A 2023 Book Bonanza [#5]

Let's take a moment to celebrate a wide range of books that are not mine. And, the latest review for Flawless came with a star!

Hey from LA!

This is a momentous year for many of my journalist and writer friends, as they, too, are debuting their first books! So I just want to take a moment to share these books, along with my pride, as they send their book babies out into the world. (If you’re only here for FLAWLESS updates, you can just scroll down.)

All of these are either newly out or available for preorder:

1. American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal, by Neil King Jr.

   Great if you want American history and a little philosophy and wisdom along the way. He WALKED HIS ASS UP THE EAST COAST and survived to tell the tale! I know Neil from my years in DC, when he was a top DC editor for the Wall Street Journal. I legit enjoy his pontificating, so now everyone can enjoy it, in these pages.

2. Central Places: A Novel, by Delia Cai

   Great if you want a funny, keenly observed novel about second-generation immigrant identity, family and love. Delia is a fellow Mizzou grad (albeit a decade younger), I love her Deez Links newsletter, and her book’s observations of millennials in the NY media scene, her disapproving mother and growing up in the sticks of central Illinois were so resonant, as someone originally from St. Louis. (I still claim Texas! That’s where I know the roads!)

3. Permission to Speak, by Samara Bay

   Great if you want to feel more empowered to use your voice (both literal and figurative) and encourage other women to use theirs. Samara is my newish LA friend who has been a vocal and dialect coach to the likes of Rachel MacAdams, Ricky Martin and many others. If you’ve ever gotten complaints about saying “like” too much, or are concerned about vocal fry, or just have trouble speaking up … this book sees you.

4. Flowers of Fire, by Hawon Jung

   Great if you are looking for a deeper dive on Korea’s modern feminist movement and how that ties into global movements. Hawon has been tracking the women’s movements that really sprung up in 2018 from the beginning, and offers insight into the backlash. This book is a great companion to Flawless!

5. The Best Strangers in the World, by Ari Shapiro

   Great if you want gripping and heartfelt stories about the unforgettable people and situations journalists encounter, plus plenty of behind-the-scenes hijinks. Friend Ari has covered stories all over the world and filled in for me in Seoul during my first maternity leave. When he came to Seoul, he came armed with boxes and boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, because I love that orange dust and it was selling for an astronomical $5 a box in Korea. I finished every box he brought.

So weird, Ari muling me mac and cheese to Seoul is NOT a story in his book.

Which books are YOU looking forward to this year? Would love to share more recs later down the road.

Flawless Updates

Another review is in, from Kirkus, and it’s starred! According to my editor, historically Kirkus has known to be unkind with its reviews, so a star is a special treat.

Hey look at that star! Woo hoo!

The flip side of submitting your work for external assessment, of course, is that not everyone loves your stuff. When that happens, I will just recall a quote my friend Zach shared with me: “A critic is a person who puts on a suit of armor to attack an ice cream sundae.”

Meanwhile, the Flawless publicity team is busy working on media and events for the spring. One of the best things about book events is that they often feature a conversation with a host or moderator, and the authors get to choose their conversation partners. Of all book-related activity, I think I’m most looking forward to getting to riff with my friends.

Finally, if you haven't bought FLAWLESS yet, preordering plays a big role in whether a book is a success. If you're going to get it eventually, or want to get one to gift someone else, go for it!

As always, I’d love to know what you want to see more of in this newsletter, since it’s just for superfans like you. There are not that many of you, so I can really tailor the programming of these emails! Let me know.

And thank you, as always.

Big hugs,

Elise