Bookends: May-July 2025

I have been having trouble knowing what to write these days.

With the situation in the United States, I feel like I ought to write something big and impactful, something that will help bring people together and help us find ways to work together to protect our democracy, but, besides my not having a clue what to do, with all of the polarized intensity out there, is another voice really what the world needs?

I read the short story “Ariadne” by Anton Chekhov recently, and was struck by the observations that Chekhov’s characters make about gender equality and the backlash against it in Russia in the 1890s, and how similar the arguments are to some of the things my son shows me from right-wing media today. In a way it’s comforting to know that we’ve been here before. In another way, and knowing all of the horrible things that happened in the early 20th century (and what happened in Russia after the 1890s), it’s tempting to descend into exhausted fatalism.

One thing that’s comforting about Chekhov, however, is how he sets himself up as an observer and reporter. He presents the story as he sees it, and all commentary is implied. I imagine him gently arching an eyebrow at his reader, communicating non-verbally, “Are you seeing this, too?” It is a refreshing change from the blatant outrage and sarcastic derision that’s so en vogue these days.

This is one of the things I love about literary fiction. While there is certainly a place in my heart for genre fiction, especially mysteries, thrillers, and horror, the more subtle, thoughtful, observational fiction feels like a balm to my soul after the bots, trolls, and vitriol that’s everywhere these days (even on LinkedIn; seriously, can’t I just look for a part-time gig without dodging trolls and fake accounts?).

Maybe that’s what I should write for my next post: a list of literary fiction that hits hard quietly, novels that get under one’s skin in all the best ways. I can’t read the challenging stuff exclusively—it’s too much to digest if it’s all I consume—but as a break from the distraction of my beloved horror/thriller/mystery habit, it’s delightfully nourishing.

Better yet, maybe I could be devoting part of my days to writing my own observational fiction. My background is more in narrative nonfiction, but with the way things are right now, nonfiction isn’t really believable. I’ve spent years being too scared to do the daily work of writing, but perhaps with the fear I’m feeling in my everyday life, sitting down at the old laptop doesn’t feel quite so scary in comparison.

Here’s what I read in May, June, and July:

May Completed Books:

My favorites from the May bunch:

• The Bill of Obligations by Richard Haass
• Erasure by Percival Everett
• Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

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June Reads:

My favorites from the June bunch:

• Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
• The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
• Real Americans by Rachel Khong

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July Reads:

My favorites from the July bunch:

• Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
• Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
• Tilt by Emma Pattee

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Currently Reading:

• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
• Overcoming the Fear of Success by Martha Friedman
• I’m the King of the Castle by Susan Hill

To-Read for August (which is almost through at the time of this writing):

In addition to my StoryGraph, you can see my Litsy profile for status updates throughout the month.