read/don't read vol. 10
A recap of May 2025
Welcome to read/don’t read, a series of bite-sized reviews of books to help you find something new to add to your TBR or maybe something you may want to skip.
For more reviews, check the archives of read/don’t read by clicking here.
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April 2025, part 2
The Wall, by Marlen Haushofer (trans. Shaun Whiteside), 1963
read if
you are into Robinson Crusoe but could do without the aggressive colonial mindset
you like introspective dystopian novels
you wonder who you would be if no one else were watching
don’t read if
you want your apocalypse to make sense (or at least to have a clear cause)
you prefer plot-driven stories with clear resolutions
being stuck inside your own head sounds like your worst nightmare
The Abandoners: On Mothers and Monsters, by Begoña Gómez Urzaiz (trans. Lizzy Davis), 2022
read if
you are interested in the cultural role assigned to creative mothers (and interested in questioning it)
you like nonfiction that explores grey areas
you appreciate writers who connect personally and explicitly to both their subject and their readers
don’t read if
you don’t care much for essays on cultural and literary criticism that spend a lot of time setting the content for the analysis
you are looking for an in-depth journey into the concept of “monster”
you would like to read less about dead authors and more about the women currently leaving their children
Abigail, by Magda Szabó (trans. Len Rix), 1970
read if
you think that growing up means both becoming more disenchanted with the great wild world and more enchanted with the small gestures of everyday life
you are drawn to stories about girls who find the strength to rise to the occasion in their friends and found family
you like books that suddenly become page-turners
don’t read if
you need your protagonist to be likeable from the get-go, rather than brats that grow up
you don’t like to feel like plot twists are predictable
you prefer narratives that build at a consistent pace rather than in fits and starts
Territory of Light, by Yuko Tsushima (trans. Geraldine Harcourt), 1978
read if
you feel that life sometimes jumps around in less-than-smooth ways
you like narratives that make you feel claustrophobic, even if they’re on an open-floor plan
you believe there’s no age for a coming-of-age story
don’t read if
you don’t like narratives that are built around vignettes or fragments
you prefer books where stuff happens
you don’t like to feel lonely
The Waves, by Virginia Woolf, 1931
read if
prose poetry is your jam (or you want it to be)
you like feeling progressively involved by a piece of writing
you want a book that feels like playing catch with an interdimensional being
don’t read if
you want to read about friends being friends together
you prefer a book that you can love without having to appreciate
you don’t like to feel overwhelmed by imagery
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, 1813
read if
you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast (the Disney version, not the 18th-century fairy tales)
you have ever felt misunderstood by a crush and wish you could’ve taken something back
you know it doesn’t matter how alone you feel, there’s always that one sisterly friend (or friendly sister) standing by you
don’t read if
you want a pure romance novel
you need a book where “action” goes beyond “dancing” and “walking”
you are not ready to dive into thick historical settings that are not at all clearly described (and you might need to read the endnotes to understand)
A Life of One’s Own: Nine Women Writers Begin Again, by Joanna Biggs, 2024
read if
you want to be reminded that even brilliant women have ups and downs
you are looking for a way into Big Name women writers but feel too intimidated by traditional literary criticism
you like books that blend the essay and the memoir into something that feels like a chat over some fancy latte
don’t read if
you are looking for more traditional literary criticism on women’s writing with little to no personal interventions
you are weary of self-insertions that can veer towards mood-boosting life lessons
you are looking for clear “beginning again” moments and their value
Oh, I loved Abandoners! It's feeding into my research atm. I also enjoyed A Life Of One's Own, I'm a big fan of memoir blended with nonfiction literary exploration. I like the sound of Abigail and Territory of Light.
the wall is my favorite book of all time!!! i love introspective dystopian fiction and women in isolation