Friday Book Debrief Vol 07

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!

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell - Lucy

I just binged the first book in this series Carry On, and I’m so excited to have started the sequel. So far it is miles away story-wise from its predecessor, but I’m intrigued to see where it takes the characters.

Buy it here.

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst - Melissa

I've never read anything by Carolyn Parkhurst before, so I took a leap of faith in thrifting this book. Luckily, I'm far from disappointed. Different facets of the plot are expertly interwoven without seeming too heavy-handed and I'm entranced by the voice.

Buy it here.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

- Cat

I know, I know, I can’t believe I’m only just getting to this read either. I’ve only heard good things about Homegoing—and they’re all true. This is a heartbreaking, magical book and I’m so keen to read Gyasi’s new one later this year.

Buy it here.

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin - Mel

I was solely influenced by the cover so I went in to this advance listening copy without knowing where the story would take me and I am pleasantly surprised to report that the format is much like Jennifer Egan’s oft-lauded A Visit from the Goon Squad in that each chapter changes POV and place in time and reads more like a story collection. It’s great so far.

Buy it here.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez - Marian

Erika Sanchez captures the voice of a grieving young Chicana in I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Sanchez covers a serious subject with morsels of humor and lots of heart.

Buy it here.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - Karen

I'm frightened to my very core by the powerful story that Octavia Butler wrote in 1993. As I'm reading this so many prescient points draw me to the conclusion that Octavia Butler did not have her head in the sand when it came to the current events that were plaguing the United States in the 90s. She could see the trajectory that we were falling into and in powerful prose, she displays a dystopian future set in the 2020s that screams eerily similar to the times we are experiencing today. I am only halfway done with this book but it is already set to become one of my favorites for 2020.

Buy it here.

Optic Nerve by Maria Gainza - Jessica Maria

The Argentinean novel reads a little like Sheila Heti on edge about life, and pairs each chapter of her personal story with a piece of art or an artist. I'm completely mesmerized by whatever Gainza is sculpting with words here.

Buy it here.