You’re Ready to “Fall” Into a Good Book
Count “Silence of the Lambs” as one of your faves or can’t get enough of the Elizabeth Holmes trial
Hi friends,
Congratulations to Lisa W., who won the A Certain Appeal prize pack. I asked Lisa if she had any books to recommend, and she suggested Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha.
She wrote, “This is a book that I will be thinking about for quite a while. Set in Brazil, it focuses on three men who have a connection due to a recent HIV diagnoses and how they handle that diagnosis. An in-depth look at LGBTQ+ culture in Brazil, current issues and treatment of HIV, and so much more. I highly recommend this quick read.”
In other news, the sixth book of Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series came out last week (you can read why I love the series here). I’m alternating between devouring it to learn what happens next and trying to read slowly to savor the time I have with the characters. Has a book ever given you that feeling?
And, now, what to read if…
You Want A Quintessential Fall Book
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
A bunch of you have reached out looking for recommendations for a book that feels “fall.” I took this to mean something mysterious but not gory, maybe on the longer side (all the more perfect to enjoy with a hot beverage while curled up under a blanket) and with a touch of the supernatural. Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian fits the bill.
The Historian spans generations and countries, focusing on three academics who become convinced that Dracula is not only real, but is still alive and hiding. They spend years deciphering obscure texts and hidden symbols, unlocking codes and outwitting adversaries who want to keep the truth hidden. Kostova deftly incorporates Eastern European history, vampire lore and an exploration of how “history” is written.
It took Kostova a decade to write The Historian, and the intricate plotting makes it clear why. It’s a Russian nesting doll of a book — at one point, there are four stories going on at once — yet it never feels complicated or convoluted. I remember reading The Historian in the snack bar at the pool I worked at when it first came out in 2005, dreading when I would have to go out and serve as a lifeguard. I’ve returned to it multiple times since then and found something new each time.
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“Silence of The Lambs” is One of Your Favorite Movies
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson
Full disclosure: I have never seen “Silence of The Lambs,” but from what I know about the plot, it shares a lot of similarities with The Jigsaw Man, London criminal defense attorney Nadine Matheson’s first book.
The Jigsaw Man follows Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley’s attempt to track down a serial killer terrorizing London. The murders are shockingly similar to those committed by Peter Oliver, the infamous Jigsaw Killer, who Anjelica helped to put behind bars two years earlier. The new serial killer, the imprisoned Jigsaw Killer and the detective begin a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse as Anjelica races to prevent further deaths.
I borrowed The Jigsaw Man from the library earlier this year because I thought it sounded similar to Liz Moore’s Long Bright River (one of my favorite books of 2020). It was not — and is far gorier and more graphic than the mysteries and thrillers I usually read. Yet, I couldn’t put it down. With Anjelica, Matheson has created a compelling character. She’s a Black detective in a predominantly white department, in treatment for PTSD caused by trauma from a previous case and struggling to save her marriage. She felt like a new take on the traditional hard-boiled detective. The Jigsaw Man is a plot-driven book, but it was the main character who kept me reading.
You’re Obsessed With the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Super Pumped by Mike Isaac
Elizabeth Holmes’s trial for 12 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly lying about her blood testing company’s abilities enters its tenth week today. So far, the trial of the founder of Theranos has featured testimony from a former secretary of defense, a reading of pages of text messages between Holmes and her then-boyfriend/business partner and a juror dismissed for playing too much Sudoku.
If the court proceedings have you itching for more wild stories of Silicon Valley founders, check out Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac. (I’m assuming if you’re following the trial, you’ve read Bad Blood, Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou’s definitive book on Holmes and Theranos. If you haven’t, do that immediately!).
Isaac carefully chronicles the way Uber’s status as a “unicorn,” a startup valued at $1 billion, allowed its founders to make reckless business decisions and build a toxic work environment. He depicts the company’s million-dollar battles with city regulators and taxi unions, as well as the events leading to founder Travis Kalanick’s ousting in June 2017.
Considering that my knowledge of Silicon Valley mostly comes from the HBO TV show of the same name, I learned a lot from Isaac’s book, and I was also thoroughly enthralled. The company’s meteoric rise and subsequent struggles would make for a good read in any writer’s hands, but Isaac, a veteran technology reporter, makes it feel more like a thriller than a business book.
That’s it for me today! On Thursday, I’ll be back with a Q&A featuring Rita Frangie, the senior art director at Penguin Random House, who designs book covers.
Have a great day!
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The Historian is one of my all-time favorite books. I read it every fall, and without fail, Stoichev's cottage is such a lovely setting, makes me want to live there.
I learned more about the Holmes trial here than I have from the news which tells you right away that I'm not following it much. The Uber book sounds great though because I too have learned about Silicon Valley from the show.:). I saw Silence of the Lambs and didn't sleep for three nights.