Just a handful of paperbacks snagging my attention for July, one of which I’ve already read. Rebecca Kauffman’s The Gunners is built around a structure that rarely fails to attract me: a group of people, once friends as children or young adults, are brought together by an event which affects them all. Kauffman reunites her characters at the funeral of one of them just as they enter their thirties. The five remaining members of the Gunners are in shock after the suicide of the sixth who none of them had heard from since she left the group aged sixteen with no explanation. A satisfying, often poignant read which reminded me of The Big Chill.
Christopher Priest’s An American Story seems to examine the emotional fallout of one of this century’s early defining moments – the 9/11 attacks. Ben Matson lost his fiancée that day but with no body recovered he still has doubts about what happened to her. When the wreckage of an unidentified plane is recovered Ben is led to question everything he thought he knew. That synopsis might make this novel seem like an uncharacteristic choice for me but I’ve enjoyed several of Priest’s previous books.
Lydia Kiesling’s The Golden State sees a woman whose Turkish husband has been unable to return to the States, leaving San Francisco for the desert town of Altavista. On the brink of a breakdown, Daphne takes refuge with her toddler in the mobile home her grandparents have left her. The blurb describes it as ‘about class and cultural breakdowns, and desperate attempts to bridge old and new worlds’ which piqued my interest but it’s the publisher that’s sealed the deal with this one. I’ve enjoyed several novels from Text Publishing’s list including the wonderful Our Magic Hour by Jennifer Down and Romy Ash’s Floundering.
I’m not sure how I missed R. O. Kwon’s The Incendiaries when it was first published. Several people whose opinions I trust have since told me it’s right up my street. Phoebe and Will fall in love at university, both with burdens to bear of one sort or another. Phoebe finds herself drawn into an extremist group with links to North Korea, disappearing after a bomb attack in which five people are killed leaving Will determined to find her and a little obsessed.
That’s it for July’s smattering of paperbacks. A click on The Gunners will take you to my review or to a more detailed synopsis for the other four. If you’d like to catch up with July’s new titles, they’re here.
I’m also a sucker for anything to do with groups of friends so I shall definitely be looking out for The Gunners. The author’s name rang a bell and having just checked I see I have The Flamethrowers on my much diminished tbr pile. Perhaps I should read that first.
Such an attractive structure, isn’t it. I’ve yet to read The Flamethrowers but making further inroads into the pile is always a good idea.
I started The Incendiaries but it didn’t hold my attention. Perhaps I should have given it a bit longer – I’m very ruthless these days!
I know what you mean, Kate. I’m way past feeling I have to finish everything I start.
Always delighted by your coming-to-paperback posts. I prefer this format and, often when a new release comes out and I throw it on to my Goodreads “Want to Read” list, I forgot to check back for the paperback release. So, thank you for the pleasant reminders.
You’re welcome! Publishers seem to put all their effort into promoting new titles, forgetting that most of us buy our books in paperback and may not have long memories.
I started reading your precis of The Gunners I was instantly reminded of The Big Chill (such a brilliant film) then sure enough you referenced that film. I think I vaguely remember your review, it certainly sounds appealing.
Brilliant film, indeed! It’s one of those books to sink back and enjoy, Ali. Nothing challenging but I’m more than happy with that now and again.
The Incendiaries is bloody brilliant. One of my favourites of last year.
I think you may well be one of those ‘people whose opinions I trust’, Naomi.
Well, I’m honoured. Hope you enjoy it.
Could be US schedule and UK, but a few more? Khoury’s Children of the Ghetto, Archipelago, part of trilogy , Palestinian; “History. A Mess” by Pálsdóttir, Icelandic, Open Letter…diary of forgotten woman painter, 17th c.; The Wind that Lays Waste, Selva Almada, Charco Pr….Scottish press, Latinx in transl; The Cuban Comedy, Pablo Medina, The Unnamed Pr.
I have a copy of The Wind the Lays Waste. Have you read it? The rest are new to me.
The Golden State looks interesting. I don’t know Text Publishing, I shall have to investigate them further!
A good source of lesser known Australian books, although they don’t seem to publish a huge amount here in the UK.