You're Bummed the Knicks Lost
Feel guilty all the time or love a game night
Hi friends,
Hope you’re doing well. I’m excited to share this Summer Reading Guide compiled by
and , featuring books written by fellow Substack newsletter writers.There’s something for everyone in there — from a mystery set in a TikTok house to a novel about a World War II Martha’s Vineyard book club. So, check it out!
And, now, what to read if …
You Were Rooting for the Knicks
Blood in the Garden by Chris Herring
On Saturday, the New York Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in game six of the NBA East finals. They same thing happened 25 years ago, when the Pacers eliminated the Knicks during their last serious playoff run. As someone who grew up watching the Knicks the last time they were good, this series was fun — if heartbreaking — and, as always, the celebrity sightings at MSG are top-notch (Spike Lee said he would “give up an Academy Award” for a Knicks championship).
The whole experience reminded me of my pal
’s review of Blood in the Garden, a history of the ‘90s Knicks dynasty. I’ve been meaning to read it since he highlighted it (and even gave it to my brother) but haven’t gotten to it yet. Fortunately, the Books on Gif team said I could share their review:
“‘Blood in the Garden’ … is deeply reported, and contains fascinating details and insights about the decade of Knicks basketball that changed the NBA and defined Knicks fandom ever since. Herring’s reporting also resurfaced many memories from when I first fell in love with basketball and became a Knicks fan. You see, I grew up in White Plains, N.Y., where several Knicks lived and near where the team practiced at SUNY Purchase. Back then, everyone in town, as well as across Greater New York, was wild for the Knicks. …
Knicks fans know what it is like to chase dreams: to hope, have those hopes crushed, and to hope once more. New York City is called the Mecca of basketball, but Knicks fans have suffered through more than two decades of hoops futility since Patrick Ewing, Starks, Oakley, Mason, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby and Allan Houston took the court in Madison Square Garden. Still, we long for our Knickerbockers to tap into the golden days and to achieve new glory.”
Read the full review and subscribe to Books On Gif here and Go New York Go New York Go.
You Have a Guilt Complex
The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave
On paper — or on Instagram, at least — Maya Patel has it all. A successful startup, a loving husband, an adorable newborn, social media influencer status and a new friendship with the original #GirlBoss, Liz Anderson.
The only problem? Maya feels guilty about everything all the time. When she’s with her parents or baby, she’s worried she’s neglecting work, and vice versa when she’s at the office. So, when Liz offers her a pill, an experimental supplement that erases female guilt, Maya jumps at it, even if she’s a little suspicious. At first, the pill takes the edge off, making it possible for Maya to make decisions and draw boundaries confidently at work and home. But, as she needs more and more of the pills to get through the day, she starts to worry that her new guilt-free existence is threatening her business and her family.
I love books that trick me into thinking (see Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Kirstin Chen’s Counterfeit, Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen and Leigh Stein’s Self Care). It’s a page-turner with sharp insights on female ambition, race and motherhood. As Katie Gutierrez, author of More than You’ll Ever Know, said, “Saumya Dave has written a book that's as addictive as its untested supplement.”
You Love a Game Night
Darkly by Marisha Pessl
When Arcadia “Dia” Gannon, a Missouri 17-year-old, learns Darkly Games is hiring an intern, she jumps at the chance. She’s long been obsessed with the intricate, often frightening games and their enigmatic creator Louisiana Veda, who disappeared years earlier. With only a handful of original games left, they’re treated as prized pieces of art.
After Dia receives the position, she finds herself stuck with six other interns on an island off the coast of England where the now-defunct Darkly factory is located. Their task: find a teenage boy who disappeared while playing a never-released Darkly game, the only copy of which was stolen years before. The intern who solves the puzzle will win a million dollars and all rights to an original Darkly game, a prize easily worth millions more. Dia and her fellow interns explore the Darkly factory and break into Louisiana’s abandoned home, where they find secret symbols, long-lost secrets and a potential conspiracy.
I owe my friend
of Reading Under the Radar a huge thank you for recommending Darkly to me. I stayed up way too late reading it, desperate to solve the riddles lurking behind Darkly games and Louisiana’s mysterious past. Two notes on this one: First, it features a lot of maps, images and other found objects, so I’d recommend reading, not listening to it. Second, while technically YA, it’s definitely upper YA because of its … dark … nature. Anyone who loved Truly Devious won’t want to miss this one.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 Instagram or Threads.
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Thanks so much for sharing the catalog! And loved "The Guilt Pill" for all the reasons you said.
Thank you for including me xo