A raw look at a relationship's end and a poetic examination of gender, freedom, and the long shadow of memory
This week my husband and I escaped the heat and our preschooler for a couple of nights to celebrate our anniversary in the mountains and it was wonderful. We went for a long(ish) hike that four-year-old legs are incapable of, relaxed by the pool, and I even had a little spa time. It was such a treat. This weekend Miles is working so I’m getting some special “just girls” time with Louise. That has actually also been really special, but means I’m typing these final sentences after 10pm on Saturday. So for now, we’ll get right into the books!
This week I read…
The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey. I read this for my in person book club and it made for a pretty good discussion even though we all had fairly ambivalent feelings about it. The conceit of this book could be a total gimmick if done poorly. One part of it is Lacey’s memoir recalling the aftermath of breakup with writer Jesse Ball and the other part is a work of short fiction that also explores relationships and betrayals. Ostensibly, you can read either part first and if you purchase the physical copy, the front and back look exactly the same. Everything I read about the book said to start with the memoir and so I started with the fiction. It’s not that I’m particularly contrarian, I just wanted to see if the book worked in that direction given that everyone seems to agree it’s inferior and yet it is intended to be read either way. While I’ll never have the opportunity to reread it again for the first time, I can see how it would have been a better experience to go from memoir to fiction. The most interesting aspect of this project for me was tracking how Lacey distilled the emotions of her memoir into a markedly different story in the fiction, and ultimately it wasn’t a particularly memorable reading experience for me in the way I experienced it. I think if you’re interested in how authors are inspired by their own lives while creating an entirely imagined story, you should absolutely read this. If you’re looking for a raw and cutting breakup book, you should read this. If you’re invested in Catherine Lacey herself, you, too, should read this. If none of those apply to you, you probably don’t need to rush out to read this. Bookshop | Libro.fm
She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated by Izidora Angel. I’ve been hearing wonderful things about this book since it was longlisted (and eventually shortlisted) for the International Booker. The story is largely centered on and told by Bekija, the last sworn virgin in her rural region of Albania. As Bekija tells her story to an unnamed journalist, the reader gradually learns the details around what led Bekija to choose the life of a sworn virgin as well as the ripple effects that followed this life-altering oath. The story within these pages is extremely compelling and I don’t want to say more and risk spoiling the mesmerizing unfurling for you. But goodness, did I love this book. The story is full of complicated characters with desires and motivations that are revealed at just the right time. The structure is also wonderful. Though it’s largely told in a sort of stream-of-consciousness from Bekija’s perspective, there are breaks for letters and other interstitials that both add to the story and reveal Karabash’s immense talent for shifting her style to fit exactly what she wants to accomplish. Most of all, I appreciated how this book surprised me in almost every way. As much as I’ve enjoyed the new releases I’ve been reading this year, there’s been a quality of familiarity that is both comforting and frustrating. She Who Remains was anything but familiar, and I needed that right about now. Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
I paused The Unicorn Hunters to read this buzzy book with the FictionMatters Literary Society and this new release for an upcoming author interview. I’m also rereading The Scarlet Letter so if you’re following along with This American Lit, get ready for something on that to hit your inboxes soon!
New on my TBR…
There’s a new Yiyun Li novel coming out this fall, which I immediately preordered.
💬 Tell me about your week in books! What did you finish, what are you reading now, and what have you added to your TBR?
5 tips to read more books this summer. (NPR)
70 brilliant books for the summer. (Guardian)
Zadie Smith, Samantha Harvey, and more share their favorite summer reading recommendations. (Guardian)
The New York Times reviewed ’s book and now I’m even more excited to read it! (NYT, gift link)
The work that goes into “effortless” style. (Atlantic)
7 new books to read this June. (Vulture)
Whether you loved Lost Lambs or couldn’t understand how it garnered so much publicity, this profile of Madeline Cash is a fascinating look into the author and her scene. (NYT, gift link)
Remembering Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis. (NPR)
A bookstore boom in the time of literary decline. (Lit Hub)
When we moved into our new house, we inherited about eight incredible terracotta pots ranging in size from quite big to very big. While I’ve never had much of a green thumb, coming into these pots made gardening feel like a reasonable thing to try this year. Yesterday, Louise and I went to the garden center and picked up some tomato and pepper starters as well as a few flowers for the post on our porch. If you never hear about this again, it was probably a colossal failure, but I’m very excited to try some simple gardening in (what feels like) a very doable manner.
Sometimes I offer shopping recommendations in this space, but today I’m the one in need of recommendations. I am on the hunt for summer tops that feel put together, but are cool enough for the Denver summer heat. I really landed on a three season uniform with my expansive button-down collection, but this just won’t work on 90 degree days. What are your favorite styles of top for summer and where do you get them? I need all of the info!
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Happy reading!
