miareadthis - 807
catching up on the book side of substack
It’s always when I’m in a reading slump that I finally get some writing done and when I’m ripping through books my writing goes neglected. So given this post — I’m on a wee reading hiatus but would hate to totally dismiss the McNally Edition currently accompanying me in my nightly routine.
Right now, I’ve been indulging in Constant Reader: The New Yorker Columns 1927 - 28 by Dorothy Parker. It’s a hoot. It’s a delight. Parker’s eviscerating and savage wit is on full unbridled display. I can only imagine what it would be like to be truly roasted by her, to be read by her, and for a few moments before my head hits the pillow, I get to digest her genius.
The book itself is nice little thing to behold as well. The soft yet durable cover, the ‘french flap’ which I just recently learned is what it’s called when a paperback has its own built in dust jacket — thought was put into the construction of the book. Wanting to get the terms right, I went to the ‘about’ section of the McNally Editions site and apparently too the high quality of paper is due to it being ‘acid free,’ which to my hands feels almost gloss-like with a smooth texture. Looking forward to add more of these editions to my library. Much like I do with the petite, Tiffany blue and gold edged and embossed Macmillan Collector’s Library editions. Happy to already have in my ‘library’ Nella Larsen’s Passing as well as Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Too I picked up The Count of Monte Cristo and am reading The Secret Garden for the first time — the former’s translation being not my favorite iteration of the tale and therefore will probably just be a pretty tome on my bedside table and the latter is proving to be raucously racist despite its 90s film adaption being a tried and true comfort watch.
At times I look at my tbr and wonder if I’m contributing to the overconsumption problem. I have galleys stacked waiting to be read, books impulsively purchased with expiring gift cards, and gifted reads folks put loving thought into that I’m not quite ready to read. I used to be a library girlie, but ever since the dawn of the Covid Pandemic, my mild germophopbia (also called mysophobia apparently, the more you know) in regards to borrowing from the library has taken a bit of a hold… pun intended ;D
All that to say, I also don’t mind admiring my tbr, my ‘collection’ as I’ll call it. After all, folks don’t look down on those who collect wine. Waiting for the right moment, the right time or mood, to pop the proverbial cork and indulge in its rich deliciousness. So I too look at my growing ‘to be read’ and realize that perhaps I’m not quite ready to pick up Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go knowing it’ll destroy me or Chester Himes’ All Shot Up which I picked up on my first visit to TriBeCa’s The Mysterious Bookshop and that’s alright… the time will come.
On that note — as a TV/Film writer (I refuse to use past tense yet here) — it’s been both an equal mix of fun and curiosity to see us screen-based writers try our takes on prose. Also on my tbr is The Education of Kia Greer (out May 13, 2025) by Alanna Bennett previously seen on The CW’s Roswell New Mexico, Amazon’s The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, and Netflix’s XO, Kitty. Perhaps if I can learn to turn off my active voice third person screenwriting brain I too could finish a manuscript… a daunting task I fear I lack the proper discipline for. If I were to embark on this journey, I’d hope to harness the succinct storytelling prowesses of Nella Larsen, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Weike Wang, with the wit of Nora Ephron and Dorothy Parker, the spice of Tia Williams, and be able to tie it all up in a bow with the haunting prose of Toni Morrison. Yes, I should lower my expectations… but I digress.
On The Reading Front —
Since my last entry, I’ve bodied a few more titles and attended a handful of events. First up was the Kristina Forest x Tia Williams event at Brooklyn’s The Ripped Bodice. It was standing room only, rows deep, but my friend and I got in line early and were able to procure second row seats. It’s always a delight being in the presence of such prolific Black romance writers and hearing Tia and Kristina talk about their work and process was such a treat.
The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward
Whew chile. Where to begin with
’s debut novel. First and foremost, definitely pick this up this summer. It’s a fun wicked read full of twists and surprising turns that leaves you guessing and wondering — what could possibly happen next?! Part psychological thriller part coming of age story, sure knew how to pick one to launch her imprint. Full review on my IG here. I earmarked this quote when one of the sisters feels out of place but has to gather the courage to be present that really resonated with me —“…now I will have go to this damn pace and get to know people, which is my least favorite activity. I know I will have to act NORMAL, meaning FAKE… I decide that I will need to play at being someone else, someone open and generous and relaxed in their skin. Someone who will walk tall and smile as widely as Marcus does and make other people feel comfortable. I make a list of things to say in case my mind goes blank, which always happens.”
Haven’t we all been there! You can pre-order it here. Out June 3, 2025.
Food Person by Adam Roberts
I could not put this one down. Not knowing who Adam Roberts was before plucking this from the galley pile (apparently he’s food famous!), I was not prepared for the electric rush of storytelling and truly mouthwatering food descriptions that came with his debut novel. It’s a fast paced, slice of life, healthy dollop of millennial angst set in the New York City food scene. And while I didn’t agree with a lot of the protagonist Isabella’s actions, this book was hard to ignore. I’m just gonna need these food-based authors to start including recipes in the back! Like when Isabella attempts to make something called ‘fish en papillote.’ Too, loved this fun biting comeback when it came to Hollywood standards, “Oh, Please. Hollywood’s been the same since it started. A bunch of money-grubbing, straight, rich white men who think with their dicks more than their brains and whose only criteria for casting a woman in a movie is: ‘Are they fuckable?’’ Also — why can’t Gabe’s restaurant be real? I wonder what Adam based it on from real life. Tell us! On the flip side, it was fun seeing everywhere that Isabella went that was in fact real… like Buvette, where I just had dinner Friday night. Might I recommend the whipped cod.
I did appreciate this line though, “Sweetie, it’s your tragedy, too!… And if you can’t write about your own experiences, what can you write about?” Sigh. Full review on the gram. Out May 20, 2025.
The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest
The third installment in Kristina Forest’s Greene Sisters trilogy was such a quick, delightful read, I was a bit bummed I couldn’t make it last longer. While the second book — The Partner Plot — was my favorite of the series, I loved reading about how Iris let herself love again alongside the care and attention she gave her daughter in regards to introducing new men into their lives. Parents, take note. Full review here.
There’s Something About Mira by Sonali Dev
Sonali Dev NEVER disappoints and manages to level up each time I read her. Mira is no exception. 10/10, no notes, highly recommend this read. On the surface it looks like your standard contemporary romance novel but it delves so much deeper than you can ever imagine. Now if only I could get ahold of Lies and Other Love Languages (out of print already?), I’d be set. And perhaps too I can finally embark on her first four with A Bollywood Affair, The Bollywood Drive, A Change of Heart, and A Distant Heart. So much to read! Full review of There’s Something About Mira here.
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
Not every novel lives up to its expectations. I was really hype for this one. Sadly it was a pass. However, I am a huge fan of Fagan’s non-fiction work and have been wanting to read What Made Maddy Run for a minute.
History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook
Never have I ever read a ‘cozy’ murder mystery but now I know what y’all have been going on about! This was a fun, cute, introspective read with little gore, lots of mystery, and a touch of romance. 10/10 all the stars. Full review here. Out July 1, 2025.
I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest
Because I wasn’t ready to to be done with Kristina Forest just yet, I decided to delve into her backlist and picked out this YA novel to begin. I Wanna Be Where You was a quick, cozy, and low stakes read and may use it as an exercise in adaptation. It was so easy to picture this on our screens and a cameo by Calvin Royal III would be too good an opportunity to pass up. Full review here.
Celebrating Holi at The Ripped Bodice
Full disclosure, I did not realize this was a ‘Holi’ event when I promptly jumped on tickets to see thee Sonali Dev and thee
IRL. As a fan of their work, I just knew I couldn’t pass up a chance to hear them talk craft, story, and process and just you know… geek out. Little did I know it was a panel full of South Asian romance authors and that I’d be leaving with a copy of Mona Shroff’s Road Trip Rivalry. While my Polaroid camera of 30+ years (shit, I’m old) failed me on the day, both Sonali and Kirthana were kind enough to let me take more than one photo with them. Too — it was fun hearing about how each author had incorporated their own unique yet shared traditions into their books. Sonali was the only author born in India, and it was interesting to witness the dichotomy between these authors who shared ethnically similar backgrounds but not cultural ones. While I felt like an intruder at an event that wasn’t ‘for me,’ it felt nice to be included in the South Asian romance community.
Gatsby in Harlem by Roy Williams via F. Scott Fitzgerald (and Zelda)
Wasn’t sure if I was going to include this in my ‘reading’ roundup but hey, if this is an extension of the gram, and I already posted about it, then — here we are. Um yeah, full review of this experience here but this was such a great listen and cultural deep dive into adaptation starring the likes of Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Malachi Kirby. Thank you BBC for such an enriching take. You can listen to the audio play here.
Road Trip Rivalry by Mona Shroff
My first Mona Shroff ! Described as low spice and ‘closed door romance,’ this fun, cute, road trip story was just what I wanted to read. Doctors? Check. Science? Check. Meddling, backseat driving grandma? Hell yes! And now I must book a trip to Ireland stat and follow this exact itinerary! Peep my thoughts here.
Piglet by Lottie Hazell
Story time. I have been eyeing this book for forever. Ever since it hit our stores in hardback, that high gloss and raised front cover depicting the most delectable looking double decker of a burger (an oil painting entitled ‘Big Mac’ by Noah Verrier). But something always held me back from buying the book outright… even with my discount. The hardback came and went. The paperback appeared. And when I sold the book to a customer, admitting that I had read a few chapters during business hour lulls, she promised to bring it back to me once she was done. I didn’t think anything of it - folks say things all the time - but true to their word, the customer returned the book for me to read. And after I consumed it - I paid it forward, passing it along to another reader with meager income who wanted to partake in Lottie Hazell’s delicious words. You can find my review here.
Still gonna ask you food writers though — start (clap) including (clap) recipes because otherwise… such a tease! Lol. Shout out to Tembi Locke and Nora Ephron for always providing their readers with ‘how tos’ in regards to foods mentioned. Mad props. Also — if you don’t want to read Locke’s memoir From Scratch, make sure to hit play on the Netflix adaptation because the cinematographer ate when it came to capturing all that delicious Italian cuisine. No notes.
The Other Lata by Kirthana Ramisetti
Was so hype to attend Ramisetti’s third novel debut launch at Chinatown’s Yu & Me Books. And because the day was warm and humid and I somehow managed to leave the house in my Uniqlo heat teach enabled sweater, I promptly purchased a Yu & Me white T and did my best to keep some personal space within the packed walls of that evening’s sold out event. While Dava Shashtri’s Last Day remains my favorite Ramisetti novel, The Other Lata was a fun whirlwind dipping into the Sex and the City sensibilities of protagonist Lata Murthy an and her Ana Delvey-like ways. Definitely add this to your summertime reads! My review is here.
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
I’d been itching to rip off my Attica Locke bandaid and I’m so happy to have finally done it with Bluebird, Bluebird. One sunny afternoon, I found myself wandering around TriBeCa (as one does) and sought out The Mysterious Bookshop, a bookstore I had yet to visit. Its interior matched its name, giving off noir detective vibes, and while I wanted to support I also wanted to walk away with a book that I could resonate with. Crime is not my genre but the minute I saw Attica’s name I knew it was time. Bluebird, Bluebird blew me away and I’m recommending it to anyone who will listen. And now having watched Sinners twice — it definitely gives off that old school, rural, backroads blues. My review from the gram.
Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams
Tia Williams has done it again. You can read my full gushing review here but wow. Just. Wow. It’s books like these that I wish I could’ve read growing up. But as we’re all ‘healing the child within,’ I just want to say thank you Tia for always giving us Black girls magic, confidence, love, and little romance. Grab a copy!
Seven Days In June by Tia Williams
My first reread of the year, immediately after finishing Audre & Bash, I had to refresh my memory of the adult/parent plot lines of Eva and Shane. This second read hit harder, fuller, and was a richer experience this time around given my own growth since I first picked it up. Do not sleep on Tia Williams y’all.
—
Epilogue…
How do we feel about James winning the Pulitzer for fiction?
Want. But wish it came in t-shirt or visor form so those of us with wee afro poofs could also wear.
I’m so hype that Malcom D. Lee’s The Best Man property is now becoming a book! If Jordan and Harper don’t get their happy endings, I may have to throw my copy at Malcolm… respectfully.
Lowkey may check out the Hitchcock fest happening up at The Paris and finally see the Oscar winning adaption of one of my favorite books of all time — Rebecca.
Just found out Detective Beans is getting a sequel! Already pre-ordered mine at my local bookshop.
Inspired and influenced by the Met Gala, thank you Penguin’s Always Black for recommending There Is Confusion. Not only do I love the pop of chartreuse but we love a Harlem Renaissance tale. Promptly adding to my tbr…
Love that
featured Terrace Books in her latest Book Date.Last but not least, some fun bookish follows: Ruby Read A Book, Tina’s Next Chapter, and
’s Notes From The City.
—
As always, thank you for reading. Stay safe and sane out there.
miareadthis
Thanks so much for the shoutout, Mia! Sad I missed you at the Tia Willams event this past Friday, but I'm so excited to read Audre & Bash!