Bookish balance, quirky characters, and some genre reading
Plus T. Swift's literary references and impactful books by Black authors
Hi, readers!
This has been quite the week. I attended three online trainings for how to teach online (even though my school still hasn’t announced its reopening plan), met with a colleague to plan our first six weeks of instruction, recorded one podcast episode and edited two more. On top of that Bingley needed an emergency trip to the vet (he’s fine!) and I’m continuing to stress out about what I’m going to do in the fall.
With all of this going on and all the different types of reading I’ve been doing, I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of literature in our lives during this cultural moment. While the anxiety caused by the pandemic makes many readers yearn for a bookish escape, ongoing Black Lives Matter protests remind us that reading for activism and empowerment is also essential. It’s a delicate balancing act, but both feelings are reminders to me of just how powerful books can be. On the one hand, books can catapult us into an alternate reality and, if done right, make us forget our woes for a time. And on the other, they can help us engage more deeply and critically with the world as we know it.
Recently I’ve been reminded just how important it is for me to maintain this balance in my reading life. This week I escaped into Middle Earth for the first time ever and was astonished at how profound and emotional I found the book to be. It was delightful to read a book that allowed me to inhabit a completely different universe, while connecting with characters who demonstrated the loyalty and and fortitude I hope to in my life. I’ve also been reading some particularly challenging books about race, class, gender, and the climate for Aspen Words. While many of the submitted works are emotional and require me to think about difficult topics, I am so enjoying the window I’m getting into many different perspectives and experiences. Often, feeling a powerful emotion vicariously rather than prompted by something in my own life is extremely therapeutic for me. I’ve been indulging some of my more melancholy days in books that remind me just how messy and complicated the human experience is, and I’m remembering just what made me fall in love with reading in the first place.
This week in books.
This week I read…
The Rakess by Scarlet Peckham. In romance, a rake is a male love interest who indulges in gambling, alcohol, and, of course, womanizing. This historical romance flips the roles and gives us Seraphina Arden, the author of a feminist manifesto on equal rights for women and an avowed rakess. I love any book that plays with conventions and literary tropes, especially as a way to comment on gender. Even though I’m not super familiar with romance tropes, I could pick up on the ways Peckham was subverting norms, and I thought it was brilliant. This book is very steamy and open door, and also deals frankly—but carefully—with alcoholism, so keep all of that in mind if you’re considering picking it up! Amazon | Bookshop
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. I finished it! But you’ll have to wait until our August 18th episode of Novel Pairings to hear my thoughts. Amazon | Bookshop
Members Only by Sameer Pandya*. This book depicts a week in the life of professor Raj Bhatt—a very, very bad week—while satirically commenting on race in primarily white spaces. Amazon | Bookshop
*These books were submissions for the Aspen Literary Prize. Due to my participation on the selection committee, I will not be able to fully review these works until the long list is announced.
Now I’m reading…
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison. I’ve been looking for a reason to pick this one up again, so I was very excited when my book club chose it as our next read. Amazon | Bookshop
And I put aside…
The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike. Fans of The Lost Queen, don’t panic! Pike’s follow-up is (so far) just as good as her first. I just had to put it down for now because between The Fellowship of the Ring and The Fifth Season (my IRL book club’s pick), I’d reached my saturation point for chunky fantasy novels. Amazon | Bookshop
This week Michelle read…
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. This novel ended up being different than I expected! If you’re a fan of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society or Dear Mrs. Bird, this book will probably appeal to you. It’s written in a more formal tone than I thought it would be but I loved the way wildly different people came together in the name of their love for Jane Austen. Amazon | Bookshop
How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh. This tiny book simplifies and demystifies mindfulness and meditation. It is something you can come back to over and over again; you might want to read just a few pages every so often or reread the same pages constantly. If you like How to Relax, Thich Nhat Hanh has a whole collection of “how to” books you might want to check out! Amazon | Bookshop
Now Michelle is reading…
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby. I’ve been listening to more stand-up comedy routines lately but I realized I haven’t actually read many books by comedians. I’ve heard rave reviews about Irby’s books and I’m excited to jump in to this one! Amazon | Bookshop
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. I accidentally left this book behind when I went on vacation last week so I am happily returning to it now. I’m particularly loving the way Guillory writes female characters—powerful and independent, which can be rare for the romance genre. Amazon | Bookshop
9 books with women who march to the beat of their own drum.
Every time I offer mood reading recommendations on Instagram, I get lots of requests for books similar to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Readers seem to love the heartfelt charm of the book coupled with a touch of weirdness and a dark secret. It’s hard to find other books that do all of that! But this week, Michelle and I were determined to try. We racked our brains and searched our shelves to come up with books that feature quirky or mysterious women, books with women who march to the beat of their own drum. We hope you find something you love!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. For the incomparable Eleanor who is socially awkward and steeped in a monotonous routine, but comes to realize that she can be more than fine if she ventures outside of her own little world. Amazon | Bookshop
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. For a delightfully bookish loner who takes trivia and guarding her heart equally seriously. Amazon | Bookshop
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. Because the narrator spends the entire novel trying to figure out Holly Golightly, who appears to simple at first but ends up being much more mysterious.Amazon | Bookshop
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. For a darkly strange read and fo Keiko, who has always had trouble fitting in, but finally belongs when she begins working at a convenience store.Amazon | Bookshop
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney. To meet 85-year-old, Lillian as she reminisces about her eventful life and career during a walk in New York City on New Year’s Eve.Amazon | Bookshop
The Mothers by Brit Bennett. For Nadia Turner, whose decisions as a teen make her wonder where she would be now if she’d had made different choices. Amazon | Bookshop
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. For Natasha Kingsley, who has a very scientific way of looking at things, doesn’t believe in love or God, and certainly doesn’t need saving. Amazon | Bookshop
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby. For Irby’s voice which shows no qualms about sharing personal details and laughing at herself, all while imparting life lessons through comedy.Amazon | Bookshop
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. For 15-year-old Bee as she investigates the events preceding a family trip to Antarctica in order to find her missing mother, Bernadette. Amazon | Bookshop
Bookish reading.
Kiley Reid (author of Such a Fun Age) shares 3 books she’s loved recently.
My friend Bezi wrote an incredible article about passing and assimilation in Trouble the Saints for Tor.com.
Did you catch all of the literary references in Taylor Swift’s new album?
The theme of the summer seems to be YA novels and the BSC so here’s a quiz that incorporates both!
Essence’s list of the 50 most impactful books by Black authors is one to bookmark.
Early manuscripts show that Truman Capote made a ton of significant edits to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, including Holly Golightly’s name!
This short video of John Lewis accepting his National Book Award in 2016 is moving and inspiring.
I loved reading about Anissa Gray’s reflections on writing a book set during the the Civil Rights Movement during this current moment.
Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me is coming to HBO!
Novel Pairings.
This week we’re dropping a special episode featuring Jamise Harper, the creator of @spinesvines and @diversespines. She shares all about her reading journey and offers us and our listeners some great recommendations for book and wine pairings. Following that, our first episode of August will be on Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. It’s perfect timing to kick of Women in Translation Month and it’s a short, easy-to-read modern classic that we’d love to see more readers pick up!
End notes.
Watching: Sweet Magnolias. Another Netflix adaptation of a book series, this time by author Sherryl Woods. The first episode is corny, but if you stick it out until episode two, it’ll pull you in!
Listening: SoundShade. I can’t listen to music and read at the same time so I love this app that comes with several sound mixes (i.e. rainy street and stormy sea). You can also create your own combinations. I get so much reading done when I’m listening to these serene nature sounds.
Making: Anthony Bourdain’s chili recipe is delicious and a great dish year-round.
Loving: I know I’ve shared my love of Yoga with Adriene before, but I’m currently doing her 2020 30-day challenge and my love is renewed. I’ve also discovered that two of my Instagram friends, Kerry and Jeanell, started the challenge right around the same time as me and cheering each other on has been SO fun.
Well, readers, I hope you, too, are finding balance in your life and in your reading! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for FictionMatters, please feel free to email fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or respond directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!
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Happy reading!
Sara
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