The Stacks Book Club - August 2026
For our August book club, we’re reading a cult classic: Fish Tales by Nettie Jones. This novel-in-vignettes follows Lewis Jones, a confident young woman living freely and fiercely in 1970s Detroit and New York City—that is, until her party girl lifestyle is upended by the handsome yet cruel Brook, who threatens the very independence that once defined her. Originally published in 1983 (acquired by the Toni Morrison), Fish Tales caused a big stir in the literary world with its erotic nature and depiction of an unapologetic, sexually liberated woman. But the book—and its author, Nettie Jones—only experienced a short stint in the spotlight before slipping into obscurity. Luckily, with the book’s 2025 reissue, Jones can finally get her flowers. We simply cannot wait to dive into this one.
If you want to read with us this month, here are some key dates for The Stacks Book Club’s read of Fish Tales.
August 5th — The Stacks episode announcing our guest for Fish Tales.
August 26th — The Stacks Book Club episode of Fish Tales.
September 1st — The Stacks Virtual Book Club meetup to discuss the book. To participate, you will need to join The Stacks Pack on Patreon. There, you’ll get even more perks related to the podcast, access to the Discord community, and more.
L.A.-based, Black woman-owned indie bookstore Reparations Club is offering you 10% off your copy of Fish Tales when you use the code STACKS10 at checkout!
You can support The Stacks by purchasing this month’s pick through my Bookshop or Amazon page.
