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Can it already be that time again? The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts will take place on Saturday, September 14th and Sunday, September 15th. We'll celebrate by offering 10% off everything in the shop. Join us!
Just here for the books, you say? Scroll down for this month's book club picks and our latest crop of reviews.
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EARLY WARNING: Andr é Aciman will be joined in conversation for FIND ME 'S Chicago book launch on Friday, November 8th at the Nettelhorst School Auditorium! Tickets are available now and include a copy of the book. Purchase yours here .
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"In this spellbinding exploration of the varieties of love, the author of the worldwide bestseller Call Me by Your Name revisits its complex and beguiling characters decades after their first meeting.
No novel in recent memory has spoken more movingly to contemporary readers about the nature of love than André Aciman’s haunting Call Me by Your Name . First published in 2007, it was hailed as “a love letter, an invocation . . . an exceptionally beautiful book” (Stacey D’Erasmo, The New York Times Book Review ). Nearly three quarters of a million copies have been sold, and the book became a much-loved, Academy Award–winning film starring Timothée Chalamet as the young Elio and Armie Hammer as Oliver, the graduate student with whom he falls in love. In Find Me , Aciman shows us Elio’s father, Samuel, on a trip from Florence to Rome to visit Elio, who has become a gifted classical pianist. A chance encounter on the train with a beautiful young woman upends Sami’s plans and changes his life forever. Elio soon moves to Paris, where he, too, has a consequential affair, while Oliver, now a New England college professor with a family, suddenly finds himself contemplating a return trip across the Atlantic. Aciman is a master of sensibility, of the intimate details and the emotional nuances that are the substance of passion. Find Me brings us back inside the magic circle of one of our greatest contemporary romances to ask if, in fact, true love ever dies." - FSG
Find Me will be released on Tuesday, October 29th.
In hardcover, fiction, 27.00; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
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The Lit Syndicate will meet to discuss This Tilting World on Monday, October 7th.
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"On the night following the terrorist attack that killed thirty-eight tourists on the beach at Sousse, a woman sits facing the sea and writes a love letter to her homeland, Tunisia, which she feels she must now leave forever. Personal tragedies soon resurface—the deaths of her father, a quiet man who had left all he held dear in Tunisia to emigrate to France, and of another lifelong friend, a writer who just weeks ago died at sea, having forsaken the writing that had given his life meaning. From Tunisia to Paris to a Flaubertian village in Normandy, and with nods to Proust and Barthes, Fellous’s complex and loving story offers a multitude of colorful portraits, and sweeps readers onto a lyrical journey, giving a voice to those one rarely gets to hear, and to loved ones now silent." - Two Lines Press
In paperback, non-fiction, 16.95; Two Lines Press.
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Our queer book club will meet to discuss Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl on Monday, October 14th at 7PM.
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Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl is a coming-of-age story with a fantastic twist. This playful picaresque follows Paul, a narcissist dandy endowed with the ability to shapeshift at will. Driven to restlessness by his omnivorous performative and sexual impulses, Paul hits the road, inhabiting various identities as he winds his way from Iowa City to the Michigan Womyn's Festival to Provincetown to San Francisco, appraising the radical possibilities of his body's malleability all the while. As Paul reckons with the implications of his body's flux, he begins to come to terms with the fixed terms of his personal identity, and discovers that no matter how often he changes he cannot outrun his past. Peppered with fanciful asides that hint at Paul's mythological origins and chock full of references to queer hallmarks of the 1990s, this book is a pure delight!
In paperback, fiction, 14.00; Vintage.
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In its simplest description, Quichotte is a modern-day retelling of Cervantes’ Don Quixote , about one man’s unlikely quest to win the heart of his true love. But of course, coming from the brilliant, playful mind of Salman Rushdie, and using the simple format of a road trip, it becomes so much more: with asides from the author, with its stories within stories, with its references to pop culture (of which Rushdie is a master!), Quichotte is an ambitious, dizzying, kaleidoscopic novel that dazzles while it entertains. It is a tilting at windmills in a cynical world gone a bit crazy, a tangled tale of estrangements and reconciliations, a visionary quest about seeking the meaning of existence. It is about impossible, obsessional love, about opioid addiction, about living real lives in the time of fake news, about the hypocrisies and absurdities of our mind-numbing junk culture. And it is very funny—buckle-up and enjoy the wild ride, my favorite Salman Rushdie novel since Midnight's Children ! ED LOVED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDS!
In hardcover, fiction, 28.00; Random House .
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It is becoming apparent that in today’s political climate, defining as “not racist” is simply not enough. Kendi argues that “not racist” is a neutral term that implies passivity and inaction, and that we should instead strive to be adamantly “antiracist,” a proactive stance that requires “persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.” This stance actively supports antiracist ideas and advocates for policies that yield racial equity. How to Be an Antiracist is less a guidebook, like the title suggests, and more a blend of memoir, historical examination, and cultural critique. Throughout the text, the reader follows Kendi on his own personal life and intellectual journey as he overcomes racist obstacles and confronts his own prejudices. Along the way, Kendi unearths uncomfortable cultural truths and explores race at the intersections of class, sex, and gender (Kendi even tackles the thorny issue of capitalism, the “conjoined twin” of racism). Many of the ideas that Kendi presents are not necessarily new, but are presented with much needed clarity and urgency, creating a framework to be “fully human and to see that others are fully human.” Shane recommends this important and timely book.
In hardcover, non-fiction, 27.00; OneWorld .
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The art of the essay has never been more alive and well than in this phenomenal essay collection by Jia Tolentino—incisive, personal, precise and profound cultural criticism written with Tolentino’s refreshing brand of honesty. Whether it’s scamming as the quintessential American ethos, the punitive dream of constant optimization and our drive towards relentless self-improvement, or hypervisibility on the internet, these nine essays about our present moment both wow and entertain. THE STORY OF A GENERATION IN SEVEN SCAMS had me laughing out loud; WE COME FROM OLD VIRGINIA is chilling in its depiction of rape culture on campus; ALWAYS BE OPTIMIZING is stunning in its analysis of late-stage capitalism; and I THEE DREAD explains perfectly why I (and the author!) will never get married (and the constant frustration of being asked why!) Difficult to pick a favorite essay, this whole collection is stunning. ED LOVED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDS TRICK MIRROR !!
In hardcover, non-fiction, 27.00; Random House.
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Due Tuesday, September 17th!
On Division , the third novel from Chicago's Goldie Goldbloom, is the stunning, singular portrait of Surie Eckstein, a 57-year-old Chasidic woman who has just discovered she's pregnant -- with twins. Happily married for four decades, a mother of ten and grandmother of 32, Surie's life is one of profound connection and religious devotion. As she grapples with the possible social repercussions of her untimely pregnancy, she finds herself, for the first time in her life, with a secret. This secret opens like a window in her life, offering her a new understanding of herself and her place in the world, as well as the chance to maybe finally begin to reckon with the sweeping grief of an earlier loss. On Division is a masterful book, the kind that gathers you right in. Surie's voice -- by turns warm and deeply affecting, dry and unexpectedly hilarious, grief-torn and furious -- feels close, urgent and new. Goldbloom is, by her own account, "the only out queer person that [she knows] who is still living a Chasidic life in the community.” Although her novel is not autobiographical, it provides a vivid, compassionate glimpse into an extraordinarily insular community. Kate loves & highly recommends this incredible book.
In hardcover, fiction, 26.00; Farrar Straus and Giroux.
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This dystopian fable, first published in Japan in 1994 and translated into English for the first time, is a startlingly relevant reflection of our zeitgeist, a metaphor for both state control and the unstoppable effects of climate change. On an unknown island, objects- and the collective memory of them- start to disappear at the hands of the mysterious and brutal Memory Police. The incremental disappearance of the world has been normalized, and most of the fatalist characters in Ogawa's novel accept this world with disturbing passivity, while the protagonists who try to fight against it find themselves on the brink of existential collapse. With a keen sense of dread, Ogawa explores the nature of truth, the elusiveness of memories, state surveillance, safety versus captivity, and the construction of the self. The stark and elegantly understated quality of this tale gives it a disquieting eeriness, and the surreal, poetic imagery creates a lulling melancholy that is persistent throughout. If this book were a movie, it wouldn't be the big summer sci-fi blockbuster. Instead, it would be the indie arthouse film, and what it lacks in big flashy scenes it makes up for with a quiet devastation that will haunt you. Shane recommends! (Katharine loved, too!)
In hardcover, fiction, 25.95; Pantheon Books.
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Ruth Ware's latest novel is a solid reimagining of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw . Rowan's new job seems a dream come true, a well-paying nanny position at a "smart house" in a secluded part of Scotland-- but things are not as they appear. Ware serves up another page-turner filled with menace and suspense, the perfect beach or commuter read. The story falls apart a bit at the end, but is still packed with surprises. Owen recommends.
In hardcover, fiction, 27.99; Gallery/Scout Press.
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“What if the whole world is designed to inhibit you, and just to exist in it is to break some deep taboo?” Supper Club is about defiant women refusing to be defined, refusing to suppress their appetites, refusing to make themselves flat and accommodating and agreeable. The meetings in Supper Club are Bacchanalian reprieves from everyday life, enactments of emancipation, liberating feasts that take on a subversive tone (also involving breaking and entering, stealing, drugs, nudity, dancing.) With warmth and wit, and in a voice that feels akin to Sally Rooney’s, Lara Williams explores the many
textures of millennial women’s emotions and friendships, and her young, self-questioning characters’ uneasiness about their place in the world. Ed loved and highly recommends this delicious black comedy about women coming together to indulge their hunger, to be ravenous without guilt, to assuage their vulnerabilities and confront their fears.
In hardcover, fiction, 26.00; G.P. Putnam's Sons.
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“We are, as a culture, moving on to a future with more people and more voices and more possibilities. Some people are being left behind, not because the future is intolerant of them but because they are intolerant of this future.”
Rebecca Solnit has already established herself as one of the most prominent contemporary writers who have helped us make sense of the mess of the world. With clarity, courage, and conviction, Solnit returns with another reliable collection of astute essays, exploring the #metoo movement, voter suppression, Christine Blasey Ford, the ownership of history and of truth, and the power of protest. Solnit has long ago moved beyond simple finger pointing and scapegoating to instead examine deeply embedded problems within our culture and our structures of power. Shane highly recommends!
In paperback, non-fiction, 15.95; Haymarket.
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The Yellow House is Sarah Broom’s deeply personal story of growing up in East New Orleans, the youngest of 12 siblings; from celebration to devastation, it is an homage to place, to family, to the people who called 4121 Wilson Avenue, New Orleans, home. Displaying a gorgeous lyricism and a righteous fury, it is a tribute to the multitude of stories a small, shotgun house in the poorest section of New Orleans can contain-- from the fullness of family to the inevitability of displacement and loss. Literary non-fiction that soars, exemplifying the best of what memoir can be, where the specifics of the life and times of a single house, occupied by a single family over half a century, becomes something much bigger—a portrait of modern black America, a sweeping oral history of our times. ED LOVED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDS!
In hardcover, non-fiction, 26.00; Grove Press.
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“Hope is not magic; hope is work”-DeRay Mckesson
This astute collection of related essays tackles the pervasive problem of systemic racial inequality in our country, and the importance of protest and community organizing. Mckesson left his job as a school administrator to attend the protests of Michael Brown's killing in Ferguson, Mo, soon becoming a prominent Black Lives Matter organizer known for his extensive documentation on social media. Always thoughtful and passionate (but never didactic), Mckesson explores police violence, the “uncontested narrative” of truth from those in power, historical erasure, and the significance of social media for political activists. He also delves into his own life, discussing his childhood and education and how it informs his current political philosophies. Both lucid and eloquent, On the Other Side of Freedom is as moving as it is inspiring. We need more people like him in the world. Shane recommends.
In paperback, non-fiction, 17.00; Penguin Books.
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To avoid a scandal with possible international ramifications, two rivals, The First Son of the United States and the Prince of England, both the beloved, teenage heartthrobs of their respective countries, learn to play nice across the Atlantic. Naturally, what begins as a PR stunt soon turns to bromance, but after the “mild gay panic,” will it end in love?
Lighthearted, occasionally sexy, this is a gay, rom-com send-up of coming out, statecraft, and celebrity. Will our young politico fall for his arch-nemesis? Will coming out ruin his political career before it starts? And how can he help his mother win the next election? Matty recommends!
In paperback, fiction, 16.99; St. Martin's Griffin.
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Now in paperback!
Phoebe Siegler, a Manhattanite thru-and-thru, part Nancy Drew, part Joan Didion, and Charles Heist, the rogue detective she has hired, search for a missing girl in the off-the-grid world of utopian survivalists in the desert southwest in Jonathan Lethem’s exhilarating first detective novel since Motherless Brooklyn. Using the last election as metaphor for the apocalypse (and the brave new world of the Trump era that we no longer recognize), the novel is a wild rollercoaster-of-a-ride, very funny, caustic and clever, filled with wisecracking, sarcastic dialogue and brilliant, funny, meticulously crafted sentences and turns of phrase (Kirkus praises “Lethem’s linguistic alchemy”). The pace of the novel is unrelenting, the desert descriptions palpable, and the protagonists’ developing relationship as interesting as the mystery they are trying to solve. Brilliant! ED LOVED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDS!
In paperback, fiction, 16.99; Ecco Press.
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Now in paperback!
This brief but powerful experimental novel may or may not be about queer punk writer and feminist icon Kathy Acker (hint: it is). Protagonist Kathy is about to get married, but is lost in her own thoughts and self-doubt, while the turbulent political summer of 2017 unfolds around her. Olivia Laing’s first foray into fiction uses a stream-of-consciousness prose that tumbles along with an anxious momentum, perfectly encapsulating the uncertainties and distressing news cycle of that summer from a place of relative privilege and detachment. Here, the political is personal, and Laing uses Acker’s punkish spirit (and in some cases, her words) to resurrect and reimagine the iconic writer in the now, while simultaneously exploring what it means to love when everything seems doomed. This is a strangely compelling read, sure to elicit polarized reactions, but there is much to admire and love here. Shane recommends!
In paperback , fiction, 14.95;W.W. Norton & Company.
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Now in paperback!
In Automating Inequality , political science professor Virginia Eubanks investigates discriminatory uses of technology and data mining, and the civil rights violations that follow. Eubanks reports on recent instances of state and city actions across the country in which minority communities and those living in poverty have been heavily affected, even directly targeted, by unjust algorithms and risk models. Through the individual stories told here, and historical evidence of policies set against the poor, Eubanks considers human bias and unfair uses of data, how ethical treatment for the impoverished has often been subverted by policymakers, both in our nation’s history and in the present. Race and class issues have long led to prejudiced policies, but in Automating Inequality Eubanks highlights the growing gap in services, and the dangers possible when decisions are outsourced to automated systems without human sensibilities and sympathies. Matty recommends!
In paperback, fiction, 18.00; Picador USA.
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Now in paperback!
Flights is a hybrid of a book -- fiction, travel, biography, medicine – defying comparison (but bringing to mind W. G. Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn ): a series of philosophical and historical digressions that are stunning and strange, more fragments than chapters, tenuously linked by the idea of travel. The book keeps evolving as you read, moving from one place to another, from one thought to another, a cabinet of curiosities as strangely interesting as the the actual curiosities described within. Marked by a wonderful wit and imagination, a playful kind of ambiguity, and winner of the 2018 Man Booker International Prize, Flights , as a sort of existential travel adventure, is a pleasure to read! ED LOVED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDS!!
In paperback, fiction, 17.00; Riverhead Books.
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Now in paperback!
Who gets to tell the story? In the legend of the Iliad and the Trojan War, the victors (the men) tell the story, they drive the narrative, but in Pat Barker’s masterful retelling, The Silence of the Girls , the story is told by Briseis, a woman, Achilles’s (then Agamemnon’s) concubine. All of Homer’s “heroes” are here—Odysseus, Achilles, Patroclus, Agamemnon, Ajax, and Nestor, as well as Priam, Hector, and Paris on the Trojan side—but their stories are now seen and told through the eyes of a woman. Through Briseis we see the heavy price women have had to pay for male violence and vainglory, the true horror of war’s atrocities, the sexual enslavement of women, all in the name of “male” honor, courage, everlasting glory. Profound and imaginative! For fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe and Song of Achilles . Ed recommends!
In paperback, fiction, 16.95; Anchor books.
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Now in paperback!
This is a brilliant look into some of the major changes and issues we will be facing in the near (or at least relatively near) fugure. With automation changing how we look at jobs, and algorithms changing how we think about choice, along with the political landscape fundamentally changing, Yuval's latest book serves as a guide to questions we'll have to ask ourselves, but also, refreshingly, some possible answers. I found this to be a great book to read alongside New Dark Age by James Bridle, which gives a more pessimistic outlook, but still one worth examining. In any case, this is a brilliant book and makes a wonderful gift too! Tim recommends!
In paperback, non-fiction, 18.00; Spiegel & Grau.
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Available in paperback September 10th!
The Mermaid and Mrs. Handcock , the stellar debut novel by Imogen Hermes Gowar, is historical fiction at its finest! Set in 1785 Georgian London and featuring a prosperous (but unpolished) ship merchant, a mysterious sea creature, and a beautiful, down-on-her-luck prostitute, Gowar has succeeded in creating a fully-realized world that you want to get lost in—one filled with prostitutes and rakish gentlemen, stinking docks and chintzy bordellos, and lots of romance, bawdy intrigue and social climbing. There is much to savor here, presented with wit and showmanship-- the cast of colorful characters and searing working-class descriptions are reminiscent of Dickens, and the Jane-Austen-worthy-dialogue of polite society brings much humor to the book. Gowar has a marvelous gift for delighting in our capacity for wonder while at the same time subtly providing astute social commentary (with our modern eyes we see the sexual power imbalances of Georgian London, where a woman’s means to get ahead was to be either a wife or whore, and prostitutes struggled to achieve some-kind-of pre-feminist autonomy.) The Mermaid and Mrs. Handcock will delight fans of Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent ( which I loved!); it was a joy to read, from start to finish, a sheer delight! ED LOVED AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
In paperback, fiction, 16.99; Harper Perennial.
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***Featured Backlist***
This is my favorite horror novel. Ghost Story is an expertly crafted and suspenseful epic that is guaranteed to give you chills. a modern day classic. Owen recommends.
In paperback, fiction, 16.00; Berkley Books.
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