Uptown Literati x Clutch: Weekly Reading List — 8.21.2009

A girl’s got to read, this all Clutchettes know. So, to help navigate the ever-expanding world of books, Uptown Literati is here to provide a weekly reading list. We’re a fresh, book blog for cool girls and great reads (check us out on our site [uptownliteratti.blogspot.com] and we’ll be dishing on what you need to be reading now: classic tomes, sassy fiction, juicy tell-alls and every type of paperback in between. Happy reading!

Who: Edward P. Jones, African-American author. Jones published his first book, Lost in the City, in 1992 at age forty-two. 

What: Set against the bustling pace of Washington, D.C and the knots and tangles of their past, the characters of Lost in the City attempt to document and cope with the things of their past that are irretrievable and unforgettable.

Why: Jones’ compassion for D.C and its African-American inhabitants is evident as he explores human loneliness, loss, and spiritual redemption. Fans of James Joyce will appreciate this collection of stories, which Jones has modeled on Joyce’ Dubliners.

Rating: 4 Stars

Who: Zadie Smith, English author and editor of this collection; various writers. 

What: In The Book of Other People, Smith gave only one directive to an ensemble of eclectic writers: To make someone up. What develops is a satisfying but oft-times muddled chorus of voices and imaginations running wild amongst humor, angst, and sadness.

Why: In case you’re like us, and looking for your ZZ Packer fix (and STAT!), you’ll be anxious to get your hands on her contribution to this charity anthology. The best part may be in knowing that by the end of one story you’ve discovered—and possibly become a fan of—an author whose work may have been lost to you without this introduction.

Rating: 3 Stars

Who: Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, widely considered to be the father of modern African literature. 

What: Achebe’s debut and literary opus, Things Fall Apart, is an anti-African colonialism battlecry, and a focused read.

Why: At a time when members of the African Diaspora everywhere have more reason to hope, dream, and change, this fictional account of a Nigerian village takeover is an important part of the conversation.

Rating: 5 Stars

Who: Pioneering women’s fiction author, Melissa Bank.

What: The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing, a hilarious and endearing story of girlhood’s struggle, expectation, and loneliness told in seven sharp vignettes.

Why: Before chick-lit became a dirty word slapped haphazardly onto any and every woman writer, Bank, along with others, built the genre from the ground up by dispatching witty and frank women into the oft-silly world of the driven and urban.

Rating: 4.5 Stars