The Maris Review, vol 36
Happy new year. Who can say what 2025 has in store for us, but I know for sure there will be good books. Allow me to shout about my friends for a bit?
What I read this week
Good Girl by Aria Aber
Good Girl is a beautifully written work of literary fiction about art and identity and belonging, but it’s also very much a horror novel: there were so many times when the heroine would make a choice that would make me scream, “NO! Don’t go in there! RUN!” It doesn’t help that Good Girl’s almost 19 year-old heroine, Nila, becomes preoccupied with an American writer she meets at a club and who sucks in so many obvious ways. He’s a has-been, a man-child, a prick, a narcissist, and Nila can’t resist. It reminded me of one of those all-consuming, dramatic, unhealthy relationships that you look back on and think, “Damn, what a loser” and you’re referring both to the other person and to yourself.
An aspiring photographer, Nila spends more time navigating a decadent late night/early morning techno scene. In the current moment she’s living back at home with her father and taking courses at a local university after graduating from a boarding school where she was a scholarship student. The daughter of Afghani refugees, Nila lives in German public housing in a community of fellow exiles, and she bristles at the way its inhabitants judge and police the choices of women. What better way to rebel against a culture that values “good girl”s than by sleeping with older (loser) men, by doing drugs, by being really into techno and the culture that surrounds it? (We know she turns out okay because she’s narrating from a later time.)
With its depictions of the decadence of late nights (or early mornings) in Berlin’s techno scene, Good Girl is a bildungsroman by way of Berghain, with our hero’s great transformation sped up to take place over the course of one tumultuous year.
Alter Ego by Alex Segura
I couldn’t find the time to have him do a Q&A for this newsletter late last year, but I still wanted to write about
’s latest novel here. If you’re familiar with Alex at all you know him as a champion of comic book artists and fellow creators as well as an excellent thriller writer. His sequel to his debut thriller Secret Identity gave me exactly what I wanted from him! A look into the world of superhero comics and the art-versus-commerce blues that come with them, especially when, in the hands of corporate entities, comics are IP first and foremost. Get some good IP and you can have a movie franchise and a video game and a few TV shows; the comic book itself becomes an afterthought. This is a story about the people who care about the work, who are inspired by the masters who came before (Alex is always so good at shouting out other artists and writers), and how that fundamental conflict between the artists and the powers-that-be can become deadly.An entirely biased most anticipating list
It’s easy for me to dwell on the downsides of doing a weekly newsletter — the lack of editing, the need to self-motivate — but there are some pluses too. I can write whatever I want, for starters. When I’m writing for particular publications I have to be careful about not being too biased, of not just covering people I know, of disclosing any relationships I may or may not have with an author. But now, in my own damn space, I get to publish an entirely biased most-anticipated list of books by people I know too well to review. And I’m going to rave about them anyway.
Note: I have not read any of these books yet, so I’m gonna sell you more on the writer than the new book.
Note 2: There are so many other excellent books coming out by people I know and people I don’t know! I promise I will tell you about as many of them as I can.
Syme's Letter Writer: A Guide to Modern Correspondence about (Almost) Every Imaginable Subject of Daily Life, with Odes to Desktop Ephemera by Rachel Syme
Rachel Syme is the most aesthetically cohesive person I know. She brings art and style and enthusiasm to so many quotidian tasks, from getting dressed for the day, to taking a perfect bath, to sending handwritten letters to friends far and wide. She also happens to be killing it at the New Yorker. I have only seen the PDF version of her new book on modern correspondence, but I’m imagining a beautiful, impeccably designed coffee table book to share with anyone who has an ounce of taste.
Trust Issues by Elizabeth McCullough Keenan and Greg Wands
I’ve known Liz and Greg for… a long time. Liz and I started out working as assistants at Simon & Schuster together, and she was so good at her job but I knew that what she really wanted to do was write. She realized in 2018 or so that one of her best friends was also her ideal writing partner, and she and Greg wrote three thrillers together under the pen name E.G. Scott. This time around I’m so excited to see that they’re using their real names. Ready for them to become names you recognize.
You Didn't Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKinney
I feel so lucky that even though her reign as host of Normal Gossip has ended, Kelsey still has gossip on her mind. Anyone who’s listened to the podcast knows she’s both incredibly smart about both silly and weighty things, and that she oozes charisma. And we know from her other work at Defector that she is a sharp cultural critic (she’s also an excellent fiction writer). I’m ready for this new book to be the culmination of so many of Kelsey’s skills, a fun yet trenchant book about the power and uses of gossip…
Back After This by Linda Holmes
Linda has crafted two previous rom-coms that did that entirely difficult thing of being uplifting even while showing her characters going through hard times. It is so fitting that Linda will be reading the audio version of her first fiction about a podcaster. If you enjoy listening to her on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, you’re gonna want to get your hands on the audiobook.
Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul
Over the holidays I watched Scaachi’s Girls Gone Wild documentary and was devastated (Joe Francis is a vile turd) and also so impressed. I still have trouble with confrontation, and whatever the opposite of that is, it’s Scaachi. Not only is she a hard-hitting journalist, but she can make just about anything funny. Her first essay collection was a joy, and I have no doubt that her divorce memoir will be scathing in an entirely new way, as reflected in that killer book cover.
(I hope she sees this and barfs at my sincerity).
The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death, and Art in Michael Stewart's New York by Elon Green
Elon writes true crime with so much care. He understands the importance of centering the victim, of setting the scene and getting the details right, of filling the reader in on the cultural moment in which a crime has been committed. Elon’s previous book was a stunner, and it became one of the rare true crime documentaries that didn’t feel exploitative or obtuse.
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett
Kristen is a real goof who writes like a genius. You may know her from Dad Lessons or Am I the Literary Asshole, or from her great skill at determining whether something is or isn’t a ravioli. But her fiction is where she really goes deep and shines. And now she’s written a book about a clown, who I’m assuming is a sad clown with lots of good jokes. How lucky are we?
Audition by Katie Kitamura
Katie is someone with whom I became friends only after I’d read her novels and become a raving fan girl, so even including her might be a bit of a brag. In her fiction she’s always doing something unexpected with narrative or perspective, and the results are thrilling. I have heard a zillion people raving about Audition, and I can’t wait to read it.
The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman by Niko Stratis
Niko has invited me to be on two different podcasts she hosts, which is how I know that she and I have similar tastes in music and pop cultural ephemera. It’s lovely to meet someone and discover that you see the world from a similar perspective even though you live very different lives. I cannot wait to learn how the music of Wilco and The National, among other bands, led her to become the beautiful person she is today.
Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream by Megan Greenwell
Megan has been one of the few reasonable/angry voices in documenting the collapse of digital media due to owner and C suite stupidity/ineptitude, even as the writers and editors on the ground are the ones getting laid off. I’m so glad she’s going full-length on a subject that infuriates me but that I also want to understand better.
In My Remaining Years by Jean Grae
I blurbed this one by comedian and musician and minister and former Chelsea Hotel resident Jean Grae, so why don’t I just tell you what I said? “I’m in awe of the many talents of Jean Grae. What a pleasure it is to discover that, as I’d expected, Jean is excellent at writing books, too.” I bet the audiobook will be an absolute delight.
Better: A Memoir about Wanting to Die by Arianna Rebolini
Arianna and I have been covering the book industry for a while now, so it feels a little surreal that we have books coming out a few months from each other. I know it’s gonna be hard but rewarding to read this one, to learn about all of the ways Arianna has struggled with mental health even as we were texting each other nonsense about books. What a lovely silver lining to all of this anguish: the chance for this memoir to be out in the world and to resonate with people who might be feeling the same.
Metallic Realms by Lincoln Michel
is so good at writing, and writing about writing, and teaching about writing. And also karaoke. I can’t wait to read his next novel and enjoy how he manages to evoke the absurdities of life as we know it, all while dreaming up different kinds of worlds.Write Through It: An Insider's Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life by Kate McKean
is a high-powered literary agent who serves her clients well. She’s also a member of my writer’s group, and I’m here to tell you she’s very good at writing (I hope this book is the first of many). My greatest hope for this book is a selfish one: I want to be able to hand it to any friend of a friend of a family member who’s ever asked me “How do I write a book proposal?” or “How does publishing work?”The Payback by Kashana Cauley
Kashana is a former lawyer turned comedy writer who has the most infectious laugh in all of the world. Her debut novel was so funny and so dark, and I can’t wait to see what the new one contains.
El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott
Megan is the reigning queen of feminist neo-noir that’s equal parts brainy and suspenseful, and every single time she publishes a new novel it’s an occasion. I just requested a galley and I can’t wait.
Sloppy: Or: Doing It All Wrong by Rax King
Rax is an assassin with the one-liners and her culture writing is as funny as it is astute. Her first essay collection was a charmer through and through, and I’m excited to read about how she managed to get sober while still being messy in the best way.
Simplicity by Mattie Lubchansky
If the new graphic novel by multitalented artist/thinker/singer/wisecracker
is anything like her previous one, Boys Weekend, then we’ve got a must-read on our hands.Unworld by Jayson Greene
Jayson is one of my favorite music writers ever, and he wrote a beautiful, devastating memoir called Once More We Saw Stars. I am so ready for his first novel and to see what he is drawn to write about when the constraints of the facts of real life get taken away.
Kaplan’s Plot by Jason Diamond
I won’t say too much because I’m not sure the pre-order campaign has even started yet, but oh my gosh Jason’s debut novel is so good (I did read this one) and exactly what I’d want to read from him, with lots of old Jewish men in Chicago doing dastardly deeds.
New releases, 1/7/25
We’re back in business! Lots and lots of new books on the way in January.
Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly
99% Perspiration: A New Working History of the American Way of Life by Adam Chandler
Another Man in the Street by Caryl Phillips
Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff
The Note by Alafair Burke
Playworld by Adam Ross
The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West by Amy Gamerman
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the Future That Never Was) by Colette Shade
Rosarita by Anita Desai
You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist by Kari Ferrell
I want to read every book you write about!