This is what you’d call a mixed bag of recommendations; I wish there was some clever, tenuous thread that pulled them all together, and some clever analysis I can offer but there isn’t—there’s only the fact I have enjoyed, or intend to enjoy these books.
Find me on Instagram at @lilithruby, and writing about career-ish stuff on The Foreword.
Earlier
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutano
Vera Wong is the type of book you want to read on a 24-hour flight across the world, which is exactly what I did, and it was everything I needed it to be: Cosy and full of crime. I’d recommend it if you wanna switch off or tune out for a minute. Mindy Kaling has optioned it for TV, so if you’re not convinced by this, there’s always the adaptation to propel you into Vera’s world.
Now
Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna
It’s winter in Sydney and this was just the antidote I needed: Steamy London summer, mixed up 30-somethings, and the kind of vivid writing I’m profoundly jealous of. Class, love, sexuality, sex—it’s got it all.
Later
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enríquez
I’ve raved about The Dangers Of Smoking In Bed in a previous Substack and have been saving this collection as a treat. I was lucky enough to see Enríquez (warm, funny) at the Sydney Writers’ Festival in May (cold, windy) and aside from sharing the intriguing process behind her macabre writing, I was so struck by her take on the ‘gothic’, which she described as being rooted in the climate (read: heat) of her native Argentina. As opposed to the traditional ‘gothic’ we often think of: Cold, dark, rainy. It reminded me a lot of Australian horror and its landscape (feel: heat), especially one of my favourites, Picnic At Hanging Rock.
Enjoy!
Find me on Instagram at @lilithruby, and writing about career-ish stuff on .
A Sunny Place for Shady People is such a great title. Adding to my TBR.