Birthday Book Recs 12-14/50 : The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Birthday Book Recs: 12-14/50
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Despite all these books housed on this amazing built-in (shout out Josh Allison Architecure and FYI one of these days I’ll try to get actual pics of the whole thing on the grid), I’m a regular at the library. So here’s a trio that are among my favorites that I don’t own:
The Great Believers: Here’s a little blip I wrote in 2018: “’Attachment reading’: When you become so attached to a book that it becomes a part of your daily routine. Dinner needs to be prepared? Can I do it one-handed while I read? Need to do something work-related off hours? OK, but let’s speed it up so I can get back to my book. Teens need to be transported every which way? Is it a bad example to read while driving? I became very attached to The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai — so much so that it was hard for me to deposit it in the library’s book drop. (But I did, and I was only 2 days late.)” But truly, this novel about the AIDS crisis has stuck with me…highly recommend.
Eileen: WTFFF with this creepy book?! Someone read this per my recommendation and upon finishing, texted me this: “Holy Shit!” Eileen is dark, psychologically twisted, and therefore the only kind of “thriller” I want to read. This novel was shortlisted for the 2016 Booker and is a crazy look at what may be humans’ basest desire: to “be someone.” I knew from the get-go that my mind was being played with, but I wasn’t quite sure what Moshfegh was doing with it. (Wheeeee!)
The Joy Luck Club: My mom owned this one, and I suppose in a moment of summer desperation I decided that I would actually, you know, read a book…possibly the first “adult” book I read that wasn’t assigned for school. Ahhhh, such fond memories of lounging on the teal leather couch in our upstairs loft area while chomping on handful after handful of Costco animal crackers. (The best way to read?) Tan’s novel about mothers and daughters (and mahjong) passed the ultimate test…grabbing the attention of a moody and angsty teen. Therefore, I can’t NOT recommend this one — even if you can’t enjoy it while stuck to a teal leather couch.
You can find all my 50th Birthday Book Recommendations HERE.
originally published on instagram