8 Novels I'm Dying to Read
Plus, the Blurbing controversy, an awesome literary event + a great new podcast.
Has anyone been listening to author Elin Hilderbrand’s new podcast “Beach, Books & Beyond” that she’s been recording with Tim Ehrenberg? It’s filled with writing tips and insider takes. The interview with Kristin Hannah is an absolute must listen.
Hannah has a new novel releasing this winter called The Women and it’s set in the 1970s during the Vietnam War. One thing she and Hilderbrand discuss on the podcast is the Blurbing controversy in publishing — you know those short descriptions on the back of novels where authors wax poetic about the merits of the work?
Hilderbrand, who has kindly blurbed both of my novels, complained how she gets too many requests, she doesn’t enjoy blurbing and she doesn’t believe those blurbs sell books. The Blurbing controversy continues with this clever article from The Atlantic and this one from publicist Kathleen Schmidt who makes the case that not every single book can be “sparkly, witty or compulsively readable.” Laugh out loud.
And so I’ll be going out and asking for blurbs for my third book any day now — are you serious right now? Yes! Controversial or not, we authors still have to comply. Already dreading it! Author friends, you know I’m headed your way. Except for the incredibly talented Natalie Jenner who was so kind to give me a blurb right after reading an early draft. Shazam!
Now on to the books I can’t wait to read this September. I obviously can’t get to all of these this month, but goodness, I’m going to try.
The Phoenix Crown
by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
I’ll read anything by Kate Quinn. The plot of this one is particularly gripping: “A thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.”
Happiness Falls
by Angie Kim
Kim’s Miracle Creek was incredible; she’s a gifted writer. Now her next book is here, and it sounds like a page-turner. “When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling work, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek.”
All You Have to Do is Call
by Kerri Maher
The subject matter of this one piqued my interest: “A dramatic and inspiring novel based on the true story of the Jane Collective and the brave women who fought for our right to choose, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller.”
The Fraud
by Zadie Smith
I’ll read anything written by Smith whose work has entranced me over the years. The Fraud is based on a true story and it’s historical fiction about the “Tichborne Trial”—wherein a lower-class butcher from Australia claimed he was in fact the rightful heir of a sizable estate and title. The case captivated all of Victorian England. “A kaleidoscopic work of historical fiction set against the legal trial that divided Victorian England, about who gets to tell their story—and who gets to be believed.”
The Unsettled
by Ayana Mathis
A family curse, a multigenerational saga, powerful writing. This one seems to have it all. “From the best-selling author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, a searing multi-generational novel—set in the 1980s in racially and politically turbulent Philadelphia and in the tiny town of Bonaparte, Alabama—about a mother fighting for her sanity and survival.” Aren’t we all? LOL.
The Rachel Incident
by Caroline O’Donoghue
This is a book from summer I’m trying to sneak into fall so I had to include it. My agent mentioned it was one of her favorites, too, so then I really wanted to read it. I loved the blurb (yes, I read blurbs!!) by Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. "If you’ve ever been unsure what to do with your degree in English; if you’ve ever wondered when the rug-buying part of your life will start...if you’ve ever loved the wrong person, or the right person at the wrong time…In short, if you’ve ever been young, you will love The Rachel Incident like I did.”
It was such a joy to interview author Jimin Han about her new novel The Apology, which is one of my favorites of the year. So many other authors came out to support her and it was wonderful seeing them, too.
One of my favorite things she talked about was just how much you need to slow down in writing. Authors try to work fast, fast, fast, but to really get to the nut of the story, you need to take time inside a scene and inside a character’s head.
I also loved when Jimin told us how she’d been to a psychic twice and those visits inspired the scene in The Apology when Jeonga is called from the afterlife to communicate with her close friend through a medium. So fascinating. Han’s description of the afterlife is particularly dazzling.
I loved Happiness Falls but I think it’s a very unique book for a specific type of reader — analytical types. I think that’s why reviews are mixed.
We just had this blurb debate in my writing group! The group was divided. Some said it’s a meaningless circle jerk. Others think readers need them and that they help sell books.