Greetings bookish friends! Long time, no see. As per usual, work, health, mental health, and life in general have made a regular posting schedule almost impossible. I’ve barely been able to find time to read, let alone find time to write about reading.
But recently I’ve been reading A Woman is No Man* by Etaf Rum (which I think is probably going to be a five star read or very close) and the clandestine desire to read by many of the female characters, especially as young girls and teenagers, as a form of protest and escapism, got me thinking about how many novels center books, reading, or writing. Often characters are developed and plotlines propelled forward by a central theme - literature. And so today, I wanted to share a list of 13 books I’ve loved (or enjoyed greatly) that incorporate a love of literature in some form or another, and what I learned as I compiled this list is that a love of reading or a love of writing can manifest in a myriad of ways - both in literature and in real life.
Erasure by Percival Everett - Now a major motion picture - American Fiction - this novel follows a prolific author of high-brow literary fiction who ultimately finds a troubling manifestation of success when he writes a novel that allegedly portrays the true “Black experience,” despite it being so wildly different than his own lived experiences that have inspired his other books.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - Perhaps the first book I read that could be considered for this list, Inkheart is the first novel in a trilogy following a main character who finds herself able to read herself into books simply by reading aloud. Despite how this is so disruptive (and candidly destructive) to her life…honestly? Sign me up.
Writers and Lovers by Lily King - This novel follows a struggling aspiring writer as she mourns the loss of her mother and navigates a variety of personal and romantic relationships while feeling trapped in her job and the small living space where she keeps trying to write her masterpiece.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - Another favorite in recent years, Yellowface follows a white writer who struggles to find success until she (SPOILER ALERT) steals the work of her recently deceased, Asian frenemy. Soon, as she tries to salvage her own work and hide from the allegations of racism and plagiarism, her life spirals out of control.
Trust by Hernan Diaz - This book involves quite a bit of reading, and even a section where someone is writing a book about the characters explored in the novel. It subverts what truth and reality mean in a fascinating way, with literature at the core.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich - On its face, this is a book about the pandemic. But, the plot follows a woman recently released from prison who finds her place working at a local bookshop.
Bunny by Mona Awad - Possibly evil, possibly sapphic, unabashedly unhinged MFA creative writing students? Sign. Me. Up.
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - The first in a quartet (of which I’ve read 3), Lucy Barton spends this novel reflecting on much of her life - including her desire to become a writer.
The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar - Of the books on this list, this is the one I’ve read most recently. It follows a translator (of many novels) as she copes with the early days of parenthood.
We Wish You Luck by Caroline Zancan - Another MFA creative writing program gone wrong. I think I have a type when it comes to books.
Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson - Okay, hear me out. This book is a little too personal if I’m being honest. This book follows a main character who burns out in her low-paying, high-intensity job as an attorney advocating for mostly poor folks being held in a mental health facility and she decides to focus her attention on writing the novel she’s been wanting to write. Her life devolves from there. See my full review here.
Less by Andrew Sean Greer - This book follows a writer who hasn’t found lasting success in his career or his love life.
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth - Another dark academic pick (seriously, I have a type), this split-timeline novel centers around the work of the writer Mary MacLane.
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What books about books or writing are your favorites? Share below!
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