#caitlin barasch

[hungryfictions]

in 2023 i am collecting book covers like so many colorful candies. all the info for these titles can be found on my goodreads acct :-)

[lazyworksinprogress]

I've just finished Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang which was a middle-of-the-road read for me. My Goodreads review goes into a lot of the issues I had. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was fine but I didn't lol or snort in amusement at all whilst reading it. I sound pretty negative in my review but I'm at peace with that because I compromised by rating it three stars.

I found myself thinking of other books and stories that follow similar themes. I'll list a few because I haven't seen many recc lists that are created around unlikeable, chronically online protagonists and I have read a few decent ones.

The Survivors Group - an excellent and memorable short story by Khanya Mtshali - kept coming to mind. The unsettling portrait of a character and situation has a lot to say in a concise and significant way. It's concerned with social media cancellation, intragroup workings, communication, and what support feels like online.

The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya is also about two women in the entertainment arts who fallout on social media. The ambition and self-destructive mistakes made are familiar and sharp. People will probably resonate with the insecurities and neuroses of the main characters as well.

The Shame by Makenna Goodman has a lot to say about white middle-class women's relationship with social media, capitalism, and their own frustrated ambitions.

A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch is also written from the perspective of a white woman obsessed with another. The social media stalking and self-loathing, self-obsessed protagonist are unflinchingly depicted as the story hurtles towards its catastrophic conclusion.

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

May Wrap-Up

Mad Honey (Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan) ★★★★

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi (Shannon Chakraborty) ★★★★1/2

Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens) (audio) ★★★★★

Happy Place (Emily Henry) ★★★★★

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King (Carissa Broadbent) ★★★1/2

This Delicious Death (Kayla Cottingham) ★★★★★

A Novel Obsession (Caitlin Barasch) (audio)  ★★★★1/2

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (K.J. Charles) ★★★★

Hidden Pictures (Jason Rekulak) (audio) ★★★★

Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros) ★★★★★

It was a fantastic month of reading, and like everyone else, Fourth Wing tops my list this month, along with Happy Place. Find me over on Goodreads if you want to share reviews and recs!

[weirdgirlification]

2022 book list

favorites bolded, sorted by dates read

catch the rabbit by lana bastasic

grandmaster of demonic cultivation, volume 1 by mo xiang tong xiu

heaven official’s blessing, volume 1 by mo xiang tong xiu

cassandra at the wedding by dorothy baker

ms ice sandwich by mieko kawakami

like by ali smith

annihilation by jeff vandermeer

sarahland by sam cohen

drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tocarczuk

problems by jade sharma

winter by ali smith

a novel obsession by caitlin barasch

mislaid by nell zink

milk fed by melissa broder

asymmetry by lisa halliday

certain american states by catherine lacey

heaven official’s blessing, volume 2 by mo xiang tong xiu

spring by ali smith

girl meets boy by ali smith

either/or by elif batuman

nightshift by kiare ladner

tin man by sarah winman

white ivy by susie yang

acts of service by lillian fishman

sea of tranquility by emily st. john mandel

time is a mother by ocean vuong

fates and furies by lauren groff

girls can kiss now by jill gutowitz

jade legacy by fonda lee

the accidental by ali smith

i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

crimson by niviaq korneliussen

our wives under the sea by julia armfield

the answers by catherine lacey

babel by r.f. kuang

history of wolves by emily fridlund

the bell jar by sylvia plath

second place by rachel cusk

my brilliant friend by elena ferrante

everything i need i get from you by kaitlyn tiffany

[signal-failure]

Insta-Stalking in "Like Me" and "A Novel Obsession"

When it’s done right, I love a thriller with a blend of polished Insta-perfection and offline dysfunction. I’m thinking specifically of the IG alibis in Social Creature, but it’s a really appealing contrast in fiction n general. Two recent reads, Like Me and A Novel Obsession,  promised Insta-stalking turning into dangerous obsession.   In Like Me, almost-model and wannabe influencer Mickey Jones…

[oxymoron0-o]

Every time you try and write the truth it changes. More happens. Information constantly expands.

Ann Rower

(Meta-meta-quote: the character Rosemary in A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch quotes Chris Kraus quoting Ann Rower. But I have so far found this to be very true.)

[bargainsleuthbooks]

#ANovelObsession by #CaitlinBarasch #NetGalley #ARCReview #NewReleases #March2022Release

What would you do if you found out your ex's new girlfriend was cyber stalking you? Told from the point of view of the new girlfriend, this is #ANovelObsession by #CaitlinBarasch #NetGalley #ARCReview #NewReleases #March2022Release #BookReview #booksta

“Twenty-four-year-old bookseller and New Yorker Naomi Ackerman, desperate to write a novel, struggles to find the right story to tell. When, after years of disastrous Tinder dates, she meets Caleb—a perfectly nice guy with a Welsh accent and a unique patience for all of her quirks—she feels she’s finally stumbled onto a time-honored subject: love. But then Caleb’s ex-girlfriend, Rosemary, enters…

[the-forest-library]

March 2022 Reads

Going Postal - Terry Pratchett

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis

Etiquette & Espionage - Gail Carriger

Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore

Kiss & Tell - Adib Hkorram

So This is Ever After - F.T. Lukens

Daughter of the Deep - Rick Riordan

The Shape of Thunder - Jasmine Warga

These Deadly Games - Diana Urban

If I Disappear - Eliza Jane Brazier

All That's Left in the World - Erik J. Brown

A Novel Obsession - Caitlin Barasch

The Roughest Draft - Emily Wibberley

Meet Me in Paradise - Libby Hubscher

The League of Gentlewomen Witches - India Holton

No Words - Meg Cabot

No Judgments - Meg Cabot

A Brush with Love - Mazey Eddings

One Italian Summer - Rebecca Searle

The Bookish Holidays of Nina Hill - Abby Waxman

Olga Dies Dreaming - Xochitl Gonzalez

The Maid - Nita Prose

The Impossible Us - Sarah Lotz

Ghosts - Dolly Alderton

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting - K.J. Charles

To Trust Man on His Oath - K.J. Charles

Paper Girls, Vol 1 - Brian K. Vaughn

Barbarian Alien - Ruby Dixon

Breath - James Nestor

The Hilarious World of Depression - John Moe

Hangry - Sarah Fragoso & Brooke Kalanick

Brave, Not Perfect - Reshma Saujani

Present over Perfect - Shauna Niequist

The Nineties - Chuck Klosterman

ADHD 2.0 - Edward M. Hallowell & John J. Rates

Plant You - Carleigh Bodrug

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts: Ok, I don’t remember reading a third of these books and for many others, it seems like I read them years ago. Time is weird. Also weird? The 90s. I really enjoyed Chuck Klosterman’s trip through the decade of my most formative years.  

My favorite fiction read of the month was The Impossible Us. It’s a time travel/parallel worlds type story that really pulled me in. Going Postal and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader were also great, of course. And, if you are like me and are eagerly awaiting the promised sequel to I Was Born for This, Kiss & Tell might just fill that void a little. 

Goodreads Goal: 95/200

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads |

2022 Reads |

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Tagged

Thanks @kemvee for the tag!!!! 

Relationship status: Yesterday I got accosted with this question and I have never appreciated it as the local chronic single lady LOL.

Favourite colour: alternates between pink and purple. To wear though? Lately it’s been green and navy. 

Favourite food: depends on my mood. Lately though it’s thai red curry. 

Song stuck in your head: This morning it was “fireflies” by Owl City for whatever reason.

Last thing you googled: Contiki Tours. I decided on EF for my trip next year because I have experience with them and it was a good choice because I like the places we’re visiting there in the big Europe package over Contiki’s spread.

Time:  1:11 CST

Dream trip: I’M DOING IT IN JUNE BABY. UTLIMATE TOUR OF EUROPE! I’m looking forward to being able to spend more leisurely time there as well in the future, perhaps the Amalfi Coast and Provence. 

Last book you read: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Started promising, but it kind of fell off for me. I also have a problem in historical fiction where the main character is incredibly modern feeling and forward thinking while everyone else is like a complete stereotype of the  time period. Real life is more black and white than that but eh whatever still a solid read. 

Last book you enjoyed reading: So many good books this year, but I loved A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch for making me feel seen. (Except the stalking part, promise I’ve never done that LOL)  Migrations was also great (Charlotte McConaghy) 

Last book you hated reading: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. I was...very underwhelmed and the only reason I (barely) finished was because of how much hype the book gets

Bonus: I’m really tired and stressed rn but hey c’est la vie.

Favourite thing to cook/bake: Stir fry, favorite is one with the peanut sauce I make. Why? Easy and i don’t have to measure, lol. I also like making homemade bread.

Favourite craft to do in your spare time: Love to crochet of course <3 Making cardigans is down to a science for me, though I would like to make a granny square scarf in the near future like one I saw on etsy.

Most niche dislike: just saw it on twitter again and was reminded: “you don’t want a boyfriend, you want a fictional man written by a woman” honey some of us can make informed decisions about what we want in life. 

Opinion on circus(es) now and in history: Never been my thing. Don’t like the aesthetic, went to one as a kid and wasn’t really entertained, and thinking about Barnum...it’s a no from me. 

Do you have a sense of direction and if not what is the worst way you ever got lost: Somewhat? And not me but in college a friend was driving me and another friend home and we somehow ended up in s cornfield. We lived by the beach. 

tagging @thevikingwoman @galadrieljones  @starsandskies @alyssalenko @a11sha11fade

[kristenbouchard]

tagged by @agentdanascully thank you my beloved nancy

last book i bought: all of these puppies in one go

borrowed: i am a chronic love to own things girl so i honestly can’t remember. i currently have two books on geoffrey keating checked out from the library but that was for school

was gifted: the stranger in the lifeboat by mitch albom

gave/lent to someone: one of my friends currently has the secret history, the once and future witches, and the all souls trilogy checked out from the syd library

started: a novel obsession by caitlin barasch

finished: the iron widow by xiran jay zhao and holy moly was it ever a fantastic rollercoaster ride. thank you whoever on here recommended it btw

gave 5 stars: outlawed by anna north, a very enthusiastic five stars

gave 2 stars: a court of thorns and roses lmaoooo

didn’t finish: i don’t like dnfing books unless they’re truly awful because it’s often a case of right book wrong time …. so i can’t remember. but my current half-read chunky slow/i will get back to you i prommy reads are the vohrr by b catling, a place of greater safety by hilary mantel which i started last summer and have not let go of, and the goldfinch (again)

if you read this whole post i love you and tag you’re it! ❣️

[books-i-once-read]

Loving someone required excavating all their stories.

A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch

[kaleidoscope-selections]

I’ve been obsessed with this song lately. I love the lyric:

She told me, “Watch the snakes ‘cause they watching you” 🐍

I think especially because I just finished the book A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch, which I enjoyed so much, I have the idea of surveillance on my mind. The book is about a woman who becomes obsessed with her new boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, like haven’t we allllll been there?! I loved seeing this concept taken to the extreme of actually stalking this woman and satisfying her curiosity.

Back to the snakes though.. it’s so true that people will always try to doubt your vision and tear you down. In the song, J. Cole talks about moving to New York City even though friends in his North Carolina hometown didn’t understand why he would do that. I remember moving to Philadelphia and feeling the same way. I’m so grateful for the people I’ve met here❤️ and feel at home.

[shivtomdivorce]

1 6 15!!

book you’ve reread the most times?

hmmm probably the raven boys i think ive read it seven (?) times now but tbh could be a few more

6. what books have you read in the past month?

this is going to out me as having literally no other hobbies but since april 18th: the trouble with peace - joe abercrombie, the wisdom of crowds - joe abercrombie, the disordered cosmos - chandra prescod-weinstein, autonomous - annalee newitz, book lovers - emily henry, portrait of a thief - grace d li, a novel obsession - caitlin barasch, house of chains - steven erikson, sundial catriona ward, fool me once - ashley winstead, the kingdoms - natasha pulley, AND band sinister - kj charles

15. recommend and review a book

ok love this question. im going to rec the way spring arrives and other stories edited by yu chen and regina kanyu wang which is a collection of science fiction and fantasy stories translated from chinese with essays throughout the collection about translation and the sff genre in chinese culture. there were a few stories that i still think about all the time but my fav parts was reading the essays about the translators choices and the process. def recommend i read it a few stories/essays a day which was very satisfying

[weirdgirlification]

7 9 10 for asks! :)

7. what's your favorite series now?

i don't read a lot of series nowadays but maybe the poppy war by rf kuang. really delivers on villain protagonist who is actually a villain + looks at lot at the aftereffects of war which is something lacking in many fantasies

9. what's a book you want to buy?

summer by ali smith because i have the other three seasonal books with the american covers so i have to complete the set before i move. also will probably buy something by either eve babitz or joan didion soon because i need more pre-2000 books on my shelves

10. have you ever judged a book by its cover?

i LOVE judging book covers and do it every time i'm in a bookstore. i refuse to read anything with those cutesy cartoon people on the cover (you know the style) but that's mostly just a romance thing and i already know i don't like romance. i also hate the colorful blob cover trend in litfic but i've still read and enjoyed some of those books. a recent cover i really dislike is a novel obsession by caitlin barasch (which i also disliked as a book but not because of the cover) and one i really like is disorientation by elaine hseih chou (haven't read the book). in generally my opinions on covers don't influence my opinions of the books but sometimes they can influence how likely i am to pick up the book.

[michaelhirshon]

Cover for short story “The Spiral” by Caitlin Barasch

[oxymoron0-o]

Caleb didn't tell his father I sit for hours beeping bar codes and rearranging books, didn't tell his father I live for free in a Manhattan apartment and yet still fail to write as much as I could or should. Instead, he told his father that I'm a writer. His insistence on seeing me the way I want to be seen feels a little like love might feel.

A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch