Lauren LeBlanc Book Recommendations & Book Mentions

Lauren LeBlanc

For @bostonglobe, I reviewed THE UNICORN WOMAN--somewhat of a departure for Gayl Jones, who doesn't typically wear her seriousness so lightly. Full of word play and wry humor, it channels the tradition of American seekers, chasing unconventional dreams.

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Lauren LeBlanc

Finished ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE last night and will begin listening to THE BURGESS BOYS on audiobook. I'm trying to remember the last time an author seized me with the absolute need to read all her books. In summer 2003, I read all the novels that Ann Patchett had published. 1/2

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Lauren LeBlanc

For the @nytimesbooks, I wrote about THE FOUR HUMORS: Mina Seçkin, BRIGHT BURNING THINGS: Lisa Harding, TELL ME HOW TO BE: Neel Patel, and DEFENESTRATE: Renée Branum. Thrilled to cover four terrific novels in my first piece for them. https://t.co/YMlzMMsa5k

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Lauren LeBlanc

Intensely intimate and candid... Unlike others, this memoir, delicately written but without any precious patter, frames itself as a book of days. Overwrought metaphors aside, grief is less of an ocean and more of a series of days ... A book that is meant to be read slowly.

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Lauren LeBlanc

Wrote about Claire Dederer's upcoming book MONSTERS: A FAN'S DILEMMA for my Substack last week. https://t.co/I7N5nWLN4S

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Lauren LeBlanc

Best of lists aren't canon, but, for @BGlobeBooks, I wrote about five nonfiction books that I loved this year: STAY TRUE: @huahsu, DIARY OF A MISFIT: @caseyparks, LOST & FOUND: @kathrynschulz, ESSENTIAL LABOR: @agarbes, and SOUTH TO AMERICA: @imaniperry. https://t.co/ckQJdHrVP6

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Lauren LeBlanc

@mtaeckens More to do with reflection, acceptance, and grief, but I read Clare Dederer's POSER and Meghan O'Rourke's THE LONG GOODBYE after a breakup and both offered me a lot of much needed perspective.

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Lauren LeBlanc

For @BGlobeBooks, I wrote about Gayl Jones's novel, THE BIRDCATCHER, the follow up to her 2021 novel PALMARES, a Pulitzer finalist, but BIRDCATCHER was first published in Germany in 1986. This 1st US edition is as timely and unsparing now as it was then. https://t.co/wiByZHOy4v

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Lauren LeBlanc

For @BGlobeBooks, I wrote about Elif Batuman's EITHER/OR, what makes a life or story exceptional enough to create art---and sequels---and how I would happily sign up for junior and senior year installments of the life of Selin. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/19/arts/eitheror-when-college-novel-deserves-second-look/

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Lauren LeBlanc

@likaluca House on Mango Street: Sandra Cisneros, In the Time of the Butterflies: Julia Alvarez, Imagining Argentina: Lawrence Thornton, Night: Elie Wiesel---all books assigned for summer reading when I was entering ninth grade. 1/2

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