Jul 30, 20213 min read

Friday Book Debrief Vol 57

HELLO HELLO Friday is here and that means you get to read another Friday debrief!

You know the drill, every week some of our glorious writers let us know what they have been reading this week. As always the full list is also available for easy browsing in our US and UK Bookshops! If you buy any of the books in our shops, not only are you actively supporting us and our work but you are also supporting independent bookstores with 10% of your purchase going directly to them at no extra cost to yourself, and all carbon emissions are offset! Good vibes all round. Now enough chat, big love and here is this week's debrief!

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum - Courtney

Despite being a hard core Wicked fan (seen it on stage at least five times) I have never read The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. I needed a small book to fill a day gap of reading before I pick up a book to binge on my day off (Sunset by Jessie Cave) and I picked this up on a whim. It is so fun and sweet. I’m glad I picked it up on a completely unexpectedly especially since I’ve had it for years!

Buy it from our Bookshops - US & UK.

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui - Karen

I never expected an illustrated memoir to truly rip my heart apart and touch the most sensitive parts of it. This memoir that deals with the Vietnam War, children of immigrants, parents, generational trauma, refugees, and so much more captivated me from the start. Bui captures vividly what it means to live a life while a war and other life events surround you, make you part of their setting, and spit you out to deal with its aftermath. Truly a must read.

Buy it from our Bookshops - US & UK.

The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer - Melissa

I'm lucky enough that one of my best friends, who knows me so well, is the director of a library. Mix those two things together and you get the best book recommendations around. Told from the perspective of a handful of women, The Ten-Year Nap is hilarious, tragic, and extremely real.

Buy it from our Bookshops - US & UK.

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi - Mel

I had a feeling this memoir would be full of superior writing and emotional honesty and so far it looks like that’s exactly what Emezi has given us. Not to mention each chapter is actually in the form of a letter to different people and spirits. I’ve put off reading their fiction for years now and I’m glad I did because I think Dear Senthuran might ground a few aspects of Freshwater and provide insight I’m always looking for from the authors I read.

Buy it from our Bookshops - US & UK.

Undoing Drugs: The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction by Maia Szalavitz - Maggie

Drug overdoses kill more Americans annually than guns, cars, or breast cancer. Trying to learn more about this national crisis through the growing public health trend built on empathy of harm reduction.

Buy it from our Bookshops - US.

The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Stefan Ross - Cecilia

This book is actually an ARC coming out September. And, it’s also the first book my roommate (and good friend) is representing. So, it’s exciting to read all around.

Pre-order and buy it from our Bookshops - US & UK.

Bookmarked: PREE New Caribbean Writing edited by Annie Paul - Akilah

I've only just started this one: a new anthology from a new Jamaican publisher that features selected writings from Pree, a free online literary magazine. It includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. Shalini Puri tells me in her fire foreword that the collection offers "the anarchic exploratory energy of the arts" so I obviously can't wait to dive in.

Available for purchase here.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Lucy

I’ve been saving TJR’s newest book for a special occasion, but I couldn’t wait any longer. It’s winter in Australia, but Malibu Rising makes me feel like I’m in the midst of summer. I already know I’ll love it!

Buy it from our Bookshops - US & UK.

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut, Translated from the Spanish by Adrian Nathan West - Jessica Maria

I never read up on anything about this book, which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, so stepping into it without any preconception was a little... mind blowing?? A novel, but ingrained with historical truths, this book about science is at turns fascinating and completely horrifying so far. I love it.

Buy it from our Bookshops - US & UK.