Literary award winners and anticipated fall books
Plus books that pair with your favorite shows and why your TBR should be aspirational
Hey, readers!
Today marks the start of our last week on the East Coast. After six months quarantining in our house as much as possible, I have so appreciated a change of scenery and the chance to spend quality time with family. I’ve also loved being in D.C. for part of September. I went to graduate school at Georgetown and being in this gorgeous city as the leaves just begin to turn has felt cozy and nostalgic.
As for reading, I haven’t been doing much outside of making my way through Aspen Words submissions. It’s been particularly fun to be participating in the selection process for a lit prize as other awards release their long- and shortlists. Inspired by the awards season, today I’m sharing past winners from some of the most prestigious prizes that I think have wide appeal.
This week in books.
This week Michelle read…
A Burning by Megha Majumdar. Sara absolutely loved this book when she read it and so did I! Like I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of novels told from multiple perspectives so I loved hearing from Jivan, Lovely, and PT Sir. One of the most surprising parts of the novel for me was Lovely’s story. I wouldn’t have expected a poor Hijra from the slums to have acting aspirations nor would I have expected them to stick with this dream. I also enjoyed how Majumdar’s description of PT Sir made me simultaneously abhor and sympathize with him. Amazon | Bookshop
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Everyone is loving this book and I totally do, too! Gyasi tackles familial, racial, science, and religious issues elegantly, and I became so attached to the main character, Gifty, and her family. Gyasi seamlessly moved between Gifty’s past and present and allowed readers to ponder their own views on the issues Gifty’s whole Ghanian family faced. I cannot wait until Gyasi comes out with another novel! Amazon | Bookshop
The Door by Magda Szabó. This was for my literary theory class. I really enjoyed this Hungarian author’s work because I have not read much literature from this country before. The plot follows a woman who hires Emmerence, an elderly woman who works as her house servant. Emmerence is mysterious and quirky and rejects almost all of the narrator’s attempts to get close to her. Throughout the book, we slowly learn more about Emmerence until a life-changing event (for both her and the narrator) takes place. I loved the mysterious, slightly dark feel of this novel. Amazon | Bookshop
Now Michelle is reading…
I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott. I would say Philpott’s collection of essays is equal parts memoir and self-help. I think any reader can find at least one thing to relate to in her story and I think I’m going to come away from this having learned a thing or two about myself. Amazon | Bookshop
And Michelle put aside…
Self Care by Leigh Stein. I really wanted to love this one but I just couldn’t get into it. It did not start off with a strong plot and I expected it to be much funnier than it was. I hope to give it another try at some point, but for now I’m moving on to more interesting reads. Amazon | Bookshop
Four literary award winners with wide appeal.
Winning a literary award is a major deal for an author, but sometimes that seal of approval from critics creates skepticism in casual readers. In my own reading life, I’ve figured out what prizes tend to align with my tastes (hello, National Book Award!) and which ones don’t work for me (ahem, Pulitzer, ahem). Whether you pay close attention to who’s on what list or simply view those prize stickers as one more thing that clutters up a cover, I’ve got four winners of four different awards that I think offer wide appeal.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker - Pulitzer Prize Winner and National Book Award Winner (1983). For the story of a vulnerable and resilient group of Black women in the American south and an exploration of love and friendship. Amazon | Bookshop
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - Booker Prize Winner (1997). For a family-saga that explores the way one fateful day can shape an entire life. Amazon | Bookshop
Redeployment by Phil Klay - National Book Award Winner (2014). For a collection of short stories that explore the lives of soldiers from the front lines to their returns home. Amazon | Bookshop
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Women’s Prize for Fiction (2012). For a gorgeous retelling of Greek mythology that contains one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve encountered on a page. Amazon | Bookshop
Bookish reading.
Read it Forward posted a few read-alike lists for some super popular shows, and I’m here for it:
LitHub’s Ultimate Fall 2020 Books Preview aggregates books from all the best-of lists to find you the very best books of the season.
Check out the New York Times’ books to watch for in October.
I loved this article about aspirational, not achievable, to-be-read lists.
Fall is Anne of Green Gables season and these gifts for Anna megafans are absolutely adorable.
I don’t gravitate towards scary anything, but if I were to pick up a horror novel for spooky season, one of these middle grade picks might be right for me.
Novel Pairings.
I’m so excited about this week’s episode of Novel Pairings: a deep dive into campus novels. We’re sharing what it is we love about campus tropes, the frustrating realities of the genre, and, of course, some of our favorite novels set on campuses. It’s a really fun one! Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it when the episode drops on Tuesday!
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play
End notes.
Watching: Schitt’s Creek. We finally started watching this hit and I’m loving every minute of it.
Listening: The audiobook version of Fangirl, which feels like a warm hug from a childhood friend.
Making: Fall mix! Otherwise known as candy corn mixed with peanuts. Is this a thing places other than my former school?
Loving: Michelle is loving her literary theory class that just started! She’ll be sharing more about this in the near future, I’m sure.
Readers, I hope you’re enjoying adding to your TBR this literary awards season. 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!
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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