NBA finalists and a playful historical novel

Plus the best story collections of the year and an Irish fiction reading list

Hey, readers!

I had the absolute best week celebrating the National Book Awards and getting to meet so many of my literary friends, heroes, and icons during my time in NYC. You can read all about my adventures in my Friday post and I’ll have more to share next week too—I hope you aren’t sick of it yet!

Last Sunday, I wrote about how I sometimes feel siloed doing my literary work in Denver. This week helped me realize how many authentic connections I’ve made with other book people during my time sharing my reading online, but it also made me crave more frequent IRL connections with colleagues in the literary world. Community is going to be crucial for all of us and I’m throwing in my lot with Team Book.

This week in books.

This week I read…

• I finished My Friends by Hisham Matar and Ghostroots by 'Pemi Aguda just in time for the NBA ceremony. I thought both were excellent and I can see why they were finalists for this year’s prize. My Friends is an examination of what life might look like when you can’t go home. It’s rich in literary references as well as literary theory. That might sound erudite or exclusionary, but it’s not; it’s a beautiful book that seamlessly integrates meditations on the reading life. This came out at the beginning of the year and I think it would be a great one to pick up now if you missed it or to give as a gift for a reader in your life. Ghostroots is a stunning collection that is also surprisingly even. I had my favorite stories, but there were no disappointments and the entire book is a cohesive collection where each story evolves Aguda’s themes. This isn’t horror, but it is unsettling and I think it would be a good read for those who enjoy Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado or Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. You can read more of my thoughts on both books in my NBA preview post.

• Versailles by Kathryn Davis. This reissue of the 2002 novel from Graywolf Press initially caught my eye because the cover is stunning and because Marie Antoinette has been an object of fascination for me since I read her book in The Royal Diaries series twenty-five years ago. I love when a book gets a second life whether it’s a rediscovered classic, an anniversary edition, a launch with a new introduction, or a reissue like this one. These are opportunities to consider why the book dipped out of the cultural consciousness and why it deserves a reconsideration now. On one hand, a book featuring and sympathizing with a royal family whose lavish lifestyle came to symbolize the instigation of a violent revolution feels a little out-of-touch at the moment. The way Davis lingers on the opulent and excessive details brings Versailles to life, yes, but I felt myself resisting being drawn in because of the role extreme wealth is playing in our own political moment. At the same time, Davis’s clever exploration of the way people with power rely on narrative to maintain that power felt timely in the best possible way. She articulates this theme expertly through the character of Antoinette, but more impressive to me were the formal shifts throughout that highlight the performative aspects of power and the way power shifts from person to person as characters move through time and place. Not infrequently Davis shifts between first and third person, as well as making use of a play format that forces the reader out of the characters’ heads and into the role of removed spectator. It’s a reading experience that requires some effort, but because the subject is fairly familiar to most readers, it’s easier to navigate the formal experimentation. In a highly enjoyable note on the text at the end of the book, Davis considers what it means to tell a story when the ending is already determined and how authors can build tension and interest in spite without an unknowable plot. This might have been my favorite part of the book and it serves as an invitation to consider how successfully Davis navigates that in Versailles. For me, her ability to continually grow Antoinette as a character and playfully poke at her relationship with Louis did keep me turning the pages, though I must admit I still found myself wondering frequently about the value of such fictionalized histories. Bookshop | Libro.fm

Now I’m reading…

• This 2025 release that’s already getting a ton of buzz.

New on my TBR…

• Many, many things. I wrote about them here.

Links I love.

The most exciting debut story collections of the year. (Electric Lit)

What to read if you’re angry about the election. (Atlantic, gift link)

The n+1 quiz is still live! Make sure to check it out if you haven’t yet.

I know I’m not the only one loving all things Irish lit right now. Here are the best Irish novels of the last 15 years. (Vulture)

Read an interview with the National Book Award winning translator of Taiwan Travelogue. (Electric Lit)

I’m so interested in this new play about art and AI. (The Millions)

The best reviewed books of the week. (Lit Hub)

This is a pretty decent bookish gift guide. (Vulture)

Loved this: “The Most Coveted Screenshot in the Literary World.” (Atlantic, gift link)

Revelations about Cormac McCarthy’s sexual relationship with a teenage girl have reignited the art and artist conversation, something I personally think we will and should always be wrestling with as readers. (NYT, gift link)

Tressie McMillan Cottom is consistently putting out the most thoughtful, nuanced, and rigorous interpretations of the 2024 election. (NYT, gift link)

End Notes.

• I wore these pants to a party and THE Imani Perry complimented me on them.

• Trader Joe’s cinnamon rolls are so good. Obviously nothing beats from scratch, but the deliciousness to difficulty ratio of these can’t be beat.

• I got to meet so many bookstagram friends IRL this week and it brought me a tremendous amount of joy. Readers are the best people out there.

• I went to the American Girl store in NYC to pick up a present for Louise and it was so fun to walk around and let the nostalgia wash over me.

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