Read This Next: May 2024
While we’re still waiting for summer to fully arrive in Germany, May brought some sunshine and a much-needed break for us. We spent Memorial Day weekend relaxing by the ocean in Malta, which helped me get back on track with my yearly reading goal! The beach, the sun, and a stack of incredible books were just what I needed to feel recharged.
From thrilling mysteries to heartfelt contemporary fiction, it’s pretty clear that I’ve slid head-first into summer reading mode. Something about warmer days and more sunlight always leave me craving books that are sharp, witty and completely binge-worthy.
Now, let's dive into the books that made the cut this month. From R.F. Kuang’s thrilling exploration of identity to Sarah Ruiz-Grossman’s poignant contemporary fiction, there’s something for every reader.
As always, I clarify in my reviews whether I listened to or physically read the book. I also link all of the book cover images to Goodreads so you can click on them to read more reviews if you’re so inclined. So, with that, let’s see what you should read next!
yELLOWFACE
r.f. kUANG
Stats: Contemporary Fiction, 329 pages
Quick summary
Athena Liu and June Hayward are both budding authors and frenemies from their college years. While June’s debut was lackluster, Athena quickly became a literary darling—until a freak accident during a night of celebration with June claims her life. After speaking to the police and before leaving Ahtena’s apartment, June scoops up Athena’s latest unpublished draft. Before she knows it, June has polished the draft and submitted it to her editor as her own work. Finally, June will know the fame that should have been hers from the beginning—if the internet doesn’t uncover her dirty secret.
What I thought:
I wish I wouldn’t have slept on this book for so long. This may be one of the more bingeable reads I’ve had on the list in a while, and I devoured it within four days. I loved the inside look into the cruel world of publishing and found myself excitedly flying through each chapter to see if everything would blow up in June’s face.
Who should read it:
Thriller and mystery fans looking to shake up the usual genre tropes.
A Fire So Wild
Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Stats: Contemporary Fiction, 208 pages
Quick summary
Fire season is coming to Berkeley, California, and everyone has their own way of preparing. Fearing estrangement from her spouse and child, Abigail plans a fundraiser for her latest affordable housing project on her birthday so no one can decline. Across town, Sunny and Willow live in a van by the coast, hoping their application is approved for one of the coveted, low-income rentals currently under construction, dreaming this may be the start of a new life.
What I thought:
Another quick book if you’re looking for a win on your reading challenges. Goodreads billed it as having “emotional echoes of Little Fires Everywhere” and I whole-heartedly agree. Since it’s a short book, there wasn’t any fluff, though this meant the characters were a bit two-dimensional. At times, the prose was a little heavy-handed with the housing crisis messaging, but it wasn’t enough to make me roll my eyes.
Who should read it:
Fans of Ask Again, Yes and Little Fire Everywhere.
Greta & Valdin
MATTHEW DESMOND
Stats: Contemporary Fiction, 351 pages
Quick summary
Greta and Valdin are siblings living in Auckland. Greta should be focusing on her possibly pointless master’s thesis in Russian literature, but instead her work crush, Holly, occupies all her thoughts, even if Holly seems oblivious. Greta’s brother, Valdin, is trying to forget his ex, Xabi, and is successful most days until his work sends him to Buenos Aires, where Xabi fled after their dramatic breakup.
What I thought:
This was billed for fans of Schitt’s Creek and Sally Rooney’s Normal People, and I couldn’t agree more. The writing was sharp and smart, navigating the highs and lows of being a 20-something finding yourself in a world of love and heartbreak. Even though this was fiction, I found the characters’ experiences grappling with their cultural identities added an interesting, fresh layer to the story's complexity.
Who should read it:
People looking for a pool read outside of the formulaic meet-cute romance variety.
Big Swiss
Jen Beagin
Stats: Contemporary Fiction, 336 pages
Quick summary
Greta lives a quiet life in her old house with her little dog in the small town of Hudson. She spends most of her days transcribing counseling sessions for a sex therapist who goes by the name of Om. Normally, she doesn’t get too involved in the recordings, but that changes when Om starts counseling Big Swiss, Greta’s nickname for the tall, no-nonsense client. After dreaming of her night after night, Greta has a chance encounter with Big Swiss and struggles to keep what she already knows about her out of their relationship.
What I thought:
I believe this popped up when I gave Greta & Valdin a good review and I obviously added it purely based on the cover (and a little bit because of the synopsis). This book was… odd. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it either. I was thoroughly invested in Greta and Big Swiss’s relationship, but as my Kindle ticked closer and closer to the end, I realized that there wasn’t going to be much of a payoff (or ending) for that matter. Much like Lapvona, certain scenes felt like they written purely for a gross-out factor (is this something that is encouraged in MFA programs?)
Who should read it:
If you’re one of the few who signed up for Lapvona, might want to give it a whirl.
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
Cal Newport
Stats: Self Help, 6 hours and 17 minutes
Quick summary
Today’s world is filled with never-ending task lists, overflowing inboxes and hundreds of unread Slack notifications. Newport encourages us to step back from the churn-and-burn culture and focus on the lost art of slow productivity, allowing big projects to follow the nature ebbs and flows of deep work and focusing our attention more on the quality, rather than the quantity of our work.
What I thought:
I have lukewarm thoughts on this book. It felt like there was a lot of fluff for a fairly short book, and while the author tried to connect how “regular people,” or those working standard corporate jobs with little autonomy over their schedules, could use these methods, it often fell short. Even though I’d classify this more as a theory book rather than a book with concrete steps, there were a few nuggets that I’m bringing into my workflow, such as the pull system for projects.
Who should read it:
In terms of books in this category, Atomic Habits is significantly more helpful for learning how to manage time and accomplish your goals.