Quick Lit February 2023 Archives

The Idea of You

by Robinne Lee

I picked this up after Claire raved about it on this episode of What Should I Read Next: it sounded like perfect travel reading, so I packed it for my trip to NYC. Kismet: because so much of the book is set in New York, I found myself walking by locations for key scenes, and even read about a dramatic event on 57th Street while I was reading in bed at a hotel on that same street! To her great surprise, 39-year-old gallery owner Solène falls madly in love with a 20-year-old member of the boy band August Moon, embarking on an initially secret and then all-too-public relationship that unfolds in glamorous (read: seriously fun to read about) settings all over the world. The premise feels a little bit squidgy, but Lee really sells it, believably showing their clandestine affair evolve into a serious and loving relationship. This novel is packed with BIG FEELINGS, lavish descriptions of luxe locales, and interesting details on the business of contemporary art. This is also very much a story about an "aging" woman reclaiming her sexuality: heads up for some seriously racy scenes.

Bring Up the Bodies

by Hilary Mantel

From the publisher: "The sequel to Hilary Mantel's 2009 Man Booker Prize winner and New York Times bestseller, Wolf Hall delves into the heart of Tudor history with the downfall of Anne Boleyn."

The Levee

by William Kent Krueger

From the publisher: "An audio original novella, The Levee is a powerful, captivating story of a family, a storm, a complicated rescue, and the true cost of survival. It’s 1927, and the most devastating flood in American history has swelled the Mississippi River to a width of eighty miles. In an attempt to save a family trapped by the rising water, four men in a tiny rowboat battle the treacherous flow: three are convicts, on loan from the local prison and pressed into service; the fourth, the leader of the team, is driven by his own hidden motives. But to their surprise upon arrival at Ballymore, an ancestral home protected by a high, circular levee, not everyone in the family feels the need to be saved. Pride, greed, loyalty, and even love create their own complex currents behind the massive wall. As the threat from the flood increases and time ticks away, the crew and the family must decide on a course of action, and a desperate plan is hatched to save the weakening levee and all it was built to protect."

The Cook: A Novel

by Maylis de Kerangal

Nancy Klinke for the The New York Times Book Review calls this "A slim, bountiful, beautifully written (and gorgeously translated) 'Portrait of the Chef as a Young Man.'"

The Portrait of a Mirror

by A. Natasha Joukovsky

I was drawn in by the concept of this debut: it follows two young, well-off couples in New York City and Philadelphia over the course of a summer, reimagining the myth of Narcissus as a modern novel of manners. None of the characters are particularly likable or sympathetic, but they're interesting, and I found their jobs in the worlds of art and finance equally so. We watch the action unfold through the eyes and ears of each of the four main characters, as well as through text threads, email exchanges, Wikipedia pages, and even a New York Times wedding announcement as it all builds to a fitting ending. I enjoyed tracking the numerous references to Greek mythology, and how Joukovsky explores love and desire, narcissism and self-delusion, recursion and image management.

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

This was a delight on audio! I was inspired to pick it up after WSIRN alum Valencia Taylor mentioned it in a Patreon bonus episode with our team member Shannan. Blackburn's debut is based on her own experience as a Nigerian woman whose mother desperately wants her to find love and happiness—which means, of course, that she must find a husband. Yinka is 31, a British-Nigerian woman in possession of a degree from Oxford, a good job, and loads of friends, and yet she can't help but be bothered by her aunties' fervent prayers that she find romance. Driven by this insecurity, she tells a little white lie, which soon enough lands her in a heap of trouble with those who love her most. I enjoyed cheering Yinka on as she attempts to put things to rights and find love, happiness, and—most crucially—self-acceptance. Narrated by Ronke Adékoluejo.

Quick Lit February 2023

The Idea of You

Bring Up the Bodies

The Levee

The Cook: A Novel

The Portrait of a Mirror

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations
for every mood

Quick Lit February 2023

The Idea of You

Bring Up the Bodies

The Levee

The Cook: A Novel

The Portrait of a Mirror

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations for every mood

100 Book recommendations
for every mood