Three books that look back and remember
Plus anticipated books of October and my new favorite jeans
Hey readers!
This week I took a little two-night solo jaunt to the mountains. It was a perfect time to go as the aspen leaves were peaking and the weather was warm enough for hikes and poolside reading, but still a respite from the Denver heat. I treated this as a mini retreat for myself. I packed way too many books to make sure I had something I wanted to read whatever my mood and brought my computer in case I felt inspired to work, but I also didn’t put any pressure on myself to read or work if I didn’t feel like it.
It was perfect! I listened to an audiobook on my drive that I loved so much I ended up finishing it in a single day. I finished two books for my book clubs that weirdly complemented each other. I did work quite a bit too. I’m currently in the process of rebranding and spent a lot of time answering questions from my designer and thinking about my longterm goals for FictionMatters. I also went for a hike, got a massage, and read a book I’d been meaning to read forever, but had been waiting for a time when I could really focus.
I came home feeling refreshed and excited. Working for myself and building a small business has challenges, one of which is a feeling of being on a treadmill—constantly moving and putting out work, without knowing or considering exactly where I’m going. Having a moment to pause, take a breath, look away from work, and then look back at the bigger picture was such a gift.
I also read a lot of books this week. I’m going to save some of my reviews for next week because I don’t want to shortchange any of them.
P.S. If you missed it, I launched a new monthly podcast with my friend Liz Hein. Every month we’ll be chatting about a handful of books we need to discuss. If you’re looking for a podcast that is just two friends talking about literary fiction, this is for you! The first episode is not paywalled so take a listen here:
This week in books.
This week I read…
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelli Bishop. I didn’t know much about Kelly Bishop other than she played baby’s mom in Dirty Dancing and Lorelei’s mom in Gilmore Girls, but a warm celebrity memoir felt like exactly what I wanted for my drive to the mountains. I ended up really loving this one! There’s nothing profound here and nothing particularly juicy, though there definitely some really great stories. She starts with her time on Broadway before flashing back to tell readers about her childhood in Denver (who knew?!) and her passion for dance. I didn’t know much about her background on Broadway and learning about the inception of A Chorus Line from her perspective was fascinating. Bishop is a wonderful natural storyteller, which comes across particularly well because she reads the audio. So many memoirs I’ve read recently have been from people around my age and it was nice to read something from someone looking back on a full life. I appreciated the way she offered wisdom as her own learning without resorting to moralizing. And (while this may be a bit of a spoiler?), I most appreciated the way she wrote about her own abortion and the activism for reproductive rights she has engaged in ever since. We need more stories like this. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
All Souls by Javier Marías, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. This was the FictionMatters Book Club selection for September and it’s going to be a difficult one for me to review. I chose this because I was excited about the idea of reading a translated Oxford novel that explored the hallowed grounds of this university from more of an outsiders perspective. I really loved those aspects of the book and Marías is wickedly funny when writing about the snobbery of the academic elite. There were lots of things I like much less and that soured my enjoyment of the book overall, namely that the narrator is incredibly misogynistic and female characters are treated as disposable and only useful for the narrator’s sexual gratification. But, here’s the thing. I ended up feeling like everything I didn’t like was purposeful. Not only was I certain I wasn’t supposed to really like the narrator, the book began to take shape around that idea of disposability. From its opening paragraph to its closing, All Souls portrays a bleak world that sees us all as disposable and replaceable, and its characters begin to see and treat each other as such. This reading didn’t necessarily make me enjoy the book more, but I really appreciated the way Marías was using story to examine philosophical ideas, especially in this theme I haven’t really seen before. Amazon | Bookshop
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I have read this four times now and every time I’m more convinced that it’s a perfect book. The interiority and the way Ishiguro slowly reveals information about Stevens’ past and the way he’s deceived himself…it’s just incredible. That’s all I really want to say after this read. If you haven’t picked up this masterpiece yet, autumn is the perfect season for it. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
Magical/Realism by Vanessa Angélica Villareal. This has been a little tough on audio because of the footnotes, but I’m still really enjoying it and going to track down a physical copy soon.
New on my TBR…
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Graveyard Shift by . It’s short and seasonally perfect so I’m hoping to read it soon.
Links I love.
From now until October 15th, you can get 15% off books by Latine authors on Bookshop.org!
21 new books coming in October. (NYT, gift link)
The best books to read this autumn. (The Guardian)
A very fun ranked list of forgotten YA adaptations. (Vulture)
Ta-Nehisi Coates is back. (Intelligencer)
For its 15 year anniversary, Electric Literature rounded up its 15 most popular post making for a truly eclectic batch of articles. (Electric Lit)
Lauren Elkin on art, activism, and Lacan. (The Millions)
The best reviewed fiction of September. (Lit Hub)
End Notes.
Per last Sunday’s newsletter, I did in fact get a denim pair of my favorite pants (available in 000-16) and I have zero regrets. I went down one size in the denim (because they were out of my usual size) and I’m really glad I did.
The leaves were peaking in the mountains this week and I literally couldn’t help exclaiming out loud with every new view. It’s been a few years since I’ve gotten to see peak aspen season and I’m so grateful I did this year.
I really enjoyed this Critics at Large episode about Intermezzo and Sally Rooney. It was a great reminder of how you can simultaneously offer criticism and praise—all with a splash of humor. It also made me realize that my favorite podcasts are all ones that engage in what I think could be called conversational criticism.
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Happy reading!
Sara
I adore Ishiguro - ROTD is fantastic, but my favorite is Never Let Me Go. Hurts me more with each re-read.
The Remains of the Day is almost certainly the perfect book. Just thinking about it makes me tingly.