I’ve had a slow start to the year, reading-wise. I’ve put down several books and not finished them because I couldn’t get through them, choosing instead to watch one of the latest prestige TV shows that seem to be coming out in abundance right now (One Day, True Detective, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, etc!!!). It’s the time of year where I feel like I’m counting down the days until spring and then summer, wading through the days checking my NOAA.gov for temperatures above fifty. It’s the perfect reading time of year and yet I feel restless!!!
However, these books are either waiting for me at the library or have already jolted me out of my reading rut, so hopefully one of them will work for you, if you too feel physical pain seeing someone on instagram, tv, or wherever relaxing on a warm sunny beach.
The Book of Love by Kelly Link
A fantastical story of four high school students who one day come back from the dead a year after they all died, with no idea how they died or why they’re back. They have to complete several magical tasks in order to stay alive, and while this sounds very plot-driven, it’s not—the prose is elegant and whimsical and draws you in.
The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan
Consider this one a ginger-lemon-cayenne shot. Quick, with punchy language and a delightful structure: we see the POVs of the bride, the sister of the bride, the best man, the groom, and a wedding guest all leading up to the actual wedding. This book is like if Sally Rooney knew how to have fun.
Splinters by Leslie Jamison
Okay one thing that I have really enjoyed reading recently are juicy personal essays in The Cut that are either about: scams, marriages dissolving when children are born, and marriages dissolving due to mental breakdowns. This memoir is like those essays in literary book form, about an author (known for the essay collection The Empathy Exams if you’re familiar) whose marriage dissolves when her child is born. Personal drama that is not mine, yes please!
Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan
This one is part police drama, part familial drama, and honestly I don’t know what more you can ask for when looking for a riveting plot. I mean the description just sounds juicy: “When a 10-year-old child is suspected of a violent crime, her family must face the truth about their past,” and considering the setting of 1990s London, I’m so in. It’s no Ireland, but Tana French hive this one’s for us.
Molly by Blake Butler
A memoir by a writer grappling with the suicide of his wife, a fellow writer, and the shocking secrets uncovered after her death, secrets that fundamentally altered the way Butler understood their relationship. It’s dark, but it’s a fascinating deep-dive into the nature of relationships and the things we keep from each other.
Happy reading!