A buzzy new book and an underground classic

Plus lots and lots of summer reads

Hey, readers!

Sorry I missed you last week! It was a busy weekend with lots of family in town. Of course, now our household is under the weather so today’s newsletter is going to be brief, but I wanted to share some of the great books I’v read recently. Read on to check out my recent reads and I’ll be back with more next week!

This week in books.

This week I read…

• Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout. This book was so wonderful. The third book in Strout’s Lucy Barton series (which do not need to be read in order) follows Lucy as she reconnects with her ex-husband after he experiences a major life upheaval. Strout’s exceptional writing is on full display here and I was consistently impressed with how much richness she gives to each of her characters. I love Lucy Barton’s voice and this book revealed even more depth to her character and complexity to her life. If you’ve loved Strout’s work in the past, definitely pick this one up. I also think this would be a great place to start for newbies. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay. The May selection for Novel Pairings was a book that was just recently published by Penguin Classics despite being decades old. Much about the book, like its cast of queer characters and exploration of disability feels remarkable modern. But it’s also very of its time and evokes all those great Harlem Renaissance vibes. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I enjoyed Henry’s previous books but this one wasn’t for me. I liked the premise a lot but I found the side characters annoying and the main characters’ banter cringey. I’m very much in the minority here so if you like Henry’s work and you enjoy a summer romance, definitely give it a try yourself! Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

Now I’m reading…

• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. I’m still loving this one, it’s just slow going since my time for reading paper books is so limited! Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. I just started this one today but so far it reminds me a bit of a good Kate Morton novel so I’m all in. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• Exhalation by Ted Chiang. I loved Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and so far this book is another gorgeous collection of speculative short stories. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

Links I love.

The Sarah’s Book Shelves summer reading guide is here!

Let the NYT book critics help you decide what to read this summer.

Four light but literary summer releases that Maureen Corrigan loved.

End notes.

Watching:

• I can’t wait to start The Essex Serpent!

Listening:

• After committing to listening to Up First, I’ve started expanding my news consumption a little bit and occasionally fit in an episode of The Daily, The Argument, or The Ezra Klein Podcast.

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Readers, happy start to the summer reading season! For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!

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Happy reading!

Sara