Hello! I’m popping in from my summer break to share some of the books I’ve been loving this season (in between furiously rubbing aloe on my sunburn and chugging can after can of guava La Croix).
Summer Books I’ve Devoured (So Far)
Three of my favorite novelists—Casey McQuiston, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Beth O’Leary—released books in the same month, so I obviously moved those to the top of my book stack the minute they came out. Here’s what I thought of each of them.
One Last Stop — During the pandemic, I got low-key obsessed with Casey McQuiston’s debut novel Red, White & Royal Blue, adoring its witty humor, charming characters, and incredible research about life in the White House and within the British monarchy.
The bar was very high when I cracked open McQuiston’s June release, the story of a 23-year-old, true-crime-obsessed woman living in New York who falls for a woman she meets on the subway—a woman she discovers has been displaced in time from the 1970s. Sci fi elements aren’t usually my thing, but McQuiston pulled off the time travel plot brilliantly, further proving her propensity as a novelist who dives deep into research. I was entirely moved by this story of queer love and chosen family.
Malibu Rising — When it comes to novels with fresh structures, Taylor Jenkins Reid reigns supreme. Her book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an all-time favorite of mine, and I also loved Daisy Jones and the Six, the 2019 novel loosely based on the making of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours that made this author a bestselling star. To me, the TJR signature move is her inclusion of fictional primary sources throughout her novels, like magazine and newspaper articles, which gives the story’s structure unparalleled texture.
By comparison, her brand new novel does not disappoint. Reid winds through time as she chronicles the history and unraveling of the Riva family, four siblings growing up within a broken home in Malibu who come together for an infamous party in 1983. I loved the deep dive into this family’s history, and the commentary on celebrity culture throughout the book was thought-provoking and insightful.
Isn’t this illustration from the New York Times review of Malibu Rising absolutely stunning? If you want a taste of this book, you can read the full opening chapter here.
The Road Trip — Aside from daydreams of a vaccinated future, Beth O’Leary’s books were quite possibly the biggest thing that kept my spirits lifted throughout 2020. On the surface, her debut novels (The Flatshare and The Switch) masquerade as romances, but in reality, they’re Trojan horses for big, messy issues. O’Leary writes fearlessly and unrelentingly about hard subjects like emotional abuse, grief, elderly isolation, and depression, all with an execution that’s somehow fun and charming as hell. How DOES she do it?!
So of course I zipped through O’Leary’s new novel, the story of a broken-up couple stuck carpooling together to a wedding in the north of Scotland. The book has that same Trojan horse effect as the others, this time biting off issues like economic inequality and sexual consent. Compared to O’Leary’s first two books, though, The Road Trip is decidedly my least favorite. Much of that has to do with the cast of characters that’s comprised entirely of twenty-somethings—in previous books, O’Leary was a master of giving older characters their fullest humanity, and I really missed that feeling in this novel! Still, I always enjoy her voice and humor and look forward to reading novel #4.
What’s On Top of My Summer Books Stack
Here’s what you’ll find in my beach bag for the rest of the summer.
Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir — After reading so many novels back-to-back, I’m hungry for some nonfiction. I’ve been a big fan of Ashley C. Ford’s writing and podcasting for years and am thrilled that she wrote a book about her experience growing up with an incarcerated father. I got a little taste of the book on the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, and it sounds like it’s bound to be just as thoughtful as the rest of her writing.
Nightbitch — Y’all, I don’t think I’ve ever pre-ordered a book so quickly after finding out about it. The premise of Rachel Yoder’s debut novel sounds equal-parts ridiculous and compelling: a woman puts her career on hold to stay at home with her newborn and, little by little, transforms into a dog. Kafkaesque? You betcha.
Sometimes I Trip on How Happy We Could Be — Releasing this August, Tennesseean journalist Nichole Perkins’ collection of essays shines a light on the damage done to women (specifically Black women) by pop culture and media. Perkins is the former host of the hilarious podcast Thirst Aid Kit, and I’m excited to hear more of her voice in these new essays.
What have you been reading this summer?
Inquiring minds want to know. Leave a comment with your book recommendations.
One Spot Remaining in August Writing Workshop
Interested in working on your fiction and nonfiction writing together? I have one spot left in my Tuesday night workshop session this August. This workshop includes:
Four submission deadlines.
One-on-one support and accountability.
Community-building with fellow writers.
Inspiring readings and discussion.
Want to snag that last spot? Read more information and sign up here. This is my last workshop of 2021, so if you’ve been interested in working on your writing with me, now is the time. Questions? Reply to this email!
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