How to Murder Your Life, by Cat Marnell

There are cheesy addiction memoirs and there are hopeful addiction memoirs and there are searingly-written and breathtakingly intimate addiction memoirs and then there’s this oddball entry into the genre: a gossip-laden crackle-snap-pop that reads like a blog entry pounded out at 3 AM. I’m sure it’s tempting to dismiss Marnell as an overly privileged party girl who didn’t even have the wherewithal to get sober before spilling the story of her drug-soaked fashion magazine writer lifestyle, but I enjoyed this book from start to finish. She’s witty, remarkably self-aware, and I like her unpretentious writing style (even, I admit, the egregious use of ALL OF THE CAPS COMBINED WITH ALL OF THE EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!). There is maybe a morally-ambiguous trainwreck-ogling aspect to reading this because there’s really no redemption to be found, but I think she set out to create an entertaining, honest read and to that end, I say she was successful.

Descent, by Tim Johnston

I am a sucker for a Person Goes Missing thriller. This one’s made up of sparse yet evocative writing (I just opened a page at random: “He nosed the cigarette slowly to the wind, absorbed, until the embers flared and flew off like bright little hatchlings.”) and I felt like it kind of straddled an interesting line between a Cormac McCarthy character study and a grueling deep dive into grief and loss and the horror of the abducted. I think the end could have unfolded in all sorts of ways and he picked a hell of a good route.

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Okay. I am leery of giving anything less than a rave review to this book, because it is so beloved and I fully understand and applaud its timeliness, its importance, and its power. The issues she tackles are so clearly important, the point of view is so underrepresented. That said, I had what I can only describe as a clinical experience while reading it: I appreciated that it existed, but I was not swept up in the writing. This was one of those YA novels where I missed the A, if that makes sense — the richness of story, the maturity of narrator. That said, I’m glad I read it, even if I did not love it.

Goodbye Vitamin, by Rachel Khong

I had an interesting reaction to this one, which is a diary-format story of a woman who comes home to help care for her father, who has Alzheimer’s. It wasn’t until I was nearly done with the book — specifically, I was on page 145— that I went from feeling mostly neutral about it to falling completely and totally in love. All of the quirkiness and jumping-around snippets of thoughts and observations suddenly became incredibly endearing and tragic and I didn’t want it to end. It snuck up on me in a really surprising kind of way that had nothing to do with plot twists or unexpected revelations, so I’d say, if you start this and you’re feeling sort of ho-hum … hang in there.

My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent

I feel like there are books where the writing reaches out and carries you into the story, and there are books where the writing gets in the way of the story. Sometimes, with the latter, it can be the thing that stops you from enjoying the story at all (or maybe the story just plains sucks), but other times, the writing is really good, maybe it’s even jaw-droppingly awesome, it’s just … a whole entity unto itself. The difference between the world disappearing around you, and you being very aware that you’re reading something that someone wrote. Does that make any kind of sense? Anyway, I felt super conscious of Tallent’s style choices throughout this book, which kept me from really being 100 percent into it, but maybe that’s actually a good thing, considering the subject matter. At its heart, this is a frankly horrific tale of a twisted parent-child relationship, with dreamlike, almost lyrical descriptions of the main character’s physical world and unhappy insights into her inner world. It’s fiercely beautiful and spectacularly ugly, at the same time. Definitely not for everyone, but unique and ultimately satisfying.

My Name Is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout

This was another sneaker-upper for me. It’s a short, seemingly simple story about a woman stuck in a hospital, recovering from an illness, and her conversations with her visiting mother. The stripped-down prose wasn’t what I thought I wanted, and then somewhere along the line I felt like I got into the Less Is More vibe and really appreciated the quiet beauty of her words. This is sad and thought-provoking and as soon as I finished it I felt like I should start back at the beginning with fresh perspective.

Hunger, a Memoir of (My) Body, by Roxane Gay

Oh my goodness, this book. I think I read it in one held-breath don’t-bother-me sitting. I saw a reviewer describe her reaction to how “each secret was stripped and empowered on the page,” and I can’t think of a better description for the impact these essays have. If you are a woman, if you have ever struggled with body image, if you are human, I think you should read this. There were so many times when I’d read a sentence or paragraph and feel as though she pulled it right from my own heart.

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Annie
Annie
7 years ago

I just finished My Absolute Darling, and had similar thoughts. I really enjoyed Roxane Gay’s review of it on Goodreads. She perfectly stated a lot of my own misgivings about the writing.

Fiona
Fiona
7 years ago

I LOVE THAT YOU ARE WRITING SO FREQUENTLY LATELY. (with all the CAPS and exclamations!) :) I’ve missed your blog. Welcome home.

honeybecke
honeybecke
7 years ago

Putting library hold on Hunger. Sounds like I need to read it. Thaaaaanks. :)

Emily
Emily
7 years ago

Just ordered Hunger – looking forward to it. Have you read this one? It’s the most devastatingly beautiful book I have read in a long time.

The Bright Hour
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501169351/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gWkWzb22AC07P

Linda
7 years ago

Emily: yes, I did. It is remarkable.

Alex
7 years ago

I so badly want to read Hunger. Was hoping to hear Roxane Gay talk at the National Book Festival, but they scheduled her at about the same time as Condoleezza Rice, so it was a bit of a Sophie’s choice. Rice was amazing, but I kind of wish I had gone to hear Gay’s talk instead.

LD's Mom
LD's Mom
7 years ago

When do all of your fans get to read a post titled “7 books I’ve written lately”? I often wonder when you will write and publish a book. Seriously, you are so talented. And you have so much to say – meaningful, connect with people things that bring us to bittersweet tears.

D
D
7 years ago

Oddly satisfied by your reaction to The Hate U Give – I felt exactly the same way, but given all of the acclaim for it, I felt like the only one on earth who wasn’t blown away.

Kristin
Kristin
6 years ago

Thanks for the recommendations! I’m pretty sure I got some summer reads from suggestions you had earlier this year. I just read Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Street (yes, I was late to the game. I kept imagining it was something completely different.) It left a mark on me, so I might try your other suggestion. Honestly, they all sound good!

Ivo
Ivo
6 years ago

Absolutely beautiful…