In January 2017 when the Orange Thing began his first term of catastrophic assault on human decency, good governance, and basic common sense, I had the most productive reading month of my life -- 12 books in those 31 days. That certainly wasn't a coincidence. Nor is it this time, when I've been almost maniacally productive in January in terms of reading, writing here, and writing generally. Keeping yourself busy with things you love is absolutely crucial in times of gathering darkness. And, friends? Things are bleak. Anyway...sorry not sorry for the speech. Hugs to everyone.
Here are two fun things I worked on in January, both of which were actually published this week.
I got to interview Nickolas Butler for the Chicago Review of Books -- I've loved Butler's work since I read his debut Shotgun Lovesongs in 2014. We've met in person a few times since (he did a reading at RoscoeBooks a couple years ago), and he's an absolutely delightful person.
His new novel, A Forty-Year Kiss, is out today! It's a sweet, heartwarming story about second chances in life and love. PLEASE BUY IT -- the hardcover is a truly beautiful physical object, complete with variegated sprayed edges and colored inset pages. It feels like a collector's edition!
We actually did the interview on Zoom (as opposed to over email) and it was so much fun getting to talk with him. I think I even annoyed him at one point, asking him if his new novel could've taken place anywhere but in the Midwest. 😂 I think he's tired of being asked that about his books. But he's such a kind human, he wouldn't overtly show annoyance. If you've liked his other novels, you'll love this one too. And if he's a new-to-you writer, I urge you to take a chance on him and give him a read.
I'm on a new episode of the Chicago Writers Podcast -- I once again got to join host Dan Finnen and now-cohost and editor-in-chief of the Chicago Review of Books, Michael Welch, as well as CHIRB managing director Rachel Leon to talk about books. The angles this time were a short review of our favorite books of 2024, and then a longer discussion of our most anticipated 2025 books. (Spoiler: A Forty-Year Kiss was one of my picks. Everything is connected.) I also talked a little bit about Emily Henry, which I guess you'll have to listen to believe.
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