6 books to add to your autumn reading list

Going on a September holiday? Spending time at home sheltering from the never-ending rain? Or, just in need of some book inspiration? Well, we have you covered with a perfect stack of books by some of the most talented female writers out there to keep you busy.

The List by Yomi Adegoke

Image: The List by Yomi Adegoke.

Ola Olajide, a journalist and feminist, is set to marry her fiancé Michael in just one month’s time. They are a well-known and highly-regarded couple, until one morning when they both wake up to news of ‘The List’ – a collection of names and allegations posted anonymously on social media.

Whereas previously Ola would have supported everything about this list, calling for the men to get fired, and would have written a stream of articles on the topic, the situation is somewhat different now as Michael’s name is on the list.

Should she still marry him? How will she respond? What’s his side of the story?

#FLODown: We attended an event for the launch of this book at Southbank Centre, and heard Yomi discuss the book with esteemed author Bernardine Evaristo. Something that Yomi wanted people to take away from her book is critical thinking. In the age of the internet some of us are guilty of believing everything we read and taking things very much at face value. Plus, people can often be quick to judge and point the finger, but The List really attempts to get you, the reader, to put yourself in not just Ola’s but also Michael’s shoes. What would you do if you were them?

Betty by Tiffany McDaniels

Image: Betty by Tiffany McDaniels. Photo by Mollie Cohen.

Betty Carpenter was born in 1954 to a Cherokee father and a white mother and she is the sixth out of eight siblings. Despite growing up surrounded by poverty, abuse, and racism, Betty is resilient and finds comfort in nature, the natural landscape, writing, and her devoted father. The Carpenter family move around a bit but eventually settle in the small, rural town of Breathed, Ohio where they meet various people – some very unkind.

#FLODown: Betty is not a book for the light-hearted. It’s long, it’s emotional, and it deals with some big triggering themes including sexual assault, rape, abuse, and racism. This beautifully written novel becomes even more poignant after you realise that the story is inspired by the life of the author, Tiffany McDaniel’s mother.

Yellowface by R.F.Kuang

Image: Yellowface by R.F.Kuang.

June Hayward and Athena Liu experienced their successes at the same time – same year at Yale same debut year in publishing. June didn’t even get a paperback release after Athena’s cross-genre literary feat came out.

But then June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident. Afterwards June decides to steal Athena’s just-completed masterpiece – she edits it and sends it to her agent as her own – an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese labourers during WW1.

The stolen novel takes off in popularity and features on the New York Times Bestseller list, but there’s some emerging evidence that is threatening to bring June’s success crashing down…

#FLODown: Yellowface questions big topics like diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry by the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by white Western society. There has been a longstanding debate around who should or shouldn’t write about certain topics or tell certain stories, which is one this book really delves into. We can’t wait to tuck into this bestseller!

Manifesto: On Never Giving Up by Bernardine Evaristo

Image: Manifesto: On Never Giving Up by Bernardine Evaristo. Photo by Mollie Cohen.

Many of you should be familiar with Bernardine Evaristo from her best-selling novel Girl, Woman, Other – and if you’re not, then get to know. For Girl, Woman, Other Evaristo became the first black woman and the first black British person to have ever won the Booker Prize in it’s fifty-year history.

Manifesto is Evaristo’s first foray into non-fiction and presents a vivid and inspiring account of her life and career. Growing up as one of eight children to a Nigerian father and a white Catholic mother, she tells the stories of her childhood, her queer relationships, and her determination to write books. Modern debates around race, class, feminism, sexuality, and ageing are all present in this thought-provoking memoir.

#FLODown: Some people prefer to get stuck into non-fiction and so here is the recommendation for you. And if you haven’t finished working your way through Bernardine’s entire back catalogue then we also recommend tucking into that.

The Queens of Sarmiento Park by Camila Sosa Villada (translated by Kit Maude)

Image: The Queens of Sarmiento Park by Camila Sosa Villada (translated by Kit Maude). LBR Bookshop.

Described as a ‘queer fairy tale about sex work, gender identity, and chosen family’ this novel discusses themes that are prominent in many of our lives right now. Auntie Encarna’s is a queer boarding house in Cordoba, Argentina and the queens who live there are a cobbled together family.

One night Auntie Encarna hears crying from the bushes and discovers an abandoned baby boy. She brings him home to care for him, and their lives will never be the same again.

#FLODown: Short but sweet, this novel is an emotional ride, and it will look beautiful on your shelf afterwards – both the hardback and paperback have beautiful covers.

Notes on Heartbreak by Annie Lord

Image: Notes on Heartbreak by Annie Lord. Photo by Mollie Cohen.

Being/falling in love is one of the best feelings in the world, with heartbreak one of the worst. In her debut novel, Annie describes the stages of grief and heartache she went through after breaking up with her boyfriend of five years. Whilst recounting the details of how they fell in love Annie is simultaneously processing the breakup, using quotes and passages from other novels and poems that shaped her thinking around the topic of love and grief.

However, this isn’t just a book about heartbreak as the title would suggest, it discusses finding yourself after being wrapped up in someone else, loving and supporting your friends, the joy of food and cooking, having adult relationships with your parents, and eventually how to move on after breaking up with someone.

#FLODown: Even if you’re not currently experiencing heartbreak, the likelihood is that you have or you will at some point in your life – therefore, this is a book for everyone. It helps knowing you’re not the only one, and Annie’s musings feel like you’re chatting to a friend.

Words by Mollie Kate Cohen