Reading Under the Radar

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Guest recommendation: with Ashley Holstrom from Crooked Reads
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Guest recommendation: with Ashley Holstrom from Crooked Reads

Let's Never Talk about This Again — Sara Faith Alterman

Cassie P
May 24
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Guest recommendation: with Ashley Holstrom from Crooked Reads
readingundertheradar.substack.com

Welcome to another guest recommendation on Reading Under the Radar! On the last Tuesday of each month, I’ll be asking a fellow book friend about one of their favorite under-the-radar reads.

This week, welcome Ashley Holstrom from Crooked Reads! Check out Crooked Reads for Ashley’s monthly themed book posts and lovely writing about navigating this weird life!

Crooked Reads
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2 months ago · 8 likes · 6 comments · Ashley Holstrom

And a quick note that we’ll be off next week for the Memorial Day holiday—but back in June with more recommendations!

Ashley’s Recommendation

Let’s Never Talk about This Again by Sara Faith Alterman

Book cover for Let's Never Talk about This Again

What It’s About

Sara Faith Alterman grew up in a quaint New England home where curse words were never uttered and sex would never be a topic of conversation. When she was a teen, she stumbled upon a family secret: a collection of raunchy books stuffed in the back of a bookshelf in the family room with her father’s name where the author’s would be. That’s right, her prudish father, Ira, wrote Games to Play with Your Pussy (not about cats) and other gems that sold millions of copies. 

Decades later, Ira started acting strange. He lost his job and wanted to revive his writing career, so he asked his daughter to help edit his new line of sex books. All the unwritten rules of their family were thrown out the window. 

He was soon diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, which explained the rages at technology and lack of concern for being polite. As he endured wave after tidal wave of the disease, Alterman navigated wild currents of her own life—a marriage, a cross-country move, a new baby. 

Let’s Never Talk About This Again is a funny and weird and sad memoir about learning more about a family member only when they’re terminally ill.

Who Will Like It

If you’re big on devastating family memoirs and/or books about Alzheimer’s and/or you want to laugh and cry at the same time, this one’s for you. It’s one of the more touching and human memoirs I’ve read about watching someone you love endure the most terrible disease. 

Know someone who would love this book? Share this post with them! Sharing helps us find new readers and book lovers!

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Thank you!

Thank you Ashley for recommending on Reading Under the Radar—I cannot believe I’d never heard of this book before, and I’ve been on a big memoir kick this year! Some of my favorites have included Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey and Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer.

Please thank Ashley for recommending, and don’t forget to check out her publication Crooked Reads for more!

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More Books

Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations: 

  • Read a sad girl summer novel full of LA drama

  • Read about the longest and loneliest horse race in the world

  • Read about an unsolved true crime case in a national park


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Sharif Islam
Writes The S.A.D Newsletter May 24Liked by Cassie P

thanks for the recommendation. sounds like a fun book!

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Elizabeth Marro
Writes Spark May 25Liked by Cassie P

Some of the most interesting, heart-breaking, and whimsical conversations I ever had with my dad was as his dementia progressed. It would be lovely to read a book that acknowledges the loss due to the disease but also the unexpected moments -- gifts really -- that pull us through. I love the summary of this book and want to read it very much.

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