A newsletter about reading.
Are you an unserious person who’s serious about reading? A person who likes to read, but doesn’t always know what to read? Come over to the Shirley side. Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and archive.
What’s a Shirley book?
A Shirley book is generally a literary book written by a woman or non-binary writer that I think is good. That’s about it. The name is a nod to the writer Shirley Jackson.
Why do you hate Jonathans?
I don’t hate Jonathans (usually), but the novels and collections they write tend to get a whole lot of attention while a lot of Shirley books are sitting over on the side.
Who are you?
I’m a writer and editor who, like most adult readers, has loved reading for as long as I can remember and wielded my library card with aplomb as a kid. So much so that I learned the word aplomb. I don’t like recommendations by people who haven’t actually read the book (more common than you may think); and, on the other end of the spectrum, I don’t like reviews that are intimidating or snobby.
I also think books that have been in print (or out of print) for a while should be recommended and read just as often as new books. A release date can be pretty arbitrary when you’re looking for your soul’s recognition of itself in another, which I think is a paraphrased line from Wedding Crashers, but let’s pretend it’s erudite.
Let’s talk about me. What will I get out of this?
Eternal salvation. And maybe a few laughs. And maybe some new favorite books. And maybe a few fragment sentences.
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