Now that we’re in the new year, I’ve been trying to reestablish routine. But to be honest, the Corgis have barely moved since we got back from Papaw and Mimi’s house. They wake up from their hibernation for potty breaks and dinner times, but that’s about it. And I have to admit, I haven’t left the couch much either. But that does mean I’ve listened to A LOT of books during the holiday break, and I can’t wait to tell you about them. But first, let’s chat about new books.
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!
Bookish Goods
Vintage Library Due Date Coasters Hardboard Back by Threads Zeppelin
Call me old school, but I am a huge coaster gal. So when I saw these adorable library card coasters, I fell in love immediately. $29
New Releases
Everyone But Myself: A Memoir by Julie Chavez
Chavez was just living her life as the mother of two boys and working as an elementary school librarian when she developed intense anxiety. Everyone But Myself follows Julie Chavez’s experience working through mental illness and finding a new, beautiful way of life.
1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami Attenberg
As an avid lover of Jami Attenberg’s annual writing initiative, 1000 Words of Summer, I have been itching to get this book into my hands. Attenberg gathers together writing from dozens of authors, giving encouragement to aspiring writers.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
I had never read Annie Dillard before, so I thought this short book of essays would be a great place to start. Dillard possesses the ability to capture ideas in such beautiful ways. She’ll start talking about forming sentences and how long she feels that it takes, and I find myself completely engrossed with how she spent her afternoon. She has a lot to say about the craft of writing, how much of it is all about mindset, setting aside time for writing, and coming to writing for the long haul. If you love books about writers and writing, then you will absolutely love this book.
Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America by Julia Lee
When Julia Lee was in high school, she witnessed the riots in L.A. Her parents owned a business in the predominantly Black neighborhood. After the white police officers were acquitted of the beating of Rodney King, Lee realized that even though she wasn’t white, she still possessed a type of racial privilege. This experience informs her interest in examining race in literature. Her parents are also working-class immigrants, and Lee didn’t grow up with much, but she ends up attending an Ivy League school, where her working-class background has never been more apparent to her. Biting the Hand is an intersectional look at Lee’s experience growing up and living as an Asian American woman in the United States. Each essay takes on the topic from a different angle as Lee examines her experience as a multi-marginalized person who, at the same time, holds a lot of privilege in different areas of her life.
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