The thought of you smiling makes me smile - 🥹 thank you Madeline!
I’m laughing at you being intrigued by over half the books in this edition haha - but excellent choices, it was a good month! ‘Bellies’ was SO good, and reminded me a lot of ‘Normal People’ so I would definitely recommend it to you seeing as you just read and loved your first Rooney! I also love your intrigue in ‘East of Eden’! Natalie and I have said it a million times but we really did not expect to love it as much as we did. I love a generational story/family saga and despite it being written in 1952 it was still so relevant. Family scandal and drama is timeless I guess haha.
And thank you for the congratulations!!! I have loved connecting with you on here too - it’s wonderful that something simple as a great love for books has brought us together! ❤️
Thank you Regan! Omg yes you should absolutely read it - I was shocked by how readable I found it! It was a lot more fun to read than I expected it to be. I would also be so interested to hear your thoughts on Cathy, as well as some of the other characters. I look forward to talking about it with you whenever you get round to reading it! xxx
An amazing list, and congratulations on your first birthday!! My June was super slow, so I've only been reading "Boy Erased," by Gerard Conley. So beautifully written and such a heart-wrenching story
Thank you Rowan!! Oo I love a memoir and I haven’t heard of this before? It sounds fascinating, and devastating. Have you finished it or are you still in the thick of it?
I haven't heard of it on any bookish Internet spaces, so I'm not sure how popular it is. It's fantastic though - Conley details his experiences in a conversion therapy program in the early 00's and what lead to his arrival there. I haven't finished it yet, but it isn't overly long! I'm just a slow reader lol
Nothing wrong with being a slow reader Rowan! I haven’t heard of it in any of those spaces either. I’ll definitely add it to my list thank you for the recommendation - it sounds like a horrendous and very interesting story.
I know?!? Frankly I was unnerved at all the buys and worried if the sheer amount would undermine my credibility lol. But it was just a really good month - what’s a girl to do!
Bellies was gorgeous, made my heart swell with love w Tom and Ming and then ripped it out and stamped on it. I didn’t love how R died (as in a writing choice) but I did enjoy the way it created an opportunity for T and M to come back together and be honest with each other about how they’d been feeling. I’m nervous for the TV adaption - how do you feel about it?
Oh I love those two recs - thank you! Evenings & Weekends has been in my radar for a hot minute, it feels like a perfect summer book. Bad Habit is new to me and I love the sound of it?!?
I think the Bellies TV show is going to be great! (Putting it out into the universe, but really with the Normal Peopl team behind it… it’s likely to be really good!)
Surprise of the year for us both! I love how much we had minimal expectations and come out bursting with reflections, thoughts and love for it! Hahaha our copy and pasted chat would be an incredible newsletter - maybe we should consider it?
I went back through it and you had WONDERFUL things to say and I had some minor quips I really could have done better lol it was funny though :) loved all your insights and seeing how your mind works
Hey no you also had wonderful things to say! We were both insightful and comedic in equal measure. I loved all your insights too - you picked up on things I didn’t which I appreciated & is why reading together was such a joy!
bellies foreverrr fr - 🥹 this was my face when I finished the book and has been ever since I think about it. I am so excited and intrigued to see what Dinan writes next. thank you billie! 🩷
3 excellent choices - I look forward to hearing what you think, whenever you get the opportunity to read! Thank you as always for your readership Rachel - it means a lot ❤️
I'm always delighted to see that someone else has read The Invention of Morel as it's the book that got me hooked into Argentine Literature. Have you read the works of Casares' wife, Silvina Ocampo? She's WILD. And I'll have to grab The Night Will Be Long! It's been on my list for ages now!
No way!! I love Argentine Literature but surprisingly hadn’t read Casares’ before! I thought the TIOM was weird but I loved it. I did not expect it to take the turn that it did. I’m not sure what I thought was going on for them to be ignoring him, but projections wasn’t on my mind haha. My favourite Argentine girl is Claudia Piñeiro - I have her new translation of ‘Time Of The Flies’ to read next!!! I have not read his wife’s work but I am so hooked by you just saying she’s WILD! What would you recommend from her? I am always up for a wild woman.
And definitely! The Night Will Be Long is super fun, I hope you enjoy it!
Oh it sooo weird, but I think about the ending often, and I think it put me on the right footing with Argentine Literature in that way. I’m so glad I went in blind! And of course Claudia Piñeiro is beyond incredible. I think she might be the greatest living Argentine writer. As for Silvina, it’s a toss up. You can read her short stories, of which only a few are translated, but Borges himself said to understand her you have to read her poetry. That’s where I started, and I was surprised at how much I liked it, though I wish I read her in Spanish first since I find translation of poetry to be subpar. Mariana Enriquez wrote an incredible piece that’s on Lithub about Silvina Ocampo.
Soooo weird, the ending really took me by surprise. Going in blind is definitely the way forward - I found writing the review for it hard because I really didn’t want to ruin it for anyone, but equally you have to communicate some aspects of it haha. Piñeiro is definitely the goat writer of Argentina. Have you read ‘Cousins’ by Aurora Venturini? Super wierd but very good book! An Argentinian author ofc.
Okay interesting about Silvina. I don’t tend to gravitate towards poetry but perhaps I will for her. I’m unsurprised of your reflections on finding translated poetry subpar - there’s so little wording with such weighted meaning I expect the nuance of a poem is almost impossible to translate. I’ll check out the Enriquez piece - thank you so much!
Yes, Piñeiro is absolutely the goat of Argentine Literature haha! I haven’t read Cousins but yes! Another to add! The more Argentine authors the merrier. I also don’t tend to gravitate towards poetry but admittedly I find Spanish poetry to be the exception. I didn’t get the hype around Neruda until I read him in Spanish, and I’ve since extended to others. I’m honestly impressed with a lot of translators, but I find Spanish is just a language better suited to poetry imho.
Piñeiro is absolutely the goat. Okay interesting - I appreciate what you’re saying! Translated poetry is not something I’ve really read but perhaps I should start - I often stick heavily to trans fiction.
Happy first birthday to this wonderful newsletter!! I've really enjoyed sitting with your reviews over time and witnessing the expanse of this newsletter. Thank you for showing up the way that you do❤️ Thanks for enlargening our TBRs in such an entirely Martha, fire-sign carefree way hehe.
I LOVE dub poetry/the dub scene in London so 'Fire Rush' is exciting to me, especially as I've been reading up on Caribbean/dub writers. Jean 'Binta' Breeze (RIP🕊) was one of my faves and I always gravitated to the women's side of the retelling of the dub scene in post-windrush London because yeah, it was always a little less spoken about. Absolutely adding this to the list. Also appreciate the playlist! I've always appreciated the link between writers and their playlists whille writing a book but for this one I imagine it was essential.
Also, the way you described 'Bellies' is so precious and the poet in me is grateful for your review of 'Boulder'. Those lines that you quoted are so full of lyricism.
Thank you Amara! For your reading, friendship and plethora of kind words and encouragement always ❤️ fire-sign carefree way intended always lol.
I am SO unsurprised you are drawn to ‘Fire Rush’ because as I was reading I was thinking of you!!!! Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze has such brilliant energy - I always smile when I watch videos of her performing her poems! The link between writers and music is so interesting! I bet it was essential for Crooks & this book - I had really limited knowledge on dub reggae so I loooved listening to the playlist to help understand the book on a deeper level. I love to learn!
Bellies was so precious 🥺 such an easy read that was so moving. Dinan makes so many jokes about post grad living in Clapham I was reeling. Loved it. Boulder was pure poetry! You should read it honestly it was such a poem-novel hybrid. I wanted to underline almost every sentence it was packed with so much lyricism. I was so impressed by Baltasar’s skill - to make a book so horrifying and beautiful all at the same time?!!?!
Martha!! Happy birthday <3 you bring good vibes with you everywhere you go. I read East of Eden years ago, and you've inspired me to re-read. Maybe later this summer! Also adding Clear to my list immediately. xx
Thank you Eve, for the birthday wishes and complimenting my good vibes (a compliment of the highest calibre from you) <3 I’d love to see an East of Eden reread from you!!!! I was honestly shocked at how much I loved the book. I think rereading years later would be super interesting to see how your takeaways or interpretations might have changed! I loved Cathy’s pure chaos honestly. When I first read her I was absolutely reading her as pure evil, but as soon as she got trapped by being pregnant w Adam I felt a lot of compassion for her. I ended the book thinking that she was actually one of the bravest in the story. I thought it was slay that she managed to control her death when it was slightly set up that she might get killed by someone else?
Also re Clear yes super lovely book that I think you’d really really enjoy - reflective and endearing in all the right places xxx
First of all HAPPY ONE YEAR !! I’m truly so glad to have found you here and we’re all better for your insights and thoughts and recommendations. Even if this newsletter was borne of unfortunate circumstances, I’m glad you’re here. My queen of translated literature and extremely cool taste 🧎♀️
Second, EAST OF EDEN !!!!!!!! I totally agree that the modern criticisms are valid but this is one of my favorite books. When I read it in high school for the first time it shifted something in me 😭
Third, I’m so curious about so many of these (what’s new) but Bellies keeps coming up so I’m intrigued to see it here too. Time to prioritize it I guess!!
Thank you Steph 🥹 you’re going to make me cry! I’m truly so glad to have found you here too, I’m glad you’re here too 🩷 the unfortunate circumstances blossomed into something wonderful. I need ‘my queen of translated literature and extremely cool taste’ tattooed on my chest - the kneeling is only right 🧎♀️
East of Eden!!!?!! Yeh I absolutely fucking loved it I did not expect that at all. There are some issues w it (like most classics) but I thought overall it was very timeless. I loved Cathy so much - my girl. I totally get why when it first came out people lost their heads over her, but in 2024 I just read her and thought you boss. Apart from setting her parents on fire which was unhinged, her determination was seriously admirable. She was so much fun to read. I also would’ve shot Adam honestly. I also have so much to say about Lee - how he was initially introduced to us in this deeply racist way, and as if he was an idiot, and then he becomes the objectively smartest and most emotionally intelligent character on the page, who manages to control his ‘destiny’ per say in the most impressive way. He says a line about how being a servant is the most powerful job because you influence and control family’s and that’s exactly what happens - he is literally a father to those boys and is the only one w any emotional bandwidth. I wonder what Steinbeck was trying to do w his character - why the change? Was he trying to convey something at the time about misconceptions/xenophobia? Idk has me THINKING tho! It has shifted something in me since too!!! I want to read more of him but also I’m scared nothing will live up to this.
Loving all the curiosity Steph as per usual! I heavily recommend ‘Bellies’ - such a good summer read. It was wonderful and I think you’d really like it. I don’t really read books about relationships and I was mf hooked. It was 10/10 no notes x
The thought of you smiling makes me smile - 🥹 thank you Madeline!
I’m laughing at you being intrigued by over half the books in this edition haha - but excellent choices, it was a good month! ‘Bellies’ was SO good, and reminded me a lot of ‘Normal People’ so I would definitely recommend it to you seeing as you just read and loved your first Rooney! I also love your intrigue in ‘East of Eden’! Natalie and I have said it a million times but we really did not expect to love it as much as we did. I love a generational story/family saga and despite it being written in 1952 it was still so relevant. Family scandal and drama is timeless I guess haha.
And thank you for the congratulations!!! I have loved connecting with you on here too - it’s wonderful that something simple as a great love for books has brought us together! ❤️
so many wonderful recs!! happy one year anni 🌸
Thank you for being here Nicole! 🩷 I loved Clear - I devoured it in a day- I thought it was so lovely!
yes i thought you may!!
Congrats on one year!! East of Eden has also been staring at me from my shelf for ages, & your review has gotten me excited to pick it up soon
Thank you Regan! Omg yes you should absolutely read it - I was shocked by how readable I found it! It was a lot more fun to read than I expected it to be. I would also be so interested to hear your thoughts on Cathy, as well as some of the other characters. I look forward to talking about it with you whenever you get round to reading it! xxx
An amazing list, and congratulations on your first birthday!! My June was super slow, so I've only been reading "Boy Erased," by Gerard Conley. So beautifully written and such a heart-wrenching story
Thank you Rowan!! Oo I love a memoir and I haven’t heard of this before? It sounds fascinating, and devastating. Have you finished it or are you still in the thick of it?
I haven't heard of it on any bookish Internet spaces, so I'm not sure how popular it is. It's fantastic though - Conley details his experiences in a conversion therapy program in the early 00's and what lead to his arrival there. I haven't finished it yet, but it isn't overly long! I'm just a slow reader lol
Nothing wrong with being a slow reader Rowan! I haven’t heard of it in any of those spaces either. I’ll definitely add it to my list thank you for the recommendation - it sounds like a horrendous and very interesting story.
So many Buys this month!!!!
Bellies is one of my faves from the last year, I'm so glad you loved it!
Two books I read this month that I think you'd like: Bad Habit by Alana S Portero and Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna!
I know?!? Frankly I was unnerved at all the buys and worried if the sheer amount would undermine my credibility lol. But it was just a really good month - what’s a girl to do!
Bellies was gorgeous, made my heart swell with love w Tom and Ming and then ripped it out and stamped on it. I didn’t love how R died (as in a writing choice) but I did enjoy the way it created an opportunity for T and M to come back together and be honest with each other about how they’d been feeling. I’m nervous for the TV adaption - how do you feel about it?
Oh I love those two recs - thank you! Evenings & Weekends has been in my radar for a hot minute, it feels like a perfect summer book. Bad Habit is new to me and I love the sound of it?!?
I think the Bellies TV show is going to be great! (Putting it out into the universe, but really with the Normal Peopl team behind it… it’s likely to be really good!)
I agree - NP remains one of the best book to show adaptation ever so hopefully the same thing can happen again.
East of Eden was the surprise of the year! If i copy pasted just our chat about it that would fill a newsletter - thanks for the great buddy read :)
Surprise of the year for us both! I love how much we had minimal expectations and come out bursting with reflections, thoughts and love for it! Hahaha our copy and pasted chat would be an incredible newsletter - maybe we should consider it?
I went back through it and you had WONDERFUL things to say and I had some minor quips I really could have done better lol it was funny though :) loved all your insights and seeing how your mind works
Hey no you also had wonderful things to say! We were both insightful and comedic in equal measure. I loved all your insights too - you picked up on things I didn’t which I appreciated & is why reading together was such a joy!
I always look forward to reading your reviews. Happy one year!
Thank you Isabel - I appreciate you!
bellies foreverrrrr 💌 great list!! def not what i typically go for but def on my radar now!!
bellies foreverrr fr - 🥹 this was my face when I finished the book and has been ever since I think about it. I am so excited and intrigued to see what Dinan writes next. thank you billie! 🩷
Happy Birthday Martha’s Monthly!
Thank you Jam!! ❤️❤️❤️
Just added Bellies, Clear, and Boulder to my TBR list. Thanks as always for your time effort and willingness to share.
3 excellent choices - I look forward to hearing what you think, whenever you get the opportunity to read! Thank you as always for your readership Rachel - it means a lot ❤️
I'm always delighted to see that someone else has read The Invention of Morel as it's the book that got me hooked into Argentine Literature. Have you read the works of Casares' wife, Silvina Ocampo? She's WILD. And I'll have to grab The Night Will Be Long! It's been on my list for ages now!
No way!! I love Argentine Literature but surprisingly hadn’t read Casares’ before! I thought the TIOM was weird but I loved it. I did not expect it to take the turn that it did. I’m not sure what I thought was going on for them to be ignoring him, but projections wasn’t on my mind haha. My favourite Argentine girl is Claudia Piñeiro - I have her new translation of ‘Time Of The Flies’ to read next!!! I have not read his wife’s work but I am so hooked by you just saying she’s WILD! What would you recommend from her? I am always up for a wild woman.
And definitely! The Night Will Be Long is super fun, I hope you enjoy it!
Oh it sooo weird, but I think about the ending often, and I think it put me on the right footing with Argentine Literature in that way. I’m so glad I went in blind! And of course Claudia Piñeiro is beyond incredible. I think she might be the greatest living Argentine writer. As for Silvina, it’s a toss up. You can read her short stories, of which only a few are translated, but Borges himself said to understand her you have to read her poetry. That’s where I started, and I was surprised at how much I liked it, though I wish I read her in Spanish first since I find translation of poetry to be subpar. Mariana Enriquez wrote an incredible piece that’s on Lithub about Silvina Ocampo.
Soooo weird, the ending really took me by surprise. Going in blind is definitely the way forward - I found writing the review for it hard because I really didn’t want to ruin it for anyone, but equally you have to communicate some aspects of it haha. Piñeiro is definitely the goat writer of Argentina. Have you read ‘Cousins’ by Aurora Venturini? Super wierd but very good book! An Argentinian author ofc.
Okay interesting about Silvina. I don’t tend to gravitate towards poetry but perhaps I will for her. I’m unsurprised of your reflections on finding translated poetry subpar - there’s so little wording with such weighted meaning I expect the nuance of a poem is almost impossible to translate. I’ll check out the Enriquez piece - thank you so much!
Yes, Piñeiro is absolutely the goat of Argentine Literature haha! I haven’t read Cousins but yes! Another to add! The more Argentine authors the merrier. I also don’t tend to gravitate towards poetry but admittedly I find Spanish poetry to be the exception. I didn’t get the hype around Neruda until I read him in Spanish, and I’ve since extended to others. I’m honestly impressed with a lot of translators, but I find Spanish is just a language better suited to poetry imho.
Piñeiro is absolutely the goat. Okay interesting - I appreciate what you’re saying! Translated poetry is not something I’ve really read but perhaps I should start - I often stick heavily to trans fiction.
Congratulations on your one-year anniversary, Martha.🎉 Keep doing what you’re doing. Always interesting and helpful to read.
Thank you Louise!! I’m so glad you enjoy the newsletter, it means a lot ❤️
Happy one year, Martha! I’m so glad to know you and chat books in this space 🤍📚☺️
Thank you Michelle! I’m so glad to know you and chat books in this space with you too! 🥰❤️ we have a lot of book fun (and I love it)
Happy first birthday to this wonderful newsletter!! I've really enjoyed sitting with your reviews over time and witnessing the expanse of this newsletter. Thank you for showing up the way that you do❤️ Thanks for enlargening our TBRs in such an entirely Martha, fire-sign carefree way hehe.
I LOVE dub poetry/the dub scene in London so 'Fire Rush' is exciting to me, especially as I've been reading up on Caribbean/dub writers. Jean 'Binta' Breeze (RIP🕊) was one of my faves and I always gravitated to the women's side of the retelling of the dub scene in post-windrush London because yeah, it was always a little less spoken about. Absolutely adding this to the list. Also appreciate the playlist! I've always appreciated the link between writers and their playlists whille writing a book but for this one I imagine it was essential.
Also, the way you described 'Bellies' is so precious and the poet in me is grateful for your review of 'Boulder'. Those lines that you quoted are so full of lyricism.
Thank you Amara! For your reading, friendship and plethora of kind words and encouragement always ❤️ fire-sign carefree way intended always lol.
I am SO unsurprised you are drawn to ‘Fire Rush’ because as I was reading I was thinking of you!!!! Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze has such brilliant energy - I always smile when I watch videos of her performing her poems! The link between writers and music is so interesting! I bet it was essential for Crooks & this book - I had really limited knowledge on dub reggae so I loooved listening to the playlist to help understand the book on a deeper level. I love to learn!
Bellies was so precious 🥺 such an easy read that was so moving. Dinan makes so many jokes about post grad living in Clapham I was reeling. Loved it. Boulder was pure poetry! You should read it honestly it was such a poem-novel hybrid. I wanted to underline almost every sentence it was packed with so much lyricism. I was so impressed by Baltasar’s skill - to make a book so horrifying and beautiful all at the same time?!!?!
Martha!! Happy birthday <3 you bring good vibes with you everywhere you go. I read East of Eden years ago, and you've inspired me to re-read. Maybe later this summer! Also adding Clear to my list immediately. xx
Thank you Eve, for the birthday wishes and complimenting my good vibes (a compliment of the highest calibre from you) <3 I’d love to see an East of Eden reread from you!!!! I was honestly shocked at how much I loved the book. I think rereading years later would be super interesting to see how your takeaways or interpretations might have changed! I loved Cathy’s pure chaos honestly. When I first read her I was absolutely reading her as pure evil, but as soon as she got trapped by being pregnant w Adam I felt a lot of compassion for her. I ended the book thinking that she was actually one of the bravest in the story. I thought it was slay that she managed to control her death when it was slightly set up that she might get killed by someone else?
Also re Clear yes super lovely book that I think you’d really really enjoy - reflective and endearing in all the right places xxx
First of all HAPPY ONE YEAR !! I’m truly so glad to have found you here and we’re all better for your insights and thoughts and recommendations. Even if this newsletter was borne of unfortunate circumstances, I’m glad you’re here. My queen of translated literature and extremely cool taste 🧎♀️
Second, EAST OF EDEN !!!!!!!! I totally agree that the modern criticisms are valid but this is one of my favorite books. When I read it in high school for the first time it shifted something in me 😭
Third, I’m so curious about so many of these (what’s new) but Bellies keeps coming up so I’m intrigued to see it here too. Time to prioritize it I guess!!
Thank you Steph 🥹 you’re going to make me cry! I’m truly so glad to have found you here too, I’m glad you’re here too 🩷 the unfortunate circumstances blossomed into something wonderful. I need ‘my queen of translated literature and extremely cool taste’ tattooed on my chest - the kneeling is only right 🧎♀️
East of Eden!!!?!! Yeh I absolutely fucking loved it I did not expect that at all. There are some issues w it (like most classics) but I thought overall it was very timeless. I loved Cathy so much - my girl. I totally get why when it first came out people lost their heads over her, but in 2024 I just read her and thought you boss. Apart from setting her parents on fire which was unhinged, her determination was seriously admirable. She was so much fun to read. I also would’ve shot Adam honestly. I also have so much to say about Lee - how he was initially introduced to us in this deeply racist way, and as if he was an idiot, and then he becomes the objectively smartest and most emotionally intelligent character on the page, who manages to control his ‘destiny’ per say in the most impressive way. He says a line about how being a servant is the most powerful job because you influence and control family’s and that’s exactly what happens - he is literally a father to those boys and is the only one w any emotional bandwidth. I wonder what Steinbeck was trying to do w his character - why the change? Was he trying to convey something at the time about misconceptions/xenophobia? Idk has me THINKING tho! It has shifted something in me since too!!! I want to read more of him but also I’m scared nothing will live up to this.
Loving all the curiosity Steph as per usual! I heavily recommend ‘Bellies’ - such a good summer read. It was wonderful and I think you’d really like it. I don’t really read books about relationships and I was mf hooked. It was 10/10 no notes x