New Episode! Summer Quarterly Favorites
Plus Michelle's favorite books of the summer and a Novel Pairings blog update!
Hey there, listeners!
Michelle again:) In this week’s episode, Chelsey and Sara are reflecting on their summer reading by discussing some mutual reads that they loved and sharing favorite non-podcast books of the season.
And I’m so excited to share my summer wrap-up with you today! This summer was very busy for me, but somehow I managed to read more than I ever have in one period. That means I read a lot of great things over the past few months, and a lot of not-so-great things, too. Today I’m sharing the great ones!
I’ll be headed back to school soon where classes will be taught in a hybrid mode (half in-person, half online). Luckily, the majority of my professors chose to teach exclusively online. A lot of my friends are disappointed about this, but I, for one, am very happy about it. I actually enjoy online learning because it allows me to absorb the course material without worrying about health risks.
Even though we can’t socialize like normal this school year, there are still a lot of things I’m looking forward to! I’ll be moving into my first apartment, and I can’t wait to decorate it and make it my home-away-from-home. My on-campus job as a barista is still happening this year, with the modification of our coffee shop only offering to-go food and drinks. I’ll also be finishing up my English major and continuing to solidify exactly what I want to do post-graduation.
But for now, I’m reflecting on the past several months in books. So to celebrate the end of the summer season and the fresh start of fall, here are my 5 favorite reads of the summer:
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley. This was the first book that I truly enjoyed this summer. I had trouble getting into a reading groove this season, and I had read quite a few duds before picking this up. But this novel was heart-warming and unique. Julian Jessop decides that he is fed up with the stories we tell each other—he wants to tell his truth and encourage others to do the same. So he writes his secrets in a notebook and leaves it at his neighborhood coffee shop. This notebook then passes through the hands of five strangers who each write their own stories. All of their paths eventually cross in unique and unexpected ways. I love stories that are told from multiple perspectives and Pooley did a great job interweaving six different characters’ lives.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. I loved listening to this one on audio; the narrator is excellent and the book is an approachable length. Keiko’s story gave me a bittersweet feeling, and I was genuinely unsure of how things would turn out for her until the very end. Murata does an excellent job of creating a slightly dark yet relatable character with Keiko, a woman who has worked in the same convenience store for eighteen years. Outside of the store, Keiko has trouble relating to her peers but when she is at work, she feels at home. Her family doesn’t understand why she won’t pursue a “normal” career and Keiko must decide whether to make herself or her loved ones happy.
Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon. This was probably my most riveting read of the summer. I don’t read a lot of mysteries, and this novel made me want to explore the genre more. Cannon’s writing is exquisite and she created an intricate network of small mysteries—some of which were tied up and some of which were left for readers to puzzle out. Florence and Elsie live in a nursing home, where their daily lives have little excitement, until one day when a new resident moves in. Florence is sure this man is none other than Ronnie Butler (a friend from her 20’s), but she can’t believe her eyes because Ronnie died in 1953. Throughout the book, Florence, Elsie, and their friend Jack investigate who this new resident is and what happened to Ronnie all those years ago.
How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang. Zhang’s writing style is complicated and visceral in a good way; I could practically feel the grit and grime of the story as I was reading. I also had to pay close attention in order to keep track of the plot, which had a non-linear chronology. The book takes place during the California gold rush and follows Lucy and Sam, two orphans trying to make their way in the world with no one to protect them. Interwoven with Lucy and Sam’s current hardships, we learn about how their parents immigrated to America from China and the struggles they faced in raising their children while ostracized and impoverished.
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. This is another novel that beautifully incorporated multiple characters’ stories that all came together in the end. It gave me subtle The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society vibes, but without the WWII setting and with even more Austen references. I also loved how Jenner subtly mirrored a few of Austen’s famous characters with her own (did Evie Stone remind anyone else of Fanny Price?). In Jenner’s novel, Jane Austen’s home in Chawton, England has not been looked after for quite some time. The Austen mega-fans of this village want to do something about this, so they create a society dedicated to preserving Austen’s legacy. The town doctor, the grade-school teacher, an American movie star, an estate salesman, a young student, a lawyer, and other Austenites come together to face setbacks and triumphs while honoring their favorite author.
My favorite Novel Pairings episode of the summer season was Book & Wine Pairings with Jamise Harper. I really enjoyed learning about Jamise, her favorite reads, and how she comes up with her book/wine pairings. I also learned about some great wines and other drinks while I was listening to the episode and collecting links for the newsletter, and it was so much fun to try these pairings! Jamise’s @spinesvines and @diversespines are fantastic accounts, and I have definitely gotten some great new recs from her!
Coming Up:
Next week Sara and Chelsey will be taking a one-week break and will not be releasing a new episode. However, on September 1st, they will be launching the Novel Pairings blog! The blog will be a place where you can access past and future show notes, bonus pairings, book lists, reading tips, and more. You’ll find a link to the new blog in next Tuesday’s newsletter.
The following week (September 8) is the start of the fall season! Chelsey and Sara will be kicking things off with an episode on F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby. We hope you’re ready for a cozy, scholarly, and spooky new season!
Where to find us:
Download episodes of Novel Pairings wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Find Sara at @fictionmatters and her newsletter. Find Chelsey at @chelseyreads or @hereadsheread. We love hearing what you’re reading, so feel free to tag us in your #bookstagram posts!
We declare after all, there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!
Have a lovely week, everyone!
-M