May Book Stack

Great reads as the weather warms

After mixed reviews of the books I read last month, I’ve enjoyed my May reads much more! I didn’t have capacity for a mid-month post this month, but have some good ones planned. What else would you like to see on here? Genre round-ups, deeper dives on particular books, broader book-related thoughts/debates? Reply in the comments or directly to this email!

Now, on to this month’s stack.

Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos

This short essay collection is part memoir, part writing how-to guide, and part manifesto arguing for the importance of sharing one’s story. I wrote down a ton of passages and really savored this read.

Your Utopia by Bora Chung

Chung’s background as a scholar and translator of Russian, Slavic, and Polish literature to Korean makes for interesting influences in this dystopian sci-fi story collection. I don’t think it’s the best of the genre, but would recommend if you can’t get enough of stories exploring our relationships to technology. I do love the unexpected perspectives; I’ve never before read a story from the POV of an elevator that I could relate to.

The Guest by Emma Cline

This novel won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I devoured it. An unlikeable but somewhat sympathetic protagonist consistently bounces across the spectrum from having a delusional self-image to consciously scamming others and it’s unclear where she is falling much of the time. It is tense, tense, tense. If that sounds like an appealing premise, this book absolutely nails the execution.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

I thought I’d enjoy this but loved it even more than I expected. This long but very readable novel explores the highs and lows of immortality with some additional magical realist twists. I particularly loved the emphasis on the endurance of art over time.

Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories that Make Us by Rachel Aviv

Aviv’s non-fiction book is a nuanced and fascinating look at mental illness and identity. Each chapter has a different person’s story of experiencing mental illness, told truly centering them, while also bringing in societal and cultural context. This made me feel, think, and reflect in equal parts; I really enjoyed it.

This month Margot’s perpetual admiration for grifters meant she loved The Guest, and Sazerac enjoyed Addie LaRue because he’s pretty sure he’d like to live forever, cuddling in the sun.

What did you read this month? Does summer for you mean more “beach reads,” or longer days for digging into something meaty? Any thoughts on The Guest and unlikeable protagonists? I want to hear it all in the comments!