Friday Book Debrief Vol 05

Every week we’re sharing what our some of our writers are currently reading. Please join in the chorus and tell us what you’ve been enjoying or slogging through in the comments!

Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges - Seonaid

Picked this up for my kindle after coming across it over the summer. The explanations of pure math theory have been a bit too detailed for my liking but I'm enjoying finding out more about the queer nazi fighting icon!

Buy it here.

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan - Cen

Thought as it’s Christmas I’d better read something Christmassy. This book is about family, a Christmas Eve wedding and a secret all rolled into one.

Buy it here.

All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg - Jessica

I picked this up after it was described as 'Normal People for Brooklynites.' I'm yet to see the connection, but am enjoying Andrea's unapologetic account of her life as an artist-turned-executive living a life free of commitment.

Buy it here.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - Karen

I've had this book on my shelves for eleven years and want to make sure it's my last one of 2019. I've never read any Ishiguro but I'm only a few pages in and I'm already a fan. I remember from reading the plot of the movie that there will be heartbreak in this reading and I'm preparing myself for it.

Buy it here.

The Changeling by Joy Williams - Victoria

Currently utterly beholden to this book and all its wonderful weirdness.

Buy it here.

Indelible by Karin Slaughter - Mel

In the last two weeks I’ve flown through Grant County #2 & 3 (Kisscut and A Faint Cold Fear) and instead of tackling my other current reads I decided to pick up the next in the series and, like always, Slaughter has hooked and shocked me in the first 20 pages.

Buy it here.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman - Lauren

Nina is a charming, introverted, anxiety-ridden bookworm, who inherits a large family and social circle overnight. Come for the Friends and Harry Potter references, stay for the homage to all things bookish!

Buy it here.

The Book of Emma Reyes by Emma Reyes [translated by Daniel Alarcón] - Marian

This compact book is an epistolary memoir written by Colombian artist, Emma Reyes, to historian German Arciniegas spanning three decades. It’s a searing portrait of an early childhood rampant with poverty and neglect.

Buy it here.

The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne - Courtney

As I blow the dust off this baby I am apprehensive about what to expect. Once again, I know little about this book beyond the hype. However, the first 44 pages have been quite wonderful!

Buy it here.

The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll - Melissa

At the halfway point, the main drama shifted to something completely different, adding an entirely new layer to the story. Not sure how I feel about trying to wrestle with two complex conflicts at once, because alone, they're interesting... but together, they might make too much plot.

Buy it here.

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh - Michaela

On a whim I picked up this inadvertent Christmas read after loving Moshfegh's novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Creepy, ominous and with all the Shirley Jackson vibes I'm completely wrapped up and invested in Eileen's story.

Buy it here.

Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony - Nikki

I just read 100 pages of this political satire/sort-of ghost story/dark comedy in an hour on a plane and IT. IS. BRILLIANT. It's been a long time since I've read writing like Jessica Anthony's — completely immersive, stylistically intriguing, and just so distinctive. Enter the Aardvark is out in March 2020, and I'll be surprised if it doesn't end up making my 'Best of' list at the end of next year.

Buy it here.

Catch & Kill: Lies, Spies, & a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow - Maggie

You might think you know the whole story from the headlines, but this book is a deep dive into the takedown of Harvey Weinstein and the domino fall of predators thereafter. It is a MUST read and I am devouring it.

Buy it here.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - Jessica Maria

Listening to the audiobook of this book that I knew little about from the start, except that I love Whitehead's previous work The Underground Railroad. It has my full attention so far!

Buy it here.