Five things I read and loved

A micro list for a sick day

Hey, readers! Unfortunately I am sick again so today’s newsletter is going to be super brief. I’m sharing a few recent reads I loved and some posts you may have missed. I’m planning to be back with Mood Recs on Friday if things don’t take a turn!

Five recent reads I loved:

• While seeing a meteoric rise in book banning, it is wonderful to learn that LGBTQ fiction sales have been growing steadily in the last 20 years.

• Traci Thomas of The Stacks Pod shared her best books of the year on SheReads.com. Be sure to also check out our discussion about the state of book criticism.

• At Saturday’s Biblio Brunch, a FictionMatters Book Club member shared Sarah Polley’s memoir Run Towards the Danger. Her pitch prompted me to immediately download the audio and I finished it last night. This book is a stunning examination of trauma and healing, infused with interesting and important cultural commentary, particularly about the way the entertainment industry treats child actors.

• I loved Chelsey’s thoughts on cultivating sustainable winter coziness and magic this year.

• I’m feeling fairly invested in the final episodes of The Crown, so it was interesting to learn more about the actors cast to play college Will and Kate.

And in case you missed it:

• I partnered with Bookshop.org to share 15 books that are perfect for holiday gifting.

• I shared the most delightful books I read this year and wrote about what I want in a delightful read.

• I read some books I loved where timing was everything.

• I shared the culmination of my Taylor Swift series with book pairings for folklore, evermore, and Midnights.

Here’s to hoping this was a blip on the health front and that I’ll be back with more to share later this week. Thanks for supporting the FictionMatters newsletter!

This email contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All book links take you to Bookshop.org. If you choose to purchase any titles from other outlets, please consider using my Amazon or Blackwell’s storefronts.

---

---

For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!

Happy reading!

Sara