Hello, people from the club!
Today I want to share three books from my recent reading that I would choose for a fascinating book club discussion. I have a novel told in two timelines about evil women, a mix of personal essays and cultural criticism on magical realism, and a novel about the darkness lurking beneath a black utopia in California. I also have some links to share, including a reading list for Juneteenth.
But first: some nibbling.
Nibbles and sips: salads that don’t taste bad
As soon as summer rolls around here on the West Coast, I look at my stove and oven with an aggressive millennial face. When it comes to food, I either reach for things I can cook in the good old air fryer or cold, quick-to-prepare meals. So I’ve slowly amassed a collection of delicious, interesting salad recipes that don’t just consist of a pile of sad, mushy iceberg lettuce with a few julienne-cut carrots that nobody wants or asked for.
My latest obsession for tasty cold dish ideas is a TikTok account called Violet Cooks. Creator Violet Witchel makes such delicious, nutrient-dense dishes that I really look forward to eating both the hot and cold versions, but her latest series dedicated to rich bean salads will be something I reach for all summer long. I made this chimichurri steak salad and this one with sun-dried tomatoes and they were mouth-watering. You can make a huge batch of these and serve them in wraps for book club. Subscribe to Violet’s Substack for full recipes or check out her page on Instagram and TikTok.
Book Club Selection
I didn’t plan for all of my book club recommendations to have such beautiful covers, but what a happy coincidence. These are all books I’ve devoured or am currently working on, books that I knew about a quarter of the way through would make for some book club chit-chat.
All Access members: Scroll down to see some bonus discussion questions for each reading!
Malas by Marcela Fuentes
In the 1950s, young wife and mother Pilar has just moved to La Cienega, Texas, when she is cursed by an old woman who claims Pilar stole her husband from her. In 1994, 14-year-old Lulu reluctantly prepares for the quinceañera she doesn’t want when her beloved grandmother dies. Pilar is the glamorous stranger who crashes the funeral and soon forms an unlikely friendship with Lulu, a bond that forces Pilar to confront her past and Lulu to face her future. This is a love letter to Tejano culture that takes readers from dusty rodeos to family reunions to a Selena concert.
Magic/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy and Limits by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal
I admit that I initially added this book to my reading list thinking it would be a purely “academic” study of magical realism (I hadn’t read the description), but it’s a nice mix of memoir and cultural criticism.
Author Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, a poet and artist, felt called to Mexico when she became a mother and wanted to reconnect with her ancestors. Unfortunately, her return from that trip was not pleasant, but marked by loss. This book is an exploration of the role of fantasy and magic in our collective lives and the author’s personal journey. She uses pop culture (the never ending Story, game of Thrones, The SorcererNirvana, Selena) as well as personal anecdotes to ask: “What impact does the constant state of loss after colonization, enslavement and dispossession have on the collective imagination?”
One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon’s first novel for adults is described as The Stepford Wives meets Exitto which I say, sign me up! Jasmyn and King Williams are a black couple who move to Liberty, a planned black utopia in California. At first, everything seems great, but while King fits in right away, the same is not true for Jasmyn. She came to Liberty looking for a community focused on social justice and activism, but Liberty residents are less interested in social justice and more interested in stuffy “self-care” at the town’s fancy spa. As you might expect, Jasmyn soon uncovers a secret that reveals the darkness beneath the town’s seemingly perfect facade.
Suggestions section
Book club picks for June 2024, from Mocha Girls Read to GMA Book Club (Book Riot)
There are silent book clubs, and they are suitable for introverts (POPSUGAR)
Related to the above: I saw that a local book club (Prose Before Bros Bookclub, an A++ name) is hosting a silent book club happy hour at a bakery that I’ve been wanting to try here in Portland for a long time. If you’re in Portland, OR, it’s at Flour Bloom, here are the details!
Oprah Announces Her 106th Book Club Selection (OprahDaily.com)
You probably already know that our usual In the Club host Erica Ezeifedi also writes In Reading Color, our weekly newsletter focusing on literature by and about people of color. Since today is Juneteenth, I thought I’d share Erica’s post from last week with a Juneteenth reading list that’s great for a book club read.
**Below is a discussion guide for All Access subscribers**
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