Hey, readers!
I have been feeling extremely unsettled all week. I think there are two main reasons for that (although there are probably truly hundreds of reasons for it, and I know I’m not alone). One is that while the end of the school year is approaching, I’m not experiencing that end-of-the-year energy I love so much because we’re not in the building. In particular, it’s been really hard and sad to say goodbye to my seniors over video chat. I’ve taught some of these girls for three years and it’s so weird not to have a real send-off. The second reason I’ve been off kilter is that I have not been able to settle into a book. I’ve started 3 or 4 and nothing is grabbing me! Here’s hoping the weekend changes that.
You’ll notice right away that today’s newsletter looks a little different. I wanted to share more wrap-up thoughts on all of my April reads as well as give you a sneak peak of the May releases I’m looking forward to. Because of that you won’t see the usual segments. Don’t worry! Those will be back next week, but quarantine has me in a mood to experiment a bit. If you really love or really hate this end-of-the-month format, respond to this email to let me know! I’ll take it all into consideration going forward!
The links below are Bookshop.org affiliate links. When you make a book purchase through these links, I earn a small commission and we all get to support independent bookstores. Thank you so much for your support!
Every Book I Read in April
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: It’s meticulously plotted and gorgeously written. I also loved how Allende would give hints of things to come without giving too much away. It helped this lengthy book feel propulsive.
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: Lorde writes with brilliance and nuance about race, sexuality, art and more, and these essays feel both timeless and timely.
Where I struggled: This isn’t completely fair, but for me what didn’t work was the audiobook. This is a collection of speeches and writings gathered from other publications rather than essays intended for a single book. Because of that, there’s some repetition of ideas and language. That doesn’t bother me when I read something on paper because I can skim the repetitions, but on audio it was a little jarring.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
What I loved: Russell makes readers feel unbelievably and appropriately uncomfortable. She also brilliantly demonstrates the problem with the “perfect victim” narrative and forces readers to contemplate our own complicity in rape culture.
Where I struggled: I don’t think I understood what point this book was trying to make until I was at least halfway through it. Ultimately that made the pay-off more satisfying and impressive, but I wasn’t sure I could fully trust Russell to stick the landing early in my reading.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
What I loved: The Night Circus is a truly special book and no one can write magic like Erin Morgenstern. I want to live inside this book and she truly makes her magical circus come to life. Plus on this reading I decided that the whole book is an allegory for readers’ relationships to books and that made me even more.
Where I struggled: The characters in this book aren’t fully formed and read more like figures in fairytales. As someone who prefers character-driven stories, I found that a little frustrating.
Severance by Ling Ma. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: The metaphorical implications of the fever Ling Ma has created are brilliant and fascinating. Some of the details in the book like the protagonist’s job are also very original and interesting.
Where I struggled: I didn’t think all of the plot lines quite came together at the end, although I enjoyed the ride so much that didn’t totally matter.
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: Kidd’s exploration of the sacred feminine was beautifully combined with a rich historical understanding of the pre-Christian era. I also adored how Ana—the main character—defied female stereotypes and came into her own through her female friendships.
Where I struggled: Occasionally moments pop up in which Kidd’s writing is a bit sappy for my taste. I also thought the book lagged for about 50 pages in the middle.
Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: Herrera manages to do so much in so little space. He captures the beauty and the desperation on the Mexican-American border while also telling an intricately structured fable. Also the translator’s note is amazing!
Where I struggled: As I do with many novellas, I found myself wanting more details about the characters and their world.
Pride by Ibi Zoboi. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: The teen characters’ love for and celebration of their communities was lovely and infectious. What Zoboi does with Darcy’s character is clever and compelling. Oh and the audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and it’s fantastic.
Where I struggled: As an adult reader I always struggle a tiny bit with the over-the-top emotions in YA, but I don’t fault the book for that.
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: I love a book that exclusively features strong, complicated female characters, and this book is filled with them. The tone of Young Jane Young is also sassy and snarky. It’s one of those great books that discusses important issues through a lighter tone.
Where I struggled: I didn’t totally understand all of the author’s choices and I very much enjoyed some sections more than others. I also wanted more from the ending after the incredibly setup Zevin provided.
Open Book by Jessica Simpson. ⭐⭐⭐1/2
What I loved: Simpson’s honesty and vulnerability are what makes this book work. She’s confident but self-deprecating. She owns up to her mistakes but is also retroactively kind to her young self. Plus she shares a lot of dishy info about the Hollywood dating scene and one, John Mayer. The audiobook of this is super fun.
Where I struggled: I knew going in that Simpson’s Christian beliefs are very important to her. Sometimes the discussion of faith was a bit much for me, but I do think she did a great job avoiding a preachy tone.
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha. ⭐⭐⭐
What I loved: Cha’s focus on female friendships in a society that focuses nearly exclusively on women’s appearances is so interesting. I also loved a behind-the-scenes look at Korean beauty culture.
Where I struggled: I just didn’t think the writing in this one was great. It was distracting at times and I could never fully immerse myself in the story, even though I wanted to.
The Resisters by Gish Jen. ⭐⭐1/2
What I loved: The premise! Jen’s idea of social and cultural stratification feels eerily real and I’m always interested in depictions of dystopian societies that people gradually succumb to rather than have forced upon them.
Where I struggled: Because Jen tells the story through a secondary character’s perspective, I felt like I was missing a lot that was happening off the page. And while I think her dystopia was theoretically brilliant, the details were off in a way that prevented me from fully buying in.
May Releases
There’s no way I’ll get through all of the May releases that have caught my eye, but a girl can dream, right? Hopefully one (or two or three) of these books will make there way onto your reading list. Remember, you can preorder any new release through your local indie bookstore or Bookshop.com, both of which seriously help out these authors!
The Book of V. by Anna Solomon (May 5). This book follows three different women across three different centuries in three different places. Solomon says she wanted to explore the idea of womanhood and I’m eager to see if and how this novel comes together.
Four by Four by Sara Mesa (May 5). I love Gothic stories and campus novels so I’m going to have to check this one out since it ticks both of those boxes.
Sensei and Sensibility by Karen Tei Yamashita (May 5). This is a collection of short stories about Japanese immigrants in America all told through references and retellings of Austen novels. It sounds fascinating.
All Adults Here by Emma Straub (May 5). I adore a family drama and Straub’s style is pretty much exactly what I want right now. Her books are often on the lighter side, but the writing is still crisp and engaging.
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (May 5). I’m pretty sure I’ve only read one Weiner book, but I’m excited to have a fun, light book on my nightstand for the month of May.
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas (May 12). Another Gothic campus novel? Sure, why not.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (May 19). Prequels will always catch my eye (I very much prefer them to sequels) so I cannot wait to return to Panem for the 10th annual Hunger Games.
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (May 19). Sittenfeld is one of my favorite novelists and her reimagining of Laura Bush’s life in American Wife is my favorite of hers. I am really looking forward to reading her novel about Hilary Clinton that takes place in an alternate world where she didn’t marry Bill.
All My Mother’s Lovers by Ilana Masad (May 26). This debut follows Maggie as she discovers some long-kept secrets as she’s trying to hold her family together after her mother Iris’s death. I often enjoy books that are compressed into a short window of time and this one takes place over Iris’s funeral and shiva.
Currently Reading
As mentioned, I’ve had trouble committing to books recently, but I did finish Young Jane Young for my book club and The Night Circus for a student book club. Having that pressure was the only way I could have finished anything on the page this week. I did manage to get through Pride on audio (loved it!). I got it as part of my Scribd subscription—Scribd is a company that gives you access to unlimited ebooks and audiobooks for $9.99/month and right now they’re giving new subscribers a free month. I highly recommend checking them out as a great resource for tracking down books. (P.S. This isn’t sponsored! My book club and I have just been finding Scribd a highly useful tool right now!)
And, readers, if you’re looking for an easy way to get books delivered straight to your door during quarantine, now’s the time to check out Book of the Month. My April BOTM, Beach Read by Emily Henry (out May 19th, but available early through BOTM), is the first book I’ve picked up in about a week that’s actually kept my attention. The May books are out now and they include one of my favorite April reads (The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd) and a book I’m extremely excited about (The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe). If you’re interested, you can sign up for BOTM for $9.99 by using my affiliate link and entering the code MAY5 at checkout!
That’s all for today readers. I hope you find something here to add to your own May reading list!
Happy reading,
Sara