In the summer we normally read some modern books because they are usually a bit easier to read and when we’re on break from normal life (kind of) it is nice to have some page turners at hand. Also, as much as we love old books, I love to discover that there are some wonderful books being written right now and I think it is important that we find them and read them and chat about if they are books that will stand the test of time. from has been a very encouraging voice when it comes to modern fiction (and he seems to find the best out there).
A good example of this is our first modern book for the summer, which is Trust by Hernan Diaz. Actually between Death Comes for the Archbishop and our July book we could call this our American summer!
This is a book that I am purposefully going to not write too much about because it is a mystery in every sense. The plot is a mystery, the characters are mysteries, and the structure of the book is even a mystery. I do not want to spoil that for you at all. If you want my advice, don’t even read the back cover or listen to any of the podcasts until you have finished the whole book. This is a page turner, but it is also a literary puzzle. There are four books within this book and part of the puzzle is for you to figure out how they fit together. When you get to Part 2 you will want to read the back cover or start googling, but trust me (get it?), don’t do it. Keep reading and give yourself a chance to figure it out on your own.
I can’t wait to talk about wealth, economic systems, feminism, and ultimately who we can trust. I love chatting about all books, but this is one that I am especially looking forward to! See you in June!
If you missed May, here it is!
Stay tuned for July featuring friend of the Substack on our second summer modern novel…
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i love knowing nothing about the story, i’m so down for this and hope i hear nothing about it all year haha