With a never ending selection of new books to choose from, we curated a list of a few of our latest favorites.
by Anna Meyer
reviews by Ann Mayhew
photography by Kaylen Ralph
Choosing what book to read next is a lot like dating; you can get a recommendation from a trusted friend, you could check online first to see if you match up, or you can go into it blindly with your fingers crossed that everything will work out. Either way, we get how important it is to surround yourself with the best. We decided to give you a sneak peak into our Issue 5 canon with a few early picks of which reads we deem worthy for sitting on your bedside table.
Rikki Ducornet
From: Coffee House Press
This accomplished writer and visual artist succeeds again in this surreal and breathtaking coming-of-age tale. Compared to Calvino and Borges, Ducornet writes with deft and sensual prose about rebellion, discovery, and affection, focusing with poetic ease on the deepest emotions of her characters.
Sarah-Jane Stratford
From: NAL
This delightful historical novel, taking place in 1920s London, celebrates female friendship and the women who joined the workforce before it was generally acceptable to do so. Along the way, the reader is treated to a compelling storyline featuring secrets, conspiracy, and the price of truth.
Lisa Owens
From: Dial Press
Owens’ Claire Flannery in Not Working is perhaps one of the most relatable characters as of late. Deciding to choose agency over conformity, Claire quits her office job to pursue her passions, only to discover that she’s not sure how to do so. Readers will literally laugh out loud as Claire stumbles toward a meaningful existence.
Sunday’s on the Phone to Monday
Christine Reilly
From: Touchstone
Reilly’s debut novel is the touching story of a family struggling to stay together in 1990s New York City, featuring parents balancing their bohemian roots with their settled life, and their very different daughters facing the complexities of achievement and history. Hailed as both eccentric and empathetic, this novel is for readers seeking love in familial tragedy.
Walking with the Muses: A Memoir
Pat Cleveland
From: Atria / 37 INK
As one of the first black supermodels in the wild ‘60s and ‘70s, Pat Cleveland’s memoir is a fascinating glimpse into the glamourous but difficult world of the beautiful, elite, and racist world of mid-century fashion. Despite the privileges afforded to Cleveland due to her lighter skin tone (in comparison to her darker-skinned colleagues), she became fed up with the racism she experienced in America, eventually fleeing to France, not returning until Vogue finally featured a black model on its cover.
Anna Meyer is The Riveter’s Editorial Brand Assistant. She is a Minneapolis native currently pursuing journalism and creative writing at the University of Kansas. Her brain works best in the morning, when she’ll usually play Liz Phair or Tears for Fears through her earbuds, sitting on the floor surrounded by her notebooks filled with scribbled ideas. Follow her on Instagram.
Ann Mayhew is our go-to connoisseur of books. Follow her on Goodreads.
Kaylen is The Riveter’s cofounder, editorial development director and brand director. She works as a personal stylist for Anthropologie. Follow her on Instagram @kaylenralph for books, fashion and a lot of content blending those two subjects. You can also find her on Twitter at @kaylenralph.
