Was 'All Fours' the book of the summer?

Did anyone else experience a summer reading slump? I usually tear through books in the summer. I start the season with a fresh stack and a laundry list of Libby holds and end it with waterlogged pages and a sandy Kindle. Instead of delirious and lazy, my summer felt stagnant and sticky. It felt hard to focus, and even harder to read. Nightly Love Island episodes monopolized my free time, as did a RHONJ rewatch. I was also poolside less than I would have liked to be…

That being said, I made sure to read Miranda July’s All Fours, which seemed to be the book of the summer in certain circles.

This book is very Miranda July. Obviously. It’s weird and surprising. I was caught off guard often, which is a treat when reading. The first third (or maybe half?) was excellent. Our narrator, who, like July, is a semi-famous artist, sets out on a road trip flush with cash. She’s supposed to end up in New York for an indulgent week at The Carlyle. Instead she stops a stone’s throw outside of Los Angeles and stays in a motel. She blows her money on redecorating the motel room and engages in a charged emotional affair with Davey, a car rental salesman by day and breakdancer by night. Their relationship, and lust for each other, is erotic and strange (the tampon!). I was hooked! I loved the supporting characters. I loved our narrator’s best friend. The writing is sharp and funny and the book, which is about menopause, dread, aging, and obsessing, really makes you think. But once our narrator heads back home to her dissolving marriage, the story loses steam for me. The momentum, which was so urgent in the beginning, is missing and the story kind of slogs.

For fans of Nightbitch and Melissa Broder.

47-year-old Glynnis MacNicol, single and childless, decamps to Paris in August 2021 after 16 months of isolation. Her only goal? To enjoy herself. MacNicol has a clique of expats in Paris with whom she often gathers to drink and dine and discuss. MacNicol takes us through her dating app escapades and delivers on her promise to enjoy herself, but not without also pondering the questions that plague most of us about aging and independence. MacNicol meanders in her writing; she’s not in a rush to get anywhere and prefers to meditate, savor, and tease. For some, this could make the story a bit slow—I almost DNF’d—but those hungry for a delicious travelogue will be satisfied.

I’ve been a fan of Emma Specter’s writing (and Twitter account) for awhile and it should surprise no one that her book is genius. In her debut, Specter weaves together journalism and autobiography to examine her battle with binge-eating disorder and what it means to live in a body. I’ve read a lot of books about eating disorders, but never one about binge-eating and its vicious, cyclical nature. Specter’s writing is unflinching, insightful and urgent. She effortlessly connects personal anecdotes (like her struggle to accept herself as queer) to the bigger picture, including commentary from cultural critics, experts, and activists. I flew through this book. At times it felt like I was reading from pages of my own journal! Thank you, Emma, for sharing your story with all of us.

As a longtime Who? Weekly listener, I’ll always read whatever Bobby Finger (or Lindsey Weber) puts out. This was a sweet novel. It’s 1992 New York and Artie Anderson is celebrating his 30th birthday with his two best friends. They convene at their local gay haunt where Artie meets a new love interest named Abe. The story picks back up 30 years later. Artie is now a 60-year-old man and a lot has changed. The writing is warm and familiar and the characters feel fully-formed and lived-in. It’s not life-changing, but it’s not trying to be. I read Finger’s first novel as well, and am excited about his trajectory as an author.

For fans of Writers & Lovers by Lily King, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

I had this on my shelf for months but never got around to reading it until recently, and I had to re-read the first chapter a few times before I got into it. It’s a slow burn. The book follows contemporary incarnate versions of Berenice Abbott (Bernie) and Elizabeth McCausland (Leah) as they become housemates, and eventually collaborators. After Bernie’s photography mentor passes, and she inherits his estate, the pair sets off on a statewide road trip to capture Philadelphia amid political turmoil. I didn’t connect with the characters; their group living situation feels too Bushwick for me. I appreciated the premise. I’m into quasi historical fiction, and I want to learn more about Abbott and McCausland now. There’s also an interesting literary choice which I’m still not sure how I feel about. The book is narrated by an older, omniscient lesbian who is grieving her beloved—and the fact that she was erased from her beloved’s life and only noted as a “housemate” in the obituary. This narrator follows our protagonists, literally it seems, and pops in and out with commentary about them and their project. Her connection makes more sense by the end, but I’m not sure if her presence really worked for me.

For fans of All This Could Be Different and Biography of X.

My coworkers recommended this to me as a breezy beach read. It’s totally fine. The premise is interesting: A suicidal divorcée heads to a luxury hotel with the intent to die. She’s immediately mistaken as a wedding guest, and before long the bride snuffs out her plan. I don’t recommend it and I don’t not recommend it. Sometimes you just need to read an easy book about whatever. This is that.