Ending the year with three books I can't stop thinking about
Plus 2024 books by women of color and why some paperbacks get total makeovers
Hey, readers!
In spite of a sick and cranky toddler, we had a really lovely Christmas filled with quality family time, delicious meals, and meaningful gifts. I also got a lot of hot bath and fireside reading time in, which was an unexpected treat.
My reviews are a little rambling today, so I’ll mostly get right to it, but first a little reminder that from now until January 6th I’m offering 25% off annual subscriptions to my newsletter. I’m excited to share another year of reading, reviews, and reflections with you and this is a great time to upgrade your membership if you’ve been considering it. Paying subscribers keep this operation running and, in return, get access to oodles of additional content, including both my Paperback Summer Reading Guide and Fall Fiction Compendium. Learn more about what paid subscribers can access in this post or click the button below to claim this offer!
I also want to extend a huge thank you for being here this year. Whether you’re a free or paying, new or long-time subscriber, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support. It is still wild to me that so many readers are interested in what and how I read, and I feel unbelievably lucky that I get to do this as my career. This Sunday newsletter will always remain free, and I’m so grateful for your readership!
This week in books.
This week I read…
The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper. In this series of literary essays, Farah Karim-Cooper explores the ways race, class, and otherness exist in Shakespeare’s plays and offers ideas about how to talk about this without exorcizing Shakespeare from canon and curriculum. I learned so much from this book, about Shakespeare, his world, his writing, and how to talk about his work and literature in general. And what a treat to be in the mind of a Shakespeare scholar whose work exists outside the confines of the academy! As co-director of Education and Research at Shakespeare’s Globe, Karim-Cooper’s writing is engaging, accessible, and urgent, but she doesn’t sacrifice depth or nuance in appealing to a wider audience. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren, translated by Agnes Broomé. Oh, this book. I know that by the end of this review it’s going to sound like I didn’t like it. I did!! I actually really really liked (maybe even loved?) my reading experience and I’m so glad I fit this translated epic from a small little press into my 2023 reading year. I just finished with a lot of questions about what Sandgren was trying to do, whether she accomplished it, and whether she got in her own way with such an extensive page count. The setup is simple. Martin Berg is a writer, the co-owner of a small publishing house, and the father of two (young) adult children. Fifteen years prior, his wife Cecilia vanished and the family hasn’t heard from her since. The novel then moves back and forth in time to show us Martin’s childhood all the way through his doomed marriage. In the present timeline, Martin questions the next steps for his company as his grown daughter Rakel unearths something that leads her to wondering more about her mother’s disappearance. I loved getting to know this family and going on this journey with them. Much of the writing (and translation) is spectacular, although Sandgren has a tendency to hit the same notes leading to an occasional sense of redundancy. The characters felt nuanced and compelling in the earlier timeline, but flattened into archetypes as they aged, and I’m truly not sure if this is supposed to be commentary or if it is a problem with the writing. My larger issue was the sense of dissatisfaction with the ending—and if you read this, that dissatisfaction is probably different than what you think! I thought the last chapter was sheer perfection, but there were some smaller plot points that were never fully realized, which is hard to stomach after 600 pages of tiny print. Additionally the emotional beat much of the ending hangs on is a reveal I saw coming 500 pages away, and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to predict it. If so, why wait until the literal final pages to expose it and miss an opportunity to explore it in more depth? And if not, it feels like a poorly executed narrative turn. My other confusion with this book has more to do with the reviews of it which focus on the pursuit of art and friendship, and how life can get in the way of our youthful visions of ourselves. I see that, but to me this was more of a study in perspective, one that negated much of the earnest reaching towards those loftier themes. I found Martin to be self-deluded and unreliable, if still interesting and sympathetic, but I’ve seen little discussion of that leaving me to wonder if I read a different novel from everyone else. To me, this book was about that self-delusion and was best read as an exercise in uncovering the truth of a character beyond their own perception of themselves. If that was the book, I can say I appreciated it in its entirety as much as I enjoyed the ride. If not, I’m not sure where I stand. I know this is a lot of words that won’t matter much unless you’ve also read it, but I needed an outlet here because I can’t stop wondering about this one! If you love The Bee Sting, Swimming Lessons, or Fates and Furies, Collected Works might be for you. And if you read it, please come tell me what is going on with this book! Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
The Fraud by Zadie Smith. I read this in July in advance of my Fall Fiction Compendium. I really liked it and knew it would benefit from thoughtful discussion so I ended up including it as a Buzzy Book of the Month for my Patreon Book Club. We scheduled our discussion for December and when the time came, I knew I needed to revisit the book not only to facilitate discussion but to get the most out of it myself. I am so glad I did because after rereading, I found The Fraud to be not just brilliant and funny, but, moving, powerful, and resonant. I loved it so much! The story is primarily narrated by an “ahead of her time” woman named Eliza Touchet as she navigates the new positionality that comes when her household living situation changes and as she grows increasingly fascinated with the (real historical) Tichborne trial. In this case, a lower class butcher claimed to be the heir to an aristocratic fortune. The plot and characters I encountered in The Fraud were so engaging, but the themes are what made it soar. I won’t say more because the pleasure is uncovering it through reading and discussion, but I will recommend that anyone who’s remotely interested in reading this check out this interview with Smith. It significantly enhanced my experience. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James. The first chapter of this book was so good, and I am devouring it. It comes out January 23rd so preorder now or add it to your Book of the Month box!
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. I knew I was going to appreciate this novel but I had no idea how much I was going to love it. Seriously! I can’t put it down!! It’s so fun and juicy and sharp. Getting to discuss with a Gilded Age fan like
is also a special treat. You can subscribe to our Novel Pairings Patreon for weekly recaps of the novel starting in January!
If you are an international reader or just prefer UK covers, you can also order books through my Blackwell’s affiliate page!
Links I love.
Every year I look forward to adding dozens of books to my TBR from R.O. Kwon’s anticipated books by women of color list.
Have I shared this yet? If not, be sure to check out Lit Hub’s Ultimate Best Books of 2023 List.
The best book cover of 2023 bracket winner has been decided.
Speaking of covers, why do some paperbacks get a complete makeover?
The lasting impact of The Color Purple.
I loved The Stacks Podcast’s Best Books of 2023 episode.
End notes.
This week in views, listens, eats, and moments of joy.
Whoever invented this game that a 2-year-old can play and enjoy is a genius. I can’t wait to expand our game repertoire as Louise gets older.
My mom took Louise to her house for a day last week and getting a full day to lounge and read was such a glorious luxury.
I started reading 2024 releases in the last couple weeks, and I think we’re in for an exciting year of books.
Louise got a new baby doll for Christmas and when we asked what she wanted to name her she said “Her name is Louise. Just like me.” I died.
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Happy reading!
Sara
Your recommendations sound great so thanks! Am reading a bit of F. Scott Fitzgerald -- The Beautiful & the Damned--myself because he, like Wharton, always gets me immediately engaged with the characters. It's not that I like the characters or want everything to go well for them, but that I am immediately intrigued enough to want to see what happens to them. As to my recommendation for the New Year, read Wikipedia about "John Hawkes", get excited, and then read " The Lime Twig " .
Happy New Year to all! 🍾🎉😎
I’ve been curious about Collected Works since seeing it on people’s best of 2023 lists. Thank you for the review! I may give this one a go early in 2024. Happy New Year to you and your family, Sara! I’m grateful for another year of Fiction Matters that has brought so many good books, and good friends into my life.