You're Prepping for Thanksgiving Baking

Need a new nonfiction read or are participating in NaNoWriMo

Hi friends,

Hope you’re doing well. I’ve had a significant influx of subscribers over the past few weeks so I wanted to take a second to (re-)introduce myself.

I’m Elizabeth Held, a writer and avid reader living in Washington, D.C. Each week, I share three book recommendations timed to the news, pop culture happenings and more. I also regularly publish Q&As with bookish people. I run a romance book club based out of East City Bookshop and write a monthly book feature for Parade. You can also find me on Twitter/X and Instagram. I love hearing from subscribers, so please drop me a note.

And, now, what to read if …

You’re Preparing for a Pie-Baking Marathon

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews

I have two jobs for Thanksgiving: preparing the green bean casserole (I use the recipe from Slow Cooker Revolution) and crafting the Mocha Buttercrunch Pie (please read this article, ostensibly about this pie but really about family, love and tradition). If you’re getting ready for a baking session, grab Against the Currant, a delicious cozy mystery from Olivia Matthews.

As the book opens, Lyndsay Murray is finally achieving her lifelong dream of opening a West Indian bakery in her Brooklyn neighborhood. On the day of Spice Isle Bakery’s soft opening, Claudio Fabrizi, owner of a competing bake shop, throws a fit, promising to shut his new competitor down. Lyndsay snaps at Claudio — an action that comes back to haunt her when he’s found dead the following day.

I adore cozy mysteries, which provide puzzles but limited gore, and Against the Currant is a new platonic ideal of the genre. It features a kickboxing amateur sleuth who is smart enough to solve a murder and ask for help instead of running into danger headfirst. There’s also a joyful community of characters who I’d love to enjoy a currant roll with and, like the best cozy mysteries, Against the Currant includes recipes.

You Want Engrossing Nonfiction

A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

A Fever in the Heartland, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Timothy Egan’s chronicle of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920’s, is one of those books that left me thinking “How did I not know all of this?”

Egan documents the rise and fall of David C. Stephenson, a snake oil salesman who took control of the KKK in 21 states and urged its members to continue their Reconstruction-era reign of terror. Stephenson had a direct line to political leaders in D.C. and planned to run for office himself one day. He oversaw beatings, torture and lynchings, while coordinating parades celebrating the Klan.

Stephenson was also a serial sexual predator, who proclaimed “I am the law,” because he knew he could get away with rape and assault. He did, too, until Madge Oberholtzer made a deathbed confession, detailing Stephenson’s abduction, rape and assault of her.

Egan’s reporting and research is exceptional, and he offers stomach-churning details about the Klan and Stephenson. It’s a gripping, enthralling read. While I can’t say I “enjoyed” it, I’m glad I read it.

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You’re Writing a Novel in November

Super Bloom by Megan Tady

Thousands of writers worldwide are attempting to write a complete novel this November, as part of National Novel Writing Month, sometimes called NaNoWriMo. Last year, more than 50,000 authors wrote a whopping 50,000 words in the month. Kudos to them – I’m sitting this one out. If you’re working on a novel, thinking about trying it or just want a feel-good read, you’ll want to check out Megan Tady’s Super Bloom.

Two years after her boyfriend’s sudden death, massage therapist Joan Johnston is barely going through the motions of life. She lives off the grocery store hot bar, dodges her friends and family and is on the cusp of losing her job at the luxurious Apex Inn & Spa. Her routine receives a jolt when she gives a massage to romance novelist Carmen Bronze — known as much for her temper as her books. Carmen offers to pay Joan to feed her inside information about working at a spa for her new book. If Joan says no, Carmen promises to get her fired. The massage therapist grudgingly agrees to the deal.

As Joan begins to fill notebooks for Carmen, she rediscovers a love of writing and decides to write a romance novel herself. It’s a choice that puts her on a crash course with the batty, slightly terrifying author.

Super Bloom made me laugh (Carmen is a hilariously evil Nora Roberts) and cry, as I rooted for Joan to find a way to live with her grief. As Steven Rowley, author of my beloved Guncle, said, “A winning (and wickedly funny) debut about a massage therapist's second chance at life. Like a skilled therapist herself, Megan Tady works all the right pressure points to leave the reader rejuvenated. I already can't wait to read what she writes next.”

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Thanks for reading.

If you’re interested, I reviewed The Darcy Myth, a new book arguing Pride and Prejudice’s Mr. Darcy is actually a monster, for the Washington Post and interviewed thriller writer Tess Gerritsen about her new book, The Spy Coast, for Parade.

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What to Read If is a free weekly book recommendation newsletter. Need a rec? Want to gush about a book? Reply to this email, leave a comment or find me on Twitter @elizabethheld or Instagram.

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