The Fate of Mary Rose by Catherine Blackwood

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The Fate of Mary Rose by Catherine Blackwood is a psychological thriller. I didn’t always enjoy the ride–as intense as it became–but I did appreciate what Blackwood did here. The premise is dark. The characters are deeply unique and interesting and disturbing. While they are difficult to pin down, they are also very clearly pictured.

The author, Blackwood, herself is interesting and worth study as well. Lately I’ve felt a little discouraged that most prominent art, music, literary works–all–are saturated with people so privileged they have no excuse but to create something. Then they use all of their resources to hire editors and producers, etc. to make it great. And that works, but I am still enamored by the idea of the persona of an artist, not an a privileged inevitability, but by a little je ne sais quoi.

Even despite my sometimes disillusionment with art at the moment, Blackwood caught my attention. Apparently she was a socialite and muse, and bemused by, important movers and shakers of her time. I could not determine her craft secrets, but I marveled at her ability to do it. The pacing she maintained throughout and the grip she held on her readers throughout was quite the feat. The book is well worth reading, especially for readers who crave a little suspense without losing literary quality.

Pontoon by Garrison Keillor

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I have recently recounted some of the great voices of radio from might younger days, including Paul Harvey and Garrison Keillor. As a result of this remembrance, I looked to see if there were any audiobooks by these voices, and that’s how I found Pontoon by Garrison Keillor.

This was a delightful book and a pleasant walk down memory lane, when times were simpler, my dear grandpa was my best friend in the world, and my little dreams meant everything–art more colorful, breakfast diners more chrome, coffee stronger, yet steady. My grandpa was an epic storyteller too. I miss him. Anyway, I could spend more time here.

That’s All I Know by Elisa Levi

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This book, That’s All I Know by Elisa Levi, was a bit of a departure for me. I think it got pitched to me as literary horror. And, one could argue that it is. But strong emphasis on the literary and the fiction. This book brought me into a compelling world, one where (perhaps?) the world is ending, and it is very hot, and strange things are normal. Readers of literary works works will appreciate this book, and that’s all I know.

Pure Color by Sheila Heti

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I followed up Sheila Heti with some more Sheila Heti. Heti’s Pure Color is basically a work of contemporary theory. I appreciate the work that Heti and others like Maggie Nelson are doing in this area (and I secretly would love to join these authors in this form/genre).

For me, Pure Color read somewhat like How Should a Person Be?, which also was a book that was more *unique* than it was *pleasant* to read, imho. I had a hard time with the main character in the latter, but I found the main character to be…purer in Pure Color, and so I found that was all more palatable to me (which says more about me than about the quality of the book).

To me, Motherhood was by far my favorite and most resonant Heti book. Even still, that’s three Heti books in the past six months, so I think I’ll take a break! I might eventually check out Women in Clothes, but oof, it’s long!

Motherhood by Sheila Heti

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In many ways, Motherhood by Sheila Heti felt like a continuation of my recent readings on motherhood and middle age from Miranda July and Claire Dederer. This book fit perfectliy within those conversations. These are people who grapple with the big question of whether or not to pursue motherhood when one is an artist, intellectual, and/or otherwise passionate about their career.

Needless to say, these philosophical wonderings, coupled with a gentle narrative thread, speak to me loudly. I recently read Heti for the first time last year. I appreciated when she was doing then, but I think this is the book I was meant to read.

Women’s Voices from the Oregon Trail by Susan Butruille

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Women’s Voices from the Oregon Trail by Susan Butruille is one of the more niche books I’ve ever read, but what can I say? I was pretty engrossed all the way through. The writer drives the Oregon Trail from Missouri and shares diary excerpts and insights of what the trail was like, especially for the women. Butruille stops at historical sites and shares photographs and more insights inspired by those visits.

As a daughter of pioneers, I imagined my own relatives making a similar trek, imagined their lives and relationships and hardships. I think this book is even more relevant to those of us with that personal connection. A broader audience might be interested in the history. I think the rigid role of wife as domestic servant will be especially striking to some readers as well.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

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Normal People was my first foray into Sally Rooney’s writing. I spent the first half wondering what the big deal was, then realized I was in for some sort of deep human insight and transformation, and ended the book appreciating that Rooney did deliver on those hunches.

I’m a little scared to read any more of her work, at least in this moment, because a few close friends have referred to it as tough, intense, and gutting (but great)! This is an author I’m sure I’ll return too, though, when I come across her work.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

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This pleasant little book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, reminds readers to declutter as they go, throw away things as they become obsolete, and give away treasured items as gifts early and often.

This is a book that people in, say, their 60s and on, will probably enjoy. For all readers, it offers a quiet, pleasant reflection on life’s accumulations. The author also firmly believes in downsizing (moving to smaller housing), and I think this one difficult, but incredibly practical.

The book might be slightly mis-titled. I found myself just wanting this thing to be more personal memoir (with a death cleaning focus), and it was that, but I was interested to know even more about the author!

Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum

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For the same reasons popular fiction frequently portrays book lovers as main characters, Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum appeals to the would be writer, who one day dreams of writing books and making a career out of it. Readers often dream of writing! Writers dream of reading! It all goes hand in hand.

This is a practical guide, but it is also fun and dreamy and voice-y, so that readers stay engaged for the ride. Here’s the thing though–while as a real guide it is informative, the odds of publishing a book through a major publishing house is so rare. To get paid for your book in any kind of substantive way is even rarer! To go on a paid book tour is nearly unheard of! To be meeting and lunching with editors throughout means you’re one of these rare gems who just happens to live in NYC.

Therefore, the book is the fantasy thrill-ride (and one worth taking)! However, the unwritten parts of this book is that this book deal experience is all too rare for most writers. Published writers are usually otherwise financially independent, either from personal wealth or from a spouse who supports them. Published writers can grab lunch with an editor and that means they live in New York. And, we all miss out when this narrow subset is all we ever hear from.

Our Spoons Came from Woolworths by Barbara Comyns

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I first read Barbara Comyns in 2024, starting with Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, and it was such a strange and excellent book that it has really stayed with me. When someone recommended her other book, Our Spoons Came from Woolworths, I knew I wanted to read it–even if just for that title!

The book follows the life of a young, impoverished woman, who is an artist, but is held back by sexism and classism and the burdens that come with it. She seems somewhat unaware of her unfair circumstances, or at least perceives them in a unique way, and so the reader gets a new view, one that avoids commonplace thinking around victimhood.

For the doulas and birth workers who follow me, there is also quite a lot of content about hospital childbirth during the middle of the last century. It was…rough. (And there’s still so much more work we can do to improve hospital childbirth, but that’s an aside.)

In the last few years, I’ve gone from Elena Ferrante to Barbara Comyns to Moa Martinson and back to Comyns again. I’m so grateful to have discovered these authors, and my interest in finding more is renewed.