We’re halfway through the year. Time to talk about some new books that have really wowed me.
Log Off by Kristen Felicetti · Through a series of early-2000s LiveJournal entries, this debut novel follows whip-smart and wise Ellora Gao, a 16-year-old forming her first strong friendships as she copes with abandonment and alcoholism at home. I fell hard for this novel and its unique structure.
🐌 I interviewed about her book for The Creative Independent! Read our conversation here.
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid · I, like so many readers, was a huge fan of Kiley Reid’s debut novel Such a Fun Age. The bar was high for her second book, and she certainly didn’t disappoint. No one writes about young people and money the way Kiley Reid does!
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport · Since reading this book, I’ve noticed my relationship to work and creativity shifting in ways that feel more sustainable. Perhaps it really is possible to not burn out?
All Fours by Miranda July · Another highly anticipated title for me. When it comes to taking risks on the page, Miranda July seems fearless. This one was an immediate favorite.
Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against “The Apocalypse” by Emily Raboteau · I especially love the way Raboteau writes about the relationship between environmentalism and public art, as demonstrated in her personal essay “Spark Bird,” which you can read via Orion Magazine.
Worry by Alexandra Tanner · I already gushed about this novel here in the newsletter a few weeks ago, but I can’t help mentioning it again. I laughed so hard reading this.
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer · A novel that invites its readers into the thoughts and evolving emotions of a sex robot, yet proves to be so much more than that. What’s not to love?
Comments are open. I want to know what you’ve been reading this year! Send me your best recommendations.
SUMMER WRITING NIGHTS
Join me and a group of 50+ writers (!!!) every Wednesday this summer on Zoom.
Starting this Wednesday, June 26, 7:30-9:30 EST, I’m hosting Summer Writing Nights: 13 evenings of co-writing and accountability.
Revise your novel. Draft your essay collection. Write in your journal. Brainstorm new poems and short stories. Get your newsletter off the ground. The nighttime sky’s the limit!
$30 for the whole summer. $10 off for paid newsletter subscribers: promo code in the previous issue of the newsletter.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This is not a traditional class or workshop in that there is no instruction. Here’s what we’ll do every Wednesday this summer, starting this Wednesday, June 26.
7:30-7:40PM EST: 10-minute check-in. We share what we’ll be working on during that evening’s writing time.
7:40-9:20PM EST: 100 blissful, bountiful minutes of camera-off, self-directed writing time.
9:20-9:30PM EST: Wrap up with an optional 10-minute writing progress report.
SIGN UP
Cost: $30 for the entire summer. Lock in a summer of weekly writing time by signing up today.
SIGNED UP ALREADY?
I’m excited to write with you! You’ll receive the Summer Writing Nights Zoom link via email early next week, prior to Wednesday’s writing time. See you soon!
I've been really enjoying Night of the Living Queers, a YA horror anthology featuring stories written by queer authors of color that all take place on a Blue Moon Halloween. The horror elements are wildly creative--from a ghostly encounter with a 1950s couple at a drive-in to Guested parties where participants try on possessions like costumes. I always love seeing the different ideas people come up with based on the same prompt, and this anthology is a great example of that.
Not from this year, but I loved Charles Yu's Interior Chinatown.