Five Must-Read New Books for Fall
My to-be-read pile has such a range right now, I love it.
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All I want to do is read. The darker, cooler fall nights always give me an overwhelming urge to cozy up with a good book. I was looking at my to-be-read pile and was absolutely delighted at the range of it. I’m not someone who can read, say, two novels at the same time. But right now, the new books I’m starting are all over the place — in the very best way: a memoir, a novel, a book of poetry, a call to action, and a gorgeous coffee table book (which, yes, you should absolutely sit and read). Something for everyone below! Bonus: They are all written by women I admire.
PS: A friendly reminder that the best place to find these titles is at your local independent bookstore. If they don’t have it in stock, request it! It means so much to the store and the author.
What are you reading right now? Hit “Join the discussion” at the bottom of this email and let me know in the comments of this newsletter.
My Fall Book Stack
Note: A few of these are not out just yet, but will be soon! Pre-orders mean a lot to authors.
If you’re looking for a memoir: Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod
From the publisher: “Token Black Girl unpacks the adverse effects of insidious white supremacy in the media — both unconscious and strategic — to tell a personal story about recovery from damaging concepts of perfection, celebrating identity, and demolishing social conditioning.”
Danielle Prescod’s memoir about her experience as a Black woman in the fashion and beauty publishing space has been on my to-read list since the moment she mentioned it on Instagram. In Token Black Girl, she confronts the industry’s racist and sexist standards through her own experiences, from her eating disorder (“To a certain degree, a bony body can supersede Blackness, if you can wear the clothes well”) to coworkers touching her hair (“I am not sure who was telling their all-white coworkers to back off, but it certainly wasn’t me”). I cannot put it down — and I am so grateful Danielle has shared her story.
If you’re looking for nonfiction: Ejaculate Responsibly by Gabrielle Blair
Out this week: Bookshop / Amazon
From the publisher: “In a series of 28 brief arguments, she deftly makes the case for moving the abortion debate away from controlling and legislating women’s bodies and instead directs the focus on men’s lack of accountability in preventing unwanted pregnancies.”
Gabrielle Blair, aka @DesignMom, is a fantastic follow for her gorgeous pictures of French interiors. AND! She has used her social media presence to speak out about important social issues. We love to see a brand expansion! Her new book, published this week, is called, Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion. Three years in the making — aka before Roe V. Wade was overturned — this small but mighty book examines the role men play in unwanted pregnancies. The tone is both funny and painfully frank, pointing out all the ways in which men could be doing a lot more. Take her argument for condoms (easy to find, relatively affordable, and a use-as-needed solution) over hormonal birth control (requires a prescription, an “invasive physical exam” and a host of possible side effects, including mood swings, blood clots, and strokes). “Five stars for condoms!” Gabrielle writes.
If you’re looking for poetry: And Yet by Kate Baer
Coming November 8: Bookshop / Amazon
From the publisher: “Kate’s second full-length book of traditional poetry, And Yet, dives deeper into the themes that are the hallmarks of her writing: motherhood, friendship, love, and loss.”
Pretty sure you all are well acquainted with Kate Baer’s brilliance! The #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman and I Hope This Finds You Well is back with her third book in two years (which is impressive beyond words). Her reflections on finding yourself within life’s roles — mother, daughter, partner, friend — feel like an exhale. One of my favorites from And Yet, out November 8, is called MILF. It begins: “Mother I’d like to face / Mother I’d like to fail / Mother I’d like to fight.”
Los Angeles, I’ll be in conversation with Kate at Vroman’s Books in Pasadena on December 15. I hope you will join us! A ticket link will be posted soon here.
If you’re looking for a novel: The Goddess Effect by Sheila Yasmin Marikar
From the publisher: “Anita is over her life in New York: her dead-end job, tiny studio apartment, self-obsessed friends, and overbearing mom. So she moves west to Los Angeles in search of a new career, enlightenment, and that nebulous target…wellness.”
As a longtime fan of Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s journalism — she is an immensely talented feature writer, with regular bylines in the New Yorker and the New York Times — I’ve been eagerly awaiting her pivot into fiction. Her celebrated debut novel, The Goddess Effect, is delightfully of-the-moment, written in a dishy tone as if you were talking to your bestie. Sheila tells the story of Anita’s move from a tiny studio apartment in New York to the sun-drenched wellness hub of Los Angeles. After landing at LAX, Anita snaps a few pics of the Pacific from the window of her Uber. “Stories or Feed?,” she wonders. “Definitely not the quality of image I generally preferred for Feed, but this, my actual arrival in LA, deserved documentation.”
If you’re looking for a coffee table book: An American in Provence by Jamie Beck
Coming November 8: Bookshop / Amazon
From the publisher: “Looking to slow down from her fast-paced life in New York City, Beck moved to the French countryside documenting her life as ‘An American in Provence.’ What started as a one-year getaway became five as she continues to chronicle her life there through her photography…in the most breathtaking way.”
I was lucky enough to first cross paths with Jamie Beck more than a decade ago, at New York Fashion Week, and was immediately drawn to the beauty she sees in the world. I knew her highly anticipated book, An American in Provence, would be filled with gorgeous images. But I didn’t realize what a delightful read it would be, too! There are delicious recipes, photography tutorials, and (my favorite!) first-person essays on life in France.
“The way I worked and moved and ate changed with the seasons. I was in complete awe of the birth of spring; I touched it in every way possible. I ran through it and lay in it and brought it home to make photographs with,” she writes. “When winter brought death, I sighed in relief into the cradle of a peaceful slumber.”
What are you reading right now? I’d love to know! Please hit “Join the discussion” at the bottom of this email and share in the comments of this newsletter.
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The So Many Thoughts Newsletter comes out twice a week. You can subscribe and catch up on the archives here, including:
➡️ On House Hunting and Heartbreak
➡️ ‘Ada Twist, Scientist’ Author Andrea Beaty on the Importance of Empathy
➡️ One Hundred First Wordle Words
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