A revelatory reread and a haunting ending

Plus the start of the best books (so far) lists and a new Gatsby reimagining

I didn’t get to do as much reading as I had hoped this week. Instead, I spent the week getting my calendar back in order. It’s wild to think how much I used to accomplish in a day when Louise was home with me for the first two years of her life. Now, just a week off from school makes everything feel chaotic and impossible! I had to push some work things back but spending the last week of May fully prioritizing family time was worth it and now that Lou’s summer session has started, I’m getting back into the swing of things.

I also recorded two podcast episodes this week! Later this month you’ll be able to find me sharing anticipated books for the second half of the year on

Traci Thomas

’s Unstacked and breaking down Katie Kitamura’s Auditions with

Sarah Dickinson

on her paid subscriber feed.

This week also marked the last episode of

Novel Pairings

—a bittersweet moment to be sure.

Chelsey Feder

and I love the podcast and community we built over the last five years and there’s definitely going to be a hole in my reading life without getting to read and discuss classics with her. We hope to find ways to do that occasionally in some form, but for now, we’ve opened up a Gumroad storefront where you can find all of our past classes and classic recap series sold in bundles. Our Patreon will remain open until the end of the summer, and at $10/month that’s the best bang-for-your-buck if you’re curious to check out our offerings. But if you want to own and refer back to classes and content, Gumroad will be there for you in perpetuity.

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This week in books.

This week I read…

Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa, translated by Polly Barton. I didn’t know what to expect from this novella other than it was a visceral and undertold depiction of disability, and I’m glad that’s all I knew because it completely shocked me from beginning to end. The book follows Shaka, an independently wealthy woman with congenital muscle disorder that keeps her homebound in the care facility she owns. I know that’s next to nothing, but it’s all I’m going to tell you! I found these book to be provocative and powerful. Although I read it quickly, much of it is seared into my brain, especially the ending which I will be thinking about for many months to come. After you read this, make sure you check out

Martha

’s interview with the author in

Pandora Sykes

’s newsletter. Bookshop | Libro.fm

Audition by Katie Kitamura. That’s right; I read this divisive little novel again this week. I first read and loved Audition last November, but this month I am discussing it with

Sarah Dickinson

for a bonus podcast episode, my Patreon Book Club, and my in real life book club, so I had three very good reasons to revisit it. This book is extremely open-ended, leaving interpretations of plot, character, and themes entirely up to the reading. That is something I really enjoy in my reading and it always makes for particularly good rereading. This time around, my initial interpretations checked out, but I could see so many other avenues of meaning both in terms of theorizing about the plot and excavating thematic solutions. I had a blast discussing it with Sarah and I am so excited to talk it all over with my Patreon and IRL book clubs. If you love books that make you work, books driven by their themes and structures, and stories that require you to (literally) fill in the gaps, I highly recommend picking this one up—preferably with a group of adventurous readers with whom you can discuss. Bookshop | Libro.fm

Now I’m reading…

I’ve been wanting to work more nonfiction into my reading so I’m listening to Murderland by Caroline Fraser. It’s interesting. I don’t think I’m the target audience, but I think Fraser’s writing is compelling and surprising so I’m still pretty riveted.

New on my TBR…

I just received a copy of Patricia Lockwood’s forthcoming release, and I can’t wait to pick it up.

The Weekly Dispatch.

• After very little TV watching of late, I am very into Andor. After a few years off air, I needed to do some serious homework to get reacclimatized for season two. It reminds me in some ways of Game of Thrones with the multiple settings, wide cast of characters, and closed door politicking, but with antiauthoritarian themes I’m really vibing with right now.

• I have been having a harder time recalling book titles recently, so I will be listening to this podcast about forgetting versus normal forgetting.

• It’s June, which means it’s time for the best books of the year (so far) lists to start dropping! Vulture’s list is out and I have only read three…sigh. I’m curious, what do you think are the best new books of 2025 as we approach the midpoint?

Link Roundup.

22 novels you need to read this summer. (Lit Hub)

10 novels full of queer yearning. (Electric Lit)

A Black reimagining of ‘The Great Gatsby’ spotlights a hidden L.A. history. (L.A. Times)

After 100 years, there’s still much to learn from ‘Mrs. Dalloway.’ (Wash Post)

These fantasy novels breath new life into old myths. (NYT, gift link)

The best recent translated fiction. (The Guardian)

7 thrillers about murder in paradise. (Electric Lit)

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Happy reading!

Sara