Something serious and something silly

Plus new books in paperback and a beautiful read about mythology and motherhood

Hey, readers!

This week has been long and slow and trying. There’s lots going on, but it’s all exacerbated by a moderate cold (for both Louise and myself) and the let down that inevitably follows a vacation. Fortunately, I’ve been keeping myself occupied and my spirits lifted with some good books. And now that I’m back into a something of a reading rhythm, I’m also trying to get back into a work rhythm. I’m hoping to carve out a little time each week to focus on sharing book recommendations on my Instagram and blog—and, yes—that includes working on another edition of the Paperback Summer Reading Guide, so stay tuned!

This week in books.

This week I read…

• The Arsonist’s City by Hala Alyan. I thought this book was just beautiful. It’s a story about family and identity and secrets. It moves between California, Texas, Brooklyn, Beirut, and Damascus, and Alyan paints vivid pictures of each place including what makes them similar and what makes them distinct. The same can be said for each member of the Nasr family as Alyan explores the history that unites them and the secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Any lover of family sagas should pick this one up, but it may be of particular interest to you if you loved A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

• When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare. Chelsey recommended this one to me, and I absolutely loved it. It’s got a fantastic setup: a socially averse English gentlewoman makes up a Scottish sweetheart (and subsequently kills him) to avoid having to participate in the marriage market. When that made up Scotsman turns out to be a real person, things get fun—and steamy! Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

Now I’m reading…

• On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu. I’m still slowly making my way through this one, but I need to pick up the pace so I can get everything prepared for our book club meetings this week! Amazon | Bookshop

• Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann. This was recommended to me by a FictionMatters follower and it definitely is my kind of book. It’s a sprawling portrait of a young girl coming of age on Long Island in the 1970s and 80s. So far I’m simply blown away by how accurately and acutely Hamann depicts the feeling of being in high school. I’m looking forward to seeing where this one goes! Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

You can get two LIBRO.FM audiobooks for the price of one by using code my link or FICTIONMATTERS.

Links I love.

9 audiobooks to add to your listening queue.

I love Constance Grady’s defense of Romeo and Juliet. I couldn’t agree more!

Some fantastic books came out in paperback this week.

Picture books about the power of language? I’ll take them all, please.

Here’s a great read to finish out National Poetry Month.

I know this is a very niche piece, but this beautiful essay about the hero’s journey and the early stages of motherhood is one of the best things I’ve read this year.

End notes.

Watching:

• We need a new show! We’re loving Top Chef, but it’s weekly and we need something to binge while we wait for new episodes.

Listening:

• Ezra Klein had Emily St. John Mandel on his podcast. It’s definitely worth a listen, but I recommend waiting until after you’ve read Sea of Tranquility.

• Lots of Taylor Swift because it helps Louise nap better than almost anything else.

Making: 

• More baby purées. We’ve been trying the baby led weaning thing, but it makes us nervous so I think we’re going to stick to puréed food a little longer.

Loving:

• Getting out of the house with and without the baby. My mom watched Louise this week so my husband and I could go out of lunch, and it was awesome! But we also learned from our Palm Springs trip that Lou seems to thrive with a little more activity, so we’re trying to build more outings into our days.

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Readers, I hope your Sunday is filled with bookish goodness. For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!

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Happy reading!

Sara