Hey, readers!
On Friday night our family was finishing up Rosh Hashanah dinner when we learned that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away. She’s long been one of my—and many women’s—heroes and it just feels like one more awful reality to have to cope with when we’re all so overwhelmed with life already. But I feel inspired by the calls for collective action I’ve seen in the last day and especially grateful that I’m getting to spend time with family right now.
I’ve also been reading a lot of great books recently. Some of them have been challenging and thought-provoking, but I’ve also been particularly intentional about working fun or comforting reads into my regular rotation so that I’m making sure to recharge frequently. And if, after this weekend, you’re in need for a book that will inspire you to keep fighting, I’m also sharing recommendations for feminist books to empower.
This week in books.
This week I read…
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust. While I often struggle to get into fantasy and young adult fiction, this YA fantasy novel had been calling to me for months. I’m not sure if it was the gorgeous cover or recommendations from trusted sources that finally pushed me to pick it up, but I’m so glad I did. This book is a feminist fairy tale about Soraya, a princess who is poison to the touch and therefore has lived a life locked away and completely devoid of physical contact. Soraya is understandably desperate for human affection, but at times she seems to embrace her extensive powers. Throughout the story she undergoes a quest to discover just who she is and who she wants to be, and the whole thing is utterly breathtaking. Amazon | Bookshop
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole. I really enjoyed this thriller that followed Sydney, a young Black woman who’s seen her Brooklyn neighborhood change rapidly in the last few years while she’s been living at home caring for her sick mother. When Sydney decides to put together a neighborhood tour that emphasizes the Brooklyn she knows and loves, she starts uncovering secrets that suggest there might be something even more sinister happening than white families buying up property. This book is really smart and I love the way Cole used the conventions of a thriller to develop commentary on gentrification. Amazon | Bookshop
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam*. I read this book about a couple who rents an AirBnB in the Hamptons while I was in the Hamptons and it was deeply unsettling in the best way. In this book, an upper middle class white family is startled when the Black couple whose house they’re renting shows up in the middle of the night with apocalyptic news. Amazon | Bookshop
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia*. This gothic horror novel is about a young socialite from Mexico City who’s called to attend to her mysteriously ill cousin at her remote estate. The book tackles racism, eugenics, and misogyny, and the twist took me completely by surprise. Amazon | Bookshop
Amnesty by Aravind Adiga*. In this book, Danny—an undocumented immigrant living in Sydney—has information that may be relevant to a murder and must decide whether to come forward and risk deportation. Danny’s narration is sharp and witty, and the novel offers insightful commentary on the immigrant experience. 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…
On Beauty by Zadie Smith. This is the inaugural pick for the FictionMatters book club! I’ve been reading it slowly over the last few weeks but have begun to pick up my pace a bit this week to prepare for our discussion. You can become a FictionMatters Patreon supporter to join in on the discussion, happening both on Patreon and as a virtual hangout. Amazon | Bookshop
In the Market for Murder by T.E. Kinsey. I thoroughly enjoyed the first Lady Hardcastle book when I read it last year and am really enjoying being back with these hilarious characters. These books are seasonal and the first one takes place in the fall in the English countryside, so now would be a perfect time to start this series if you’re in the mood for a cozy autumnal mystery. Amazon | Bookshop
Memorial by Bryan Washington. I loved Washington’s collection of short stories, Lot, so I’m very much looking forward to his debut novel. Amazon | Bookshop
If I Had Two Wings by Randall Kenan. This collection of short stories is on the National Book Award longlist and has also been submitted for the Aspen Lit Prize. Amazon | Bookshop
Five feminist books to empower you.
With the news of RBG’s death, I know I’ll be seeking out books to serve as reminders of all we’ve accomplished and all we have left to do. Here are five feminist books to help inspire and empower you if you’re feeling the same way.
Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister. For a reminder that anger is not only a valid feeling, it’s also an extremely powerful one. Amazon | Bookshop
Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper. For a poignant and beautiful blend of memoir and cultural analysis to deepen your intersectional feminism. Amazon | Bookshop
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. For speculative fiction that depicts the dangers of a world RBG spend her life protecting us from. Amazon | Bookshop
Know My Name by Chanel Miller. For a breathtaking book about assault, survival, and identity written by one of the strongest young women I’ve encountered on the page. Amazon | Bookshop
We Should All be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. For a feminist manifesto you can read in an hour and think about for a lifetime. Amazon | Bookshop
Bookish reading.
Here’s why autumn is the official season of all things bookish.
This week, the National Book Awards longlists were announced! I’ve read more from the fiction list than ever before and am excited to read them all!
While I’m not teaching this year, I did get to write two education related blog posts from my friends at Libro.fm. In one, I shared how parents and teachers can use audiobooks to build literacy skills. In another, I wrote about why teachers and indie bookstores are the perfect partnership. (Reminder that you can get two audiobooks for the price of one by using my link to sign up for Libro.fm!)
The Booker Prize also had a big week, revealing their most diverse shortlist ever.
I added a few books to my TBR from this list of recommended nonfiction for travel lovers.
We’re getting a new Persuasion movie and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
If the awards lists aren’t enough, Vulture just published their best books of the year (so far) list.
Discover your readerly personality based on your Enneagram type. Mine definitely rang true!
Banned book week is approaching. Here are some suggestions for frequently banned or challenged books to add to your list.
Novel Pairings.
This Tuesday, Chelsey and I are discussing Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich. I was honestly worried we wouldn’t have much to say about this book. We both really loved it, but I didn’t know what direction our conversation would take. We ended up having an awesome chat about multigenerational family sagas, novels told from multiple POVs, and the need for more indigenous authors in schools.
And next week we’re dropping the fall episode you’re all waiting for: a TBR-toppler sharing some of our favorite campus novels. Make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast (wherever you listen to podcasts) and to our blog where we’ll be sharing even more campus novels!
End notes.
Watching: The Sopranos. I know I’ve already mentioned this because it’s been the major watching event for my household during quarantine, but we only have three episodes left and I’m committed to finishing this week!
Listening: You’re Wrong About’s episodes on the Tuskegee Study are must-listens.
Making: Phone calls and texts to flip the senate with Vote Save America.
Loving: Going for runs! I’m not a good runner and conditions have to be perfect for me to want to venture out. But the brink of fall in D.C. truly offers my favorite running weather.
Readers, I hope you’re taking good care of yourselves this week. For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. Michelle and I love hearing from you!
If you want even more bookish goodness, head over to the FictionMatters Patreon to join my book club and get lots of extra book lists and recommendations. This month we’re reading Zadie Smith’s campus novel, On Beauty. I’d love for you to join us!
And if you enjoyed today’s newsletter, please forward it to a book-loving friend. That’s a great way to spread bookish cheer and support the newsletter!
Happy reading!
Sara
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