I went into summer with a big stack of books and a dream, but of course I fell into a reading slump. However, none of the books I read this summer disappointed me. Literary fiction is my favorite genre. If you’re looking to expand your taste or add some books to your TBR, keep reading!
The first book I read was If Cats Disappeared from the World, by Genki Kawamura. I shamelessly choose books based on the cover and this was one of them. I got the European edition and the cat on the cover looks exactly like my cat when he was a kitten. This was a pretty short book and only took me a few sittings to finish it. The story is focused on our main character, who never gets a name. He makes a deal with the devil to live longer at the expense of making one thing disappear from the world each day. Our main character ultimately has to decide what’s really important amidst losing all of these materialistic items. I am such a crybaby, so this book had me sobbing by the end. Life is only beautiful because it ends, and this book made me appreciate that much more.
3 stars
The second book I read was Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. I love Moshfegh’s writing style: I have enjoyed every book of hers that I’ve read. I think I would’ve appreciated this book even more if I had read it in the winter. The atmosphere is very bleak, and it reflects Eileen’s inner thoughts, which I adored. The story is told from Eileen’s perspective, and it follows her complicated relationship with a Harvard graduate named Rebecca. This book resonated with me deeply and I’m glad that I was able to read it at this point in my life. A quote that really stuck with me was, “At night my bed is full of love, because I am alone in it. I cry easily, from pain and pleasure, and I don’t apologize for that.” I think this line alone would’ve convinced me to read this book. I’m looking forward to watching the movie and being able to relive the story.
4.5 stars
The last book I finished this summer was Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. I unexpectedly got off the hold list for this book and devoured it in three sittings. I went into this book completely blind and was pleasantly surprised. This had the best descriptive imagery out of all the books I’ve read this year, and I was able to see the setting so clearly in my mind. The story follows a family living on a remote island looking after a seed bank. Usually I’m able to predict the ending of books, but I was trying to figure it out the whole time and I would’ve never guessed what ended up happening. I really appreciated the research that went into developing the setting, based on a real island called Macquarie Island. The author wrote such an engaging story while also providing great commentary on climate change.
3.75 stars
The heat is dragging on into September and I’m currently reading my last summer book, Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth. So far, the story is set during a sweltering summer in the Irish countryside in the 1990s. The weight of the heat complements the intensity of our main character Lucy’s obsession with a girl in her class, Susannah. The language that is used to describe her infatuation is beautiful: “My heart lurches, as if it wants to leave my awful body and go make a home in her” (pg. 57). Reading this book is like reading 16-year-old me’s thoughts and it feels cathartic in a way I haven’t felt before. I predict that this will be my first five star read of the year.
It is rare that I enjoy every book I read in a season, and although I didn’t read a lot, I got lucky with the books I chose. I’m even more excited for fall reading; Madonna in a Fur Coat is first on the list.