A poetic book club read and I book that came at the wrong time
Plus new May reads and books about the weird and wild field of psychoanalysis
Hey, readers!
I guess I was so busy celebrating Indie Bookstore Day yesterday, that I forgot to put the finishing touches on this week’s newsletter…whoops! Yesterday I took Louise to The Tattered Cover for the first time. It was so much fun browsing books with her…they have a fantastic children’s section. It was only the second bookstore she’s been to and all within the span of a few days. Earlier this week we visited Second Star on the Right Books, which is a (mostly) kids bookshop situated in a particularly adorable Denver neighborhood. They also host story time every single day and I can’t wait to go back. Next stop: the library!
Indie Bookstore Day PSA
Okay, I always tuck my Libro.fm affiliate code and link in this newsletter for anyone who wants to sign up and get two audiobooks for the price of one. But today, I have to make it bigger and bolder because it’s the last day of the Indie Bookstore Day sale! There are tons of fantastic audiobooks on sale for $5 BUT if you’re a member, you get an additional 30% off. I stocked up on about 12 $3.50 audiobooks yesterday and my listening queue has never been better. Use code FICTIONMATTERS or this link to join and be sure to shop the sale before it ends tomorrow!
This week in books.
This week I read…
On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu. Between the gorgeous writing, winning characters, and devastating plot, this was a really special read. It’s a story of immigration that felt original while still being connected to many stories I’ve encountered previous. After seeing it on NPR’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Last Decade list, I was definitely expecting more, well, sci-fi and fantasy, but I thought the way Yu brought in hints of the speculative were really lovely. Amazon | Bookshop
Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann. Do you ever read a book and wish you’d read it years ago? That was this book for me. I really enjoyed it and was pretty blown away by the simultaneous expansiveness and intimacy Hamann crafts throughout the book and the way we see our narrator Evie grow and change and struggle. But I know I would have loved this book if I’d read it a decade ago. I think what I loved most reading it now was the perfect way Hamann captures the feeling of high school (yes, the book progresses far beyond the teen years, but those were the most visceral parts to me). The last few years I’ve really missed that end-of-the-school-year feeling and I really felt like this book captured it in ink. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. This has been on my TBR since it came out and, now that I’m finally listening to it, I’m utterly absorbed. Reading the first essay also made me want to reread Commonwealth because I’m now wondering how much of it was inspired by Patchett’s own life! Yes this was one of my Libro.fm sale purchases…get on over there! Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
Links I love.
Liana Finck’s cartoons about motherhood have been such a joy to me during this season of my life. I loved learning more about her new book on the New York Book Review podcast.
Pablo Neruda’s poetry in children’s book form? Yes, please.
Listening to Once Upon a Time at Bennington College earlier this year made me want to read Jonathan Lethem’s work. Now might be the moment now that Fortress of Solitude is the Vox Book Club pick for May.
I rarely think about or look at the New York Times Best Sellers list, but sometimes I do and it reminds me of what a little niche corner of the internet bookstagram really is.
Fun fact: I have a minor in psychoanalysis (yes, you could do that at Colorado College) and I love reading about that field. Here’s a great list of accessible books about psychoanalysis, including the DW Winnicott book I used for my undergrad thesis.
I love The Color Purple, and I have mixed feelings about Caitlin Flanagan, but I too was taken aback by the recent New Yorker profile of Walker, which glosses over the author’s antisemitism. I appreciated the way Flanagan unpacked that omission in this piece.
End notes.
Watching:
Our Flag Means Death. So fun!
Listening:
I always love Annie’s reading recaps on From the Front Porch.
Lots of audiobooks…I’m back in a great listening rhythm!
Making:
I can only take credit for the idea here, but my mom made Louise a little lovey out of one of the waffle shirts I’ve worn nonstop since she was born and it’s so cute!
Loving:
Feeling my sense of inspiration and creativity come back. I have some exciting ideas in the works for FictionMatters, and I can’t wait to get started!
Readers, I hope you’re celebrating indie bookstores all weekend long. 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