Reading, watching, listening, and gaming recommendations from the staff of the American Writers Museum.
We can’t recommend these books, films, shows, plays, albums, and games highly enough! Check back every month for more entertainment recommendations, from classics that we revisit over and over to new favorites. If you’re looking for your next book or movie or show or whatever, you came to the right place.
Many of our August book recommendations are also available on Bookshop.org, which benefits independent bookstores. We also strongly encourage you to support your local bookstore by visiting them in person or ordering online through them directly.
Let us know what you’ve been into recently in the comments!
Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language by Adam Aleksic
From the publisher: “From linguist Adam Aleksic, known as @etymologynerd on social media, comes a captivating exploration of how internet algorithms are transforming language and communication in unprecedented ways…As a professional linguist, Adam Aleksic understands the gravity of language and the way we use it: he knows the ways it has morphed and changed, how it reflects society, and how, in its everyday usage, we carry centuries of human history on our tongues. As a social media influencer, Aleksic is also intimately familiar with the internet’s reach and how social media impacts the way we engage with one another…Algospeak is an energetic, astonishing journey into language, the internet, and what this intersection means for all of us.
—Christopher, Director of Operations
Andor created by Tony Gilroy
From IMDB: “In an era filled with danger, deception, and intrigue, Cassian Andor embarks on a path that is destined to turn him into a Rebel hero.”
—Andrea, Education Program Coordinator
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
From the publisher: “Sylvia Plath’s masterwork—an acclaimed and enduring novel about a young woman falling into the grip of mental illness and societal pressures. Esther Greenwood is a bright, beautiful, enormously talented young woman, but she’s slowly going under—maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther’s breakdown with such intensity that her neurosis becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.”
—Linda, Director of Development
Blind Spot by Teju Cole
From the publisher: “When it comes to Teju Cole, the unexpected is not unfamiliar: He’s an acclaimed novelist, an influential essayist, and an internationally exhibited photographer. In Blind Spot, readers follow Cole’s inimitable artistic vision into the visual realm as he continues to refine the voice, eye, and intellectual obsessions that earned him such acclaim for Open City. Here, journey through more than 150 of Cole’s full-color original photos, each accompanied by his lyrical and evocative prose, forming a multimedia diary of years of near-constant travel…As exquisitely wrought as the work of Anne Carson or Chris Marker, Blind Spot is a testament to the art of seeing by one of the most powerful and original voices in contemporary literature.”
—Deanna, Storyteller
Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens
From the publisher: “In 1473, fourteen-year-old Blanca dies in a hilltop monastery in Mallorca. Nearly four hundred years later, when George Sand, her two children, and her lover Frederic Chopin arrive in the village, Blanca is still there: a spirited, funny, righteous ghost… Blanca is enchanted the moment she sees George, and the magical novel unfolds as a story of deeply felt, unrequited longing—a teenage ghost pining for a woman who can’t see her and doesn’t know she exists. As George and Chopin…find themselves in deepening trouble with the provincial, 19th-century villagers, Blanca watches helplessly and reflects on the circumstances of her own death (which involved an ill-advised love affair with a monk-in-training).”
—Hunter, Storyteller
Cluedle: The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond by Hartigan Browne
From the publisher: “Dave the dog has been pup-napped, and in a village like Dumpleton, everyone’s a suspect! Do you have what it takes to sniff out clues? Or will you end up barking up the wrong tree? The reader, under the watchful eye of Private Investigator Hartigan Browne, must tackle 50 brain-busting puzzles, each holding a clue to solving the larger mystery. Who pup-napped Dave the dog? What is so important about The Flying Goat? How did the Dumpleton Diamond go missing? And where is it now? Packed full of codes to crack, evidence to evaluate, clues to unravel, and maps to navigate, Cluedle is chockful of puzzling fun!”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Different Every Night: Freeing the Actor by Mike Alfreds
From the publisher: “Different Every Night is the culmination of a lifetime of work in the theater, the most complete rehearsal methodology in print since Stanislavsky. It offers a vital master class for actors and directors, full of sound practical advice and guidance, and is packed with techniques for bringing the text to life and keeping it alive, both in rehearsal and performance.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
The Fourth Daughter by Lyn Liao Butler
From the publisher: “Chef Liv Kuo’s star is on the rise, until a traumatic incident leaves her emotionally unable to venture outside her Manhattan apartment. But an unexpected reason to break free comes from Ah-Ma, Liv’s beloved grandmother in Taiwan. Ah-Ma needs Liv’s help in finding her fourth daughter, taken from her when the girl was an infant…After landing in Taiwan, Liv hears the heartbreaking story of her grandmother’s plight in a country once under martial law, of choices made for her, and of the hopeful search for a lost girl that has endured for more than sixty years. Like the enriching food and traditions that bind Liv and Ah-Ma, their journey for answers brings them together. And it’s a quest that turns up both a precious old cookbook and a tale of fatal betrayal that shakes everything Liv believed about her family—revelations that could also give her the courage to face the trauma she left behind.
—Carol, Assistant Director of Development
Girls created by Lena Dunham
From HBO: “A young woman and her three friends struggle through their post-collegiate years in NYC in this coming-of-age comedy series.”
—Sydney, Intern
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
From the publisher: “Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.”
—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate
God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse by James Weldon Johnson
From the publisher: “James Weldon Johnson, the co-author of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ and author of The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, was a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance. In God’s Trombones, one of his most celebrated works, the rich tradition of inspirational sermons by Black preachers are reimagined as poetry, reverberating with the musicality and splendid eloquence of the classic spirituals.”
I recently had the honor of interviewing visual artist Dayo Johnson and poet Gregory Pardlo about the work and legacy of James Weldon Johnson. Dayo is a Nashville-based artist who recently made a portrait of Johnson for our travelling exhibit Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice. Gregory is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who also wrote the introduction to this publication of God’s Trombones. This episode will air later this month on our podcast Nation of Writers!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Keep It Simple, Y’all: Easy Dinners from Your Barefoot Neighbor by Matthew Bounds
From the publisher: “60 quick and tasty recipes for hassle-free meals from the viral creator of Your Barefoot Neighbor, featuring comforting slow cooker, sheet pan, and one-pot dinners. Social media creator Matthew Bounds is beloved for his simple and satisfying recipes that help you get dinner on the table with minimal fuss. Whether you’re new to cooking or simply looking for efficient and delicious meals, Keep It Simple, Y’all is packed with recipes that will fit seamlessly into your busy lifestyle. With easy-to-follow instructions and budget-friendly ingredients, Matthew’s laid-back approach to cooking takes the intimidation out of making delicious, home-cooked meals.”
—Annie, Education Associate
Manchukuo 1987 by yoshimi red
An alternate-history-hardboiled-noir-military-political-thriller? Was this book written for me? I’d been following the author’s posting about their process & progress with this novel on Twitter and was excited to see it finally released this past May.
It is 1987, in a world where the German Reich won The Great War, and the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo is 6 months away from an uneasy reunification with the Republic of China. Tensions are high, to put it mildly. The assault of a Japanese student in the Chinese part of town brings together Mizuki (the victim’s best friend, who may also be in love with her), Keizo and Hana (the former, a war criminal tasked with investigating the crime; and the latter, the young woman he pays for company and who hates him), and Jintian (a closeted, collaborationist novelist); all as the political and social world in which they are situated falls apart around them.
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership: Uncomplicating Cars for All of Us by Chaya M. Milchtein
From the publisher: “Automotive educator, journalist, and social media influencer Chaya M. Milchtein is a queer woman who has spent the last decade deeply entrenched in the automotive industry… In Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership, Chaya speaks to readers of all identities and socio-economic backgrounds, arming them with the necessary knowledge to navigate the intimidating automotive industry. At its core, this book is an accessible and comprehensive guide that will put readers at ease by providing them with basic knowledge about car ownership and maintenance. From buying a car, to getting it insured, finding the perfect mechanic, and dealing with car emergencies, Chaya encourages her audience to make educated decisions regarding their vehicles.”
—Annie, Education Associate
The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey
From the publisher: “Adrift after a sudden breakup and its ensuing depression, the novelist Catherine Lacey began cataloguing the wreckage of her life and the beauty of her friendships, a practice that eventually propagated fiction both entirely imagined and strangely true. Betrayed by the mercurial partner she had trusted with a shared mortgage and suddenly catapulted into the unknown, Lacey’s appetite vanished, a visceral reminder of the teenage emaciation that came when she stopped believing in God. Through relationships, travel, reading, and memories of her religious fanaticism, Lacey charts the contours of faith’s absence and reemergence. She and her characters recall gnostic experiences with animals, close encounters with male anger, grief-driven lust, and the redemptive power of platonic love and of narrative itself. The result is a book of uncommon vulnerability and wisdom, and heartbreaking—and heart-mending—exploration of endings and beginnings.”
—Deanna, Storyteller; and Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate
Mostly Dead Things by Kirsten Arnett
From the publisher: “What does it take to come back to life? For Jessa-Lynn Morton, the question is not an abstract one. In the wake of her father’s suicide, Jessa has stepped up to manage his failing taxidermy business while the rest of the Morton family crumbles. Her mother starts sneaking into the taxidermy shop to make provocative animal art, while her brother, Milo, withdraws. And Brynn, Milo’s wife—and the only person Jessa’s ever been in love with—walks out without a word. It’s not until the Mortons reach a tipping point that a string of unexpected incidents begins to open up surprising possibilities and second chances. But will they be enough to salvage this family, to help them find their way back to one another? Kristen Arnett’s breakout bestseller is a darkly funny family portrait; a peculiar, bighearted look at love and loss and the ways we live through them together.”
—Sydney, Intern
Normal Rules Don’t Apply by Kate Atkinson
From the publisher: “Nothing is quite as it seems in this collection of eleven dazzling stories. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a man who bets on a horse that may—or may not—have spoken to him. Everything that readers love about the novels of Kate Atkinson is here—the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. A startling and funny feast for the imagination, these stories conjure a multiverse of subtly connected worlds while illuminating the webs of chance and connection among us all.”
—Deanna, Storyteller
Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow
From the publisher: “Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea…But Bea’s young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears…Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight…and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested…Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent—it’s whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.”
Turow will be a guest of honor at the AWM’s upcoming OnWord Annual Benefit on September 8. Turow will receive the Beyond the Page Award for the legal advocacy work he has done for writers.
—Linda, Director of Development
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
From the publisher: “Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner, run by Chef Nagare and his daughter, Koishi. The father-daughter duo have reinvented themselves as ‘food detectives,’ offering a service that goes beyond cooking mouth-watering meals. Through their culinary sleuthing, they revive lost recipes and rekindle forgotten memories. From the Olympic swimmer who misses his estranged father’s bento lunchbox to the one-hit-wonder pop star who remembers the tempura she ate to celebrate her only successful record, each customer leaves the diner forever changed—though not always in the ways they expect. The Kamogawa Diner doesn’t just serve meals—it’s a door to the past through the miracle of delicious food.”
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn
From the publisher: “Scottie Price just started a new job…In an effort to impress her boss, Scottie mentions her nonexistent husband in a company meeting. But eagle-eyed Chad points out her lack of wedding ring. Panicked, Scottie creates a story about her unhappy marriage. Unfortunately for Scottie, her boss has a solution―a one-on-one session with the best marriage counselor in the Northeast…Frantic, she calls in help from…an improv-obsessed millionaire. Enter Wilder Wells. More than happy to take on the job, he teaches Scottie the main rule of improv: always say yes. But the rule backfires when Wilder signs them up for an eight-day summer marriage camp with all of Scottie’s co-workers where she’ll have to share a cabin with her way-too-handsome fake husband.”
—Annie, Education Associate
Virgin by Lorde
From Pitchfork: “Lorde’s fourth album returns to the digital, physical sound of Melodrama. While rooted somewhat in her past, it’s a gritty, tender, and often transcendent ode to freedom and transformation.”
—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
From the publisher: “A page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on the Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire… The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann’s recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O’Brian, his portrayal of the castaways’ desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller.”
Grann will be a guest of honor at the AWM’s upcoming OnWord Annual Benefit on September 8. Grann will receive the Founder’s Inspiring Writer Award for his esteemed career in journalism and literature.
—Linda, Director of Development
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
From the publisher: “It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.”
—Courtney, Co-Assistant Director of Education
Wednesday created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
From Rotten Tomatoes: “While attending Nevermore Academy, Wednesday Addams attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago.”
—Annie, Education Associate
Work Nights by Erica Peplin
From the publisher: “Jane Grabowski hauls herself to her nine to five office job at New York City’s most acclaimed newspaper to sit in stale air under severe florescent lights…Luckily, Jane has a reason to keep coming into the office: Madeline, the distractingly beautiful intern. Madeline has never dated a woman and is uncomfortable with labels but…Jane works her way into her life. Meanwhile, Jane’s free-spirited artist roommate tries to keep her from falling for a straight girl by dragging Jane to gay bars and queer Shabbat dinners, where she meets the decidedly uncool and morally righteous musician, Addy. Caught between Addy’s readiness to commit and Madeline’s alluring unpredictability, Jane is pulled down a slippery path of lies and deceit, leading to a plane ticket that threatens to take everything down in one fell swoop.”
—Sydney, Intern
Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith
From the publisher: “Riveting, elegant, humorous—this ‘picaresque voyage through Patti Smith’s dreams and life, blending fiction and reality, conjured characters and actual ones’ (The New York Times) is a moving and original work, a touchstone for our turbulent times…Taking us from California to the Arizona desert, from a Kentucky farm to the hospital room of a valued mentor, Smith melds the western landscape with her own dreamscape in a haunting, poetic blend of fact and fiction. As a stranger tells her, ‘Anything is possible. After all, it’s the Year of the Monkey.’ But as Smith heads toward a new decade in her own life, she offers this balm to the reader: her wisdom, wit, gimlet eye, and above all, a rugged hope for a better world.”
—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager
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