The weekly post

The one with a tender, heartbreaking debut novel

Hi friends, I hope you are all managing to stay safe and connected to one another these days. My heart has been with those in Southern California who have been impacted by the devastating, horrific fires, and I am admittedly feeling a bit helpless from the other side of the country. That said, this link includes a list of organizations that are accepting monetary donations and providing direct response to the individuals, families, and animals who have been affected, and the Mutual Aid LA Network is maintaining a resource library to help connect LA residents to critical services and supports.

This week, I’m sharing a review for Shuggie Bain, a novel that I finished over the holiday break and needed some additional time to fully process. This is a more challenging book, both in terms of the prose and the substance. At the outset, I do want to offer a disclaimer that this novel focuses on alcohol addiction, substance use disorder, and complex familial relationships. I have tried to handle these topics sensitively in this review and use person-first language. That said, if this is not the right time for you to read about these topics, please skip over the “Recent Recommendation” section of today’s newsletter. And, send me a direct message or leave a comment if you have any thoughts on how to sensitively approach these topics for future posts.

Wherever you are, I do hope you are taking good care and reading something great.

Currently Reading

HUMOR ME by Cat Shook. After kickstarting my year with two more somber reads, I needed something a little breezier, and I am so far loving this 2024 novel, which has been described as a love letter to New York City and focuses on the stand-up comedy scene (my favorite). At a little more than halfway through, I am really struck by the ways Cat Shook combines quirky characters and punchy dialogue to tell a beautiful story about unexpected friendships and navigating grief through adulthood.

Recent Recommendation

SHUGGIE BAIN by Douglas Stuart (4.5 stars). Where to really begin with this heartbreakingly beautiful debut novel? Winner of the 2020 Booker Prize and a National Book Award finalist, this book was, by far, my most challenging read of 2024 and one that has taken me a while to sit with, process, and unpack.

Shuggie Bain tells the story of a young boy growing up in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1980s with his mother who struggles with addiction. The youngest of three, Shuggie is often left to his own caretaking devices and left to wonder what more he should be doing to support his mother, Agnes, in navigating her relationship with both alcohol and emotionally abusive men. In a community that has been struck by poverty and where alcohol is often used as a means of currency and connection, it feels from the start that the cards are stacked against Agnes and her family. We watch as Shuggie’s older siblings, Catherine and Leek, deploy their own self-preservation mechanisms, to varying degrees of success, and there is both a protective camaraderie and a perceivable distance among the three children.

There were so many dynamics that stood out to me while reading this novel. First and foremost, though the titular character, I spent much of this book noticing that Agnes largely seemed to be the true primary focus, much more so than Shuggie. As early as five years old, Shuggie builds his day based on how Agnes is feeling. Far too young to understand what is happening around him, we watch as he skips school, waits in line for food stamps, withstands neighborhood bullies, and cleans up the home, all in the hopes that today will be the day that his mother is better, that she doesn’t turn to alcohol, that she doesn’t go out with another manipulative man. That we learn about Shuggie’s character through the way he bends and folds around Agnes is a devastating portrayal of how addiction can consume relationships.

Because of this dynamic, I had an even greater appreciation for Douglas Stuart’s masterful writing and its many profound subtleties. Even while the story itself revolves around the mother-son relationship, and the daily struggle that Agnes endures, Stuart weaves in details and references to underscore other supporting themes, particularly around Shuggie’s sexuality as he grows up. This story is not one of big a-ha! moments or earth-shattering revelations; it’s a quiet story that offers a glimpse into the everyday life of one family and one boy who desperately wants his family to be okay.

In closing, I haven’t read much (if any) Scottish literature, and I will disclaim that it took me some time to adjust to the Glasgow dialect, and there were some cultural and political references that definitely went over my head. But part of what I enjoy about literary fiction is the ability to familiarize myself with a more distant place and time through one character’s worldview, and that was certainly true of this novel, and I equally appreciated Stuart’s commentary on Glasgow’s socioeconomic landscape. While certainly a heavier read, this is a beautiful story and true work of art.

Recommend for… fans of White Oleander by Janet Fitch, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Up Next

JAMES by Percival Everett. Later this week, some friends and I are heading out of town for a very low-key, reading-forward long weekend, and I am so excited to finally begin Percival Everett’s reimagined take on Huckleberry Finn. Winner of the 2024 National Book Award for fiction, finalist for the 2024 Booker Prize, and gracing nearly every bestselling list, this novel is surely to be nothing short of thought-provoking, challenging, and moving, and I think it will be great company for cozy reading sessions. I haven’t read any of Percival Everett’s works so I’m also excited to round out January with a new-to-me author.

Read Ahead

I am blown away by the record turnout at this past week’s Silent Reading Party and thrilled to announce that Lost Generation Brewing has agreed to keep the party going all throughout 2025. Our next gathering is Wednesday, February 5, and for the most part, we’ll meet the first Wednesday of each month (I’ll flag any date changes). More information and where to RSVP is linked here. See you in a few weeks!

Currently Listening

The album 99 Nights by Charlotte Cardin has been on repeat for me the past few weeks and somehow perfectly straddles the line of being both edgy and cozy for long reading days.

Three Words

Community, resilience, focus.