Island of misfit books
Three books that didn’t fit into any themes last year
T’was the EELS after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except me frantically trying to hit my stupid reading goal. I do not practice what I preach, and I preached it right here last year (see EELS: Stop making plans), but in a way, my December quest to read a bunch of short books does introduce me to a bunch of interesting things. What I’m saying is, just do whatever you want. Be a misfit toy.
The following three books are five-star beauties that didn’t easily fit into any themes I came up with in 2024. But each of them thrilled me for different reasons, and they deserve your special attention.
Welcome to 2025, book fans! I hope you get some time off from work, and that you both gave and received book presents.
🎁 If you ignored my advice and are making reading plans, I have all my past EELS recommendations with links to all my past EELSes in one easy-to-scan spreadsheet! Click the button below, hit “request access,” and if you’re on the subscriber list, I will give you access!
🚣 Not a River
Selva Almada (translated by Annie McDermott), 2020
Three men in a boat, to say nothing of the stingray.
This very brief Argentinian novella starts in one direction then ends up in another. It’s dreamy, it’s both warm and cold at the same time, and it got me looking up maté. It made me feel how I feel when I watch a good, solid film — no words wasted, a lot left for you to figure out.
That kind of thing feels rare these days, as more and more of the hot fiction feels written to be optioned for prestige and even less-than-prestige TV. Neatly wrapped up stories, a lot of telling instead of showing, just nothing that requires my brain to actually do anything — and definitely nothing that requires any exploration of language. What a waste of the form! (Controversial case in point: I felt that Rufi Thorpe’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles was written for TV, which extremely disappointed me. It just was too pat. I liked The Knockout Queen a lot better. There, I said it.)
But probably it’s not really anything new. Louisa May Alcott wrote drivel to pay the bills before she started writing stuff she liked. Literary fiction doesn’t sell all that well, but it does stand the test of time. It’s the same with music and art and whatever the heck. But there does seem to be a preponderance of writing in a certain TV way (as Lincoln Michel describes it), and it’s just very refreshing that this isn’t that.
Recommended for: Those who want a quick read, but not a throwaway read. A quick, nutritious, satisfying yet unsatisfying read? Just read it, it will take you one day.
🥕 Bright Dead Things
Ada Limón, 2015
To my friend Emily’s chagrin, I’m pretty dumb about poetry! To my friend Emily’s delight, I really liked the two Ada Limón (current US poet laureate!) poems she sent me, and to her utter rapture, I instantly purchased this book.
If, like me, you do not understand how to digest poetry properly, let me share with you a tip I got once. Read a poem twice, the first time aloud. If a person you share a space with is nearby, it’s fine to read it in a bashful whisper. The idea is to get the rhythm and sound of the words the first time through. Then, read it again to yourself very slowly to think hard about every little bit of it. What is the poet saying? Why put this word here? Why that one there? You know what, scratch those two questions if you want! How does it make you feel? That’s the only part that matters.
The poems in Bright Dead Things are largely about Limón’s transplantation from New York to the wildness of Kentucky and the death of her stepmother. That is, they’re about adjusting to an excess of life and an excess of death. They’re short and in plain language and made me feel things. This is a fun one.
Recommended for: Those who want to dabble in poetry but don’t know how to get started (like moi).
🫁 Monstrilio
Gerardo Sámano Córdova, 2023
I am so relieved I finally get to talk to you about Monstrilio, a book you probably haven’t read and a book the likes of which you probably won’t read again. I can’t even tell you what it’s about because it’ll spoil the entire premise, which is both tragic and kind of funny.
Let me see, I can tell you it largely takes place in Mexico City. I can tell you it involves the death of a child, which is not a spoiler, but I present it to you as a trigger warning. And I can tell you that it is written from the perspective of different… people. “People.”
Honestly, I could see this one becoming a TV show, but it would be an interesting one. It’s about runaway grief, essentially, and holding on when you need to let go.
Recommended for: Those who like weird stuff and aren’t afraid of a little sadness.
And now, a bonus recommendation
🚰 How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water — Angie Cruz, 2022
“It’s a 2009 story of an immigrant told through her voice, attending career / job prep sessions with a social worker. Funny but also with some really complex characters — which is saying something since its probably the shortest book I read this year.”
Recommended by: Lauren! The last three books she loved were: Bloodmarked, If We Were Villains, and Braiding Sweetgrass.
That was the fifty-sixth EELS! If you enjoyed it, please share it with a friend and like it by hitting the heart! It’ll help others find it and maybe they’ll like it, too.
If you get this via email: send any questions, feedback, or thoughts about a book, by hitting reply.
If you read this on Substack: leave a comment!
📚 Susan
I earn a small commission from books purchased on Bookshop.org through links from this post.
Happy New Year, Susan, great reading tips!