Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

This is a slim, beautifully written love letter to identity, friendship, and grief. Hsu, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, grew up in California feeling like an outsider. He clung to American culture, as a way to discover his identity and to bond with his father. In college, he made a friend, Ken, who he had nothing in common with, except their love of American culture and finding the things that moved and excited them before everyone else discovered them. Then Ken was killed in a carjacking, and Hsu was left to grieve his friend. He has written an amazing book that captures the swirling, angsty feelings of youth. There is no question why it was named one of the top five nonfiction books of the year by The New York Times.

Backlist bump: Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner

I picked this up because I saw SO many people talking this year about how they loved it. It also has all the starred reviews. What I did not realize when I started it was that it’s just under 600 pages long. But that’s okay, because it was wonderful. It’s about two 80-year-old best friends. Agnes is a secret and public bestselling author (you’ll see) who has remained unattached her whole life. Polly is a mother and wife whose life has always revolved around her family. When a developer threatens to build McMansions in their sanctuary of Fellowship Point in Maine, the resulting attempts to keep it from happening will test their friendship. Plus, sooooooo much more. Illness! Secrets! Death! It’s not fast-paced, but it’s lovely and feels very real. Hooray for older protagonists!

Backlist bump: In The Gloaming: Stories by Alice Elliott Dark

And, last, but not least, if you are looking for a thriller with a bit of substance, I really enjoyed this one. It’s one of the “everyone hated the victim” stories, which is fun, because that means there are a lot of suspects! Officer Ffion Morgan regretfully wakes up on New Year’s Day beside a stranger. Unfortunately, she’s going to encounter him again before the day is out when they’re both assigned to investigate the murder of a local businessman. Someone killed him at his New Year’s Eve bash. But since he was hated by most, and everyone has a secret or two, how will they narrow down the list of suspects? I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, which is coming in August of 2023.

Backlist bump: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

This week, I am reading Return of the Living Elves by Brian Asman and Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan. Outside of books, I started rewatching Psych. I need my comfort shows right now! Also, Dulé Hill is a ridiculously under-appreciated actor. And the song stuck in my head is “Free” by Florence + The Machine. Again. It’s just so good! Recently, I started a new playlist of songs that are new to me, and you can listen too! And here is your weekly cat picture: Farrokh was trying to wrestle his brother, but Zevon calmly said, “No.”