Chapter #42: What Are Your Bookish Hot Takes?

I don't think mine are *that* hot

Feeling My Shelf is a bi-weekly newsletter about books, life, and well, life with books. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and get comfy. First up, some recent reads.

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

If you love the fake dating trope, you’ll love this starry debut novel that follows Amerie, an event planner, and Vincent, an astronaut soon embarking on a mission to the moon. In a classic coffee shop-meet-cute, Amerie spills her drink on Vincent. He’s cute, but dating anyone is off the table since she’s fresh off a breakup and starting a new business. That is until she bumps into her ex and his new girlfriend (at this same coffee shop on another day!) and introduces Vincent as her boyfriend. He plays along because, it turns out, he’s in the market for a fake girlfriend, too. And things take off from there. It’s a bit of a slow burn but super cute, and I devoured it in one sitting.

The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell

This is a fantastic collection of essays on different cognitive biases from the bestselling author of Cultish that “aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.” “Magical thinking” is the belief that one’s internal thoughts can sway external events. And with the uptick in information tossed our way, thanks to social media and co., that type of thinking is alarmingly high. I love reading about why people do the things that they do. That’s probably why I loved both Cultish and this book so much. Montell’s writing is rich with research, personal anecdotes, pop culture references, and wit that dissect everything from celebrity worship to manifestation to toxic relationships.

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Curse the algorithm. Every time I log onto Threads, I'm hit with a barrage of book-related takes. Some good. Some bad. Some that make me want to yell TOUCH GRASS.

What started as an exciting alternative to the platform formerly known as Twitter (and that's what I'm going to keep calling it because that's what his Daddy named him!) has quickly delved into a place where content creators constantly bitch about the algorithm, brands pretend to be funny (emphasis on pretend), and readers go back and forth about reviews (are they for readers or authors?), ARCs (are you required to leave reviews?), and if you should tag authors in reviews (the answer is always no! How many times must this be said?)

Still, I haven't deactivated my account. Maybe it's because I like chaos or perhaps it's because I work in social media and I can't entirely disengage. Yup. The latter. The upside is that all this scrolling I'm forced to do day-to-day has given me a lot of time to think about my bookish hot takes. And I've got quite a few of them.

I don’t personally think they’re that hot. But you tell me…

• Let’s go ahead and get the biggest one out of the way…used books kind of give me the ick. I know I should like them. They’re less expensive. Buying secondhand saves old copies from going to landfills, but I can’t do it. I wouldn’t exactly say that I’m a germaphobe, but they look and feel so dirty. Sorry (not sorry!)

• Closed-door romances are a waste. There’s nothing worse than getting all invested in a couple and then only getting to experience a kiss and a quick leg grope before the next scene, like I could’ve read YA instead.

• Skimming counts as reading. Ahem, and so do audiobooks and e-books. This really shouldn’t be a hot take, but apparently it is!

• Short chapters are better. I’m talking ten pages or less. Multiple scene breaks within the same chapter will definitely result in a massive eye roll for me (though obviously, if the book is good, I’ll keep reading.)

• The book is not always better. I’ve written about this before.

• But not every book needs to be adapted. Hollywood, please let some books stay books!

• I will not buy a book if I hate the cover. Yes, I know that I’ve probably missed out on some excellent books with shitty covers (that the author couldn’t veto!), but somehow I can live with that.

• I like pop culture references in books. Give me all the Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Real Housewives jokes.

• I ignore most physical descriptions. You describe him as 6”2’ with blonde hair and blue eyes; I envision him as whichever celebrity I’m crushing on that week, which rarely looks like that.

• People who *never* read fiction are a red flag. I love self-help and a good finance book, but is there nothing else on your shelf? Hard pass. I’d rather you tell me that you don’t like reading books at all.

Okay, that’s it for me! Now, I want to hear your hot takes. 👀

At the urging of commenters under my last newsletter, I’ve decided to *finally* read Chanel Miller’s critically-acclaimed memoir Know My Name. Already preparing to shed some a lot of tears.

Bridgerton’s Luke Newton teases season three’s “ramped up” romance. Plus, your spring reading list — based on your favorite Bridgerton character. 12 books to read if you love Nancy Meyers movies. The Idea of You is a rom-com you might have written. New York’s hottest club is a literary event. The Last Thing He Told Me season 2, based on upcoming book sequel, is a go at Apple TV+. This reader’s husband and friend built her an introvert nook.

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