The Curator: everything I've read in Q2
your quarterly TPS report is here please do not fire me, plus a new limited series obsession and a whole batch of good articles to read.
From April-ish to now-ish, I read eight books with my eyes and listened to seven with my ears. Goodreads is unsatisfied with my progress but the good news is Goodreads doesn’t pay the bills. So, instead, I am turning in my report to you because in fact some of you do pay my [book] bills (shoutout to the paying subscribers who are not obligated to pay me by blood or marriage!).
The books these past few months have been off the charts, with at least three (four? five??) of these ending up in my top ten reads of the year. Couldn’t ask for a better time!
the traditional reads
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - a perfect example of the difference between a good book - an outstanding book even - and a book that moves me to my core. I felt like if I decided to write a book that wasn’t this book, I would be devastated. But it also shows my bias towards Murray’s kind of writing - the kind where things are said but not said, where you recognize every feeling even though you’ve never been a 13-year-old boy or a mum. The way Murray uses form, perspective, and writing style through multiple POVs, flashbacks, and cliffhangers to ratchet up the tension is unreal. I will never get over this book. Full review to come.
James by Percival Everett - the perfect example of a worthy retelling. It feels like a delicate conversation with the original, a subtle deepening of perspective, both empathetic and honest. Everett made us complicit in the American South’s cultural crimes just by reading it. I wrote more about this strikingly funny and serious book here.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore - the book of the summer I’m telling you! What a ride. It's a smart mystery/thriller that gives us both the nostalgic retro summer camp teenage drama plus hits on issues of class, race, feminism, and generational trauma. But what really hooked me was (once again) the writing. Moore could have easily written a straightforward mystery and collected her check, but instead, she gave us a literary genre novel. I wrote about the beauty of the opening line here on Instagram.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck - I will not repeat the gushing as you’ve probably heard enough, so just read the full book review here if you haven’t yet 😁. A masterpiece that stands the test of time and is genuinely entertaining!
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - another one you’ve probably heard enough about, but I will say that my enjoyment of this novel was all in thanks to
‘s close read-a-long. The surprise of the century was how much I could still relate to wealthy characters living in 1870s New York, and that is all thanks to Wharton’s skill and timeless observations about the nature of humanity and American culture. I will be watching the Scorsese adaptation no doubt.
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig - also one I wrote an entire review on (look at me go) that you can read here. It’s a highly addictive story about a mysterious world-ending disease and the AI machine built to save humanity. An excellent specimen of my favorite genre, post-apocalyptic novels with multiple POVs and some kind of temporal or magical twist.
Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector - I do not fully know what to make of this novel. I barely understood what was happening, as it was all the narrator’s stream of conscious feelings that I just could not relate to. It felt as if Cathy from East of Eden wrote a stream-of-consciousness POV like the teenage version of Mrs. Dalloway. I imagine that it would benefit from a re-read and some study, but it’s possible I just do not connect with Lispector emotionally. I would love to read something from later in her life and see if that changes.
The Ministry of Time by Kalaine Bradley - a highly anticipated new book for 2024, but I sadly struggled getting through it. The first few chapters had me with Bradley’s weird use of language, but as the story went on, I found her similes made literally no sense. For example: “Despite being out of uniform, he looked oddly formal, as if he was the sole person in serif font.” At first, it’s charming, and then it's like, what? What does that mean, though? There are temporal gaps, the pacing is odd, and the romance comes out of nowhere. I felt no real feelings for the characters, their plight, or their continued existence. Her use of language was clever in some ways, deranged in others. I would LOVE to know what others thought, so if you’ve read this, give me your take in the comments, whether you agree with me or not!
and all the Karin Slaughter audiobooks
I love a classic 20th-century read, but I also love a dank crime thriller - I am a woman of complex desires. I finished the Grant County marathon and started on Will Trent, which is the clear winner for its plot, character development, and love story. These people have been put in more life-threatening situations than a CIA operative, so get ready to suspend your disbelief that an ex-county coroner gets to participate in an FBI investigation. The titles sound like Hallmark movies and look like supermarket end caps, but god love Karin, I have never been so excited to turn on an audiobook in my life. I am committed!
Grant County: Kisscut (#2), A Faint Cold Fear (#3), Indelible (#4), Faithless (#5), Beyond Reach (#6) - good, fun, most of these were worth the listen except you #s 5 and 6 with your weird narrator!
Will Trent: Undone (#3), Broken (#4) - it excites me that there are 12 books in this series. This is shaping up to me my favorite crime series of all time. I have so much more to look forward to during my walks, gym, laundry, cleaning…
And that’s my entire reading life over the last few months distilled into a few sentences. My favorite was most certainly The Bee Sting (full review ASAP), with The God of the Woods a close second in terms of enjoyment factor. You cannot go wrong with either of those titles.
Let me know what your favorite read of the last few months was in the comments!
READING 📖→
I had a massive hangover after finishing The Bee Sting, so I am going in a different but still literary direction to scratch the itch. On
‘s recommendation next up is Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth, translated by Charlotte Barslund. I’m a big fan of Nordic Noir, so this haunting novel from a popular Norweigan author is exactly what I need. Check out Martha’s original review if you want to know more.And you already know what’s coming - Karin Slaughter Will Trent #6 Fallen on audio. Laundry has never been so fun.
WATCHING 📽️→
Presumed Innocent. Yes, I restarted my Apple+ subscription just to binge-watch this limited series starring Jake Gyllenhaal’s hot bod. He plays a prosecutor who becomes the prosecuted, and like all these crime thrillers, I am somehow once again surprised at the machinations of our justice system. It’s all I’ve been able to think about while doing my spreadsheets at work. I also loved
‘s take on the three approaches to this story originally written by Scott Turow.BOOKS IN MY SHOPPING CART 🛒→
The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman - I failed to finish the first in the Magicians trilogy by Grossman, but I am not sure that’s his fault, so his new standalone fantasy novel has me intrigued, especially with all the rave reviews flooding in.
Septology by Jon Fosse - Fosse just won the Nobel Prize in Literature and ended up on the NYTs best books of the 21st century so no brainer.
Banal Nightmare by Halle Butler - I dunno but this cover is doing something to me. The Bookshop blurbs are also aggressively positive - Zadie Smith calls it smart and “utterly vicious.” Could be a serious hit.
BOOK NEWS & RESTACKS 📰→
More Sally Rooney content for all of us who are on the fence about her writing - “Sally Rooney on Characters Who Arrive Preëntangled and Her Forthcoming Novel" (The Atlantic)
How Romance Bookstores are Booming, Dishing ‘All the Hot Stuff You Can Imagine’ (NYT gifted article)
Sometimes I’m a jealous writer by
(Substack)Lincoln Michel’s three thoughts on the NYT list (Substack)
The latest Daily Drip from
(Substack)About cocooning as a creator from
(Substack)
AND CATS 🐈⬛→
We should have named this one Princess.
LET’S CHAT 👻→
What was your favorite book over the last few months?
What are you reading currently, and is it any good?
What have you done for yourself this summer - something relaxing, a vacation, a new coffee mug - anything! Tell us.
In Case You Missed It 🖤
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See you around the bookshelf!
Reading these comments I just had a collective laugh at everyone's reactions to Ministry of Time you really are my people lol
Could not agree more about Ministry of Time! It started as one of my most anticipated books of the year and ended as my most overhyped. I especially agree on the language. Some of the egregious similes I noted:
"The summer rays bounce up from the ice like a tossed knife." Does a tossed knife bounce?
"He looked at me, as if debating how much I would weigh if I were hundreds of beans poured in a bottle." No one in the history of the world has ever debated - even in their own head - how much a person would weigh if they were transmogrified into a bunch of beans. That makes absolutely zero sense.