May Reading Favourites

I read slightly fewer books this month than usual (but still a lot, obvs), but also some of the best books I've read all year. Unsurprisingly, this is a pretty eclectic mix.

This speculative literary novel is about the people of NYC waking up one day to realize that every building has suddenly appeared in a new place, often showing up in a completely different borough. Esme and Arjun both work for the emergency management team; Esme is great at analyzing and helps to problem-solve all the electrical emergencies and such, while Arjun longs to be a hero as he drives around trying to help people who have gotten lost. As the city continues to rearrange itself every night, they try to find out more about where it originated, Esme searches for her fiancé who has disappeared, and Arjun just tries to find himself.

This is a really great concept, and never went where I expected it to go. It's character-driven and is more concerned with asking questions than answering them. The characters are flawed and occasionally annoying, but they felt very real and I couldn't help feeling quite fond of them. 

I loved this so much. The author is a rare book dealer who loves Jane Austen, and she got interested in finding out more about the authors Austen liked and had on her own bookshelves. She focuses on 8 different female writers who were writing novels before or during Austen's time, most of which she really admired. For each author, we get a biography, a description of her most famous books, and most interestingly for me, an exploration of why these women are no longer in the canon of classics while Austen is. She also describes her search for meaningful editions of these books, giving so much insight into the industry of publishing and rare book dealing. 

I found all of these different aspects of the book fascinating, and she weaved them together so well. I've started looking for books by the authors she talked about myself because she made them sound so intriguing, AND I've been thinking a lot about my own book collection and how I approach it.

I've read a lot of books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and this is definitely one of my new favourites. It revolves around Vera, a Mexican woman who is chosen as an unknown to play Salome during the 1950s in Hollywood. She's completely new to the world of Hollywood and soon gets overwhelmed. Another POV character is Nancy, who's playing a bit part but feels she deserved the lead. Salome herself is the third POV character, as she falls in love with John the Baptist but gets caught up in political machinations. 

Most of the book is the daily goings-on of making a movie, but knowing it doesn't end well keeps the momentum going. I loved how all three of the women's stories played off each other, which felt masterfully done. They all felt very real, and all struggling with power and how any power they have is wrapped up in the men around them. The book was so immersive, and whenever I think about it, I'm immediately transported to 1950s Hollywood.

Backman has long been one of my favourite authors of all time, so I felt both excitement and trepidation when starting his latest book. Luckily, I thought it was just as lovely as his past books.

Louisa is about to age out of the foster care system and has just lost her best friend to suicide. She meets her favourite artist by chance, who dies later that day and gifts her his famous painting of three kids on a pier. She ends up on a journey with one of the kids, now grown up, back to their hometown, and along the way she hears the story of the three friends. 

As expected from Backman, this story is happy and sad, tragic and joyful. It's about characters who are full of anger and violence, but also love and loyalty, despite all of the horrible things they've experienced. It's all so full of emotion that I had to constantly take breaks. It's about friendship and its importance in our lives, which is a theme that always gets me. 

This book absolutely worked for me, and it was just so nice to read something that did everything I wanted it to. Augusta is a 42-year-old spinster living happily, if a bit bored, with her twin Julia, but when their boorish brother decides to get married and Julia finds a growth in her breast, they decide to use their independence and remaining time to be ill-mannered and help women in trouble however they can. Throughout the book they are given several tasks they can't refuse, getting them into trouble. They are also constantly put into contact with Lord Evan, who was sent to Australia for 20 years for a crime Gus is sure he didn't commit. And for the first time, Gus can't seem to stop thinking about a man, especially one who seems to admire how indefatigable she is. 

I loved Gus, Julia, and Evan. I loved that she was a tall spinster who doesn't disparage other women, but still felt like a unique character who doesn't quite fit in. I loved that Julia, while quieter and more careful, also contributed a lot to their schemes with her acting abilities and great memory. And it was just so fun! Add a bit of mystery and romance, and you get one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've had so far this year. A rare case where I'm eager for the sequel right away after finishing. 

ALSO this author obviously knows so much about the Regency era, including so many historical details about what was going on in that time, what they wore, the different laws, etc. This is an author writing Regency books because she's an expert in the era and not just because it's a popular period.