We put our tree up this past weekend, and Dylan couldn’t be happier. Gwen, however, has yet to be convinced. Dylan doesn’t mind — more room for him to sprawl under the tree. We hung their stockings and prepped their advent calendar. Now, all we have to do is wait for Santa Paws. This week, we’re looking at new poetry collections inspired by true stories. But first, bookish goods!
It’s happening, readers — we’re bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.
Bookish Goods
Personalized Leather Magnetic Bookmark by Emme Home Design
What a cute gift idea! Simple, personalized, colorful — what’s not to love? $10
New Releases
This week’s new books are poetry collections that are inspired by the poets’ lived experiences.
Hot Sauce by Kaycee Hill
Winner of the James Berry Poetry Prize, Hot Sauce is a debut poetry collection that examines the meaning of self as lived in the female body. The poems are vulnerable, intensely personal, and moving.
The Wrong Person to Ask by Marjorie Lotfi
Marjorie Lotfi’s debut poetry collection is deeply inspired by place. Beginning with her childhood in Iran, then America, and finally Scotland, Lotfi writes about the many countries and communities that she has called home.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer
Heading into Monsters, I had imagined that it would be instructive or at least informative. But instead, Monsters is more a memoir of the author taking us along her thought process as she wrangles with the age-old question, can we separate the art from the artist? Dederer looks at a series of great artists (mostly men) who have done horrible things and asks herself how much her knowledge of their biographies impacts the way she engages with their art. Over and over, she poses this question as she discusses terrible person after person. Monsters would make a great pick for book clubs that love to discuss the theory and philosophy of living. Or maybe you want to discuss this topic with a friend. Monsters doesn’t come to a singular conclusion but rather poses a series of questions for readers to engage with, for us to make our decisions about the art we are willing to consume.
Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change by Anjali Enjeti
Enjeti and her family moved to the South when she was small. Since then, she’s called the South her home. But as a mixed-race Brown girl, many people there didn’t necessarily make her feel welcome. Now an adult, Enjeti writes about her experience with racism as well as her complicity in systemic racism. These essays feature her thoughts on feminism, the new South, gun violence, voter suppression, and so much more. Enjeti’s South is different than you might imagine. It’s complex, vibrant, and ever-changing.
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