Guest Recommendation: with Laura Sackton from Books & Bakes
Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) — Hazel Jane Plante
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 Laura Sackton from Books & Bakes! Check out Books & Bakes for weekly newsletters featuring three books on a theme, plus delicious baking recipes that are always fun and unique. I got really into making focaccia over the pandemic and I definitely plan on making this one—it’s almost making me drool right now!
Laura’s Recommendation
Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante
What It’s About
This weird and beautiful little book is about grief, but mostly it’s about life in all its messy unpredictability. The narrator is a trans woman grieving the death of best friend Viv, another trans woman. Struggling to find a way to mourn and honor Viv, she decides to write an encyclopedia of the TV show they both loved, Little Blue. This book is that encyclopedia. It’s full of oddly fascinating details about this made-up show, but it’s also full of memories of Viv. It’s an ode to trans friendship and sisterhood, to all the small but monumental details that define a person, a relationship. It’s about grief, but it’s not a depressing book—it’s a joyful celebration of a complicated life.
It’s hard to convey just how poignant this novel is. The narration is so sure of itself: bright and sharp and funny and mournful. It’s incredible how complete the world of Little Blue feels—I continually had to remind myself it wasn’t a real TV show. But even more incredible is how deeply specific and real every character feels. It’s a short book (about 200 pages), but I felt like I’d known the characters for their entire lives.
Who Will Like It
If you like queer fiction that honors the messy realities of queer and trans lives—the good parts, the bad parts, all the parts, this book is for you. If you enjoy quirky contemporary fiction that’s a little bit strange but mostly very human, this book is for you. It’s the perfect read for anyone who enjoys books with unusual structures, books about friendship, and books that make you laugh and cry—and leave your heart feeling full. Bonus: it’s one of my favorite indie press books of all time (well, books of all time period) and everything else that Menotomy Press has published is amazing, too!
Thank you!
Thank you, Laura, for recommending on Reading Under the Radar! This was on my (way too long) Goodreads TBR, but I’d totally forgotten about it until now, and I definitely want to reprioritize it! The author also has another book out, a fictional memoir about a musician that looks amazing as well.
Remember to subscribe for weekly recommendations and to hear about what I’m planning for a huge end-of-summer giveaway!
Next Up
I thought I’d show you something I do while listening to audiobooks this week—cross stitch! I’m making this fun Books! Books! Books! pattern from Lit Stitch, the pattern book from Book Riot (I’m a writer there!), while listening to When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord, which is proving to be a wonderful escape right now and filling my musical theatre heart with joy.
Do you have hobbies or activities you do when listening to audiobooks? Let me know in the comments, or tell me what you’ve always wanted to learn how to do! (And give me an audiobook recommendation as well—or ask for one for yourself!)
More Books
Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations:
Read about the longest and loneliest horse race in the world—and the woman who won it
Read a book about a bank heist, con artists, and falling in love
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OMG Cassie! How did I not know that Hazel Jane Plante has a new book coming out?! I AM SO EXCITED! Thank you for alerting me to this very important fact and why do I have to wait until 2023?