📚 Favourite books of SPRING 2021 📚

Fiction

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai spans several decades but centres around how the AIDS crisis of the early 1980s affects the lives and relationships of a group of friends living in Chicago.

Makkai’s writing is evocative and beautiful, and as always, I read this book from a writer’s point of view, hopefully learning techniques from the author along the way. A principal tenet of writing is to show, not tell. Narrative description, or telling the reader what is happening, is boring. It’s better to show the reader through actions and metaphors, which hopefully immerses them in the story to feel what is happening rather than simply reading about it. Makkai’s The Great Believers is chock full of this technique in action.

In one example, Makkai conveys a shift in Yale Tishman’s mood after receiving good news. Instead of just saying, “Yale was happy,” the author expands on Yale’s actions that represent his jubilation and happiness:

“On the way home, Yale bought flowers and an apple pie. He smiled at strangers on the El, and didn’t feel the cold.”

— The Great Believers, page 88.

Here, the reader can likely relate to the actions one might do in moments of outward joy and even subconsciously tap into their own prior, similar experiences to share in the character’s emotions.

Although a work of fiction, Makkai meticulously researched the 1980s gay scene in Chicago. At first, I wondered how the author would be able to put herself into the minds of a group of gay men, but she did so flawlessly — with both humour and tenderness. I later learned she interviewed dozens of gay men, HIV survivors and health professionals to help capture an accurate portrayal of the characters and setting.

The Great Believers also gave me a wondrous gift — resurfaced memories of loved ones lost. Many of the book’s characters and circumstances stirred up recollections of my mother’s friends who experienced the AIDS crisis during the 1980s-90s. I thought of Cloin Watts, a close family friend who lived with us for a year. He died of AIDS in the early 90s.

Widely available now: Indigo, Amazon, and a host of independent booksellers that deliver.

NonFiction

Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

Show Your Work is a must-read for all creatives — writers, artists, vloggers - anyone who creates content for the world. Typically, creators focus on the end product rather than the process. In his book, Austin Kleon encourages us to flip things around and focus on the journey rather than the destination.

Creatives can instantly reach their audience on the internet. Websites and social media provide an opportunity to show your work at every stage. Kleon encourages us not to obsess over perfection and instead share the raw material, the creative building blocks. Another benefit of following Kleon’s advice is the ability to build a platform and connect with people interested in your writing, artwork or creative projects.

Kleon contends that true happiness and contentment lies with sharing our work as we go rather than focusing on the result. It reminded me of something author Anne Lamott said in an online writer’s workshop. She told us not to focus on publication as the signpost of success and to expect the feeling of accomplishment to disappear 24 hours after publication. For some of her books, Lamott would continually check their Amazon sales ranking in the weeks following their release. As her titles slowly slipped down the rankings, she realized that worrying about her book’s performance was toxic. Instead, it’s essential to move forward and keep creating.

By willfully sharing our work in progress online, the world bears witness to our true accomplishment — the creative process.

Widely available now: Indigo, Amazon, and a host of independent booksellers that deliver.

🎥 Favourite media of Spring 2021 📺

🧠 brain candy 🍬

The Flight Attendant (HBO)

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a TV series. The series stars Kaley Cuoco (from Big Bang Theory) as a flight attendant, who after a night of excessive drinking in Bangkok, wakes up beside a murdered man’s body. The twists and turns in the suspenseful comedy left me on the edge of my seat.

The depth of Cuoco’s performance surprised me and is a huge departure from the ditzy blonde stereotype she played in her previous role of twelve years. Best of all? The season finale left room for a second season.

Watch the series trailer here.

🧠 brain food 🥕

Your Honor (Showtime)

One of my all-time favourite TV series is Breaking Bad, and when I watched Your Honor I revived that nostalgia for Bryan Cranston’s acting excellence. Instead of chemistry teacher turned meth cook, Bryan Cranston plays the role of a sitting judge who goes to extremes to protect his son after a hit-and-run accident.

Although the show received an overall lukewarm rating on Metacritic, I found the series suspenseful and well-crafted. Like Breaking Bad, it doesn’t conform to some formulae and the finale was both shocking and unexpected.

Watch the series trailer here.

Craving for more? See previous favourites here.

Archive: Favourite finds from Spring 2021