Changing times and shifting perspectives
Plus the best horror novels of the year and the biggest fall book preview
My streak of good, eclectic reading continues. Although backlist is what continues to call to me, I’m also making time for prize list books and nonfiction. Since finishing my fall guide I’ve been floating from book to book, but this weekend I went back to my TBR management system in the hopes of combating the overwhelm. I reached a point where I was in the middle of too many books, which almost always means I’m headed for a slump. I decided to take a step back to reprioritize, and now I’m looking forward to the current lineup of my TBR.
In case you missed it.
This week in books.
This week I read…
The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard. This is a book that has been sitting on my shelf unread for years. I knew from many sources that this is a book that demands a lot of its readers and so I didn’t want to go into it until I had the time and attention to devote to it—and I’m glad I waited. It’s not that this story is a slog or slow-paced or even particularly dense; it’s that Hazzard’s style is circular and largely built on subtext. Things are mentioned early on that come back much later and to great effect. She relies on the reader to interpret and make connections, but she also gives her readers everything they need to not only follow along, but fall in love with her work. The story is about two Australian sisters, Caroline and Grace, who move to England with their older half sister after the tragic death of their parents. Both women are trying to make it out of the grasping control of their bitter sister Dora through marriage or work or both. While Grace finds herself in a committed engagement, Caro finds herself attracted to someone who will not give himself fully as another man continues to pursue her earnestly. The book becomes about many different types and forms of love, but also perspective, power, and mercy. I loved this book immensely and I hope to reread it someday. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
The Bluestockings: A History of the World’s First Women’s Movement by Susannah Gibson. I wanted a bit of a break after finishing The Transit of Venus so I went with a nonfiction audiobook that wasn’t particularly demanding. I enjoyed it! This book is about the women who hosted and supported the Bluestocking salons in 18th-century London and the philosophies that emerged from those gatherings that still impact us today. Where this book really excelled was in its descriptions of the details, especially the complicated lives of the individual women and the sometimes antagonistic, but always interesting relationships they had with each other. The background context of life and educational realities for women at this time was already very familiar to me and so a lot of the early bits were skimmable, but if you don’t know much about this time period, I think this book would be a great place to start. Gibson is quite skilled at bringing to life historical figures and I really enjoyed meeting these women through her writing. Amazon | Bookshop
The Most by Jessica Anthony. It’s an unseasonably warm day in the fall of 1957 and a woman decides to go for a swim in the pool of her apartment complex. As her husband spends the rest of his day trying to convince her to get out of the pool, Anthony gives readers the entire history of a marriage. This is a really clever book with great insights and a propulsive forward momentum that almost guarantees this to be a one-setting read. I loved it but I don’t want to say more because I think it’s best to go in blind. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
I’ve been slowly savoring As Meat Loves Salt but I think I’ve passed the tipping point and now I’m going to just devour it.
I’m listening to Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Message—I’m two essays in and I just love his prose.
New on my TBR…
Nothing…and that’s a good thing! I need to focus in on what I own at the moment.
Links I love.
The Great Fall Book Preview has arrived! (The Millions)
My friend Cornelia wrote about navigating best-of lists and gamified reading with OCD. I got to talk to Cornelia a bit about lists for her essay and I loved reading it all come together. (Lit Hub)
Read your way around Hawaii. I have read exactly zero of these books so I have some work to do! (NYT, gift link)
Which big fall book should you read? (Lit Hub)
The best horror novels of 2024, so far. (Vox)
8 books with characters growing up in the world of ballet. (Electric Lit)
Four new crime novels to read this fall. (NYT, gift link)
This is a great interview with chef and author Ina Garten. (NPR)
7 great werewolf books. (Electric Lit)
How to change your mindset about again. (NYT, gift link)
End Notes.
I really appreciated Ezra Klein’s analysis of the VP debate.
- interviewed Black List founder Franklin Leonard about his new foray into the book world.
I’ve been making a batch of this salad dressing (NYT) and using it throughout the week for lunches. It is so good and it’s helping me eat more vegetables, which counts as a win in my book.
I have been loving walking with my weighted vest (I have the 10 lb version). It turns even leisurely dog walks into something that more closely resembles a workout.
A little peek behind the curtain: While my Fall Fiction Compendium tends to bring in new paid subscribers (hi, everyone who recently upgraded!), it doesn’t sell nearly as well as the Paperback Summer Reading Guide as a standalone. This year I decided that to celebrate all the work that goes into that guide, I’d think of standalone guide sales as “fun money” and buy something I’ve been eyeing for awhile. So when these loafers went on sale last week, I pounced. And they are perfection.
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Happy reading!
Sara
I recently read and loved The Most, too! Such an apt comparison to My Husband. I think it's going to be one of my favorites of the year.
Transit of Venus is so good! Glad you enjoyed it!!