I too have unintentionally reduced the amount I read, and similarly I have two young toddlers and wonder if I was reading so much as a form of escapism from the stress of everything? Who knows, I'm no longer putting pressure on myself to read a certain amount of books by the end of the year, I'm enjoying books but less often and going with it for now - and I am glad you are too!
Pandora, if you haven't read it before then do seek out Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. It won the Pulitzer and is my all time favourite collection of short stories. A friend recommended it to me and I fell in love with it so much that it actually made me love my friend more. The power of a great book, eh?
I’ve recently read Pajama party a collection of stories by Ashleigh Bryant Phillips and I loved them! They reminded me Kent Haruf, probably because they are set in the American suburbs.
If you'd like to read more Laurie Colwin (I find her fiction a different flavor than Home Cooking!) her short story collection The Lone Pilgrim is what first got me hooked on her writing.
Mischa Barton is the first person I think of when I think about how horrific the tabloids were to specific celebrities, and by extension, the rest of us who were just saturated in that media environment for over a decade. It's as though they were punished and made examples of for the rest of us. No wonder she's still unpacking it all.
I fully endorse StoryGraph! It is infinitely cleaner and nicer to use that Goodreads which is such a mess of an app. StoryGraph also turns all your reading data into super fun pie & bar charts categorising everything from genre, authors & moods of the books you read. It’s great !
Loved this weeks newsletter, thank you! Writing about books as an escape completely resonated with me...I have also spent a disproportionate amount of time wondering whether being earmarked as a bookworm from a young age means you spent adulthood subconsciously continuing to reassure yourself you are one because it's formed such a key part of your identity... #overthink. Looking forward to exploring some of these collections. I also loved Zadie Smith's Grand Union for anyone that hasn't had the joy of it yet! X
Also loved Send Nudes 😊 other favourites are Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Feel exactly the same about Beckham, Qatar does not sit well with me either but have been compelled to watch the documentary (mainly as OH wanted to), and have found it fascinating so far- very well drawn. Also slightly perturbed by how dated the 90s seemed, didn’t feel like it at the time!!
As not a short stories lover, I loved and read twice Murakami’s Men without women.
I too have unintentionally reduced the amount I read, and similarly I have two young toddlers and wonder if I was reading so much as a form of escapism from the stress of everything? Who knows, I'm no longer putting pressure on myself to read a certain amount of books by the end of the year, I'm enjoying books but less often and going with it for now - and I am glad you are too!
Pandora, if you haven't read it before then do seek out Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. It won the Pulitzer and is my all time favourite collection of short stories. A friend recommended it to me and I fell in love with it so much that it actually made me love my friend more. The power of a great book, eh?
I’ve recently read Pajama party a collection of stories by Ashleigh Bryant Phillips and I loved them! They reminded me Kent Haruf, probably because they are set in the American suburbs.
If you'd like to read more Laurie Colwin (I find her fiction a different flavor than Home Cooking!) her short story collection The Lone Pilgrim is what first got me hooked on her writing.
Mischa Barton is the first person I think of when I think about how horrific the tabloids were to specific celebrities, and by extension, the rest of us who were just saturated in that media environment for over a decade. It's as though they were punished and made examples of for the rest of us. No wonder she's still unpacking it all.
Love and recommend Claire Keegan’s short stories.
Great recommendations. Have just picked up Claire Keegan’s “Antarctica” - highly recommended.
Claire Keegan is basically seen as the Messiah of short stories here in Ireland💚
That podcast about the vanishing children sounds so intriguing but definitely a very difficult listen I would imagine.
I fully endorse StoryGraph! It is infinitely cleaner and nicer to use that Goodreads which is such a mess of an app. StoryGraph also turns all your reading data into super fun pie & bar charts categorising everything from genre, authors & moods of the books you read. It’s great !
omg that sounds WILD! I don't know if I'm ready for pie charts and mood
You are 💖💖💖 it’s so interesting
Loved this weeks newsletter, thank you! Writing about books as an escape completely resonated with me...I have also spent a disproportionate amount of time wondering whether being earmarked as a bookworm from a young age means you spent adulthood subconsciously continuing to reassure yourself you are one because it's formed such a key part of your identity... #overthink. Looking forward to exploring some of these collections. I also loved Zadie Smith's Grand Union for anyone that hasn't had the joy of it yet! X
Secret Lives of Church Ladies is excellent!
Also loved Send Nudes 😊 other favourites are Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
oh thank you! I will def look those up
Feel exactly the same about Beckham, Qatar does not sit well with me either but have been compelled to watch the documentary (mainly as OH wanted to), and have found it fascinating so far- very well drawn. Also slightly perturbed by how dated the 90s seemed, didn’t feel like it at the time!!
the late 80s literally looked like a period drama, so disconcerting given I was ALIVE THEN
I love a short story. Excellent for when your brain won’t focus for very long. Thank you for these ❤️
Uh that’s a great title!!