Too many on my tbr for the summer (and always tbh), but really looking forward to I Hope this Find You Well by Natalie Sue and All Fours by Miranda July!
I am eagerly awaiting my copy of Clair Lombardo’s new novel- Same As It Ever Was. I read her last book, The Most Fun We Ever Had, and it quickly became a favorite.
My summer is bananas so I probably won't be doing this, BUT I keep thinking that it would be really fun to do a deep dive on a specific author for the summer and read all of their writing as well as their biography and be fully immersed in their weird beautiful mind. Personally, I've been thinking of someone like Patricia Highsmith or Clarice Lispector or Mary McCarthy (I research the mid-century lol), but there are so many authors that would be so good for this. Someone please live my dream for me!
I was let go in May of 2023 on the day of my 15th anniversary, and a caveat of collecting the severance of my position or whatever was that I had to continue working through the end of the summer. It worked out with me landing a great new gig, but those three and a half months were terrible. ❤️
It’s not a new book, but Inbetween by L.L. starling has been in my TBR for a while and I finally finished it. It’s on the longer side but a perfect mix of humor, suspense, magic and romance that made me want to just be absorbed into the story. I loved it.
I had so many stress dreams after being laid off in 2020. It really affected my sleep quality so much, it was bananas. Even 4 years later, I occasionally have a dream where I'm working there lol.
Tbf, those first few months were height of the panini so stress was at an all time high with everything, plus living in mpls. After a while the dreams turned from stressful to just boring and a bit odd. I'd wake up relieved I don't still work there.
On the other side, I was laid off twice during my working career (I'm retired now) and got through it both times without it affecting my dreams or even my sleep. Oddly, even though I've been retired for years, I do have anxiety dreams that almost always revolve around some sort of work situation at the last place I worked.
I wish we could configure AI to automatically request every book you recommend because I spend a lot of time searching for each (and have yet to be disappointed by any rec).
We did it!! Just happy to be here from NYC. Still connected. Have to move this summer but hoping to pick a good audible book to get me through all the packing. I am just not sure what to choose? Sometime the performance read makes the difference in the listening experience, so thinking on that but would love any suggestions.
Thanks Greta, I just finished Wondering stars and Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world and loved living there in those worlds for a bit, but they were familiar people and places I know and come from. I would love a real escape or something that takes me somewhere unexpected.
the god of the woods will be perfect! and thank you for the kind words. it’s definitely a time but it’s been really rewarding to carve out this space! ❤️
Wow, I haven’t read Beautyland yet and Love the other recommendations. I so appreciate you sharing. I just found out audible is having a sale, so I might get all of these and pre-order The God of the woods as it will come out just in time for when I begin packing. On a new and unexpected transition myself, so I have a lot of feelings. Honestly, I was too sad to hear nerdette ending as it’s been such a part of my weekly life, I wanted to record a message but just couldn’t. I’ve been holding on to listening to last episodes because I loved your show so much. I’m so grateful to know you and this community are here. I do send all the good energy for the next chapter and that your transition leads to many unexpected joy filled moments. I imagine you may already be experiencing some. Going to listen to the podcast you were recently on that you mentioned as well as the last two Nerdette’s I’ve held onto. Thanks again for the suggestions. Made my day! Just need to make something good with peanut butter now and this week will be a super win!
Greta, thank you for all this and thank you all for so many great recs! I couldn’t get the bookshop link to work. I need to buy another copy of Beautyland as a gift - another incredible book club rec.
Here are the summer books on my library hold list:
Mather,Tamsin Adventures in Volcanoland 6/18
Moore,Liz God of the Woods 7/2
Van den Berg,Laura State Of Paradise 7/9
Moreno-Garcia,Silvia Seventh Veil of Salome 7/16
Clark,P Djeli Dead Cat Tail Assassins 8/6
Philips,Helen Hum 8/6
Atkinson,Kate Death at the Sign of the Rook 9/3
I just finished The God of the Woods and OH MY GOD. I'm gonna do a giveaway for it next month!!
The God of the Woods is TOP on my summer TBR!!!
Ditto The God of the Woods! I’ve heard SO many people talking about it whose taste I trust. Can’t wait!!
Too many on my tbr for the summer (and always tbh), but really looking forward to I Hope this Find You Well by Natalie Sue and All Fours by Miranda July!
I am eagerly awaiting my copy of Clair Lombardo’s new novel- Same As It Ever Was. I read her last book, The Most Fun We Ever Had, and it quickly became a favorite.
My summer is bananas so I probably won't be doing this, BUT I keep thinking that it would be really fun to do a deep dive on a specific author for the summer and read all of their writing as well as their biography and be fully immersed in their weird beautiful mind. Personally, I've been thinking of someone like Patricia Highsmith or Clarice Lispector or Mary McCarthy (I research the mid-century lol), but there are so many authors that would be so good for this. Someone please live my dream for me!
This is a great idea.
I just bought The Ministry of Time today and am looking forward to reading it. Right now I’m enjoying The Girls by John Bowen
The feeling in my heart when I saw that peanut butter pie...I knew that love was real.
LOVE CONQUERS ALL AND SO DOES PEANUT BUTTER PIE
I was let go in May of 2023 on the day of my 15th anniversary, and a caveat of collecting the severance of my position or whatever was that I had to continue working through the end of the summer. It worked out with me landing a great new gig, but those three and a half months were terrible. ❤️
ugh!!! I'm glad you got a great new gig but I'm so sorry you went through that.
It’s not a new book, but Inbetween by L.L. starling has been in my TBR for a while and I finally finished it. It’s on the longer side but a perfect mix of humor, suspense, magic and romance that made me want to just be absorbed into the story. I loved it.
I just finished x-ray school so I am looking forward to reading anything for pleasure and anything that is not a textbook or notes!!!
The hyperlink to your bookshop list didn't work for me but it did when I typed it in manually, I think there may be a typo in the link?
Hi Manderay, this should work: https://bookshop.org/shop/greta - I just pre-ordered Margo's Got Money Troubles there!
thank you for your Link Typo Alerts!!! I'm so sorry I medded that up.
I had so many stress dreams after being laid off in 2020. It really affected my sleep quality so much, it was bananas. Even 4 years later, I occasionally have a dream where I'm working there lol.
noooo!!! THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR lol
Tbf, those first few months were height of the panini so stress was at an all time high with everything, plus living in mpls. After a while the dreams turned from stressful to just boring and a bit odd. I'd wake up relieved I don't still work there.
On the other side, I was laid off twice during my working career (I'm retired now) and got through it both times without it affecting my dreams or even my sleep. Oddly, even though I've been retired for years, I do have anxiety dreams that almost always revolve around some sort of work situation at the last place I worked.
I wish we could configure AI to automatically request every book you recommend because I spend a lot of time searching for each (and have yet to be disappointed by any rec).
We did it!! Just happy to be here from NYC. Still connected. Have to move this summer but hoping to pick a good audible book to get me through all the packing. I am just not sure what to choose? Sometime the performance read makes the difference in the listening experience, so thinking on that but would love any suggestions.
ooh, such a good question! what general vibe are you looking for? what are some of your recent faves?
Thanks Greta, I just finished Wondering stars and Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world and loved living there in those worlds for a bit, but they were familiar people and places I know and come from. I would love a real escape or something that takes me somewhere unexpected.
the god of the woods will be perfect! and thank you for the kind words. it’s definitely a time but it’s been really rewarding to carve out this space! ❤️
Wow, I haven’t read Beautyland yet and Love the other recommendations. I so appreciate you sharing. I just found out audible is having a sale, so I might get all of these and pre-order The God of the woods as it will come out just in time for when I begin packing. On a new and unexpected transition myself, so I have a lot of feelings. Honestly, I was too sad to hear nerdette ending as it’s been such a part of my weekly life, I wanted to record a message but just couldn’t. I’ve been holding on to listening to last episodes because I loved your show so much. I’m so grateful to know you and this community are here. I do send all the good energy for the next chapter and that your transition leads to many unexpected joy filled moments. I imagine you may already be experiencing some. Going to listen to the podcast you were recently on that you mentioned as well as the last two Nerdette’s I’ve held onto. Thanks again for the suggestions. Made my day! Just need to make something good with peanut butter now and this week will be a super win!
ooh, what a lovely prompt. Did you read BEAUTYLAND? It is very much of this world but still so so so gorgeous (and about an alien!)
MARGO'S GOT MONEY TROUBLES definitely took me to some unexpected places, but it's more on the lit fic side of things.
What about Sarah Kozloff's Nine Realms series? Total high fantasy! And there's four books so you can go hard!
I just INHALED Margo’s Got Money Troubles and I loved it!!!!
aaahhhh ISN'T IT PERFECT?!
I've been recommending it to everyone, and I'm so glad I heard about it from you!
yayyy thank makes me so happy!
Reading The Ministry of Time right now and it is SO FUN. Picked up My Favorite Thing is Monsters Book 2 from the library today so that's next up
Greta, thank you for all this and thank you all for so many great recs! I couldn’t get the bookshop link to work. I need to buy another copy of Beautyland as a gift - another incredible book club rec.
Sorry should have said more- I was able to find Greta’s faves on bookshop.org but just wanted you to know the link was dead