A linguistically playful novel about language, books, and revolution
Plus Austen on the big screen and a mega spring book preview
This week I found myself in a major reading slump. I always experience at least one slump as I’m vetting books for the Paperback Summer Reading Guide and it always freaks me out. What if I just lose my ability to finish books? What if I can’t find anything else for the guide? And what if reading for the PSRG has broken my reading forever? Even though I know to expect this, I can’t help but get a little existential about it.
Fortunately, after nearly a week of picking up and putting down book after book, I finished two books between Thursday and Friday that are perfect additions to the guide. I’m hoping that this mini spree busts my slump, but either way, I now have two more great backlist books to put on your radar this summer.
This week in books.
This week I read…
Bibliolepsy by Gina Apostol. This is my second book by Gina Apostol and she continues to both impress and mystify me. Bibliolepsy isn’t as impenetrable as Insurrecto, but it’s certainly a strange one. The book is perhaps best described as coming-of-age story meets revolutionary tale meets love lust letter to literature. The first half of the introduces us to our narrator Primi and—through her own eyes and memories—we learn about her childhood. It’s filled with grief, misunderstandings, and an insatiable desire for books. The second half details adult Primi’s passionate and often humorous romantic entanglements with books and writers. All of this takes place under the martial law of the Marcos regime in the Philippines. But nothing I’ve written here or can write would accurately capture what Apostol is doing in her debut novel. The book is linguistically playful, filled with alliteration, assonance, and internal rhyme. The prose is bawdy and surprising. I often had the feeling that I wasn’t quite gleaning the layers of meaning Apostol was trying to convey, but I enjoyed being along for the ride. I’m really looking forward to discussing this book with the FictionMatters Book Club because I know I’ll get much more out of it after a discussion. Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
Just more and more books for the Paperback Summer Reading Guide.
New on my TBR…
I just received an early copy of Joyce Carol Oates’s forthcoming release and it sounds right up my alley.
Links I love.
The Great Spring Book Preview is here! Get your TBR ready! (The Millions)
Are The Hunger Games more popular than ever? Is President Snow “Gen Z’s villain”? This article explores why the series’ popularity has ebbed and flowed and why it’s on the rise. (Wash Post, gift link)
8 books about the evils of unchecked state power. (Electric Lit)
In grad school, I took a course called Class Fictions where we explored how class is represented in American fiction and how American fiction shapes our ideas about class. This review adds a new book to the class fictions canon and explores why these books are important. (Atlantic, gift link)
I’ve been trying to learn more about writing craft this year and these interviews with debut writers was a fun exploration of questions of craft. (Electric Lit)
Three of the best new audiobooks. (Wash Post, gift link)
What it was like to edit Wolf Hall. (NYT Book Review podcast)
5 notable books that are all over the map. (NPR)
5 novels about coming of age when you knew better. (Lit Hub)
10 emerging writers win Whiting Awards. (NPR)
End Notes.
What I’m watching, listening to, making, and loving this week.
We had a great discussion of Wild Dark Shore in the FictionMatters Book Club. Some people loved and adored it, others despised it, and we managed to have a truly respectful and enlightening discussion about the books themes as well as what our reaction revealed about our own reading tastes.
I saw Pride and Prejudice on the big screen for the 20th anniversary re-release. It was wonderful. I highly recommend going if it’s playing in a theater near you!
I always love meta conversations about criticism and this exploration of Andrea Long Chu’s new book was a good one.
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