I don’t have much of an introduction for these two books, other than to say I tackled two repeat authors that I’m already very fond of. It’s always nice to discover new favorite books from some of your favorite authors, and I think both of these books delivered in that sense. Let’s get to it!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Probably one of the most popular books in recent memory thanks to BookTok, Evelyn Hugo has been on my reading list for quite a while. It finally fell into my hands this past month courtesy of my book club.
This story follows, of course, Evelyn Hugo as she opens up and retells the story of her life to an unknown reporter named Monique. While there’s some interesting plot structure going on with Monique, the real meat of the story is in Evelyn’s journey through movie stardom and the seven husbands she had along the way.
I read Reid’s Malibu Rising last year, and I adored her writing in that book (see me gush about it here, Malibu Rising was one of my only five star reviews from my reading last year). Evelyn Hugo similarly had an engaging narrative, a cast of characters to get invested in, and a strong protagonist to keep you turning the pages. Evelyn is a rich character who you’ll feel all sorts of emotions, but I don’t want to spoil any plot points here. There are some husbands you’ll love, and some you’ll hate, that’s all I’ll say.
Also something fun that encourages you to read more of Reid’s work, I didn’t know her stories wove together. There’s a character overlap with Malibu Rising that was a fun surprise, and needless to say I’ll have to pick up her other books faster than I’d originally intended. Interconnecting elements aside, I can’t recommend experiencing Evelyn’s story enough. Any character that compelling deserves an audience.
The Color Master by Aimee Bender
I’m always itching to read Aimee Bender’s stories. Her collection The Girl in the Flammable Skirt made her my favorite short story writer, and one of my favorite authors overall. The Color Master is another collection of delightful and emotional short stories, and I loved every single minute of it.
Bender specializes in magical realism in a way that makes you forget you’re reading something otherworldly. Whether it be about putting anger into a dress, a woman sewing tigers back together, or any other number of fantastical scenarios, Bender’s writing is gorgeous. She’s a magical realism master, working with fantasy elements in a way that makes them beautiful and emotionally resonant. For example, I was very emotional over a story in this collection about ogres. It’s such a talent to take the otherworldly and make it feel so down to earth and relatable, and Bender does just that.
No matter the circumstances, every character experiences emotions so human that you can’t help but get attached. Even in a short story format, there are deep character moments that give you the entire picture without needing more time. It’s a different skill to put so much into a short story when compared to a novel, yet Bender never disappoints.
It’s always a comfort to come back to familiar authors, and it was a fantastic time get reacquainted with their work. I’d recommend reading multiple books by both of these authors. I have some more books by each of them on my own list, including literally all of Bender’s books. I mean it when I said she’s a favorite of mine! Check out the last volume of recs here. Happy reading!
About the Creator
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