As the summer is in its sunset days for much of the rest of the country, here in South Carolina, it’s still incredibly hot. The Corgis and I still have a few weeks of staying inside with the air conditioner and reading our books. But it’s August and for whatever reason, my mind wanders. So today I’m recommending a couple anthologies that feature essays that make it easy to read one and put it down for later. They’re perfect for short attention spans on warm days.
But first, let’s talk about new books, and Book Riot’s New Release Index. Delighting velocireaders since 2017, the Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!
Bookish Goods
Sterling Silver Book Necklace by Mathewand Marie Co
I adore book locket necklaces. I received my first book locket when I was in middle school, and I loved it. This would be perfect for anyone who wants to take a book wherever they go. Or maybe you want to give a kid in your life their first book necklace. $29
New Releases
The Rye Bread Marriage: How I Found Happiness with a Partner I’ll Never Understand by Michaele Weissman
I love a good marriage memoir, and Weissman is bringing one about how she and her husband of over 40 years have made it work. They are both so incredibly different, and a lot of people in their lives wondered if Weissman and her husband would be able to make it work. But they did. I love a good love story, and this one seems delightful.
The Complete Persepolis: 20th Anniversary Edition by Marjane Satrapi, Translated by Anjali Singh
Last week I talked about the graphic memoir The Complete Persepolis, so I had to share that a new, 20th anniversary edition in hardcover is out! It’s so beautiful!
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America edited by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman
The Good Immigrant first had a UK edition. And after much acclaim, Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman took on the task of editing a U.S. edition. The anthology features essays of immigrants from around the world who have now made their homes in the United States. They each write about the array of challenges they and their families have faced making their home in America. I really appreciated the wide range of writers represented in the anthology.
A Map Is Only One Story: Twenty Writers on Immigration, Family, and the Meaning of Home edited by Nicole Chung and Mensah Demary
Back when Nicole Chung was the editor of Catapult Magazine, she noticed that there were a lot of essays around the themes of immigration. She teamed up with fellow editor Mensah Demary and they brought together 20 essays by first and second generation immigrants. The writers share the complex experience that moving to the U.S. has brought. Each writer describes their experiences living between cultures and how that has impacted their sense of self.
That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy Reading, Friends!
~ Kendra