Oct 9, 20203 min read

Friday Book Debrief Vol 44

Every week we’re sharing what our some of our writers are currently reading.

For all of our US readers, we now have our own Bookshop! You can find the full list of the below books here and with every purchase you will be helping local independent bookstores! If you do not live in the US please support your local independent stores, lots are now doing local deliveries and they need your help more then ever in these uncertain times. - ❤️

Bag Of Bones by Stephen King - Courtney

You cannot go through spooky season without at least one King book. Mike Noonan is grieving the sudden death of his pregnant wife and decides escapes to his solitary lake house to combat his writers block. SPOOKINESS ENSUES!

Buy it here.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok - Melissa

My commute is longer than ever before, so I have a LOT of time for reading on the train. And thank goodness for that, because this book is amazing - I've found myself not wanting to put it down even when I get to my stop.

Buy it here.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Lauren

In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, and Spooky Season, I am currently reading Mexican Gothic. Only 50 pages in, but the descriptive imagery is stunning and I can tell things are about to get creepy. Our very own Jessica Maria reviewed and raved about it, what more could you want?!

Buy it here.

The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato - Karen

"It should be sufficient to say that I am Juan Pablo Castel, the painter who killed Maria Iribarne. I imagine that the trial is still in everyone's mind and that no further information about myself is necessary."

So begins Sabato's The Tunnel and if that doesn't get you swept into the story right away then I don't know what will. Coming to this book reminded me of my past dalliances with existentialism, nihilism, and absurdism. All relics of my past that still warm my soul! I'm only a few pages into this book but I'm loving it so far, plus it's from an Argentine writer.

Buy it here.

Love and Other Thought Experiments by Sophie Ward - Cat

This book wasn't what I expected. And even after I got used to its style, it took a very unexpected turn. Each of the ten interconnected chapters in this book is told from the point of view of a different character. Each starts with - and is inspired by - a different philosophical thought experiment. Ward's writing is precise, but intimate. A wonderful balance of whimsy and serious ideas that bring you to challenge your perceptions of (un)reality.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Mel

Slow and meandering, the first hundred or so pages act as an unsettling fog which obscures the disturbing heart of the story. I’m obsessed.

Buy it here.

Humiliation by Paulina Flores - Marian

This collection of short stories by Chilean author Flores are quiet, yet potent reads. The writing is spare and dispassionate but the themes of shame and humiliation are universal.

Buy it here.

Dawson’s Fall by Roxana Robinson - Karla

This historical fiction novel is set in 1889 and follows Frank Dawson, a veteran as he navigates life after the war. It spans several years of Dawson’s family and life amid a turbulent time in history.

Buy it here.

Eliot Ness And The Mad Butcher: Hunting America’s Deadliest Unidentified Serial Killer At the Dawn of Criminology by Max Allan Collins and A. Brad Schwartz - MAGGIE

Since it’s been a hot second since ya gal has hit up some true crime, I am so excited to dig into this one. I often stumble upon true crime and I am hoping this one rocks my world, while simultaneously leaving breathing room and respect for the victims.

Buy it here.

Fiebre Tropical by Juliana Delgado Lopera - Jessica Maria

I’ve taken to reading this aloud right before bed, the writing is so delightful. The weaving between English and Spanish feels familiar, like talking to my mom, or my cousins in Panama, and I wanted to hear it out loud because it makes me smile. I need things that make me smile these days!

Buy it here.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell - PL

After the mother of all readers block, I pulled this one off the shelf and I haven't stopped turning pages since.

An enormous house in Chelsea (London, England) is inherited by the protagonist which has been abandoned and left to rot for decades. Or has it? Mystery, murder and secret siblings ensue. So far, so excellent.

Buy it here.