At Sea

I read 14 books in the last month. Let's rate and review them. I'm Jack, I'm a book content creator and the literary editor at Esquire. There's my column. All opinions here are my own and not those of the magazine. Firstly, Dominion. A shocking story about a troubled father and son and how the women in their lives sort of carry the burden and the blame for their misdemeanors. It is an evisceration of patriarchy, particularly in the church. Next, because you are what you read, the Wreck. This is a lithic graphic novel hybrid about two couples who move into the same massive house and the sort of tensions that arise with that dynamic. It's about envy, it's about desire, it's about how other people can hold up a mirror to our insecurities. And I highly recommend. And because you are what you read, the sluts. Now, listen, I am usually pretty unflappable when it comes to intense and graphic scenes in writing, but my God, this is not for the faint of heart. It is genuinely repulsive, which is impressive to be able to write something that makes you feel sick to your stomach. But I can't say that I enjoyed it. It's initially told through a series of reviews of the same male escort that lots of different people have hired. It's difficult and it's messy and it's complex, but if you ever hear me recommending this to someone, just know I've been abducted by aliens. Like, that will be the sign. This book, meanwhile, I've been recommending to everyone I know, this is Fruit Fly, dare I say, Book of the Summer. It's about a straight woman trying to write a sad gay novel. So she Googles, how can you discreetly meet gay men? And Google tells her, Grinder. She makes an account using her husband's pictures and essentially ends up stalking someone. And it's paced like a YA, but with adult themes. So the pages practically turn themselves. The C is about a Muslim woman working on an oil rig. It kind of turns into a thriller at the end, but it's mostly about how she's treated by her male colleagues, which is exactly how you would expect that she's treated by her male colleagues. The Ten Year Affair, I liked the idea of this book. It's about dissatisfaction. It's about being sold an idea of marital bliss that doesn't come to fruition. It's about whether you'd rather be with someone dependable or exciting. But for me, the writing just fell flat as a pancake. And so I did have an affair of my own. I kept cheating on this book with others because they were more interesting to me. For example, Life of M, Rachel Kask is back. Instead of a juice cleanse or something, I just read a Rachel Kask book every year and honestly, it heals something within me. The way she can take the most profound thought that you've been grappling with for your entire life and then just articulate it in a sentence or two is incredible. It's technically about someone writing a memoir for a celebrity, but the plot is very vague. It's really just a very literary melting pot of ideas. And the final line is bonkers. Another reliable author for me is Douglas Stewart. If he says jump, I'll say, how high? John of John is about a father, a son, and a mother-in-law. Sort of all trying to understand each other. It's about generational repression. It's about desire, class, code switching, language, the church, and also on a small island off the coast of Scotland. It is totally mesmerizing. And as always, his sentences are just so intricately crafted, like a pastry chef with all his little petty fours. This book is the whole damn bakery. Yes, the year follows the life of a tradwife influencer considering not only the way that she frames her life, but also how others receive it. I liked it, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder whether her going back in time to the 1800s was really necessary or just a bit of a gimmick. And finally, I made a whole video on the books shortlisted for this year's International Booker Prize, so I'll speedrun these. The Witch is maybe the most underwhelming book I have ever read. I think Paint would watch this book dry. The Knights are Quiet in Tehran is a thought-provoking insight into the aftermath of the revolution in Iran, but with some serious pacing issues. On Earth, as it is beneath, is a propulsive zinger about abuses of power in the prison system and who is allowed to inflict violence. Taiwan Travelogue was a worthy winner of the prize. I did predict it. Read this if you're interested in the act of translation, of tourism, history, food descriptions, and a collision between colonizer and colonized. And She Who Remains. My personal favorite from this list. It's about archaic tribal laws, family obligations, sworn virgins, and a devastating miscommunication. And if a book is about miscommunication, sign me up. So, let me know. Have you read any of these books? Do you agree with me? And what are you reading in June?