Intricate novels of love and self-discovery

Plus the best books of fall and who's really writing celebrity novels

Hey, readers!

No preamble today, just a reminder to make a voting plan if you’re in the U.S. This election is so important and we can’t afford to go back. I have been disgusted, but not surprised this week at everything Trump and the Republican talking heads have been saying about women. The insistence that women should vote like their husbands and be grateful for Trump’s unwanted “protection” are all reminiscent of what I wrote about in this week’s Reading in Public. So I guess I actually have two reminders today: make your voting plan and then buy a book about a girl for a boy in your life. It could make a world of difference.

This week in books.

This week I read…

• Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. I’ve read a handful of Anne Tyler novels, which for most writer would feel substantial but for this Pulitzer-winning author of 27 books, it still feels like I’m just getting acquainted with her work. I liked this book fine but it’s certainly not a favorite of what I’ve read so far. The story is narrated by Gail, a pragmatic and socially awkward sixty-something over the course of her daughter’s wedding weekend. Many things go wrong, some things go right, and all of it is told with Gail’s sharp, dry sense of humor. I really enjoyed Gail’s voice with her snarky asides and frequent self-congratulating for not saying what she’s really thinking. But overall, this story felt underdeveloped. There were quite a few side characters for such a short book (175 pages) and the relationships and conflicts Tyler introduced weren’t as fully formed as I would have liked. While I was perfectly content to be in this book, it didn’t hit me emotionally or give me anything profound to think about. I have a few additional minor quibbles, but, overall, this is a Tyler novel that will offer her fans some satisfaction, but it’s not the one I’d start with if you’re new to her work. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• Happiness by Aminatta Forna. This novel was such a good find and exactly what my reading needed. The story follows two main characters. Attila is a psychologist from Ghana who specializes in the trauma that comes out of war-torn regions. He has arrived in London to deliver an annual lecture and visit to an ill friend. Jean is an American biologist who has relocated to London to study and protect urban foxes. When the two run into each other more than once, they strike up a friendship that deepens in a way that evolves both of their deeply-formed world views. Forna interweaves many strands of story into a spectacular tapestry where everything comes together seamlessly. This is a difficult novel to describe because while a lot happens, there isn’t really a singular narrative driving the plot other than the developing relationship between Jean and Attila. But what I loved most about this story was these two characters and their budding relationship. If you like books about mature, complicated, romantic love between characters who are genuinely striving to be good people, you must add this to your TBR. I can’t wait to explore more of Forna’s work. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• Rhine Journey by Ann Schlee. I picked this up in the UK because of the stunning cover and the Lauren Groff introduction, and oh my goodness was it wonderful. This novel takes place in 1851 and follows a spinster named Charlotte who is touring Germany with her brother and his family. While she has a deep love for her teenage niece, her relationship with her brother and sister-in-law is more complicated. When she sees a man who looks like someone she new long ago, she begins to think about where life has taken her and she begins an introspective journey of self-discovery. This is a family vacation story gone wrong that reads like a classic work of fiction. I loved every bit of it from Schlee’s expert depiction of passive aggressive family members to the subtle historical and political commentary to the perfect conclusion. Amazon | Bookshop

Now I’m reading…

• What If We Get It Right by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. I am so into this book. I’m learning so much and it’s inspiring me to be a better climate minded citizen.

• Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell. I’m liking this but I’m worried I’m not going to finish in time for my November 7th book club discussion. Send me fast reading vibes!

New on my TBR…

• I’m keeping this beloved middle grade fantasy on my nightstand in case I need a total escape in the next few days.

Links I love.

What we’re reading: writers and readers on the books they enjoyed in October. (The Guardian)

The best books we read this week. (New Yorker)

This is frightening. Our librarians deserve better. (NYT, gift link)

Who’s really writing celebrity novels? (Vulture)

I know many of you are loving Anne Michaels’ Held and this interview with her is really wonderful. (The Guardian)

7 books about the history of voting in the United States. (Electric Lit)

Henry James is having a moment. Read the opening of The Portrait of a Lady for free here. (Atlantic, gift link)

The best books of fall, according to indie booksellers. (Electric Lit)

This is an astonishingly beautiful and heartbreaking interview with Mosab Abu Toha. (Electric Lit)

End Notes.

• I saw Conclave and loved it. I love a movie that feels incredibly high stakes while I’m watching but also has no real relationship to my life. Also great was my showing was filled with a group of seniors who’d been bussed to the theater from a retirement community. At the moment of the final twist a very elderly man said loudly, “What does THAT mean?!” and I died. IYKYK.

• I’m enjoying this season of The Diplomat. It doesn’t feel as propulsive as season one, but I’m still invested.

• Louise was Paddington for Halloween and it was so stinking cute.

Did you find your next great book or discover a new way to think about reading in today’s newsletter? Upgrade to paid to get even more recommendations and thoughtful explorations of the literary life.

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Happy reading!

Sara