A Great Read for Every Mood
Just a few books I've loved recently: #40
I recently read a description of August as “the Sunday of months” and honestly …whether you love August (and Sundays) or not so much, that feels like a universal description, no? Even more acutely, it’s late August, which means that kids are going back to school; wildfires, hurricanes and Miss Delta V are wreaking terrible havoc; and one’s reading enthusiasm can be in a listless doldrum.
That’s why this week, I’m temporarily abandoning my kicky little themes to just serve up three books, for three moods. Something for everyone! A lid for every pot! Line ‘em up, knock ‘em down! YES WE CAN!
Okay, sorry, I got a little overexcited, but while they share very little by way of content, I do think this week’s three books are all immersive, compelling, and books you’ll probably want to share with someone, whether for comfort or for critique. Two of these are book club material, I would venture, though ironically I’ve never been in a book club so I’m just extrapolating from what I’ve seen in the movies and heard from friends. (I’m picturing a Nancy Meyers shabby chic living room and a smoked fish spread situation.) And if you don’t have a book club, I’ll be your virtual reading discussion buddy anytime. (Cue Top Gun music for the Gen Xers.)
If You Want to Be Challenged, but in a Good Way
I can honestly say I’ve never read a novel with this particular plot and point of view, and how often can you say that anymore?
Power summary: A trans woman named Reese, her ex Ames (a trans woman who detransitioned and now lives as a man), and Ames’s newly pregnant cis girlfriend (who’s also his boss) debate how they could create a new, untraditional family.
What makes Transition, Baby so thought-provoking is that the author does not seem particularly interested in creating a Disney-fied portrait of a modern queer family, but instead explores the prickly, messy, and often unpleasant shoots of gender, sex, relationships and parenting. Lest you think this is one long gender-studies class (to be fair, there are moments that feel a bit ponderous and academic though they are happily few), it’s also witty, smartly cutting, and at times reads like a comedy of manners as these three try to come to terms with each other amidst their own baggage. It’s not the best book I’ve read this year but it might be the one I’ve thought most about, and the most original.
If You Want to Be Swept Away
Boy, did I love Great Circle - epic, ambitious, sweeping, hopeful, pragmatic, engrossing.
Power summary: This follows two intertwining stories: the first a historical tale of young Marian Graves from the moment she and her brother are rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914 through to becoming a pilot with a dream to circumnavigate the globe that ends in her disappearance at the South Pole. The second is the contemporary story of Hadley Baxter, a movie star portraying Marian in a biopic after her own celebrity has threatened to consume her.
So, I know that sounds super convoluted and yet, even with multiple chapters about the Wild West history of this character or that biplane, this novel still somehow for me was an exciting page-turner, an emotional saga where you can get attached to multiple characters, and just a beautifully written book with the perfect specificity of detail and craft of words about how history informs your life but how self-determination can explode it.
If I’m being at all critical, I think the Hadley story was a little undertold in service of Marian - almost like an echo of history rather than its own narrative - but honestly, I enjoyed basically every page. There was a point late in the book where I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen and then - the author landed the plane (I’m sorry) in a completely different way. Applause!
I also loved Maggie Shipstead’s previous novel, Astonish Me, which was less sweeping in scope but equally vivid (more from the archive here).
If You Just Need Something Charming and Warm
Well, it’s not a new book, but for some reason I just read All Creatures Great and Small this month and wow, where has this been my whole life?
Power summary: The memoirs of an English country vet in the 1930’s and 40’s. (Not that powerful a summary, I guess.)
You don’t have to love animals to love this book, because James Herriot is an exceptional storyteller. And his loosely linked, often hilarious, sometimes sweetly sad, always bighearted stories of treating the cows, dogs, sheep, horses, and other animals (and their owners!) are just fantastic. It’s also a beautiful portrait of the hardy and hardworking people and land in rural Yorkshire. I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Also I know this has been a TV show multiple times but I adored the 2020 remake by Channel 5 (UK) and shown on PBS (US). Absolutely worth your time.
Can you believe it?
This is the 40th week of this newsletter, people. That’s a full-term baby’s worth of book recommendations coming straight to your inbox! This week saw a small but meaningful subscriber milestone for me, so whether you’re new here or have been reading for most of a year, I’m very grateful to you.
And remember:
If you prefer your book recommendations visual, you can follow my “all books, all the time” Instagram account She Prefers Reading.
If you’re looking for a specific kind of book, you can always check the archive or leave a comment with questions and suggestions. I am Here! To! Help!
All book links go to Bookshop.org, which does God’s work of supporting independent bookstores. All of my recommendations can be found here too.
And if you ever feel compelled to share this newsletter or a book recommendation herein, I’m deeply grateful for that too.