All Booked | Shorties for Spring

By Emily Lee Wed Mar 13, 2024 | 10:59am

The original version of this newsletter was sent out on Tuesday, March 12

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Hello, book lovelies!

Oh my, how things have changed since my last email. I believe I left off on an incredibly high note! “I don’t want to jinx it” were my first words. Well, dear reader, I have indeed jinxed it. I’m not sure if I’m in a slump or it’s a book hangover from The Measure, but everything I’ve picked up since has not captured my attention. I’ve tried sequels, romances, a space mystery — and nothing is cutting it. Thus, I will be talking about books that I would like to read. Sometimes when I find myself in situations like this, I try to mix up what I’m picking up and I try and pick up some shorter things. Shorter books tend to get to the point quicker. They move faster. And that’s what I need. Below you will see a smattering of new short story collections and releases that I’m excited to pick up.

I am a big believer in going into a book knowing as little as possible. I try not to read too much of the synopses or reviews, since most of them over-share. My pitches below are short and sweet just for that reason.

Fourteen Days, edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston

Fourteen Days is something called a collaborative novel, which is a totally new concept to me. We follow a cast of characters in a New York City neighborhood during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each character is written by a separate author. There are some big-name authors involved, including Celeste Ng, Diana Gabaldon, John Grisham, Mary Pope Osborne, and Tommy Orange.

I haven’t read any books that delve into the pandemic, but it’s intriguing to me.

Dead Weight by Emmeline Clein

Dead Weight is a collection of essays focusing on disordered eating. Clein weaves her own story about her struggles with disordered eating through pop culture.

I love a short story collection that has something to say. I find it interesting that Clein brings in references that we all know to illustrate what she went through. I’m curious and intrigued about what this collection has to say.

*Content warning: disordered eating, body image.

Nine Billion Turing Tests by Chris Willrich

Quite possibly my most anticipated one on this list is Nine Billion Turing Tests. It’s only 43 pages, and the synopsis is one sentence:

In a post-nuclear-event Silicon Valley, a man grieving the loss of his wife struggles to find comfort when he is forced to communicate with his neighbors’ AI devices, rather than the people themselves.

Sign me up. I’m a sucker for stories about how AI has taken over. I’ve only seen positive things about this. It will most likely be my next read.

As always, I’d like to hear from you! Do you have any receommendations for me? Particularly something that will grab my attention? Also! I’m continuing the reader spotlight series, so If you are interested in being featured in All Booked, please fill out this form.

Your smitten bookworm, Emily

UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS

Below, you will find a few bookish events coming up in Santa Barbara. If you are hosting a bookish event in Santa Barbara, be sure to submit the event to our online events calendar.

Medora’s Book Club: Mercy Street
Tuesday, March 12, 6pm | Casa del Herrero

Local Author Book Signing Marianne Dougherty
Wednesday, March 13, 6pm | Chaucer’s Books

Acclaimed Historian to talk on “The Epic Story of Animals and People in North America”
Wednesday, March 13, 7pm | Virtual Event hosted by the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society

Book Signing for Isla Vista Seasons: Ocean, Land, and Light
Saturday, March 16, 12pm | Sea Lookout Park, Isla Vista

Book Talk -“Living With Agent Orange”
Tuesday, March 19, 6pm | Chaucer’s Books

Carpinteria Festival of Books
Saturday, March 23, 12pm | Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center

Beaverland Talk & Book Signing Author Leila Philip
Monday, March 25, 6:30pm | CEC Environmental Hub

LOCAL BOOK SPOTLIGHT

We at the Independent get many books sent to us by local authors, sometimes too many! It’s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren’t worth the attention. In an attempt to not completely drop the ball, we have compiled a list of books here that have a local spin. They are all either written by a local author, feature someone in our community, or have another tie to Santa Barbara. I urge you to look through this list. Perhaps you will find your new favorite read!

The following are the most recent titles that have been sent to us. Click here for a more comprehensive list.

The Dragons of Aeronoth by Victor Borda

The Berman Murders by Doug Kari

The Wonderful Comic Books of Kenneth Landau by Maranee Landau

The Imagination Matrix by Stephen Aizenstat

I Lost My Leg, Not My Life! by Michaël Merrigan

Escaping Nazi Germany: A Jewish Family’s Story by R.B. Dickinson

Shared Crossing: The Final Journey by Deborah Harkin

If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book in this section, please email allbooked@independent.com with the subject line “Local Author Spotlight.”