Capote's Women by Laurence Leamer:
Author Truman Capote's "swans" were some of the richest, most dignified, and most beautiful women of their day, women who, according to public perception, had it all. Owing to his close friendship with these women, Capote knew firsthand what was bubbling underneath the surface; and, with his planned literary masterpiece Answered Prayers, he intended to shine a light on the lives of his swans, a light in which the public had never seen any member of high society. Part biography, part exposé of both Capote and his swans, Capote's Women tells the story of friendship ruined by betrayal and the novel that never was. Leamer treats his subjects with objectivity, as well as with great sympathy and humanity. The complexities of Capote and each of his swans are present throughout. Discovering that the anecdote about Joanne Carson driving around Sunset Boulevard with half of Capote's ashes in her car came directly from the author himself, who had been in the car with her at the time, added a nice layer of black humour that I'm sure Capote himself would have appreciated. If you've any interest in Truman Capote, whether it be academic or casual, this is definitely a worthwhile read.
Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past by Ransom Riggs
Riggs shares with us his collection of old secondhand photographs, all with written messages, spanning the first seventy years of the twentieth century. This book is a beautiful reminder of what it is to be human and that, at our core, we have not changed at all. Although this is what most would consider a "coffee table book", it is also such an insightful, moving read.
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
Having thoroughly enjoyed Pachinko, I thought I'd give Lee's debut novel a read. A community novel following a broad cast of characters, presenting their multitudinous perspectives as they navigate the complexities of life and identity, of career, sex, and love in 1993-1997's New York City. The main protagonist in this cast is Casey Han, a Korean-American woman in her mid- to late-twenties, daughter of Korean immigrants, who finds herself lost, jobless, and hopelessly in debt after graduating college. Casey, much like her supporting cast, is exceptionally well-developed and nuanced, a truly messy human being. Everyone's story is skillfully conceived and well-executed. There is admittedly - and unfortunately - far too much sex and cheating for my taste, so much so that the book often feels like a K-drama. This, of course, will be fine for many readers. For me, the novel dragged whenever those scenes came up. Nonetheless, I do recommend Lee's debut novel. Like its characters, for all its faults, its gifted and worth giving a chance.
