Hi Y’all! Glad You’re Here—
When I was in high school I dated this girl who was a Jehovah’s Witness, and every Saturday her and her family went door to door to spread the good Lord’s word. I think, religious or not, we all have something we’re so passionate about that we’d be willing to go up to total strangers to convince them of its goodness. For me, that’s books. I’m sure if we weren’t still in a panini1 that I’d be going door to door, trying to get people to read the books I love. But because it’s safer to stay indoors, away from all of the people, I’m here in your inbox, spreading the word!
In January, I read twenty-one books, five-hundred twenty-five thousand six-hundred2 Pop Culture articles, and a handful of essays. Fourteen of the books were for the National Book Award reading project—the first three discussion posts are available to paid subscribers!—while the other seven books were new releases. I can’t even remember the last time I had such a successful reading month, but I think part of it had to do with the fact that I was just reading what I wanted. I’ve learned over time that putting restrictions on my reading only slows me down.
My first read of the year was a book that comes out in February, called The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka. I’d actually heard of Otsuka thanks to the NBA reading project, because she was a finalist for her previous book, The Buddha In The Attic. Her latest is an absolute masterpiece and I am convinced it will be one of my top ten books of the year—the prose, the characters, the exploration of these many ideas, it’s so elegantly done and Elizabeth Taylor-gorgeous. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one on this year’s National Book Award longlist.
My next read was the linked story collection, Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho. I love a linked collection—this one reminded me in small ways of Alice Munro’s The Beggar Maid—and I was impressed by the characterization of these two women. There’s something about the way this book explores the complicated nature of friendship that just felt so honest and accurate to me, and made me consider what my dynamic with my own best friend might look like in comparison. I love when a book makes me reconsider something I have always known, and that’s what this book does with friendship.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys companion reads, I think Fiona and Jane would pair well with Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades. I read these two back to back, and I think it really enhanced my overall reading experience. Both of these books explore the dynamics of female friendship and girlhood, and they both look at the intersections of identity in fascinating ways. Brown Girls has a stellar voice, and while I did find certain vignettes a bit too short for my liking, overall it was enjoyable and well crafted.
While the idea of companion reads is on my mind, I should also say that I think The Stars Are Not Yet Bells by Hannah Lillith Assadi would be a great companion read with The Swimmers. Both of these books look at memory and the loss of it in an honest way, while never feeling Lifetime-movie (No shade to Lifetime Movie Network). Assadi’s book is also southern gothic, which is always a plus in my book.
My first memoir of the year—I love memoir, for anyone who doesn’t know—was High-Risk Homosexual by Edgar Gomez. It was so fun and sexy and heartbreaking and vulnerable, and I think he captured his voice so well on the page. I finished this in one sitting and I don’t know how you couldn’t just fall head over heels after finishing.
One of my most anticipated 2022 reads was Clean Air by Sarah Blake, and it did not disappoint. I adored her first novel, Naamah, and this one was so surprising and full of intrigue—I couldn’t put it down. I actually finished both of her books in one sitting, but I think the plot of this one lends itself even more to that page-turning quality. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic future and there’s a serial killer on the loose, but what grounds this one is the believable family dynamic at its center. I think there’s something here for everyone. [As a side note: I get to do an IG Live with Sarah Blake in February to discuss this one, so keep an eye out for that one! I’ll be doing an announcement soon!]
I read a lot of literary criticism this month, numerous essays and magazine articles, all in the hopes that it would strengthen my skillset in writing out these book posts over the next year. I read pieces by Joan Didion, Zadie Smith, Joyce Carol Oates, and Alexander Chee. Brandon Taylor’s newsletter, Sweater Weather, is a fantastic source for this, and I recommend the paid subscription. While I’m not sure if everything I learned will actually translate to the page, I found them so valuable to my overall growth as a reader. Even if you don’t think this sounds interesting, I recommend checking out a piece on one of your favorite or most detested reads and see what others say about it. I find that it makes you a better reader, and helps you articulate your thoughts by maybe providing you with the language you’ve been looking for.
Now, as far as the NBA books are concerned, I’ve already written my full thoughts in previous posts, but the ones I think y’all should check out are The Caine Mutiny, The Grass Harp and From Here To Eternity. Some of my other favorites are currently out of print (The Witch Diggers and Melville Goodwin, U.S.A.) but the three in print books mentioned have the most universal appeal and are the ones I enjoyed the most. I had qualms with From Here to Eternity, but it’s well written and captivating. I’m convinced The Caine Mutiny is a great gay novel—I cover this in last week’s post—and The Grass Harp is very southern…I can’t help it, I’m from Georgia so of course I loved it.
One thing I've already discovered because of this reading project is that, at least in the fifties, everyone’s writing style was so distinct. Not one of these books sounds like the other, or has the same structure. It felt like everyone was so dedicated to making sure that their work wasn’t mistaken for somebody else’s, that their voice was recognizably theirs. There are times when I read books now that the voice feels a bit pedestrian, or too similar to another writer. I guess one could argue that’s partly because the market is flooded now, or that maybe some imprints adhere to a certain aesthetic sensibility? I don’t know. It’s something I continue to think about, and would love for someone smarter than me to write about.
Anyway, this was clearly a great reading month. I was anxious coming into the new year—as I'm sure we all were—but discovering so many great books felt like a sign of good things to come. I can’t wait to see what other amazing books are released this year, and to see what old books I fall in love with.
What books did you love this month? What are you looking forward to being released later this year? Let me know—I’m always looking for books to add to my radar. And thanks for being here! I appreciate you all so much.
Until next time, XOXO
P.S. I had big plans for a discussion post today, but I have been down bad with a cold all week, so stay tuned for February, where I’ll be chatting with y’all about memoir.
panini - a way of saying ‘pandemic’ without wanting to burst into tears.
for the non-musical theatre kids, this is a Rent reference.
I am almost a 100% backlist reader. I can't keep up with new releases. I'll let the rest of y'all read them first. I read a lot of heavy non-fiction at the end of 2021, so I was looking for more lighthearted reading. I really enjoyed the Heartstopper graphic novel series - very cute. Otherwise, I found Omar El Akkad's novel What Strange Paradise to be really nice.