October in Review — Lit Chat, Vol. 13
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Hi friends,
Another short one for you this month. It feels a little strange to be sitting here thinking about the privilege I have of being able to leisurely escape into other worlds via books when there are civilians caught in active war zones, but I’m not a foreign policy expert and that’s not what this newsletter is for. What I will share instead is a recent newsletter from author Alexander Chee, which includes some recommended reading from those whose experiences are far more relevant than mine and whose voices are just as deserving of your attention, plus a link to contact your reps about calling for a ceasefire. If you only pick one to read, let it be this poem from Naomi Shihab Nye. Big thanks to Nikhil for sharing.
Meanwhile in book world, I’ve been settling into fall with some longer reads (not included: the Outlander book I got through 500 pages of before taking a break), and taking the time to really sit with some of the shorter ones that have left their mark this month. I have a bad habit of racing into my next read without giving the last one enough time to marinate in my brain, and I’m trying to be better about that (waiting at least a day). It’s just so hard when there are so many books to be read! My TBR pile is so long. Thank goodness for Daylight Savings ending, honestly, which will make me feel so much less guilty about staying inside and reading as we hunker down into the colder months.
Speaking of, let’s move on to the books.
THE FOUNDATION:
Nora Goes Off Script — Annabel Monaghan
This was my book club book for October, but I sadly couldn’t make it to book club this month so you’re all my book club now. Nora writes cheesy Hallmark movies for a living until a script about her failed marriage unexpectedly sells big in Hollywood. Production promises they’ll only have to shoot on location on Nora’s property for a few days, but Nora’s hundred-year-old house and quiet, comfy life with her two young kids charm the movie’s lead actor, Leo Vance. Leo offers to pay Nora to let him stay an extra week for some rest and relaxation, and cue the romance channel ‘falling in love with a movie star’ montage! But real life can’t possibly follow the same formula as one of Nora’s scripts…or can it? This was a sweet, easy read with a few fun zingers and a heartfelt emphasis on family, belonging, and what it means to feel at home.
Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros
If you loved the Eragon books as a kid and thought “Man, you know what would make this better? More sex and death,” then this one’s for you. Violet Sorrengail is the daughter of one of Navarre’s most famous dragon rider generals, and though she’d had no intention of becoming a Rider herself, her mother had other ideas. This is how she ends up enrolled in the deadliest Quadrant of the Basgiath War College, where the names of fallen candidates are read out at roll call every morning. Violet isn’t as physically strong as the others, but she’s smart—smart enough to sense that there’s something the students aren’t being told about the failing protection wards at their borders, and smart enough to keep Xaden Riorson, son of an executed rebellion leader, from making good on his promise to kill her. I’m docking points for excessive horniness (Xaden is unfortunately very hot), but this was exactly the kind of immersive fantasy that I’d been craving since September, and thus it is very likely that I shell out for the sequel when it publishes this week(!).
Pew — Catherine Lacey
This is one of those strange, disorienting books you keep mentally turning over long after you’ve finished. In Pew, the discovery of a young stranger sleeping in a church, whose age, race, and gender remain ambiguous throughout the novel, rocks a small Southern town. Though initially welcoming, the stranger’s inability to speak or provide any clarifying details on their background and identity strains the good intentions of the congregation, especially as their arrival coincides with preparations for the town’s annual Forgiveness Festival. Nicknamed ‘Pew,’ the stranger’s refusal to conform to any of the townspeople’s projections stymies some and intrigues others, and many take Pew’s silence as an opportunity to make their own haunting confessions. What follows is an eerie portrait of a community built on contradictions and an unsettling reflection on American values and morality. Thank you, Monique, for this stellar rec!
THE TIPPY TOP:
Sea of Tranquility — Emily St. John Mandel
Much like Pew, this is a book that I’ve found myself coming back to nearly every day since I’ve finished. It’s a hard one to talk about without spoiling, but Sea of Tranquility follows a set of characters throughout history and the future who have all had the same strange, almost otherworldly experience: a momentary flash of darkness, accompanied by the sounds of a violin and the noise of an airship taking flight. From Vancouver Island in 1912 to the surface of the moon in 2401, the book revolves around the mystery of these recurring moments, and investigator Gaspery-Jacques Roberts’ determination to discover the cause of the anomaly.
I’ve avoided Emily St. John Mandel’s books for years despite having only ever heard high praise, because I thought I didn’t want to read a pandemic novel, or I thought I wouldn’t like sci-fi, etc. etc., but I’m so glad Sea of Tranquility destroyed all my preconceptions. Even the most speculative aspects of the novel felt somehow familiar and accessible, because even on the Far Colonies of the moon, Mandel preserves the humanity of her characters through their ambitions, nostalgias, dreams, and despairs. Best of all, the precision with which every piece of information is perfectly placed for an ultimate reveal has you flipping back whole chapters as you read to see how you could have possibly missed the initial signs. My advice is to read as much of the book in one go as you can—or at least whole chapters at a time. You won’t want to miss a single detail.
That’s all for now! I hope you’re able to squeeze some reading into the extra hour of your day today. If you want to chat more about these books or any others, leave a comment or send me a message!
Until next time, happy reading!
❤ Catherine
Catherine Thoms 