| Our latest First Impressions read, Syou Ishida's We'll Prescribe You a Cat, is a charming, heartwarming, slightly surreal work of connected stories following humans and the feline companions who help them through tough times.
This week's Editor's Choice pick, Garth Greenwell's intimate and reflective Small Rain, focuses on a poet who develops a new appreciation for the world around him after landing in the ER with a life-threatening condition.
In a "beyond the book" article accompanying Danzy Senna's comedic Colored Television — about a middle-aged author who attempts to pivot to a television career — we explore the weather of Los Angeles and its relationship with the film industry.
You can also browse almost 300 more books in our Mid-Life Onwards category, check out other recommended recent hardcovers (and paperbacks, too!), and read the latest book news. | | With best wishes,
The BookBrowse Team
| | We've created a brief subscriber survey so that you can provide feedback and help make BookBrowse even better. The survey consists of 10 optional questions, should take 5-10 minutes to fill out, and one winner will receive a $25 gift card to a bookstore of their choice, or a $25 library donation. Members received a similar survey, but are welcome to submit this survey as well. | | Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.re | | | We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
"We'll Prescribe You a Cat is a heartwarming and cozy series of short stories about people during troubled times visiting an elusive clinic in Kyoto that prescribes cats. Each chapter focuses on different patient-cat relationships, with the cats portrayed as therapeutic companions guiding their owners through their emotional turmoil. The stories are all cohesive and intertwined, and I found the main characters delightfully unusual." —Anke V. (Portland, OR)
"This is the kind of book that leaves a mark...one you keep thinking about after you finish it, because it reads like a modern fairy tale, both tragic and spirited, and you can't help but wonder if you peeled all the layers of the onion or if there is more for you to explore." —Laurence J. (Brighton, MA)
"Heartwarming and humorous with a bit of mystery...I highly recommend this book for a nice light read, especially if you need a break from 'heavier' reading material. It is a good choice for book clubs." —Barbara T. (Houston, TX) | | | Small Rain by Garth Greenwell
At the beginning of Garth Greenwell's novel Small Rain, the protagonist, an unnamed poet in his early forties, is stricken with acute abdominal pain. The COVID pandemic is raging and he's reluctant to visit the hospital, but after suffering at home for a few days, he finally capitulates to his alarmed partner and ends up in the ER, where doctors discover that he has a life-threatening aortic tear.
The rest of the novel is mostly set in the ICU, where the narrator is tethered to his hospital bed with IV lines and sensors, but where his mind roams freely and widely. Greenwell is a master at creating intimacy; the poet seems to speak directly to the reader, and his narrative voice is compelling: sometimes self-critical and dismissive of his perceptions, but also empathic and reflective.
In Small Rain, the subject of illness and its attendant concerns appear alongside the protagonist's quiet, domestic life in Iowa. ... continued | | Weather, Film, and Television in Sunny Los Angeles | | In Colored Television by Danzy Senna, Jane, a novelist turned aspiring TV writer from the East Coast, reflects on her inability to get used to the warm springs of Los Angeles while also considering their utility: "All that sunshine was said to be the reason the film industry had moved west back in the 1920s. Only in Los Angeles could they control when it rained and when it snowed. And the light here was, it was true, like no other light, perpetually effervescent, mirthful."
According to PBS, the industry did set up shop in Southern California at least partly for that reason. There were other incentives for production companies to move to LA, including a lack of unions and labor oversight — meaning studios could exploit workers — and attempts to escape licensing bureaucracy. The city's convenient climate combined with these factors established it as a center for filmmaking. Today, LA's blue skies may seem like a physical manifestation of the escapism Hollywood represents, a kind of denial of the harsh reality associated with other arts, industries, and weather. ... continued | | | Colored Television by Danzy Senna, featured above, is one of nearly 300 books in our Mid-Life Onwards category. Head over to find more recommendations, both fiction and nonfiction, about navigating middle age and beyond.
This is one of 100+ themed categories you can explore on BookBrowse to find the perfect read for your book club or yourself. Members can access all categories and filters to narrow their browsing, while non-members have limited access. | | Recommended Recent Hardcovers (and Paperbacks!) | | | Need a reliable resource to help you narrow down new releases and find the books that are really worth checking out?
Go to "Recent Hardcovers" or "Recent Paperback" under the "New" menu on BookBrowse and discover a continually updated array of featured books with links to our reviews, reading guides to enhance your book club discussions, excerpts, related "beyond the book" articles, and more.
Members can access all of this connected content as soon as it's available, and anyone is welcome to browse recommendations! | | - 2024 NBA longlist for young people's literature announced
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