Now Reading: July 2023
By the time July and August roll around, the heat can be unbearable. While this makes gardening and hiking difficult, it makes reading under a fan with a cool drink beside you an absolutely perfect way to spend an hour. Our staff shares what they’ve been knocking out from their to-be-read lists.
What book are you chilling out with this summer? Let us know on our socials!
Reviews editorial assistant Amanda Bird writes, “A History of the Island, by Eugene Vodolazkin, presents as what it purports to be—a history book—interspersed with commentary by the exceptionally long-lived monarchs of said island. However, Vodolazkin’s wit, irony, and surrealism make this far more intriguing than your average textbook. At intervals he relates off-beat scenes with possibly the sole intention of making sure the reader is paying attention. The fictional location could represent Russia, one of its satellite states, or humanity at large. I imagine the author saying, ‘But what if you looked at history this way?'”
Senior Editor Rudri Bhatt Patel writes, “One of the novels I enjoyed this year is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. The reader follows Juniper Song, a writer who is trying to make it as a best selling author. Her pathway to “success” is plagued with deception since she steals her dead friend’s manuscript and claims it as her own. The narrative is a satirical look at the writing industry and who can and cannot write about other cultures, as well as the means the protagonist employs to achieve writerly success. Kuang’s pacing is impeccable and her prose and characters linger with the reader. Themes of friendship, envy, jealousy, self-doubt, failure, and success are explored throughout the novel.”
Senior editor Sari Fordham writes, “Ma and Me, Putsata Reang stunning memoir, asks what we owe our mothers. For Reang, the question has additional complexity because her mother kept her alive when their family escaped by boat from the Khmer Rouge. Reang grew up in the United States, both loving her mother and feeling indebted to her. As a journalist, she makes her mother proud, and when her father has a heart attack, Reang returns home, cares for her parents, and listens to their stories. The second layer of this memoir is that Reang is gay, and while her mother initially said she supported her, that does not turn out to be true. When Reang finds love, their relationship reaches a crisis. From beginning to end, Reang’s prose is wise, tender, and heart-catching. She narrates the audiobook and listening to it, which I did, was an additional gift. I now am recommending this memoir to everyone.”
Literary Reflections editor Kate Greulich writes, “On a recent vacation, I read Stephanie Clifford’s novel, The Farewell Tour. The story follows seasoned Country Western singer, Lillian Waters, aka, Water Lil, as she embarks on her final concert tour. Lil decides to do the tour after learning of a medical issue that will affect her singing voice. She boldly decides this tour will end in her hometown of Walla Walla Washington, where she will finally confront her older sister, Hen, about a horrifying incident that occurred in their childhood.
Set in both real time (‘real time’ being 1980) and flashbacks to the earlier parts of her turbulent life, Lil takes readers on their own tour from her initial escape from the family farm, through various odd jobs, performances in dive bars, shady auditions, her arrival in Nashville, her fall from grace, and finally her farewell tour.
One does not need to be a Country Western fan to appreciate Lil’s story. I loved learning about the genre that sculpted and shaped much of America’s musical history. I also appreciated the portrayal of the trials and tribulations of Scandinavian immigrants. But mostly I was dazzled by Lillian Waters herself, a woman whose soul runs deep, who’s plucky, resourceful, and despite a fierce stubborn streak, has a capacity for forgiveness and proves that the adage isn’t always true: sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks. Water Lil and her wild journey will stay with me for a long time.”
Blog editor Carrie Vittitoe writes, “Victor LaValle has become one of my favorite horror writers in part because he does an excellent job writing about the female experience of horror, which often comes at the hands of society. His latest novel, Lone Women, follows Adelaide Henry as she makes her way in 1915 from California to Montana. She leaves behind her family’s farm and her recently buried parents, who died under mysterious circumstances. She brings with her a desire to survive and a trunk, that when opened causes destruction. Once she arrives in Montana, she finds she is just one of several lone women who must band together to fight the dangers that lurk in the west.”