It’s May and I have two incredible books to tell you about.
The first is Real Americans by Rachel Khong and it’s my pick for the Fantastic Strangelings Book Club.
It’s an exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family and asks, what makes us who we are?
Real Americans begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City, when twenty-two-year-old Lily Chen, an unpaid intern at a slick media company, meets Matthew. Matthew is everything Lily is not: easygoing and effortlessly attractive, a native East Coaster and, most notably, heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. Lily couldn’t be more different: flat-broke, raised in Tampa, the only child of scientists who fled Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Despite all this, Lily and Matthew fall in love.
In 2021, fifteen-year-old Nick Chen has never felt like he belonged on the isolated Washington island where he lives with his single mother, Lily. He can’t shake the sense she’s hiding something. When Nick sets out to find his biological father, the journey threatens to raise more questions than answers.
Looking for something a little darker? Then I recommend Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose, my pick for the Nightmares from Nowhere Book Club.
It has a great cover that I loved until my kid asked, “What’s that supposed to be?” because they’ve never seen a VHS tape and now I feel old.
While going through their parent’s belongings, three siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends. Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.
Need more than one book to get through the month? Here are a few new releases I enjoyed:
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – A time travel romance, a speculative spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingeniously constructed exploration of the nature of truth and power and the potential for love to change it.
Lore Olympus: Volume 6 by Rachel Smythe. This graphic novel love story of two Greek gods—Hades and Persephone—brought to life with lavish artwork and an irresistible contemporary voice is now on volume 6 and I am addicted. Feel free to judge me. I own every volume.
Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis – A deliciously haunting debut set in 19th-century Paris , blending gothic mystery with romance as two estranged sisters—celebrated (and fraudulent) spirit mediums—come back together for one last con.
A Haunted Girl – This graphic novel collects the first 4 issues of a paranormal comic about teenage girl struggling with mental illness who is also responsible for the fate of all life on earth. It’s volume one so it’s unfinished, but a promising start.
PS. The discussion thread for The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is open, but if you don’t do facebook I’ll leave my thoughts in the comments.
What book is calling to you this month?
HERE THERE BE SPOILERS:
My thoughts on The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers :I was immediately intrigued by this book because I love a good puzzle. I have a theory that everyone is good at at least one type of puzzle and utterly unable to solve at least one type of puzzle. Word puzzles, mazes and pattern recognition are my jam. Anything with math makes me want to start fires. But my favorite kind of puzzle is figuring out people and their stories…which is probably why I love genealogy so much (beware the things you’ll find though) and so this book automatically hit so many of my sweet spots.
Although it dealt with some hard subjects there was something about the book that just felt cozy and uplifting, which was exactly what I wanted to read.
I think I liked Pippa’s flashbacks even more than Clayton’s story, although I enjoyed that part too. The characters were endearing and lovely even as they were flawed and I loved how the author explored the importance of our “found family” and how important it is to go out into the world to find yourself rather than stay safely hidden.
I guessed the secret of his parentage toward the end and it made sense, although I was a little torn between whether making it a puzzle to be solved was a sweet homage or a little cruel. I guess it was the best way to have Clayton go out into the world and explore and see the background, but there was a little part of me going, “BUT JUST TELL HIM. WHAT IF HE NEVER FIGURES IT OUT?” Then again, maybe that’s the mark of a good book…being so wrapped up in the characters that you forget the author has a plan all along.
Hiyas. I’m going to add one here if u may. “Love Without a Label” by Jevranne Martel. Have not finished it yet but It’s personal and powerful.
I had the Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers out from the library but it was due before I got to it. All of my hold books came in at once . I’m currently reading The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown and Dispersals by Jessica J Lee. and I am feeling positively ancient knowing there are people in this world who never knew the horror of deciding which VHS tape to tape over because the absolutely perfect show was on and your mom said it was time to go to bed.
So I saw this announcement while at a book signing for Jeneva Rose (with Abby Jimenez) and she is a huge fan and is incredibly honored by this selection
(This made my day! ~ Jenny)
Lore Olympus is so good! Her graphic style. The story telling. So. Satisfying. And I don’t even really like graphic novels.
I am reading “True Biz,” and it is powerful!
(So good! ~ Jenny)
One of the best books I’ve ever read is Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen. It’s the story of Captain Hook, about the redemptive power of love and Peter Pan is the villain.
I’m looking forward to Volume 2 of My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris, which is being released at the end of this month. Volume 1 is my favorite graphic novel of all time and I’ve been waiting years for the ending…so excited!
Well, I’ve always wanted to learn about American lifestyle and culture, but I haven’t found any books that talk about it in detail. It’s nice to know there is such an interesting book like this.
Sounds like you have a great reading list going! The Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers sounds intriguing—hopefully, you can check it out again soon. Balancing all those hold books must be quite the juggling act. MLB중계
Both of these book recommendations sound absolutely captivating! Real Americans by Rachel Khong seems like a profound exploration of identity and cultural heritage, especially as it weaves together themes of family, generational dynamics, and the complex ways our past shapes us. The backdrop of Y2K adds an interesting layer of historical context, while the story of Lily and Matthew’s unlikely love and the search for identity by their son Nick promises to be an emotional and thought-provoking journey.
benville dorset
How does sprunki discovering the tape affect each sibling differently? Do they respond with fear, anger, or a desire for truth?
“Real Americans” sounds powerful and moving, and “Home is Where the Bodies Are” has me hooked with that VHS twist—definitely adding both to my list! black