Friday Book Debrief Vol 49

Hello! It has been a while, but now we are back! And every week we will be back to sharing what some of our writers are currently reading!

The full lists can both be found in our US & brand new UK Bookshop! With every purchase, you will be supporting independent bookstores.

Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me by Anna Mehler Paperny - Mel

Speaking candidly, often with a cynical brand of jocularity, the author recounts the time immediately after a suicide attempt. I think the bluntness of the writing allows an accessibility for anyone who is struggling with depression and looking for some guidance or assurance they’re not alone.

Buy it from our Bookshop - US

Heartstopper (Volume 1) by Alice Oseman - Lucy

I bought the first three volumes of Heartstopper months ago, but I’m finally getting around to reading them. After recently reading Radio Silence (US & UK), I’m keen to discover more from this author. Graphic novels have become such a light, fun and rewarding break between dense, long novels and Heartstopper is no exception!

Buy it from our Bookshop - US & UK.

Kink: Stories edited by R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell - Nikki

All I can say is that it's a good thing I've been reading this at home because some of these stories are STEAMY, y'all. That aside, I'm loving Kink and the ways in which all these incredible authors look at sex and love and lust and longing. I think I'm going to come out of it wanting to read more from every single author.

Buy it from our Bookshop - US & UK.

Animal by Lisa Taddeo - Courtney

After really enjoying Three Women (US & UK) when I read it in 2019 (I think?) I was excited to see what Taddeo had to offer in the sphere of fiction. Truthfully, Three Women read as fiction to me and perhaps that speaks to something about the book on the whole bit I gelled with her writing and how she told a story, non-fiction or otherwise. I’m about halfway through and I am really enjoying it. Unlikeable characters are my favourite and nothing goes down sweeter than a bit of kill men—not literally lol—energy for me. I am so intrigued by every page and cannot wait to reach the end to have most of my questions answered (however I won’t be entirely cross if some remain in the ether).

Buy it from our Bookshop - US & UK.

Golden State by Michelle Richmond - Melissa

I've read The Marriage Pact (US & UK) by Michelle Richmond, which is what tempted me to pick this one up from the library. I have NOT been disappointed. She's stringing along a secret that I still haven't found out, 3/4 of the way through, so I'm super invested to see what it could be.

Buy it from our Bookshop - US

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk - Maggie

I’ve had this book on my library holds list for five months and today I finally got to read the first 100 pages and I am incredibly excited to learn more about how to heal old traumas. PTSD wasn’t recognized by the American Psychiatry Association until 1980 and there is so much we still do not know.

Buy it from our Bookshop - US & UK.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris - Jessica Maria

I remember when this book was sold for a cool seven figures last year, and it certainly warrants the hype. I did think I was getting literary fiction when it dawned on me halfway through that this is a thriller. The ARC copy I received may not be the final edition—I hope that this story about publishing and book editors got a more precise edit to cut down on superfluous paragraphs that slow down the building tension. Regardless, a tremendous and entertaining work. I'm looking forward to more from Harris.

Buy it from our Bookshop - US & UK.