What We're Reading: Winter 2024

“Next up for me is Absolution by Alice McDermott. I’m a huge fan, and reviews and word-of-mouth say this one is a literary page-turner! Published by our sister company, FSG!” —Deb Futter, President and Publisher

“I picked this up at my local bookstore — Sister’s Uptown, in New York City — over the summer in anticipation of Let Us Descend. I’ve just dipped into Sing, Unburied, Sing, and I’m looking forward to reading both!” —Jaime Noven, Senior Marketing Manager

“I love beginning a new year by tackling a book I’ve always meant to read but never got around to. This year, I shopped my bookshelves and am savoring every word of Min Jin Lee’s Free Food for Millionaires. It’s absorbing, nuanced, and filled with fascinating, imperfect characters that I love spending time with.” —Christine Mykityshyn, Senior Publicity Director

“I love to read creative nonfiction, so I’m interested in learning more about the history and evolution of this genre, and I’m fascinated by artistic and ethical questions that arise when storytelling blends fact with personal experience. Lee Gutkind has been a major pioneering force in the genre of creative nonfiction, and his book promises to cover so many of my absolute faves — Joan Didion, James Baldwin, and Zora Neale Hurston, for example.” —Faith Tomlin, Editorial Assistant

“I’m in the midst of rewatching Gilmore Girls, as one does. And although I still have a few seasons left, I’m already dreading the loss of this show in my life (again). So I’m planning to pick up Lauren Graham’s memoir, Talking as Fast as I Can, after I finish the series. I’ve heard it’s hilarious and heartfelt, and it’s exactly what I’ll need when I won’t be escaping to Stars Hollow night after night.” —Jennifer Jackson, Executive Director, Marketing

“I’m finally getting around to reading Trust by Hernan Diaz. I was worried that it would be a challenging read given my limited understanding of stock trading and the workings of Wall Street, but the writing is stunning (obviously, hence the Pulitzer), and I’m finding it really compelling so far.” —Liza Buell, Associate Publicist

“Recommended by our creative director, Anne, as I reevaluate my personal creative art practices. Already a few weeks into the 12-week program, and I feel I’ve already gotten so much out of it!” —Erin Cahill, Manager of Studio Art

“I’ve been reading Maame by Jessica George and adoring it! The voice is brilliantly engaging, and the story has been deeply impactful for me. Maddie, the protagonist, searches for healing and fulfillment as an immigrant daughter, caretaker, and publishing assistant in London.” —Margaux Kanamori, Editorial Assistant

“I’m excited to read Monstrilio, Gerardo Sámano Córdova’s debut about a mother who nurtures a piece of her deceased child’s lung into a sentient, carnivorous monster — talk about an irresistible pitch…. Highly recommended. This heartbreaking meditation on grief is sure to leave me in tears.” —Emily Radell, Publicity Assistant

“I’m very much looking forward to Emily Wilde’s Map to the Otherlands. Heather Fawcett’s first book, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, was an absolute delight last year, so I’m excited to return to its light academic fantasy landscape!!” —Sandra Moore, Marketing Assistant

“I recently received a copy of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow that I am excited to dive into. I truly am a sucker for the ‘mysterious house in town’ trope, which this book promises. I’m particularly intrigued by the living heir, whom the town wants to pretend is just another decoration inhabiting the mansion. Opal, the main character, seems forced to face both the past and the present to unravel all mysteries surrounding Starling House and the town itself.” —Yelizaveta Rogulina, Ad Promo/Social Media Intern