Sponsored by Impersonation by Heidi Pitlor, now available from Algonquin Books.
Allie Lang is a ghostwriter and a perpetually broke single mother to a young boy. Lana Breban is a lawyer, mother, and advocate for women’s rights with designs on elected office. Lana and her staff have decided she needs help softening her public image and that a memoir about her life as a mother will help. When Allie lands the job as Lana’s ghostwriter, she has high hopes. But then Allie’s childcare arrangements unravel; she falls behind on her rent; and her subject, Lana, provides hardly any material. When will Allie speak up for all that she deserves? Read more.
Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!
On Saturday, the book world will mark the would be centennial birthday of beloved author, Ray Bradbury, born on August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois.
Ray Bradbury is one of the most celebrated American writers of the 20th century with literary works in genres from fantasy and science fiction to mystery and horror. In fact, The New York Times called Ray Bradbury the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream. When he died in 2012, Bradbury fans were comforted by turning to his many engaging stories, where his words and the reader’s imagination met and married.
Stories like The Veldt or The Martian Chronicles may immediately come to mind when super fans think of Ray Bradbury, but most people know Ray Bradbury through Fahrenheit 451, the novel included in many high school reading lists. Despite being another required book to read by a dead white guy, Fahrenheit 451 is still one of the all-time favorite books among American high school students.
Nevertheless, if you are like me, one of the few students who missed reading Fahrenheit 451 in school, then you may be reluctant to add this book to your TBR. If you’re wondering, “What’s the point of reading it now?!” My answer to you is, “The best time to read a good book is now. The second best time is next.” Also, Fahrenheit 451 is one of those classic books that feels contemporary.
In a world where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen don’t put out fires. They start them. Guy Montag is a fireman whose job is to destroy the most illegal commodity, the printed book, along with homes in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the purpose of his job or the destruction it causes until he meets his young neighbor, Clarisse. She introduces Montag to a past where people did not live in fear and shows him the possibility of living in a world where people seek books instead of the mindless chatter of television. When his wife Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
Honestly speaking, I didn’t love Fahrenheit 451. For me, it was a case of an intriguing concept that wasn’t well executed. However, I would still recommend this book to others because one person’s 1-star book is another person’s 5-star book. Fahrenheit 451 is more like a 3-star book for me. In the end, I just felt “meh” about it. I first read Fahrenheit 451 years ago, so it is possible I would feel differently reading the novel now. However, I doubt I would fall in love the second time around. Even with my lackluster feelings about Fahrenheit 451, I still think it’s a must read for any book nerd and especially for book nerds who love science fiction, speculative fiction, or dystopian narratives.
Like other books in this genre I’ve enjoyed in the past, what I like most about Fahrenheit 451 is how relevant the story feels. As technology continues to become more ingrained in our lives, reading Fahrenheit 451 (where flat screen TVs take up entire walls and tiny wireless earbuds are household staples) made me think Ray Bradbury was a prophet. Even the disregard and disdain for information and knowledge in the novel feels like Bradbury is providing insight and commentary on our current society. Fahrenheit 451 was published over 60 years ago, but reads like it was published last week.
Fahrenheit 451 could be your next 5-star read, but you’ll never know until you put it at the top of your TBR. Do it now. Thank me later.
Until next time bookish friends,
Katisha
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