Books
August 2013 in Books: What Bustle Staffers Are Reading This Month
"An Iranian author sets out to write an uplifting love story set in a world where men and women aren't even allowed to see each other face to face in a public library. The story is told in bold, while in regular font he writes his own commentary along with all the things that are part of the story but that he knows will never make it past the censors. The book is partly about Iran, partly about censorship, and partly about being a writer. It's thought-provoking and engaging, and I'm loving it."
'Censoring an Iranian Love Story' by Shahriar Mandianipour
"An Iranian author sets out to write an uplifting love story set in a world where men and women aren't even allowed to see each other face to face in a public library. The story is told in bold, while in regular font he writes his own commentary along with all the things that are part of the story but that he knows will never make it past the censors. The book is partly about Iran, partly about censorship, and partly about being a writer. It's thought-provoking and engaging, and I'm loving it."
'Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls' by David Sedaris
"Not usually one to erupt into public fits of giggles, I found myself powerless faced with Sedaris' latest collection of wildly hysterical short stories. Delivered in his typically lyrical, self-depricating style, he transported me through personal histories and political satire in a way that resonated with soul and funny bone alike."
'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro
"It definitely started slowly, but I'm right in the middle of it now — and it's surprisingly tender for such a dystopian premise."
'Lost Girls' by Robert Kolker
"I just finished this compelling, haunting account of the still-ongoing search for a Long Island serial killer, which stays with you long after you've finished reading. It heartbreakingly chronicles the lives and deaths of five young women, all Craigslist prostitutes, and the questions it raises — were all five women killed by one person? Are there still more bodies to be found? Did the women's choices in career deter police from putting full effort into investigating their cases? — are searing and important."
'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman
"Gaiman is a whiz at incorporating fantastical mythology into a realistic setting, and American Gods may well be the epitome of this absurdist style. Through the eyes of ex-convict Shadow, readers are drawn into a dark — and at times darkly funny — view of the American populace. In this modern masterpiece, the ancient gods of yore return with a vengeance in an epic battle for the spirit of America."
'How Georgia Became O'Keeffe: Lessons on the Art of Living' by Karen Karbo
"I only knew the basics about O'Keeffe before picking up this book, but found myself as smitten with the writing style as its subject's life. It's Karbo's third highly irreverent, opinionated biography/advice book, after covering Katharine Hepburn and Coco Chanel. Karbo's asides, snipes (she skewers photographer Stieglitz repeatedly) and admission that O'Keeffe would probably hate the book make it all the more charming."
'In A Country of Mothers' by A.M. Homes
"A fellow writer in my fiction workshop gave me this book to help with research for the novel I’m writing because of the beautiful, strange dynamic A.M. Homes creates between patient and therapist. When I tweeted out for #FridayReads that I’d cracked open an Homes title for my latest literary foray, author Elliott Holt tweeted back at me, 'She’s amazing.' That essentially says it all."
'Where'd You Go Bernadette?' by Maria Semple
"Maria Semple has written for SNL, Arrested Development, and Ellen, and her crackling wit and pop culture savvy shine in every sentence of this book. It's full of hilarious, biting social commentary, but at its heart, it's a mother-daughter love story about once-in-a-lifetime genius and everyday insanity. It reminded me of (Pulitzer-winning) A Visit to the Goon Squad — but better."
