Hi, readers!
This morning I’m feeling incredibly grateful for bookish community. I’ve been living for Novel Pairings recordings with Chelsey, while also enjoying frequent texts from bookish besties and looking forward to the next meeting of my real life book club after a two month hiatus.
And Saturday morning I got to hang out (virtually) with members of the FictionMatters Patreon community for our first Biblio Brunch—a once a month gathering where we exchange book recommendations and leave with oodles of new books for our to-be-read lists. It was so delightful to chat books with new friends and learn more about everyone’s tastes and opinions. One of the coolest things was hearing that many Biblio Brunch attendees already know each other from other bookish communities like Currently Reading’s Bookish Friends and the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club! I just love seeing book people find each other and bond over their passion for reading.
I promise I don’t mean this as a push for everyone to join an online book community. But it was a reminder to me that while reading itself is solitary, there is a true pleasure that comes from talking about what we’ve read and from listening to the way true bibliophiles describe the books they love. As an introvert, I love the alone time I get from my reading life, but now I’m relishing the friendships books are bringing into my life. My hope is that every reader is lucky enough to find a bookish community that enhances their reading journey.
This week in books.
This week I read…
The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio*. Tenorio’s complicated story of a mother and son is simultaneously original and familiar. The characters are authentic and real, and I enjoyed the commentary on the invisibility of undocumented immigrants in our society despite the political discourse surrounding this as an issue. Amazon | Bookshop
Silence by Don DeLillo*. This is a short, concise, and philosophical exploration of humans’ reliance on technology. It’s the first Don DeLillo I’ve read, and according to reviews it’s not his best. I think I might try one of his earlier works to get a better sense of his style. Amazon | Bookshop
Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony*. I love a good satire and this one got me chuckling and thinking, which is, of course, exactly what a satire ought to do. It’s a dual timeline story about a hypocritical young politician who inherits a stuffed aardvark and the Victorian taxidermist who stuffed said aardvark. It’s an odd one, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Amazon | Bookshop
*These books are 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…
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara. I’m listening to this on audio and I’m really enjoying it for the mystery, the setting, and the issues it addresses. Amazon | Bookshop
The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (out November 10th). I’m two stories into this collection and it’s completely blown me away so far. It’s timely, heartfelt, and humorous, and I can already say that I highly recommend adding it to your preorder list. Amazon | Bookshop
5 ghost stories to read this fall.
Admittedly, I’m unfamiliar with (and quite afraid of) horror fiction. But I do love a good ghost story. I think it’s because ghosts can mean and do so many different things. Sometimes they’re literal and other times figurative; sometimes you know a ghost is there, other times the ambiguity is the point. These five books are all ghost stories in some sense, but no matter what type of ghost you prefer, you’ll find something here to satisfy your reading taste.
Beloved by Toni Morrison. For the stunning classic ghost story that addresses the sin that haunts America’s history. Amazon | Bookshop
Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester. For a story set around Dios de los Muertos that explores family and forgiveness. Amazon | Bookshop
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes. For a middle grade novel that explores race, police violence, grief, and breaking free of the cycles that ensnare us. Amazon | Bookshop
Rings by Koji Suzuki. To scare yourself silly with the original source material for The Ring movies. Amazon | Bookshop
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghost by Kate Racculia. For a puzzle of a book with a quirky protagonist hunting clues from some of history’s biggest names. Amazon | Bookshop
Bookish reading.
I’m very into the new books the New York Times is recommending this week.
Check out these eerie reads for autumn if you want to get into spooky season without scaring yourself.
Ezra Klein’s interview with Marilynne Robinson is absolutely delightful.
This guide to Gothic fantasy pairs perfectly with the books I recommended last week.
Who knew Zora Neale Hurston and Fannie Hurst were friends?
I love this profile of Latinx bookstagrammers and their reflections on Latinx Heritage Month.
Ava DuVernay is set to adapt one of the biggest nonfiction books of 2020 for the screen!
End notes.
Watching: James Bond movies. Something about quarantine has this household in the mood for action-packed, but not-too-serious movies. Casino Royale is on Netflix so we started there and are making our way through the Daniel Craig films.
Listening: I’m guessing that everyone reading this knows about What Should I Read Next, but I just really loved Tuesday’s episode with the ladies from Pantsuit Politics.
Making: A list of Instant Pot recipes. We just got one and have only made rice in it so far, but I’m looking forward to finding some easy go-to’s.
Loving: My Cardamom Milk candle from Otherland. It was such a splurge but I love the scent so much. It smells like fall without being pumpkin spice. This one from Amazon promises a similar scent, but I can’t vouch for it.
Readers, I hope you get a nice balance of bookish alone time and bookish community 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!
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Happy reading!
Sara
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