Summer's Hyped Books: Worth the Read?

Plus we talk about The List #154

The list. The liiiiiiissssst. That New York Times LIST. Oh, we’ll get to it.

But first! What I consider to be an actual public service, wherein I read some of summer’s hyped books and sequels and tell you whether it’s worth your wild and precious time. Does this absolve us from other civic duties? No. If I have saved one person from a wasted and disappointing read, will it have been worth it? Most certainly. Should it win me a little humanitarian award though? Hard to say.

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I loved Bardugo’s Ninth House, I thought Shadow and Bone was just okay, so I was intrigued by The Familiar as the rubber match.

Power summary: In the Madrid of the Spanish Inquisition, scullery maid Luzia uses bits of magic to make life slightly more tolerable. Once her employers discover her talents, they try to use her to lift their station in life - but Luzia’s success, and secret of her Jewish heritage, threatens them all.

For an author known for her magic and fantasy world-building, the fantasy elements here are secondary to the storytelling about power, and subjugation of people, and how careless decisions can alter the course of history. If you’re looking for deep fantasy, this isn’t it - it’s much more magical realism. The writing was also interestingly restrained; I don’t know if it’s the author maturing, or trying to imbue a somberness to the setting. Anyway, I enjoyed it.

Verdict: Not extraordinary, but if you were looking forward to this, you won’t be disappointed.

New in town? Read about the Gentle Lamb Ratings, designed to guide your emotional journey. HERE

I absolutely adore The Guncle so could not WAIT for The Guncle Abroad to hit my library holds list, and it seems like most of Bookstagram felt the same.

Power summary: Five years after Gay Uncle Patrick was the summer caretaker to his niece Maisie and nephew Grant, Maisie and Grant’s father Greg is getting remarried to a wealthy Italian woman. But the children enlist Patrick to help stop the wedding, while he tends to a broken heart and spars with his new nemesis, lesbian aunt-to-be Palmina.

Listen. I enjoyed being back with these characters. But after finishing it, the more I felt like this didn’t need to exist. This was more nostalgia (for the characters and for the readers) than a solid standalone read. The stakes were low, the banter was muted, the perspective was really odd and it wasn’t nearly as sparkling or stylish.

Verdict: Honestly? It’s cuteish but you can skip it. Read The Guncle as your beach read instead.

Olga Dies Dreaming was one of my faves from 2023, so what do we think of Anita de Monte Laughs Last, friends?

Power summary: Rising artist Anita de Monte is found dead in 1985 and is all but forgotten until present day art history student Raquel decides to write her thesis about Anita.

This “twin” story about Anita’s rise and fall, and Raquel’s feeling of outsiderness that’s tempered as she begins to date a powerful, connected student, raise a lot of important and interesting, if not new, questions about who gets remembered in art. Who gets erased. Who is considered important and why. The social critique (as in Olga) is on the nose, like Gonzalez doesn’t really trust us to pull it from the text. But also as in Olga, the writing is extremely voicey, the outrage palpable, the experience entertaining.

Verdict: I preferred the humor and the comparative subtlety of Olga Dies Dreaming but this is a worthwhile successor.

Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series is amongst my favorites ever, including the more recent entries.

The less said about his newest installment, Mona of the Manor, the better.

Verdict: Let’s just pretend this book never happened.

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YES LET’S TALK ABOUT THE LIST NOW

Did you spend your week reading about, texting people about, and anticipating the next reveal of The New York Times’s top 100 books of the century so far, or do you have a healthy mental balance?

If you don’t want me to spoil this, scroll to the next section. Because …

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y’all, I like Elena Ferrante as much or more than the average person but that’s the absolute BEST BOOK OF THE PAST 24 YEARS? I call “let’s do something provocative so people get up in arms” editorial SHENANIGANS.

Plus. No Lauren Groff? No Louise Erdrich? No Anthony Doerr? No Tommy Orange? No Amor Towles? No James McBride? No Hamnet? No When Breath Becomes Air? No Homegoing? No Educated? I don’t know.

Anyway, I’ve read 33 of the 100 and want to read 26, of which I will probably actually read about 12 because that full “want to read” list includes books I “want to want to read.”

Also - I think we can all agree to give each other a half point for books you haven’t technically read but which are:

• Books you’ve started and disliked (The Sellout, The New Jim Crow)

• Books you have on your shelf, unread and making you feel guilty (The Warmth of Other Suns, Outlines)

• Books by authors of whom you have read many other books but not that particular book but really that should count a little because you recognize their artistry, right? (Percival Everett)

Please. Share your number here with the group, or let us know what the Times absolutely got wrong. You’ve found a safe space.

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Important Things To Know

• All links still, as always, go to Bookshop.org. That said, I just ordered a book directly from Vroman’s and I’m pretty pleased about it! Shop indie, everyone (or don’t, I can’t tell you what to do.)

• Miss me next week when there’s no newsletter, because I’m off to the Sun Valley Writer’s Conference, best book weekend of the year! You can livestream many of the talks including Erik Larson, Judy Blume (!!), and Margaret Atwood, whom I’m sure won’t be at all ominous and foreboding! Should I post my thoughts real time with Substack notes? Does anyone look at Substack notes?

• Don’t forget all the suggestions in the archive! I’ve suggested so many books for you, because I love 1/you 2/books.

• If you wanted to, you could like/share this newsletter. But only if you are intrinsically motivated.