The Books I'm Reading Now
I'm reading Once There Were Wolves, Charlotte McConaghy's novel about a biologist fighting to reintroduce wolves into the Scottish Highlands and to overcome personal tragedy; The Wreckage of My Presence, comedian and actress Casey Wilson's memoir-ish collection of essays; and We Are the Brennans, Tracey Lange's family story about secrets, tragic mistakes, love, and loyalty.
Which books are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms?
01 Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
From a young age Inti realized she had a particular affinity for animals; if she tuned in, she could feel their feelings and even their physical sensations.
Inti and Aggie Flynn grew up spending time with their father living off the grid and become attuned to nature, focused on preservation, and respectful of wildlife. Later in life the sisters find themselves in the Scottish Highlands together as biologist Inti works to reintroduce gray wolves into the region.
Inti has hardened her heart in the years since she was a child, but she begins opening up because of the magnificent creatures she's studying. When a crisis erupts, Inti must choose between her beloved wolves and the outside world and its pressures to leave the wild behind.
McConaghy is also the author of Migrations, a title my book club is reading this fall. I received an advance digital copy of Once There Were Wolves courtesy of Flatiron Books and NetGalley.
02 The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson
Casey Wilson, actress (Happy Endings), comedian (Saturday Night Live), and writer, shares essays and memories, breathlessly told in whirlwinds of enthusiasm, frustration, or puzzlement as she works through feelings, her own often uncontrollable tendencies (eating most meals in bed and aiming to spend significant time in the bathtub; her serious sugar addiction; her reliance on psychics and various gurus for unorthodox life guidance), and her pivotal experiences in show business and in her personal life.
She frequently focuses on her obsession with Real Housewives, the Kardashians, and other reality television. This element isn't resonating with me so far. Her account of coping with the loss of her mother and her fears about her son's development feel more real and affecting for me.
03 We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
In Tracey Lange's new novel We Are the Brennans, twenty-nine-year old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a haze. She's hungover and horrified: she was the cause of a drunk-driving accident in her adopted town of Los Angeles the night before.
She's hit rock bottom and she knows it. Without other options, she skulks back to her hometown in New York. She'd abandoned her family and friends and anyone tied to her past, including her high-school sweetheart, five years earlier, and now she needs the support of people who truly know her.
The longer Sunday spends at home, the more she realizes that her people need her too. As secrets become unraveled and threaten the solidity of all she thought she knew about her hometown, Sunday must decide whether to flee again or to stay and find a way through the turmoil.