36 Comments

Fantastic, meaty round up. As always.

As someone squarely in the cross hairs of perimenopause, I HATED All Fours. Happily DNF’d.

Expand full comment

Uh oh. It’s sitting on my night stand waiting as next up, but I too am perimenopausal so your comment makes me nervous 😬

Expand full comment

Don’t be nervous. Just don’t even bother 😂

Expand full comment

When I listened to the BOP episode, I was only 25 % into "All Fours" and thanks to the podcast I could light-heartedly decide it's a DNF. So like you suggested in the podcast, I dropped out way before the peeing secene that digusted Olivia. I think it was mostly the lack of suspense. I have no clue where the story will lead to but I also don't care.

Expand full comment

a totally fair take!

Expand full comment

I am so jealous you got an early look at Maine Characters!! I’ve loved Hannah Orenstein’s writing for a long time and followed her on socials forevvvver and it’s great seeing her get the props she deserves! Can’t wait to read this one when it comes out!

Currently reading: the unraveling of June farrow

Best reads of September: the wedding people & remarkably bright creatures!

Expand full comment

You're going to love Hannah's new one! So excited for you to read it.

Expand full comment

Ahh I really want to read Blue Sisters but not sure October is the month for emotional devastation for me… staying tuned for the experimental post!

Expand full comment

Ahh - good reminder I need to go back and listen to the BOP episode on All Fours. I need to hear Olivia & your thoughts!! Love this round up.

Expand full comment

So curious about this experimental Blue Sisters thing you've got up your sleeve!

Expand full comment

I like seeing the themes of what kinds of books I'm reading impacts my overall averages that month. In August I just read sci-fi and it was all a 5* month - which made me think that maybe I like scifi more than I thought! It was unexpected.

I loved All Fours and thought it was interesting from an autofiction perspective too. Like what you shared with the Sally Rooney book, I was often wondering what was a projection and what was reality given the mirrors to Miranda July's own life over the last few years. The interview below was an interesting read!

https://www.thecut.com/article/esther-perel-calling-miranda-july-discuss-all-fours.html

Expand full comment

I'm newly 30, but All Fours had me ferociously turning pages and blushing in public at the cafe I was reading at!! I, too, thought it was bonkers and often had no idea where the hell it was going, but the pure absurdity + horniness of it all... was wild. And I recommended it to friends shortly after because I HAD to discuss it with someone! Miranda July, you are *that* creative weird-in-a-good-way girl.

Expand full comment

I was one of the BOP-ers who loathed All Fours but I also enjoyed the discussion on the podcast last week

I’m adding Showmance to my TBR so thank you for the recommendation

Currently reading: All the Colors of the Dark

Expand full comment

I'm really heartened that you enjoyed the convo if not the book! I love these spicier months where there's a lot of disagreement, but also wonder if people want to tune in for a book club of something they hated.

Also, my mini dilemma: To read All the Colors of the Dark or to skip? Not my usual genre but I've heard its great. But it's so huge!!!

Expand full comment

I think what I didn’t like is that it seemed so unrealistic. I think I could’ve handled her living in a (well known) suburb (like Hudson, NY) and making it as far to NYC and doing something wild but the set up seemed so impractical. I want a picture of the hotel room because I was definitely picturing the motel from Palm Royale but also, impractical.

I know for me, I have to like at least one character to buy into it (or know I’m not supposed to like everyone) so this book had its work cut off.

I’m glad I read it, I’m glad I listened to the podcast episode!

All the Colors of the Dark is huge but feels fast paced (I blew through 10 chapters in about 20 minutes last night) it hasn’t come across as “scary” yet but I’m happy to check back in as I finish it.

Expand full comment

Always love these round ups - thanks Becca! Looking forward to the Margo's got Money Troubles adaptation. xx

Expand full comment

Same! It got a straight to series order so hoping production on it is relatively quick and we might see it on screen in 2025 (probably wishful thinking, but crossing my fingers).

Expand full comment

LOL at "White Lotus rimjob recipient".

God of the Woods was my favorite of September.

Expand full comment

I honestly do not think he'd mind being described that way.

Expand full comment

So here for the absolute snacks of hearing people diss All Fours (worst of the 109 I read this year) and I have to say that validation is giving me LIFE because 2 of my most beloved book soul mates loved it. Wild. I just love books and I just love you lit babes. 🩷🥂

Expand full comment

okay i love this list! starting ALL FOURS now. read THE WEDDING PEOPLE at your recommendation and totally agree, Phoebe is our collective bestie. wrote a fuller review on my baby substack - https://open.substack.com/pub/rad1/p/what-i-read-while-moving-across-the

Expand full comment

So glad you loved it and we're mutual friends through our friend Phoebe.

Expand full comment

I found All fours so disappointing, it neither shocked nor engaged me , I just read it to its conclusion with ennui. I do sometimes think that there is a disconnect between American novels and European ones. The most hyped American novels this year definitely weren’t a patch on authors in Europe. ( That sound incredibly bitchy but I don’t mean it in that way, I think our social mores are more nuanced)

Expand full comment

omg that Nightbitch trailer. I'm curious what readers who've read the book think of it - anyone? I haven't read the book, but I had assumed it was very literary and dark, so it's interesting to see that the trailer has more of a comedy vibe to it.

Expand full comment

Ya, I thought so, too. If I'm remembering correctly I remember people saying the book was pretty graphic and disturbing? Comments section, help us!

Expand full comment

I've read the book and plan to do a re-read. The book definitely is more dark than what the trailer has shown, but I'm hoping another trailer will be released to show a darker aspect. The book really takes you to a place where if you have a child and an unsupportive or aloof partner, you feel the absolute rage the character feels and is part of her transformative process. I LOVED the book because it helped validate some of the feelings I have had and am hoping the movie will show some of that rage, balanced with some humor.

Expand full comment

Your Book Report series is so good - I’m always giddy when I see it in my inbox!

I can’t believe The Quiet Tenant may come to our big (small?) screens! I loved the book so much.

Very confusing about the Margo’s Got Money Troubles casting news, although I can perfectly picture Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of Margo’s mother.

I just finished Blue Sisters earlier this week, so excited to see what you have coming!

Expand full comment

Sally, this comment made me so so happy! I think quiet tenant is a mini-series rn, so small screen (but still yay!). And excited for my weird little experiment post next week for Blue Sisters.

Expand full comment