Essays, historical fiction, and one wild ride of a translated novella

Plus authors using AI as a writing tool and highly anticipated sci-fi and fantasy

Hey, readers!

It has been quite a week over here, but I have managed to fit in some really good books. I haven’t been able to focus on anything too literary or serious, but that’s okay. This deviation in mood gave me a chance to pick up some books I might not have prioritized otherwise.

Before we get into the books, I want to spotlight two wonderful guest posts I shared last week. On Tuesday,

Hunter Mclendon

of the Shelf by Shelf newsletter wrote a Reading in Public essay about how reading decades of National Book Award longlisted books has changed and shaped his reading life. And on Friday,

Renee

of It’s Book Talk rounded up a spectacular list of wintery mysteries for a special Friday Mood Recs post available to all subscribers. I love getting the opportunity to collaborate with other readers and writers in this space, and I hope you’ll enjoy taking in their thoughts!

Reading in Public No. 26: Reading the National Book Award with Hunter McLendon

Friday Mood Recs: Wintery mysteries to curl up with this weekend

This week in books.

This week I read…

• My Husband by Maude Ventura, translated by Emma Ramadan. What a ride! I loved this voicey novel about a completely unhinged narrator that’s completely in love and obsessed with her husband—or is she? In my opinion, the best unhinged narrators are absolutely bonkers while occasionally making a truly great, totally relatable point (think Amy Dunn in Gone Girl). This book does that expertly and I was riveted. It’s also hilarious and I found myself cackling while listening to the audiobook throughout the day. I don’t want to say more because the twists and turns are perfectly plotted and in such a slim book, even the smallest bit of summary can take away the pleasure of discovery. Some readers might find this novel quite scandalous, but if you love a weird little book, Ottessa Moshfegh novels, or unreliable narrators, My Husband might be for you. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• Congratulations, the Best is Over by R. Eric Thomas. I really enjoyed Thomas’s first essay collection Here for It, but it was perhaps too much about faith and Christianity for it to be particularly memorable for me. This newer book still touches on many of those questions of faith—it’s a big part of the author’s life after all—but the through-lines of Covid, grief, and trying to find you literal and figurative place in the world captured my attention and gave me a lot to think about. Written in distinct essays, but circling repeating themes and building on previous stories, this memoir is poignant, honest, and funny. Thomas is hysterical, and I loved hearing him tell these stories in the audiobook. I can’t think of a reader who I wouldn’t recommend this to, so if you ever enjoy memoir or essays, add this to your queue. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Set in 18th century Maine and based on the life of midwife Martha Ballard, Lawhon’s newest popular work of historical fiction begins when a body is found in the titular frozen river running. Ballard is drawn into the investigation when she is asked to look at the body and determine cause of death. From there readers drawn into a complex mystery and a world where women are ignored, belittled, and brutalized. I enjoyed this book—it was an intriguing mystery with a strong female heroine at its center and themes that still resonate in our modern world. But while the modern themes worked, the anachronistic language and characters kept me from feeling fully immersed in this world. I don’t think this will be particularly memorable for me, but it was a good story and kept me listening through some sleepness nights. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• I also read Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (fun, but not as delightful as the first one) and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (the first book in my rereading project—longer review to come).

Now I’m reading…

• The Book of Love by Kelly Link. This book started slow for me, but now I’m three-quarters of the way through it and fully in. I can’t decide how good it is or if it would be better as a shorter novel (it’s over 600 pages), but it’s a ride I’m happily going on. It’s out February 13th and may be good for fans of American Gods by Neil Gaiman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

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.

I’m all about books that lean more into questions than answers.

This March is going to be a great month for books.

Sci-fi and fantasy books to look forward to in 2024.

How do you feel about authors using AI as tools in the writing process?

The wonderful debut Martyr! comes out this week. Learn more about author Kaveh Akbar in this NYT interview.

End notes.

This week in views, listens, eats, and moments of joy.

• I’ve been thinking a lot about this episode of the Ezra Klein podcast on developing your own taste.

• I added a lot of books to my TBR from this episode of From the Front Porch.

• We watched Beef on Netflix over the last couple of weeks. It’s intense, but really well done.

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Happy reading!

Sara