Summertime Book Reviews

Hello all! It has been some time since I’ve last updated my blog— summer has now passed in its entirety!— because the past few months were very full and busy. Throughout this busy summer, I found time to read an incredible collection of books, some of which I wanted to share with you here. I’ve also evolved my reading tastes in some surprising ways:

Firstly, this summer, I re-introduced book series into my literary life for the first time in a decade. I’ve stayed away from series for a few reasons— they take so much time to keep up with, and are often in genres that don’t interest me— but I decided to set aside my qualms and finally read N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy. Even as a reader who generally disliked series, and didn’t often read speculative fiction, I devoured Jemisin’s trilogy and have decided to give both the genre and form more thought. I’m now reading Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series (another series I’ve been eyeing for years), and have also been picking up more genre fiction. I am excited to delve further into the speculative genre and would appreciate recommendations!!

While I’ve read quite a few books this summer, I wanted to review and provide recommendations on just a few. Here are those six—

N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy

I know how late to the praise I am with this 3-time Hugo-winning series, but it was such an integral part of my reading this summer that I had to start with it. In her Broken Earth trilogy, N. K. Jemisin explores systemic discrimination, climate catastrophe, and dynamics of love and power in parent-child relationships, all while delivering compelling world building, intricate magic, and a truly unique speculative premise to drive the series. In a world riddled by cyclical periods of natural disaster– referred to as “Fifth Seasons”— it seems that the orogenes, people capable of a specific type of earth magic, are society’s only hope for survival. However, through historical propaganda and prejudice, the orogenes are labeled as dangerous and only useful when regulated by the oppressive Guardians of the Fulcrum. It is from here we follow a number of orogenes through their journeys to save their communities in times of scarcity and desperation, while also avoiding being targeted for their powers.

It took me a few tries to finally get into this series, but once I committed to reading the first hundred-or-so pages, I was hooked. The first book in this series— The Fifth Season— was my favorite, as the thrill of the writing style, plot, and reveals made the reading experience uniquely rich. However, the lore of Jemisin’s world builds consistently throughout the three novels, becoming more intricate and developed, which kept me invested throughout. I don’t often read science fiction, but still found the pacing and world building to be accessible and gripping! If the premise sounds compelling to you, or you are also looking to start exploring speculative work, I really recommend beginning N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy!

A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt

The book I have found myself recommending most to friends this summer is A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt. Belcourt— an author and poet from the Driftpile Cree Nation— pulls from the intimate and personal, the historical, and a wide range of contemporary literary sources in this memoir. This work focuses on themes of sexuality, love, and the oppression and violence against First Nation communities. In this memoir, Belcourt crafts a moving portrait of his body and existence, written in a breathtaking poetic prose. I would recommend this book to those interested in an incredibly literary memoir that centers decolonization and the body. It is often recommended to readers of Ocean Vuong + Maggie Nelson! 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

When I was first recommended Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, I was told my reading experience would be best if I knew as little as possible about the plot. This advice held true, so I will preserve the intrigue here as well; but Clarke’s second novel— a slim, speculative novel, published over a decade after her very long, widely revered debut— was well worth its mysterious hype. It is a beautifully written, whimsical piece, exploring themes of isolation, knowledge, and power. It enables us to meditate on our routines and joys, in the beauty of both the mundane and sublime. If you have heard whispers about this one, this is your sign to finally give it a try! You will not be disappointed 🙂

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Like many, I have long been intrigued and intimidated by Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy. The two-time Booker winning series is both lengthy and complex, following the Tudors in a period of history I know quite little about. But, after giving this book a few tries throughout the past year or so, I am so happy to say I read and adored Wolf Hall this summer. 

Hilary Mantel’s celebrated trilogy follows the life and career of Thomas Cromwell as he serves King Henry VIII. In this first novel, Cromwell aids the King as he attempts to divorce the current queen and marry Anne Boleyn. These four central characters— Cromwell, Henry, Kathrine, and Anne— are just the center of a much wider web of political figures, dramatic family members, and royal lineages. All the main characters in this opening novel were uniquely riveting in their own motivations and personalities, but I was especially captivated by Anne Boleyn’s insidious but fragile words and actions. The novel is written in short, vignette-like scenes that provide us insight into the private, public, and personal life of Cromwell and all of those around him. It is a captivating mix of a heavily complex and political history and moments of great literary beauty. 

I have purchased the rest of the series to read this autumn and winter; I am so eager to read more of Mantel’s impeccable writing and follow these characters further! 

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

And yes, the new Sally Rooney. I have never been so excited for the opportunity to read a book in advance as I have for the incredibly hyped, career defining novel Beautiful World, Where Are You (thank you Libro.fm + Macmillan Audio !!). I had an unclear relationship with Normal People, where I loved the show and devoured (but didn’t quite enjoy?) the book, and I am here to report my relationship with Beautiful World, Where Are You is even murkier. (As is the internet’s, according to Twitter discourse following the novel’s release). On the whole, I found this book far more compelling than any Rooney I had read before, and while it was still very distinctly in her style, it was also a departure in themes and form.  

It follows two friends in their late 20s/early 30s— Alice, an internationally successful writer struggling with her mental health, and Eileen, at a low paying literary magazine job and hopelessly connected to a man from her youth. We read alternating chapters following each one in 3rd person through their daily lives, followed by an email written from one to another. Through these emails, we see how they represent their lives to one another, their inner thoughts and concerns, and their advice to one another. Their friendship is longstanding, loving, and tumultuous. I adored the form of these epistolary chapters, as well as the depth of the friendship between Alice and Eileen. Both characters were strong and complex, and I found them so compelling to read about. 

I was less convinced by the relationships Alice and Eileen have with people around them— I found side characters flat, as if they only existed to supplement the lives of the women at the center of the book. I also found myself unsure what to make of the movement between the lofty content of emails— rants on the publishing industry, discussions on privilege and impact— and the progression of these sticky but somewhat uninteresting relationships. It felt jarring and misaligned. All of it together gave me a lot to think about, but I ultimately found myself wishing it had found its focus more specifically in the emails and the women themselves rather than the weight of the more romantic relationships. However, I find myself recommending this novel because I’m interested in how other people react to it, and I do foresee myself continuing to read Sally Rooney’s work, even if I don’t quite connect to it.

Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto

My birthday is in August, and this year, to celebrate the day, I decided to read Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto. On my Monday birthday, I proceeded with a regular work day, but interrupted myself every two or three hours to read one of the short stories in this collection. I’m not sure why I picked this book for the task— I had picked it up at the Detroit Book Fair a few weeks prior after recognizing Yoshimoto from her work Banana— but it was surprisingly apt for this time in my life. In the afterword to this story collection, Yoshimoto describes the works as characters finding their moment of hope. And while the circumstances of each story enables variants on this theme, they are all cohesive in their capture of transitional moments. 

The collection Lizard consists of a handful of deeply moving stories on love, marriage, faith, and hope. It is about how we see each other and love each other in times of difficulty or change; about the will to see better. Yoshimoto’s writing has a distant and tender quality that is hard to replicate, her characters feel both simple and indulgent in depth. If you are in a transitional time and would like some stories to guide you through, or if you too loved Kitchen and have been looking for more work to fill the Yoshimoto hole on your bookshelf, give Lizard a try. 

Thank you for reading! I would love to hear about what you read this summer, and your thoughts on any of the books mentioned here. 🙂