Winter doesn’t technically start until mid-December, but we’ve already had our first snow and it truly feels like the holiday season, so I thought it would be a good time to wrap up my autumn reading. I’ve read 15 books this season and have compiled some thoughts and reviews on them.
Since this season has been entirely occupied by the fall semester of my senior year, many of these books were read for my English classes, but I still managed to fit others into my schedule because I wanted to read them. Most of the books listed are contemporary literary fiction, but each is unique in themes, structure, and writing style. I love reading atmospheric or cozy reads in the autumn, especially as the temperature decreases and the snow starts to fall, so many of these books fit that type of mood.
I hope you find these reviews helpful!
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
This debut collection by Jia Tolentino got incredible hype across the literary space. I had the opportunity to see Tolentino speak at a local bookstore before I picked up my copy of this book and I was immediately charmed by her humor and insight. Her essays reflect this charm in well-written, nuanced perspectives on contemporary issues and their historical roots. She frequently writes about the relationship between the Internet, young womanhood, and capitalism, among many other relevant topics. My favorite essays are “The I in Internet,” “Always be Optimizing,” and “The Story of a Generation in Seven Scams.” Like any collection, certain essays were flatter than others, but it is certainly an enlightening and enjoyable debut collection. I recommend this one for those interested in the topic matter and who enjoys essay collections!
Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Let The Great World Spin is a novel set in New York (or, as some would say, a New York Novel) following a large cast of characters through a day in the city where a tightrope walker walks between the twin towers. Each section is told following a different character, in first or third person, and the sections tie together. This narrative structure is one that I’m always interested in, especially when its so well written and covers such a diverse cast of characters. McCann writes poetic prose and is able to adopt many different voices with believability and stylistic ease. Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially in its discussions of race and class and its characters of Corrigan, Claire, Gloria, and Tillie. There are so many artful nuggets and deeply emotional moments in this book. Yet, some parts fell flat— the middle chapters were a bit dull, the stories came together a bit too neatly, and the final chapter lost subtlety and dated the book in an unnecessary way. While this is not a favorite of mine, I would recommend it to those interested in books with multiple perspectives and many characters, New York novels, and those who enjoy poetic prose.
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
A Brief History of Seven Killings is a novel that follows the assassination attempt on Bob Marley, referred to as The Singer, and the political climate around this attempt. It is told at a series of time points, spanning decades and continents. In its 600+ pages, it has over 75 characters (the point of view alternates between a few of them) that unfold a complicated, interwoven narrative including the CIA, gang violence, and a dysfunctional relationship between two sisters. It is a book that took me quite a while to finish reading, because there is so much happening and it was at times hard to follow. However, the writing is impeccable and I found this novel immensely rewarding. I hope to read it again soon and delve more deeply in some of the criticism and analysis of this book to better understand aspects of the novel I might have missed. James is an incredible writer and I want to read more of his work!
Note: While reading reviews on Goodreads and Instagram, I see that many have abandoned this book due to its difficulty. While this is certainly fair— it is a difficult book— I’ve started to question when we are willing to put in the effort for a difficult book and when we are dismissive of it. Many classics are hard, much experimental fiction is hard— which authors do we make exceptions for? Whose stories are we implicitly valuing over others?
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
A Visit from the Goon Squad is another novel that follows a large cast of characters and an interesting narrative structure. Without too many spoilers, it tells the story of a music producer and his assistant and continues to spin off these stories. Each chapter follows a different character’s perspective and is neither linear in story nor time (Egan even released an app where you could mix up the order of the chapters— you can read it in any order!). Despite this unique narrative structure, this novel is incredibly entertaining and readable.
At first, I didn’t enjoy this book very much because it wasn’t particularly interesting to me thematically. However, towards the end, I grew to enjoy this novel and its structure much more. That being said, I found the very end a bit dated and distracting. I also wish there had been a better distinction between the voices of various characters in terms of writing (like in Let The Great World Spin or A Brief History of Seven Killings). Overall, if you are interested in the themes of aging, time, parent/child relationships, and technology, I would recommend this book.
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Red at the Bone is a short novel that contains so much. It centers around a family on the day of the 16 year old daughter Melody’s coming of age ceremony. It explores moving familial relationships, and the ideas of what fatherhood and motherhood can mean to different people and different generations. The short book is centered around vignettes that take place in New York, Ohio, and references back to Oklahoma. If you are interested in themes of class, family, and marriage and like short novels that pack a lot of impact, I would recommend picking up this one.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Dutch House is a coming of age novel that spans decades, following the character Danny and his relationship to his family and a house referred to as The Dutch House. This novel explores a sibling relationship between Danny and his sister Maeve as the two grow up. Danny must come to terms to how his sister can have different perspectives on their mother, father, and past than his own— this family dynamic felt so realistic and brilliantly mapped out throughout the novel.
When I had the opportunity to listen to The Dutch House on audiobook (see the note about Libro.fm down below!), I was so excited because Patchett’s work is perfect for autumn because her work is so engrossing, cozy, and charming. (It was an added bonus that the audiobook was narrated by Tom Hanks!). This novel is Patchett at her expected— a rich, developed, and slower narrative. I loved the perspective of Danny throughout, especially with his cynicism and development, and overall look to this novel as warm and lovely. This isn’t as much as a favorite of mine as other Patchett novels, like Commonwealth which I truly adored, but it is certainly worth the read.
Note: I listened to Red at the Bone and The Dutch House on audiobook on Libro.fm through their influencer program. Libro.fm is an audiobook distributor that works with independent bookstores and provides a really great alternative to Audible (which is an Amazon company that does not support independent book sellers!). If you are interested in joining Libro.fm, CLICK HERE!
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Salvage the Bones tells the story of an African American family in Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. The narrative follows Esch, a young girl who has just found out she is pregnant and is reluctant to tell her brothers and father about it. Her father is preparing for the impending storm, certain that it will be devastating even when others doubt it. Her brother Skeetah tends to his dog who has just given birth, China, and her other brothers Randall and Junior help prepare for the storm.
This novel tells an important story of Katrina and draws on themes of climate, maternity, poverty, and survival. The familial relationships in this novel are so strong— the sibling relationships all ring so true. Sometimes, the novel felt overwritten (excessive simile and metaphor to the part where it is distracting, even for someone who adores that kind of stuff). That is just one small gripe of a much richer reading experience, however. This novel is exceptionally powerful and necessary, so I would recommend it widely.
10:04 by Ben Lerner
10:04 is a work of auto fiction that explores anxiety about disaster, mortality, and paternity. Set in New York, this novel follows an unnamed narrator as he explores the meaning of stories, reality, and art. Lerner is a poet and that can be seen in his prose (which, for many might cross into pretentious, but I quite enjoyed). This is a difficult novel to read or describe because Lerner is doing really interesting things, but ones that require some reflection and meditation to understand well. Ultimately, if you are interested in what it means to be a writer, the role of fiction and reality today, or auto fiction, I would pick this one up.
In the Distance by Hernan Diaz
The opening to a New York Times review of this book reads: “In the Distance, by Hernan Diaz, is a weird western about a lonely Swede traveling America’s frontier in the 1800s. It’s very good.”
This novel is an unexpected new favorite of mine. It is an atmospheric, vast novel following (and breaking) tropes of a Western. It tells the story of a young Swedish boy named Håkan who travels through America to find his brother. He must survive the frontier in so many ways— the physical and gruesomely anatomical, the isolated and independent. He must survive the spread of rumor.
This novel is beautifully written. It eloquently explores science and theory, paints geographic vastness, and takes us through a lifetime in 200 pages. It transports the reader, so we feel the cold, the stitching up of wounds, the devastation, and the loneliness. If you are interested in books that cover the aforementioned themes, this one is a must read.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is a satirical novel that follows a young group of American soldiers in the early 2000s who have been hailed as heroes through the circulation of a viral video. They go on a media tour to raise support for the troops and push the narrative that the soldiers are thriving and winning the war. This tour culminates in a humiliating display during the halftime show of a Thanksgiving game.
This novel brilliantly shows how young men are exploited, forced to take on trauma, and commodified by the military industrial complex, though it frequently enters the territory of being too on the nose and explicit in its criticism. This isn’t a book I would have picked up on my own, as I’m not very interested in military books nor do I need to be convinced that war exploits young soldiers. Regardless, I still found this book insightful and entertaining to read.
Sabrina by Nick Drnaso
Sabrina is one of the most chilling books I’ve ever read, as it speaks so eerily into our contemporary moment. The first graphic novel ever nominated for the Man Booker, Sabrina depicts a tragedy regarding the titular character Sabrina and the effects it has on her sister Sandra and boyfriend Teddy. This novel depicts the role of media in tragedy and the impact of false narratives on grief.
I could not put this book down until I finished it. I had nightmares finishing it and find the story somewhat inescapable in the constantly connected world we live in now. If you are interested in themes of surveillance, grief, and false narratives, I would highly recommend Sabrina.
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
The Friend is a short novel explores grief, writing, and companionship in compelling and lovely ways. Told in short sections (perhaps similar to a lyric essay), the narrator has just lost a friend to suicide and, in the midst of her grief, must take in his dog. While this novel explores the reliance we have on animals in times of grief, it equally explores what it means to write and respond to the current literary scene. I would recommend this short novel for writers, dog-lovers, and fans of short, poignant novels.
Trust Exercise by Susan Choi
A few weeks ago, Susan Choi won the National Book Award for the novel Trust Exercise. I had finished reading the book a week prior to the announcement, and I simply did not connect with this book. Without spoiling the book, it tells the story of teenagers at a performing arts high school. The novel questions the situations of these teenagers and the way stories are told through fiction.
I care about the themes of this book, about narratives of exploitation and understanding of trauma, very deeply, so I thought I would enjoy it. I also respect the idea of the novel’s structure. Still, I found this book difficult to read. The beginning reads like a YA style novel about a theatre school which, admittedly, is at type of book I would never elect to read on my own, and while I knew something important was coming, I could not get into the book at all. The second half was enlightening as promised, but it could not make up for the reading experience of the first half. This book was not for me, but its themes are important and clearly many people enjoy it. If it sounds like you would enjoy it, try it out.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
I re-read The Underground Railroad for class, about two years after reading it the first time. I love Whitehead and his writing style (I bought his most recent release The Nickel Boys on release day, which I’ve never done for a book before), and found myself enjoying this novel even more the second time through.
The Underground Railroad is a novel that follows a slave named Cora on her journey of escape from the Randall plantation. While initially reading like a historical novel, genre is warped as the Underground Railroad is a physical, underground train system, where each stop offers a new location with a new set of challenges for Cora and a different piece of history. This novel is disturbing and unwavering in its portrayal of white society, and allows the truths from the past reflect into the truths of today. It is a well written book that moves quickly, keeps your attention, and is very readable. I highly recommend this book and Whitehead’s writing more broadly.
Note: I have never been so irritated at a Goodreads page as I am for this book. Many people seemed deeply affected by the literalization of the railroad metaphor and movement through time. If you are looking for a history book on the Underground Railroad, there are many incredibly informative ones out there. This is not that, it is a piece of literary fiction that also provides insight on the history and legacy of slavery in the US.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow is a charming and philosophical novel that details the life of Count Alexander Rostov as he is sentenced to house arrest in a hotel in Moscow. The novel spans decades and provides insight on Russian history through Stalin’s life and WWII through the eyes of the Count. The Count is whimsical and has touching relationships with many people in the hotel. This is a book that transported me as I read it– it is a perfect read for cold weather! It was well written, historically fascinating, and (for the most part) entertaining.
zoreads 
Love this list! 10:04 is one of my favorite books that I’ve read this fall. And 100% agree with you on Trust Exercise. Looking forward to your winter list 🙂
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