i love a good short story
Hi.
this week’s style icon:
Queen Solange
what I’m clicking:
In my opinion, this is one of the craziest and most nefarious White House stories to date | A thrilling must-read story about a shed in London that became the #1 restaurant on TripAdvisor | The problem with Apu | Weinstein’s terrifying complicity machine | Young and dumb: a New Yorker comic strip
what I’m watching:
what I’m reading:
Alan Paton
I meant to read this book before I went to South Africa, but the trip snuck up on me. I finally finished it, though, and I’m happy I read it.
Did it make me cry: It’s objectively a sad book, but it’s so poorly written that I don’t think it can make you cry.
Did it make me laugh: No, that would be weird.
Did it make me miss a subway stop: The beginning of this book is sort of thrilling, because a crime has been committed and you’re on a search for missing characters. However, it’s one of the only books I’ve ever read that becomes more and more boring with each page.
Would I recommend it: Don’t read this book.
Would I read it again: Absolutely not.
Would it be a good movie: No. It would be the cringy-est movie ever. I doubt they would even be able to find actors to say these lines out loud.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I always think it’s really fun to fall in love with a book and then read the writer’s earlier work to see the rough drafts of their characters. This is one of those short story collections where I already felt like I knew everyone because I’m familiar with the rest of her work. I mean that in a good way.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Did it make me miss a subway stop: No.
Would I recommend it: If you like short stories and you like Adichie, yes!
Would I read it again: Yes.
Would it be a good movie: Maybe some of the stories could be adapted.
what I’m reading right now:
My Absolute Darling. It’s a very scary book.
the best book I read in November:
the best book I read in October:
the best book I read in September:
the best book I read in August:
the best book I read in July:
the best book I read in June:
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
the best book I read in May:
the best book I read in April:
the best book I read in March:
the best book I read in February:
The Bone Clocks and Days of Abandonment
the best book I read in January:
what’s on my bookshelf waiting to be read:
Anthropology of an American Girl
what books are on my list to buy (this will take me months to actually do):
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
M Train by Patti Smith
That Patty Hearst book
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born
What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
I Love Dick (which is being made into a TV show by Jill Soloway!)
After interviewing Helen Ellis, I added a few books from her “classic trashy” book club to my list.
What are you reading? (You can reply to this email and tell me)
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