Crib Notes: Glorious Books to Self-gift this Christmas
Succinct book reviews for new and busy mothers.
December begins with a flurry of festive considerations: letters addressed to the North Pole, gifts for nursery staff, attending Christingle services and school shows, and the annual game of tetris which is working out whether my family of four will fit in my childhood bedroom on Christmas Eve. Merriment must be planned with military precision and once it is over, all I want is to be alone with a book and a mug of mulled wine. Perhaps you feel the same. With that in mind, this month’s issue of Crib Notes is a ‘Self-gifting Guide’. I have chosen a clutch of magical titles which I hope will meet your reading needs this month. It is my sincerest wish that you have a peaceful Christmas – and failing that, the chance to pick up a book!
How To Buy Your Books: I recommend purchasing your books from family-run, indie bookshop Storytellers Inc. Click here to shop or email Katie and quote ‘cribnotes’ to receive free postage on singles orders and 10% off orders of more than two titles.
The Must-Read Before The End of 2022
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
When Gabrielle Zevin’s much-hyped video-gaming novel Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow was published in July, I assumed that it was ‘not my thing’. I even thought it sounded a bit gimmicky. Obviously, I was wrong – this novel is a wonder! Opening in 1987, the book introduces us to Sadie Green and Sam Masur who meet as kids and bond over their love of video-games. Eight years later, the pair design an extraordinary game that becomes a global sensation. Although their overnight success brings them instant fame, it causes a seismic shift in their relationship, both as friends and creative collaborators. Whilst Sadie battles against sexism in an industry built around the cult of male genius, Sam – disabled from childhood following a traumatic car crash – grapples with his own demons. Refreshingly, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is not a romance: instead it is about a fiercely loving and complex friendship. It is also a dazzling look at the sense of connection that virtual worlds give those who feel disconnected in their everyday lives. These worlds of Sam and Sadie’s making are spliced seamlessly into the narrative, adding depth and vivid technicolour to an already expansive story. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a generous, clever and captivating novel – I want every single one of you to read it.
When to Read This Book: One of themes of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is escape. When Sadie suffers from postpartum depression, she takes refuge playing a Wild West themed MPORG which nostalgically recalls her favourite childhood computer game. I read this novel during a week in which my children waged a campaign of bedtime anarchy. The evening marathons of breastfeeding and “one more Alfie story” were relentless.I felt like I had nothing to look forward to. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow offered me an easily accessible and absorbing alternate reality; a place to disappear into that bore no resemblance to my own life.
How to Read It: For ease, I read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow in the ebook edition and I can imagine the audiobook is a treat. Meanwhile, Chatto & Windus’s retro-look Hokusai-inspired hardback is absolutely gorgeous (buy it here!).
What to Read Next: This novel reminded me of other big-hearted American realist novels like Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion, Torrey Peters’ Detransition, Baby and Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez.
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