Blue Marlin, Lee Smith: I saw this on a Garden & Gun book list and had to get it simply for the cover. The novella inside is just as high quality and nostalgic. A great southern coming-of-age story in the vein of Pat Conroy, Carson McCullers, et al. I appreciated the Hollywood angle to the latter half story, along with the highly atmospheric Key West setting that serves as its backdrop. Plus, a quick detour to Weeki Wachee Springs reminded me of Dave Barry's excellent Best. State. Ever.
The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes, Elissa R. Sloan: I read Daisy Jones and the Six earlier in the year and was expecting to like it a lot more than I did, considering it’s a Behind The Music-esque tale of a 1970s rock band. I just couldn’t buy into it or imagine what their music might sound like, no matter how hard I tried (or how much I attempted to use Almost Famous as a reference point). The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes takes a similar approach, but this time with a Pop girl group circa 1999 to 2002. Maybe it’s because I lived through this era, but this fictional band was able to come alive In my head so much more easily. Basically, Cassidy Holmes is everything I had wanted Daisy Jones to be - an engaging, nostalgic, music-soaked page-turner.
Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens: It’s taken me a while, but I finally got around to this one – and enjoyed it! It’s sort of like a cross between Pat Conroy and John Grisham (with a few dashes of Pippi Longstocking and Swamplandia!), so I found myself reading an engaging mash up of two of my favorite Southern authors. Crawdads is well-written, atmospheric, and compelling, with a protagonist and a plot that are equally memorable. I’m glad I didn’t know anything about the book – other than its immense popularity – before I read it, since it was wonderful to uncover its secrets as I turned the pages (however, despite liking the book, I’m still a bit confused how / why it’s achieved blockbuster status – it’s good, but maybe not THAT good?).
Piranesi, Susanna Clarke: Believe the hype on this one! Piranesi is a fantasy / mystery that you should know as little about as possible before diving in. It’s only 245 pages and can easily be read in one sitting, but it packs a huge, existential punch (possible side effect: weird dreams). After you read this, go read The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern, if you haven’t already. I was not a fan of Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and while Piransesi has some of the same aforementioned existential themes, the tightness of the story (as well as various aspects of the plot that brought to mind both The Starless Sea and His Dark Materials) make it so much more readable.
🎶 Music
"Rocket", Ben Taylor: It has been a while since Ben Taylor has released music, but if “Rocket” is an indication of what he’s been working on, then the wait will be worth it. As is to be expected, the lyrics are insanely good and relatable – and strike the perfect balance between topical and timeless. Plus, Ben’s voice is as gorgeous and soothing as ever; just the aural balm I need in these trying times.
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