You know I'm such a fool for you
And a new way to support Books & Booze!
When I was a kid, my fantasies of adulthood revolved around not having to go to school or do homework, staying up as late as I felt like, and being able to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.
No one prepared me for the harsh realities: I still need to work, so even though I’m not in school, I’m still spending 40 hours a week doing something I don’t necessarily want to be doing; anything after 9:30 feels like the middle of the night; and in general, daily life only seems to get more, not less, chaotic, making free time a luxury.
And on top of that, by the time I get into bed most nights, I am too tired to read more than 5 pages of my book. That might be the worst part of adulthood. Well, that and also having to pay for everything, especially taxes.
Who decided this is how the world should work? I would like to write that person a strongly worded letter.
I digress, though; I shouldn’t complain too much. After all, I have found time to finish 3 books since my last post almost a month and a half ago. It would have been 2 if not for the saving grace of audiobooks and long commutes, but I’m counting it. Anyway, here’s everything I’ve read and loved lately.
I am a Tana French stan: her Dublin Murder Squad series remains one of my favorite mystery/thriller series to recommend to people, either as a whole or as individual standalone reads (The Likeness is one of my all-time favorite books). Naturally, I will scoop up a copy as soon as she releases something new, and The Hunter was no exception.
In a follow-up to 2021’s The Searcher, readers are re-introduced to Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago detective, his girlfriend Lena, and the teenager they’ve informally come to regard as their own, Theresa “Trey” Reddy. We’re also reintroduced to the Irish village of Ardnakelty, Cal’s adopted hometown, and the insular community wary of outsiders. When Trey’s deadbeat dad returns after 4 years in London with a shady business partner and a get-rich-quick scheme that will screw the townsfolk out of their money, Trey and Cal each decide to keep a close eye on him. Within a few weeks of Johnny Reddy’s return, his buddy is found murdered in the middle of the road, and Trey takes the unexpected death as an opportunity to retaliate against those in town who have wronged her and her family. Unsure of Trey’s agenda, Cal scrambles to keep her safe from the unforgiving villagers looking to get revenge on Johnny for trying to swindle them.
I won’t lie, this was a very slow burn for me. Maybe part of that was because I couldn’t remember a single detail from The Searcher, not that it really mattered, but regardless, it took me a while to feel fully invested. I may have even started one or two other books while I slogged my way through the beginning of this one. But once I was well and truly in, there was no going back. Despite the fact that it took longer than I had expected to become attached to the characters and the story, I actually think that Trey is one of the best characters French has ever written. She’s smart, quick-witted, and more cunning than any 14-year-old should be. (I wasn’t like that at 14. I’m not like that now at 35.) So if you like moody, atmospheric stories with fully developed characters, suspense, and a peaceful Irish countryside setting, then I think you may have just found your perfect match.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Trigger Warning: rape, physical abuse, child sexual abuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation, suicide, drug abuse
I avoided reading (or in this case, listening to) this book for almost a decade because I knew it would be difficult to get through. It wasn’t until recently when one of my college friends suggested we revive our long-dead book club that I had to finally give in. A group of college roommates reading a book about a group of college roommates and their decades-long friendship sounded like the perfect entryway back into the book club lifestyle. So I said yes, and dove head-first into the audiobook, and my life has been forever ruined.
The book opens as four friends - Willem, JB, Malcolm, and Jude - are beginning their professional post-grad lives in New York City. They are all broke and frustrated with various aspects of their current situations, but they’re young and just getting started. Willem struggles to make it as an actor; Malcolm feels stuck in his architecture job at a high-profile firm; JB is trying to break into the New York art scene; and Jude is working non-stop at the US Attorney’s office. They don’t have much, but they have each other. As the decades pass and each man experiences the highs and lows of life, love, and professional success, their friendships evolve with them. Their greatest personal struggles, though, are with Jude, the nucleus of their group. He is brilliant and loyal, but also withdrawn and traumatized by the horrors of a childhood he is unable to speak about, let alone attempt to heal from. As they each grapple with their ability to help Jude deal with his mental and physical health problems, they are all forced to confront aspects of their own lives that they had avoided examining too closely, from addiction to feelings of inadequacy to abandonment issues. Throughout all of it, they are held together by their deep love for one another.
I know my synopsis does not make A Little Life seem worth reading, but at its core, it is a beautiful ode to brotherly love and lifelong friendships. Yes, some moments are hard to read, hence the trigger warnings at the beginning of the review, but don’t let them scare you away. This is hands-down one of the best books I have ever read and I will be thinking about it for years. Just be prepared for an emotional evisceration that will leave you stuck in your bed for multiple days with the worst book hangover of your life. You can thank me later.
Emily Henry has become Queen of the Summer Rom-Com. It’s a fact, ask anyone. Beginning with her 2020 debut, Beach Read, she’s released highly anticipated romances each spring/summer, thus making her the aforementioned Queen. And unlike some of her contemporaries, like Ali Hazelwood and her women in STEM novels for instance, her books aren’t formulaic to the point of being completely predictable. Yes, they’re romances, so there is some pattern to her plots that leads us to the happily ever after, but the characters and storylines remain creative enough that her books don’t blend together, such as with her most recent release.
When Daphne’s fiancé dumps her for his childhood best friend Petra, she feels stranded in his hometown of Waning Bay, Michigan, with only one person who could understand what she’s going through: Petra’s ex-boyfriend, Miles. Which is how Daphne and Miles end up becoming roommates. Slowly, they begin to build a friendship and from that a plan to intentionally post misleading pictures on social media. Why? Because revenge is more fun when you have a partner in crime, especially a cute one. As the summer continues, Daphne creates a community of her own in Waning Bay thanks to Miles and her co-workers at the local library, and the faux flirtation with her roommate turns into something more, forcing her to step outside of her neat and orderly life.
Is this basically the 2024 version of the 1997 movie Addicted to Love with Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick? Yes. And I am here for it. If you’re in the mood for some lighthearted fun to kick off your summer reading, look no further. Bring it with you to the beach, or hide from the heat inside your cold house with it, either way, you’ll enjoy this immensely.
As a friendly reminder: don’t forget to subscribe, share, and shop local (all of the titles here are linked to Bookshop.org, which helps to support independent bookstores across the country), and *if you use the links in today’s newsletter to purchase a book, Books & Booze will receive a commission*. You can also find links to books I’ve previously reviewed in my new affiliate storefront on Bookshop.org!
To find a brick-and-mortar store near you, IndieBound.org has a very helpful bookstore finder tool, or you can support some of the places I like to shop by popping in or checking out their websites. Main Point Books in Wayne, PA, is a favorite, as is Phoenix Books in Vermont, and my old stomping grounds in La Jolla, CA, Warwicks, is also a great option. And until next time,
Happy reading,
Sam