claire valentine Book Recommendations & Book Mentions
This list consists of recommendations or mentions of books spotted in media, social media accounts, podcasts or other public websites.
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Claire Valentine is a culture editor. culture editor @wmag 📩claire.valentine@wmagazine.com

Lo Fi
Liz Riggs
Lo Fi’s protagonist Alison Hunter is a young, aspiring artist working nights in a sweaty nightclub where everyone is somehow involved in the music industry. Like a sultry country song itself, Lo Fi sees Hunter navigate her way through dating, heartbreak, and difficult but transformational decisions.
Hardcover, 2024
$29.00Member price:$14.50 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Lou Reed: The King of New York
Will Hermes
There have been many biographies of the late Lou Reed, but Will Hermes’ may be the most definitive yet…His partnerships with fellow icons like David Bowie, Andy Warhol and Laurie Anderson all get their due, as does the story of downtown New York itself where Reed rose to artistic greatness.
Hardcover, 2023
$35.00Member price:$17.50 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Land of Milk and Honey
C. Pam Zhang
The novel’s protagonist is a disillusioned chef who finds herself part of a lush operation making beautiful dishes for the global elite. A sensual love letter to food itself, Land of Milk and Honey basks in earthly delights as much as it skewers them.
Out of stock

The Loves of My Life: A Sex Memoir
Edmund White
In a time where young people are supposedly squeamish about sex, Edmund White's new memoir relishes in describing his seven-plus decades of explicit encounters... [The Loves of My Life] also functions as a unique oral history of queer culture.
Hardcover, 2025
$27.99Member price:$13.99 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Black Friend: Essays
Ziwe
An expert at saying the quiet part out loud, Ziwe applies her hilarious perspective to pop culture commentary, mixed with the personal anecdotes that underline her razor sharp eye for storytelling and detail.
Paperback, 2024
$16.00Member price:$8.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Family Meal
Bryan Washington
In a tale of food, sex, love and connection, Family Meal is a delicious dissection of the moments that make us the most human.
Out of stock