Happy (almost) Memorial Day Weekend, y’all! As I mentioned, I’ve been working on a revamped personal Bookshop.org storefront so I can curate my favorite books in one place, and it’s ready!
Through this storefront, you can:
Refer back to every book I’ve ever written up in this newsletter, from Constance Debré’s Name to Carl Sagan’s Cosmos;
Review my Top 8 Novels of 2024, including Rebecca K. Reilly’s Greta & Valdin and Hansen Shi’s The Expat; and
Check out my ever-growing desert island reading list, including Denis Johnson’s Tree of Smoke, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and every one of Rachel Kushner’s major novels — because, no, I would not be able to pick, even if I were being sent off to a desert island.
Now, this is the part where I have to mention I am a Bookshop.org affiliate and if you make a purchase through this storefront, I will receive a small commission, but here’s the thing: I don’t care if you purchase books through here. I think Bookshop.org is the best mainstream e-commerce option for buying books, and I like how easy it is for me to replace my GoodReads shelf with this storefront, but do you know what else is great? Going to a bookstore!
If you ever find yourself in Bucharest, make sure you check out Cărturești bookstore, because it is a true temple to literature, music, film, the arts, and how cool it is that we can participate in the magic of culture. Because, really, how fucking cool is it that we get to read? How incredible is it that we’re able to open a book and enter into its world, a world that sinks into us as we experience it?
Obviously, this is why authoritarians don’t like books, but it’s a holiday weekend, and we don’t have to talk about Trump & Co or Ceausescu or any of that. You know what the stakes are. Thank God it’s so fun to continually sharpen our critical thinking skills through engaging with the arts.
And if you’re looking for a weekend read, here are a few suggestions from my reading lists:
If you want a kooky contemporary romp featuring a single mom/OnlyFans model and her pro wrester dad, Rufi Thorpe’s Margo Has Money Troubles is a fabulous and heartfelt trip;
If you want to get in the head of a woman driven to the verge by the absurdity of America’s immigration system, and also just what it’s like to be a young woman under any circumstances, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s Catalina is spectacular — and freshly out in paperback!
If you love Sally Rooney and hate capitalism, check out John Dos Passos’ 1925 classic, Manhattan Transfer. It doesn’t have quite the uplifting ending Rooney is known for, but Dos Passos’ modernist tour of New York City is exhilarating and devastating all at once. (Also, I’m aware Dos Passos took a hard right turn in his own politics after serving in the Spanish Civil War, but honestly I just have a lot of questions about why given how forcefully he denounces capitalism in Manhattan Transfer and his USA Trilogy — but I have a lot of questions about a lot of things and I haven’t had a chance to dig into this one, yet.)
Got any books to recommend? Drop ‘em in the comments! I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading lately, dear reader.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, everyone, and I’ll see y’all soon!
Cheers,
Emi
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.