Hi, readers!
This week I finally feel like I’ve gotten into a groove with online teaching. I’ve been enjoying individual writing conferences with my sophomores who are writing papers about Madeline Miller’s Circe and dropping in on my seniors’ virtual book clubs (they’re reading The Handmaid’s Tale, The Night Circus, and Pride and Prejudice). That means that I’ve been teaching more and reading less, but I’ve still found time for a few good (and some not so great) books.
Currently I’m keeping my reading life afloat through audiobooks. I’ve been enjoying listening to a book while working on a puzzle or trying my hand at embroidery. I’m finding that keeping my hands busy is important for keeping me from obsessively reading the news, and it’s wonderful to be able to read books at the same time. If you’re interested in checking out some audiobooks too, you can use this link to get 3 books for the price of 1 from Libro.fm. Libro.fm is the only audiobook company that supports independent bookstores, and they need that now more than ever!
This week I read…
Severance by Ling Ma. I really loved this book. This book follows Candace Chen and centers on a pandemic that leaves those infected mindlessly repeating the mundane actions of their lives. Set in two timelines we see the lead up to the devastation wrecked by Shen Fever as well as the immediate aftermath in which small bands of survivors attempt to live in a post-apocalyptic America. Because Severance ultimately felt more like a zombie novel than a pandemic book and the illness itself feels mostly metaphorical, I didn’t find it difficult to read in our present reality. There are, however, some very eerie moments including descriptions of an empty NYC and a section about designer face masks. I think this novel is incredibly original and intricately layered, so it made a perfect book club book. Even if you don’t think you could read this right now, I do recommend adding it to your list. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde. I’d read several of the essays in this collection before, but I’m so glad I finally made the time to experience the whole thing. Audre Lorde is brilliant and I can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t get something out of her insights on poetry, language, race, gender, and sexuality. I also saw lots of connections between this modern classic and many other books I love such as Eloquent Rage and Between the World and Me. Hearing books and authors speak to each other across time and space is something I always love to experience in my reading life. I will say that I don’t recommend this one on audio. Because this is a collection of essays and speeches, some chapters contain similar ideas and phrasing. That doesn’t bother me at all, but when reading my paper copy I could skim a bit, while listening on audio makes that challenging. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
The Resisters by Gish Jen. Set in a dystopian future where AutoAmerica is divided into producers (the Netted) and consumers (the Surplus), The Resisters follows a couple of Surplus girls whose talent for baseball may be their ticket out of the lives they were born into—that is if they decide the Netted life is better than their own. I thought the premise of this book was creative, fun, and insightful, but, unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. For one, the book is told through the perspective of Grant, one of the girls’ fathers, which keeps readers from seeing most of the plot first hand (instead we get lots of letters and Grant’s speculation on events). Additionally, to care about this plot we need to care about baseball, and Jen does little to make the sport come alive in the book (again, all games and practices are described after the fact in letters). So while the dystopia Jen crafts is very smart—I appreciated seeing a dystopian world formed by individuals gradually acquiescing to rather than through authoritarian takeover—the characters and story were rather disappointing. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
Now I’m reading…
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. I’m about halfway through this book, and I’m absolutely loving it. I try to read a chapter a day (they’re long 40-60 page chapters), and it feels like someone telling me their life story little by little. It’s wonderful. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
Open Book by Jessica Simpson. I wouldn’t call myself a Jessica Simpson fan so I didn’t want to give into the hype on this book. I finally caved because I wanted a fun book that compelled me to keep listening and because literally every reader I know who’s read it says it’s great. Well, readers, it is great. It’s funny and dishy, yet very relatable. If you’re going to give in and read this too, you have to do it on audio because Simpson reads it herself. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
Five Lengthy Tomes
It seems that every reader I know has been impacted differently by the quarantine and anxiety surrounding the pandemic. Some people can’t focus at all, while some are turning exclusively to audiobooks. Some readers want light books, while others want apocalyptic fiction. And while some readers are picking up quick reads like essays and short stories, others are looking for lengthy tomes to get lost in. If that last one sounds like you, here are five 500+ page books that will totally sweep you away.
American Gods by Neil Gaimon. For the strangest mythological adventure that takes a bit to settle into, but is ultimately unputdownable. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. For a perfectly constructed novel about growing up and reckoning with identity…plus a wonderful decades-long romance. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. For a wild fantasy epic for readers who are tired of fantasy epic tropes. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. For a deliciously surprising tale of sisterhood, scandal, and suspense. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. For a family saga filled with complicated characters you can’t help but root for. Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
And if you’re looking for even more long books, here’s a blog post with five more of my favorites!
Bookish Reading
Chelsey and I made a Libro.fm playlist of all the books we mentioned in our Comforting Classics bonus episode for your listening pleasure.
This Atlantic article about the experience of reading in a time of crisis is absolutely beautiful.
Need a book to distract you from your annoying family? A book to help you escape? Or maybe something to help you avoid procrastination? Vox’s Constance Grady’s got you covered.
I’m bookmarking this list of 40 adaptations that are available to stream right now.
Speaking of adaptations, there’s a much-loved YA series that was just green-lit for a Netflix movie.
Check out this list if you’re looking for an independent bookstore to support with your Libro.fm credits or online orders.
The Guardian has turned judging celebrities’ bookshelves into a true art and this article exploring some of the most noteworthy is so fun.
The Hard Sell: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
As an English teacher, I hear a lot of titles thrown around as books that every person needs to read. But while I have many favorites that I love encouraging other readers to pick up (and sure I might call them must-reads), I rarely come across books I think everyone must experience. Well, this book is one of those, and if you haven’t read it yet, I urge you to move The Warmth of Other Suns to the top of your list.
I have to give credit to Traci of The Stacks podcast for finally convincing me to read The Warmth of Other Suns. It’s long and nonfiction, a tough combination for me. But this is one of those works of nonfiction that reads like fiction. In fact, it has a similar “let me tell you a story” tone as my current read, The House of the Spirits.
In this book, Wilkerson explains the details and significance of The Great Migration. While it includes lots of historical information, Wilkerson primarily uses the stories of three individuals who moved from the Jim Crow south to other areas of the country in search of a better, safer existence. She really makes you feel the urgency and hope of each of these people, and I promise you’ll find this book so compelling you won’t notice the length a bit.
Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
Alright, readers, I hope you’re all safe and healthy, and that you’re managing to find a book (or something else) to get lost in this week. Thanks for sharing part of your Sunday with me!
Happy reading,
Sara
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