NYC! The rich and the rundown!
Three books that carry the banner through it all.
No one will tell you to visit New York City in August—particularly in this, the Time of People Losing Their Formerly Unshakeable Belief that Climate Change is No Big Deal. If they do, you should question every other piece of advice they’ve given you. I would rather sweat it out in Virginia among the weeds and storms than in that giant pizza oven.
But what is reading if not a chance to go to a place without leaving your personal weed-strewn, storm-beset locale? Here are three very, very different books I like that take place in the land of the large apples!
Who might like EELS? Your friends, probably! Forward this to them and remind them that subscriptions are free and now come with a helpful archive!
Want access to all my recs without sorting through old editions? I gotchu, book pals! If you’re a subscriber, I’ll grant you access to the handy EELS Recommendations Archive spreadsheet, where you’ll find lots of information that will help you find your next read. And if you need more specific help, feel free to drop me a line and ask—as always, I read every single thing I possibly can to help you sort out the good from the bad.
🍲 Arbitrary Stupid Goal
Tamara Shopsin, 2017
First, you should watch the documentary I Like Killing Flies, which is about Tamara Shopsin’s father, Kenny. Here’s the deal—K. Shopsin is the charismatic owner of a small, iconic corner-store-turned-diner that has a ton of cranky rules yet is beloved. T. Shopsin is a talented writer who spent her youth working in said store/diner.
In this collection of short, connected essays, she outlines her father’s philosophy on life, her mother Eve’s rock-solid strength, and memories of the Village in the ‘70s. It is an absolute delight and will make you swear you’ll never start your own eatery—but extremely want to start your own eatery.
Recommended to: Those who like gritty New York nostalgia and grumpy men with hearts of gold who love their families passionately.
Recommended format: I really liked the audiobook, which the author reads in a hilarious monotone, but the print version contains fun photos.
💼 Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison, 1952
Look, I’m not going to lie to you. This book is extremely uncomfortable and upsetting, but that’s the point, right? The Black experience in 1950s America was not a comfortable, pleasant one, and the unnamed narrator’s rude awakening to the realities of a still-very-racist New York after getting the hell out of the Jim Crow South is not a thing that will send you to your favorite reading spot with a cup of tea.
But like, who am I—or any of us—to turn away from it all and pretend to not see what is right before our eyes as if he is…well, an invisible man? I did very much enjoy Ellison’s preface about writing the book, so if you do pick this up, don’t skip that! Also don’t skip my next recommendation because I promise I will bring you back to the land of fun.
Recommended to: Those with strong stomachs and those who have not read Native Son in recent memory (that’s simply too much at once—though I did like that better, technically. Maybe it’ll appear in a Chicago EELS edition??).
💃 City of Girls
Elizabeth Gilbert, 2019
Spotlights! Feathers! Satin! Sex! Champagne! Whatever 1940s cars are called! Vivian is not enjoying life at her Seven Sisters college and hightails it to the big city to crash with her aunt who runs a theater teeming with showgirls.
Seven Sisters college friends: Why didn’t we think to do this? Probably because it was not 1940 and we did not own clothes that weren’t pajama pants. Anyway, Vivian has a grand old time discovering the glitz and glamor of the theater biz until the cracks in the gilded facade start to show.
Recommended to: Those who love a heady, luxe ride—the whole book, like, talks in jewel tones. I’ll be honest. I would never have read this if someone hadn’t told me to, as I had written off Elizabeth Gilbert as the insufferable Eat, Pray, Love lady. I was dead wrong, and recommend this to anyone who will listen. That’s you!
Desperately seeking soothing books
I made a big mistake and read Invisible Man while watching Yellowjackets and my blood pressure has yet to settle. Will you tell me some comforting books to read? I want to get on my Seven Sisters pajama pants and forget about everything terrible for at least a week.
My pal Abby has gotten me started with a good list, but I would like to add your recs to it. Send along, please!
And now, a bonus recommendation
🔮 Parable of the Sower — Octavia E. Butler, 1993
Recommended to: “21st Century humans who feel like, hey, I dunno, maybe things are gonna be OK after all and would like to have all of that nascent optimism about The Future stamped into dust. This book was written in the 1990s, takes place in the 2020s, and will make you whisper ‘ughhhh’ out loud while reading it. Also, big time content warning: Sexual violence, violence against children, all sorts of other violence, too.”
Recommended by: Ross, who writes Good Morning, RVA!, rides bikes, and has recently loved Harrow the Ninth, The City in the Middle of the Night, and Ministry for the Future. In fact, Ross was the one who demanded I read Ministry for the Future, which I talk about here!
That was the sixteenth EELS! I would be just so grateful if you’d share widely with your networks! As always, send any and all questions, feedback, and shouted book recommendations by hitting reply.
📚 Susan
I adore Elizabeth Gilbert!!!! Especially listening to her speak about the creative process.
Nice one, Susan