Hi!
I keep trying to think of a theme - or rather, I do think of themes (Books in LA! Books by Aries writers! Books published by small presses!) but none of them have stuck enough for me to …you know, actually write this. So I come to you humbly themeless with the hope this pushes me to send this newsletter out more frequently, as I truly do love sharing great books. When I started this newsletter/project, I knew it would be sporadic and guessed it would go out about quarterly but I seem to want to get on here more than that. So I ask you, people of the internet: would you want to see more regular but perhaps shorter posts? How frequently? Would you ever consider paying for this? (Like… $5/month lol nothing extravagant!!)
Last time I emailed - from the airport - I ended up having an absolutely hellish travel experience that involved me taking an Uber to my friend’s house in Los Angeles from the Tijuana airport after an emergency landing and having to cross the border via an underground tunnel at 4 AM, lmao. So my new rules for traveling are: 1. Never drink in the airport (I almost never do and both of my worst travel experiences came after saying fuck it and having a few airport drinks) and 2. Don’t write from the airport and publish / send before landing, lol. I also wrote a few postcards in the airport, one of which my friend responded “LOL guess that was before Tijuana!!!” So, in case you also have.. I don’t have bad luck but weird luck? I will pass these rules to you.
March was a slow reading month for me. I was traveling a lot - Seattle for AWP which was very fun and New Mexico to soak up the blue, orange beauty of the desert and also to see some family. Anyway! Here are a few books I’ve recently loved:
All This Could Be Different: A Novel - Sarah Thankam Mathews
I picked this up last summer and have been dragging it around with me for months before finally reading it. I really do believe that people read books when they’re meant to, and once I was in, I was in. This is a novel that follows protagonist Sneha as she navigates her first job in Milwaukee after college, dating women (in particular a white woman), living up to her Indian parents’ idea of fulfilling the American dream and building friendships. It’s about idealism and capitalism and how to live life ethically and honestly. It’s extremely funny, gorgeously (like goddamn) written and complicated. It’s really so good and satisfying. I really haven’t read a book like this.
Couplets: A Love Story - Maggie Millner
Couplets is a book of narrative poetry that follows a woman breaking up with her boyfriend after falling in love with a woman. It’s very Brooklyn (I used to live on Throop Ave and there’s a line “A street called Throop” that made me want to light up a lighter in my room and wave it over my head like I was at a Lana Del Rey concert). It’s sexy and sapphic and full of rich, beautiful language. A quick, mesmerizing, sultry read that will stay with you.
Thirst for Salt - Madelaine Lucas
An unnamed narrator reflects back on a seaside love affair on the coast of Australia that happened when she was 24 with a 42 year old man, Jude. This book is so gorgeously written and beautifully erotic which is extra high praise considering this is a fully heterosexual book and je suis very gay. But the language and texture of this book is undeniable. It’s a beautiful coming of age story that feels like it was written by a poet.
That’s it! Short and sweet. Now that I’ve written this, maybe there is a theme after all… complicated or imperfect love stories. I really loved all of these books and hope you’ll spend some time with one or all of them. This is a very sexy stack to buy at a bookstore or take out from your local library.
Sometimes people ask me how to read more and I must take my own advice because I’m in a bit of a rut. But my tips are to touch a book first thing in the morning and last thing before bed (books on phones count for me), leave your phone in another room and bring a book (or a few) into the bath and to give yourself homework of a certain amount of pages you try to read per day. My usual is 25-50 depending on how busy I am but even if it’s something like 5 pages, you’re reading! I am also usually reading a few books at once and try to keep them in different places (one in my bag, one by my bed, one by the couch, etc.) I realize this is kinda chaotic though so do whatever works for you, lol
I hope your April is filled with Mr. Softee ice cream (with rainbow sprinkles duh), cherry blossoms, time in the sun, a perfect thrift find and good hair days!!!
xo,
Ariél