Book Matchmaking Vol. 1
Three readers, nine book recs
When I launched this Substack, one of the things I wanted to try was pairing readers with books. A couple of the school libraries where I work offer book matchmaking services, and I love working on them. It’s always fun for me to learn about what people are looking for in what they’re reading. Trying to figure out good picks for them is kind of like working a puzzle. It’s challenging and exciting at the same time.
Today, my Substack matchmaking dreams are coming true! I’m pairing three readers with three books. I’m grateful to these readers for filling out my matchmaking form (you can fill it out too to be considered for a future post), and I hope they find a book or two they’re excited to pick up. Let’s get started!
Most book summaries in this post are from NoveList. You can learn more about each title and purchase a copy from bookshop.org, which supports me and indie bookstores.
Meredith
I ask everyone who fills out the form to tell me two books they love. Meredith chose The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton. I was excited when I saw Tartt’s novel listed since I adore that one, too. Meredith appreciated the character development, the art themes, and the slow-burn pacing. Her next pick is a memoir, which she loves because it’s funny, full of heart, and takes a realistic look at life.
Here are the books I’m recommending to Meredith:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai: A novel set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris follows the director of a Chicago art gallery and a woman looking for her estranged daughter in Paris, who both struggle to come to terms with the ways AIDS has affected their lives.
Like The Goldfinch, The Great Believers is a character-driven novel about people facing heartbreaking circumstances. Art is one of the book’s driving forces, and the slow-burn focus on friendship and love is just right.
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo: Finally at age 57, Julia Ames feels she has a firm handle on things, but a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her teenaged daughter and a seductive resurgence of the past threaten to draw her back into the patterns that had previously kept her on a razor's edge.
This raw and emotional story features the in-depth character development of The Goldfinch and the humor and heart that Meredith enjoyed in Everything I Know About Love.
Congratulations, the Best Is Over! by R. Eric Thomas: A collection of relatable and humorous essays that explore his return to his hometown of Baltimore.
The essays in this collection follow Thomas as he moves, struggles with adult friendships, and navigates feelings of listlessness. This book is funny yet poignant, a combo I think Meredith will approve of.
Sarah
Sarah’s first book pick, A False Sense of Well Being by Jeanne Braselton, is one that I hadn’t heard of before. She mentions that it’s part Nora Ephron, part Flannery O'Connor, comparisons that delight me since I enjoy both of those writers. I’ll save my fangirling for later, though, since this is about Sarah and not me.
Her second pick is Search by Michelle Huneven, a book that’s been on my TBR for a while. Sarah loved the progressive faith community, complicated yet lovable characters, and humor.
Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson: Twenty years after secretly causing panic in her hometown through the written word and artwork, along with a fellow loner named Zeke, famous author, mom, and wife Frances Eleanor Budge gets a call that brings her past rushing back, threatening to upend everything.
As I thought about books combining faith, humor, and relationships, I immediately thought of Now Is Not the Time to Panic. It ticks many of the boxes Sarah likes in her fiction, including wit and good writing.
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet: After walking from New York to Arizona to recover from a failed relationship, Gil discovers new neighbors in the glass-walled house next door and finds his life meshing with theirs.
This hope-filled novel focuses on friendship and features strong character development. It’s equally funny and moving.
Vintage Contemporaries by Dan Kois: Pulled back into her past when a posthumous work needs a publisher, reconnecting her with an old friend, successful book editor, and new mom, Emily is forced to reckon with her decisions, her failures, and what kind of creative life she wants to lead.
Set in Nora Ephron’s beloved New York City, this ode to friendship is smart, thoughtful, and packed full of heart.
Shannon
The first book Shannon mentioned is one I love as well, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. She liked the unique and evocative writing style. Her second pick was The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, a historical fantasy set in Russia. Shannon picked this one because it offers magic, escapism, and excellent prose.
Another question I ask on the matchmaking form is what matters to you in your reading life right now. Shannon said she’s drawn to mysteries and likes the idea of a story getting resolved. With that in mind, here are three mysterious recommendations.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro: Waiting to be chosen by a customer, an Artificial Friend programmed with high perception observes the activities of shoppers while exploring fundamental questions about what it means to love.
I chose this book for Shannon because it offers beautiful, thoughtful writing, a mystery, and fantastical elements. It’s a complex novel that offers a satisfying resolution and insightful commentary on our relationship with technology, life, and death.
The Cassandra by Sharma Shields: Follows a woman who goes to work in a top-secret research facility during WWII, only to be tormented by visions of what the mission will mean for humankind.
Like both of Shannon’s picks, The Cassandra is a historical novel. It plays with mythology like The Bear and the Nightingale, centers around an intriguing mystery, and stars a strong female character.
The Tenant by Katrine Engberg: When a young woman is discovered brutally murdered in her own apartment, with an intricate pattern of lines carved into her face, Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are assigned to the case. In short order, they establish a link between the victim, Julie Stender, and her landlady, Esther de Laurenti, who’s a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends. Esther also turns out to be a budding novelist—and when Julie turns up as a murder victim in the still-unfinished mystery she’s writing, the link between fiction and real life grows both more urgent and more dangerous.
As I thought about mysteries with good writing, Katrine Engberg’s Korner and Werner series immediately came to mind. Set in present-day Copenhagen, these books have a strong sense of place I think Shannon will like, as well as dark, captivating storylines that are perfect for some escapism.
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I had such a fun time putting together this post! Thank you again to Meredith, Sarah, and Shannon for submitting matchmaking forms. Let me know your thoughts on my recommendations, unless your thoughts are that I suck at them and should never do this again. As always, thank you for reading! Help new readers find my work by sharing it.
This is so fun! Two of your recommendations for me were already on my TBR list. I added The Cassandra and will put one of these in the library request queue. Thanks for sharing your love of books!
Andrea- I am tickled beyond belief that you chose me! The great believers has been at the top of my list for a while and believe it or not, I've read same as it ever was already! Congratulations the best is over is a new title to me- I will be sure to check it out. Thank you!