstruction and raw voice. I found myself drawn to stories that peeled back the layers of storytelling itself \u2014 examining classic structures, dissecting narrative power, and marveling at bold, unconventional voices. It was a year spent equally in the workshop and the gallery, appreciating both\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Unusual Eulogies"","block_context":{"text":"Unusual Eulogies","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/unusual-eulogies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":292,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2021\/12\/31\/unusual-eulogies-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":616,"position":1},"title":"Unusual Eulogies | 2021","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"December 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This year was all about\u00a0stories of rebellion and quiet defiance, but told with a haunting, tension-soaked mood. I craved books where the tension wasn't just in the plot, but in the very air the characters breathed.","rel":"","context":"In "Unusual Eulogies"","block_context":{"text":"Unusual Eulogies","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/unusual-eulogies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":353,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2024\/12\/31\/unusual-eulogies-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":616,"position":2},"title":"Unusual Eulogies | 2024","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"December 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This year\u2019s reading has been a deep dive into\u00a0the anatomy of obsession and of the self. I've been drawn to stories that dissect desperate love, fractured identities, and the haunting legacies we inherit or violently cast off. It's been a journey through raw nerves and beautiful ruins, exploring what happens\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Unusual Eulogies"","block_context":{"text":"Unusual Eulogies","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/unusual-eulogies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":407,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2023\/12\/31\/unusual-eulogies-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":616,"position":3},"title":"Unusual Eulogies | 2023","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"December 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"My reading in 2023 was defined by\u00a0haunting intimacy and fractured perspectives. I was drawn to voices that spoke from the margins of memory, of society, of reality itself, and to stories that explored the raw, complex anatomy of trauma, love, and identity. It was a year of feeling viscerally, in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Unusual Eulogies"","block_context":{"text":"Unusual Eulogies","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/unusual-eulogies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2508,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/07\/09\/please-stop-editing-the-life-out-of-your-story\/","url_meta":{"origin":616,"position":4},"title":"Please stop editing the life out of your story","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"July 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The essence of powerful writing lies in emotional resonance, not just technical perfection; stories should have a heartbeat beyond flawless grammar.","rel":"","context":"In "Behind the Drafts"","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Drafts","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/the-writing-life\/behind-the-drafts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2628,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/09\/08\/lets-get-naughty-a-guide-to-leaving-a-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":616,"position":5},"title":"Let’s get naughty: a guide to leaving a review","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"September 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Humorously urging readers to write detailed, heartfelt reviews, emphasizing their importance for both authors and future readers.","rel":"","context":"In "Creative Pulse"","block_context":{"text":"Creative Pulse","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/creative-pulse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134972872"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1816,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions\/1816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}