In the coming weeks, I’m looking forward to reading ‘The Cabinet’ by Un-Su Kim and ‘The Little Friend’ by Donna Tartt, as well as the books Donna mentioned above.
How High We Go in the Dark was interconnected short story perfection, Our Missing Hearts was the best Celeste Ng so far, and Big Swiss is the chaotic, hyped, goblin-era mess that I can't wait to see adapted onscreen. Speaking of which, Jean Kyoung Frazier's Pizza Girl (which was another messy, queer and totally awesome read) I'm noticing everywhere working writing for both Lucky Hank and Beef and generally killing it.
Thanks, Daejin! All of these books look tremendous. I love interconnected stories, so will check out Nagamatsu's book, for sure. I've also been meaning to read Ng and Pizza Girl, too.
Best novel I've read this year (I think it was this year): Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr.
Creepiest thriller: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak.
Longest fantasy wherein the action was not well-described and so the payoff at the end wasn't worth the effort: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.
Helpful self-help: The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg.
Currently reading: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles; Sounds Like Titanic by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman.
Thanks, Daniel! I've heard good things about Cloud Cuckoo Land as well, and the other titles look good, too. I've had a creepy thriller on my tbr for a while, but haven't tackled one yet for the newsletter. I need to prioritize it. I've had my eye on Lincoln Highway. I read A Gentleman in Moscow and enjoyed it, so I've been looking to return to Towles at some point. Enjoy!
Book club has had several excellent reads in a row, including Maame and I Have Some Questions for You (which seems to be a polarizing book, but I thoroughly loved it, though I have not read her other books, which seem to be the deciding factor on whether people loved it or were disappointed!). I just picked up Damnation Spring from a few years ago and can already tell it's going to be a big, sweeping story that I'm in the mood for this spring. Think I'll also grab Community Board for something lighter!
Thanks, Cassie! People really do seem polarized about Makkai's new book. I enjoyed The Great Believers, and was excited for this one, but was surprised at the backlash. I'll still probably check it out eventually. I've never been in a book club. I once tried to facilitate one at work, but it ended in tears. I love big sweeping stories that you can get caught up in. I'll check that one out!
OMG! Will need to know more about this book club, ha! I've cycled through a few, and my current one is by far my fav, and I'm grateful to have found it! Damnation Spring for sure seems right up your alley!
lol basically the book club involved me offering discussion prompts on Slack, but then everyone was always so busy that the conversations never really got going.
I’m currently reading “Build Your House Around My Body” by Violet Kupersmith and “Compromised Into A Scandalous Marriage” by Lydia San Andres. I’m looking forward to reading “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult.
I am currently reading: Growing Vegetables by Buckingham and Whittingham and Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff. Recently read books that I liked: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, and Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote.
Thanks, Heather! I've long wanted to read The Remains of the Day. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I've also wanted to review Capote here. I read In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany's before BoG existed. The other books look good, too. I'll check those out!
Reading Free Food For Millionaires and really like the characters. Also reading The Death of the Necromancer by the author who wrote the Murder Bot Diaries. Love it. Have put aside The Quick & the Dead and Olga Dies Dreaming. Just finished Less is Lost which at first I didn't like but in the end I loved just like the first one, Less. Also just finished The False Inspector Dew which was pretty damn funny.
Thanks, Amy! Glad you're enjoying Free Food For Millionaires. Let me know what you think when you finish it. The other titles look really interesting, too. The Necromancer one caught my eye. I originally read it as Neuromancer, like Gibson's Neuromancer, and was like, oh! But then I reread and saw that I had misread. Still I want to check it out!
update: finished The Death of the Necromancer and while I loved it and stayed up reading late into the night, I don't think it was as good as the later books about the same world. I loved The Wizard Hunters and the other two books so much! I read them out of order and then immediately re-read them in order! It's the characters and the subtle blurring of gender roles, just a pleasure.
Glad you enjoyed the book! How did you find reading them out of order? Was it confusing? I almost did that with VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic series when I accidentally bought the second book instead of the first. I ended up giving it away thinking it would be too confusing to read it out of order. Anyways, your series sounds great!
OMG Free Food For Millionaires was SO GOOD!!!!!!! loved it so much, the characters were so real. I cried so much. Ugg. Sad it is over. ..... No, I didn't find it confusing to read the Martha Welles out of order in fact I didn't know there were other books until it ended and I was like-- wow bold ending, it's a total cliffhanger!!!! so I looked and indeed there were more.
Book discussion last month was The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson. It was chosen for the community-wide read and there's so much to talk about! This month is Deacon King Kong by James McBride. I also read We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman and absolutely loved it. So many good books!
Thanks, Kim! These titles look great. I've heard many good things about Deacon King Kong, and have been looking to read it. I'd love to get your thoughts when you finish
As I said in the original post, I'm looking to review The Cabinet and Donna Tartt, and maybe even The World According to Garp in the near future. But my lineup constantly changes, so feel free to suggest some titles or genres you'd like to see on BoG!
My favorite this year so far has been The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka. So smart and clever, handling dementia. Also enjoyed Maame, Black Cake and Ms. Demeanor. Have felt the need to read lighter fare, not sure why. Looking forward to finishing up Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy and maybe a reread of Garp, depending upon what you think. I read it when I was 18 and couldn’t put it down. I have had trouble getting into other John Irving novels and was disappointed with The Last Chairlift. Also have the new Rebecca Makkai on my pile. Loved and was crushed by The Great Believers.
Thanks, Kate! I read the first two Cromwell books years ago and liked them, but never got around to picking up the third. I should do that. I am looking forward to Garp. I just hope I give myself enough time to read it without rushing. I’ll check out the other titles you mentioned. I’m looking forward to reading the new Makkai at some point too. If it’s half as good as Believers, it should be pretty good!
I just finished reading The Salt Path, a memoir, which was engaging, heartfelt & heartbreaking. Working my way through Braiding Sweetgrass, A Year of Magical Thinking, and Dust Tracks on A Road. Guess I'm into memoirs right now!
Thanks! I read Magical Thinking years ago. Powerful book. I have read a lot of Didion over the years, but most of it before this newsletter. But since I’ve been writing BoG, I’ve read a bunch of Hurston. I love her work, and have been keeping my eye out for a copy of Dust on the Tracks. It’s been a while since I’ve read a memoir. I think the last one was by Charles Mingus. I should read one this year!
Book Club reading is keeping me busy: “The Alchemist”, “Emma Bovary”, and “Confessions of Frannie Langton” by Sara Collins.
Thanks, Theresa! I hope you enjoy those books, especially Bovary. I was surprised by it, and liked it more than I thought I would.
Hey Theresa! Great to see you here!
How High We Go in the Dark was interconnected short story perfection, Our Missing Hearts was the best Celeste Ng so far, and Big Swiss is the chaotic, hyped, goblin-era mess that I can't wait to see adapted onscreen. Speaking of which, Jean Kyoung Frazier's Pizza Girl (which was another messy, queer and totally awesome read) I'm noticing everywhere working writing for both Lucky Hank and Beef and generally killing it.
Thanks, Daejin! All of these books look tremendous. I love interconnected stories, so will check out Nagamatsu's book, for sure. I've also been meaning to read Ng and Pizza Girl, too.
Best novel I've read this year (I think it was this year): Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr.
Creepiest thriller: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak.
Longest fantasy wherein the action was not well-described and so the payoff at the end wasn't worth the effort: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.
Helpful self-help: The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg.
Currently reading: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles; Sounds Like Titanic by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman.
Thanks, Daniel! I've heard good things about Cloud Cuckoo Land as well, and the other titles look good, too. I've had a creepy thriller on my tbr for a while, but haven't tackled one yet for the newsletter. I need to prioritize it. I've had my eye on Lincoln Highway. I read A Gentleman in Moscow and enjoyed it, so I've been looking to return to Towles at some point. Enjoy!
I’m reading “Solenoid” by Mircea Cartarescu. I’ve never read anything quite like it before!
Thanks, Lisa! I looked this book up and it seems right up my alley. I'm going to add it to my list. Cheers!
Any book whose first sentence is “I have lice, again” is bound to be a corker!
😳
😂 It’s worth it, I promise!
The Dead are Gods by Eirinie Carson!
Thanks, Amani! That book looks really good.
Book club has had several excellent reads in a row, including Maame and I Have Some Questions for You (which seems to be a polarizing book, but I thoroughly loved it, though I have not read her other books, which seem to be the deciding factor on whether people loved it or were disappointed!). I just picked up Damnation Spring from a few years ago and can already tell it's going to be a big, sweeping story that I'm in the mood for this spring. Think I'll also grab Community Board for something lighter!
Thanks, Cassie! People really do seem polarized about Makkai's new book. I enjoyed The Great Believers, and was excited for this one, but was surprised at the backlash. I'll still probably check it out eventually. I've never been in a book club. I once tried to facilitate one at work, but it ended in tears. I love big sweeping stories that you can get caught up in. I'll check that one out!
OMG! Will need to know more about this book club, ha! I've cycled through a few, and my current one is by far my fav, and I'm grateful to have found it! Damnation Spring for sure seems right up your alley!
lol basically the book club involved me offering discussion prompts on Slack, but then everyone was always so busy that the conversations never really got going.
I loved this one AND The Great Believers. (Although it took me a year plus to get through the latter, so devestating).
Oh man, it was really sad.
I’m currently reading “Build Your House Around My Body” by Violet Kupersmith and “Compromised Into A Scandalous Marriage” by Lydia San Andres. I’m looking forward to reading “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult.
Thanks, Aisha! Those books look really interesting. I'll check them out!
I’m in the middle of This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub. So good!
Thanks, Rosalynn! I haven't read any of her books yet, but I'm a huge fan of her bookstores, Books Are Magic! I'll have to check out one of her books.
I loved this one.
I am currently reading: Growing Vegetables by Buckingham and Whittingham and Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff. Recently read books that I liked: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, and Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote.
Thanks, Heather! I've long wanted to read The Remains of the Day. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I've also wanted to review Capote here. I read In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany's before BoG existed. The other books look good, too. I'll check those out!
Reading Free Food For Millionaires and really like the characters. Also reading The Death of the Necromancer by the author who wrote the Murder Bot Diaries. Love it. Have put aside The Quick & the Dead and Olga Dies Dreaming. Just finished Less is Lost which at first I didn't like but in the end I loved just like the first one, Less. Also just finished The False Inspector Dew which was pretty damn funny.
Thanks, Amy! Glad you're enjoying Free Food For Millionaires. Let me know what you think when you finish it. The other titles look really interesting, too. The Necromancer one caught my eye. I originally read it as Neuromancer, like Gibson's Neuromancer, and was like, oh! But then I reread and saw that I had misread. Still I want to check it out!
update: finished The Death of the Necromancer and while I loved it and stayed up reading late into the night, I don't think it was as good as the later books about the same world. I loved The Wizard Hunters and the other two books so much! I read them out of order and then immediately re-read them in order! It's the characters and the subtle blurring of gender roles, just a pleasure.
Glad you enjoyed the book! How did you find reading them out of order? Was it confusing? I almost did that with VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic series when I accidentally bought the second book instead of the first. I ended up giving it away thinking it would be too confusing to read it out of order. Anyways, your series sounds great!
OMG Free Food For Millionaires was SO GOOD!!!!!!! loved it so much, the characters were so real. I cried so much. Ugg. Sad it is over. ..... No, I didn't find it confusing to read the Martha Welles out of order in fact I didn't know there were other books until it ended and I was like-- wow bold ending, it's a total cliffhanger!!!! so I looked and indeed there were more.
That’s great to hear about Free Food For Millionaires! So happy you liked it.
Book discussion last month was The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson. It was chosen for the community-wide read and there's so much to talk about! This month is Deacon King Kong by James McBride. I also read We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman and absolutely loved it. So many good books!
Thanks, Kim! These titles look great. I've heard many good things about Deacon King Kong, and have been looking to read it. I'd love to get your thoughts when you finish
As I said in the original post, I'm looking to review The Cabinet and Donna Tartt, and maybe even The World According to Garp in the near future. But my lineup constantly changes, so feel free to suggest some titles or genres you'd like to see on BoG!
My favorite this year so far has been The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka. So smart and clever, handling dementia. Also enjoyed Maame, Black Cake and Ms. Demeanor. Have felt the need to read lighter fare, not sure why. Looking forward to finishing up Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy and maybe a reread of Garp, depending upon what you think. I read it when I was 18 and couldn’t put it down. I have had trouble getting into other John Irving novels and was disappointed with The Last Chairlift. Also have the new Rebecca Makkai on my pile. Loved and was crushed by The Great Believers.
Thanks, Kate! I read the first two Cromwell books years ago and liked them, but never got around to picking up the third. I should do that. I am looking forward to Garp. I just hope I give myself enough time to read it without rushing. I’ll check out the other titles you mentioned. I’m looking forward to reading the new Makkai at some point too. If it’s half as good as Believers, it should be pretty good!
I just finished reading The Salt Path, a memoir, which was engaging, heartfelt & heartbreaking. Working my way through Braiding Sweetgrass, A Year of Magical Thinking, and Dust Tracks on A Road. Guess I'm into memoirs right now!
Thanks! I read Magical Thinking years ago. Powerful book. I have read a lot of Didion over the years, but most of it before this newsletter. But since I’ve been writing BoG, I’ve read a bunch of Hurston. I love her work, and have been keeping my eye out for a copy of Dust on the Tracks. It’s been a while since I’ve read a memoir. I think the last one was by Charles Mingus. I should read one this year!